Wrong Side: An Enemies-to-Lovers Sports Romance (The Bad Boys of Penwood Book 1) Read online

  I pop my head out and holler, "See you around, greyhound."

  He waves over his shoulder, continuing to walk to the elevator. I don't miss the other hand that goes up to his face.

  Everything washes over and consumes me as my life plays in fast forward. It's all so bittersweet. I had my mouth rinsed out with soap when I was six years old for saying that to a senator when he was leaving our house after a dinner party. Harvey had taught me all kinds of fun sayings, and I was in love with the play on words. I never once again repeated one around Mother and Father. And also never told Harvey of the punishment because the burden of his guilt would crush him.

  3

  Sadie

  Day three and still no roommate. It's been easy to blend in on campus as more and more students arrive. There's no way in hell I would've appeared as the typical college student in pumps, a dress suit, and pearls.

  The weather in Penwood is hot—like sweat in your boobs and various other areas not to be mentioned—and I’ve never been so thankful for a forgiving outfit, avoiding the issue all together. My mother would have a stroke on sight if she saw me in my denim cut-offs, black spaghetti strap tank with my hair piled on top of my head, not to mention my favorite pair of black-rimmed glasses.

  The dull chatter in The Grind House soothes me as I enjoy my Peachy Cowgirl soda while I read my current romance novel. I took a chance on this flavor and didn't regret it one bit. The cream, peach, and Dr. Pepper are such an odd combination yet so damn tasty. Reading is my guilty pleasure and one thing I could forever hide from my parents. They knew we had an Amazon family account, but when I realized they never inspected the bill, I began devouring every book within one-click reach. The star ratings don't matter. The author, genre, or hell…anything for that matter. I don't discriminate. I get lost in words.

  The last few days have been by far like the best vacation ever and the best Christmas morning to grace me, all wrapped together with a bright shiny bow. I never knew freedom would taste so damn good in every single way. I take a long pull from my straw, savoring the sugar rush. Worthless carbs, and there's no hiding the consumption nor do I have a guilt trip from consuming it.

  I push my thick glasses up the bridge of my nose and then mindlessly twirl a lock of stray blonde hair around my finger while diving back into my latest one-click book. I have no idea how much time passes as the hero of the book swoops in with all his charm, looks, and money then secrets are uncovered, and the heroine races away from the problems. Just a few more paragraphs and I’ll know if there’s a happily ever after or not. I’m totally invested when I'm nudged from behind. My syrupy drink jolts forward and off the table, cascading to the floor spreading in every direction. Next, my iPad follows the same course of action, crashing to the uneven rich brown tiles on the floor.

  I gasp when it lands face up, and I gain my bearings. A throat clears behind me. From my slumped state, I sit upright, righting my glasses and doing my best to crawl into my skin. Up until this moment, I've camouflaged myself into campus life.

  "You know how to fucking push in your chair?" a deep voice bellows.

  I don't dare glance up while keeping my stare on my iPad—several moments of silence drift by, including everyone in the coffee shop.

  "Are you deaf, little girl?" A loud thud of a boot collides with my chair shoving my front into the table. The unforgiving edge of the tiled table pinches the skin right below my chest. I flinch but don't dare let a sound out.

  "Maybe she's mute and blind, guys." A large tan hand grabs my iPad from the ground. "Look at the size of that damn font."

  I jerk my face up, and dread tumbles down to my sandals. My iPad. It has everything I cherish on it, from pictures of my artwork, photos of Harvey and me on our secret adventures, my music, and all of my ebooks.

  "Deaf, mute, and blind, look at the print on this thing." He holds up my best friend for everyone to see. The man is for sure a college student. Even through all this chaos, I don't miss how damn handsome he is. A thick black beard, black as night hair, and piercing blue eyes. Dark athletic shorts barely hang on his hips, and his white tank top hugs his chest. But it's the hateful words coming out of his mouth that make him uglier than sin.

  He leans down on the table, staring me in the eye, my iPad still clutched in his grip. I don't back down even though every bone in my body wants to. I don't speak up either.

  "Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth?" He tilts up an eyebrow.

  "Enough, Arlo," another voice bellows.

  This gets his attention off of me. He stands upright, glancing over his shoulder.

  "Move on," the same voice sounds.

  I take the chance to peer over my shoulder to see a similar-looking man with light scruff gracing his jawline with whiskey-colored hair.

  The bully in front of me scoffs then glances back down at me. "Next time, make sure you push in your fucking chair."

  "Move," the man roars, who stopped this whole shit show.

  He listens. I remain dumbfounded as the four men saunter right past me as if nothing ever happened. None of them look down at me except the last one who put an end to all of this. I glance up to the first guy who still has my iPad in his clutch. From the looks of their attire, it seems all of them came from some sort of sports practice or an intense gym session. They circle a table in the corner that was previously occupied. Every single person scatters, gracing them with the space they desired.

  The nice guy, or at least the nicest of them, grabs his chair, whips it around backward, and falls on it. I watch him for a few seconds. His jaw is tight, shoulders tense, and shaggy whiskey brown hair dances out of his backward ballcap.

  "Sorry."

  I startle jumping up in my seat, knocking the top of my leg underneath the table. The harsh solid table shreds the sensitive skin on top of my thigh as if a dozen needles doing their best work.

  "They're dicks." A girl my age with dark auburn hair pulled back in a messy bun stares back at me.

  I open my mouth, but no words come out. She doesn't say another thing as she kneels with a wet rag wiping up the mess left behind. I snap to it, grabbing a stack of brown, coarse napkins piled on the table and join her in cleaning up the mess.

  "Thank you," I manage to whisper.

  "No need." She smiles at me then gets back to work. "You must be new here."

  I nod, continuing to wipe up the ice and sticky liquid with my wads of napkins.

  "Well, consider yourself official because you survived your first run-in with the Bad Boys of Penwood."

  My hand freezes, and the look on my face must explain it all. I have no idea what in the hell she's talking about.

  "Those four and their cronies run this place." She continues mopping up the mess with her wet rag. "If you manage to stay under their radar, then you're golden."

  I nod, my soaked napkins doing nothing to help clean up the mess at this point.

  "Arlo is the dick who kicked your chair, and Theo is the one who called him off." This girl talks as fast as she wipes up the mess. "They're juniors and lead the football team that is up for their third national championship, so basically, their shit doesn't stink."

  "Okay." I gulp and balance back on the tip of my toes.

  "By the way, my name is Margo Black, and I'm a sophomore and work at this joint part-time." She extends her hand that's not holding the now gummed-up wet rag.

  "Um." I stand following her movement and don't miss her still extended hand. I remember Harvey's lessons in making a good impression. And even though all hopes of that blew out of the water, I still give it a go. "I'm Sadie Alexander. Nice to meet you."

  I go to reach for her hand, ready to give a firm handshake and make eye contact. I was mistaken because that wasn't a handshake gesture but a half-hug movement. In my world, half hugs were frowned upon, but I go for it in all of my awkwardness and shook-up nerves.

  "Hope to see you around!" Margo bounces on the balls of her feet and zips to the back of the c
ounter as if nothing happened.

  With my drink gone and iPad stolen, I grab my worn plum purple JanSport backpack and head out of the coffee shop. Before exiting, I glance over to the corner table of assholes. It's hard to make them out since so many women now swarm them, hanging off them and perched in their laps. I catch the shiny gold lettering of my iPad case in the center of the table. I think twice about marching over and getting it back but then remember Margo's warning. Tears fill my eyes at the realization I'm as much of a puppet here at Penwood University as I have been under Father and Mother's thumb.

  I don't dare slip or fumble for the door handle while staring at the table. Theo turns his head, making direct eye contact. My rambling thoughts trip over their own feet. He's simply gorgeous, from his rich, dark-colored eyes to his chiseled jaw dabbled with the perfect amount of scruff. There's a kindness and some sort of apology in his stare.

  Someone calls out his name, dragging his attention elsewhere, but before he breaks our connection, an ice curtain drapes his features, freezing the moment.

  4

  Sadie

  Two days until classes start. Without my iPad, life has been boring. I walked to the public library the other day and checked out a few books. However, I go through a book in a matter of hours. On my second trip to the library, the whispers about that girl who arrived in a limo began to buzz around. Up until then, I was sure no one seemed to notice or gave a shit about how I arrived. After that, I decided to stay in my dorm, only going to the cafeteria for two meals a day.

  Harvey has called me every day since dropping me off, and sadly that's the only thing I look forward to. My roommate hasn't made it yet, and the more time that goes by, the larger the ball of nerves nestled in my gut grows.

  Today I have no choice. I have to go outside. I need textbooks. I'm now kicking myself in the ass for not letting Mother order them and have them delivered. It was one tiny victory I won because I wanted the whole experience. In all honesty, she was busy and distracted that day with her upcoming women's league golf tournament, and it’s the only reason she gave in on the battle.

  I slip into a worn pair of leather strappy sandals and check myself in the mirror. Blonde crazy hair piled up on my head, a graphic tank, and frayed shorts. It seems as if this outfit is quickly becoming a go-to. At least, I look like the rest of the college students. Now, if I can fade into the background.

  I toss on my backpack and keep my head down as I walk down the hall and ride the elevator to the bottom floor. Exhaling a large breath, I notice no one is in the lobby. Even though I haven't explored the campus much, I have it memorized from the campus maps, and I know my exact route to make it to the bookstore.

  I can't help but admire the massive marble fountain and various intricate statues framed by large oak trees. It's a stunning view, and if I let all of my other worries vanish, this campus refreshes me. It reminds me to embrace my new mantra, "Let it go and live." I repeat the phrase to myself over and over again until I'm opening the door to the student common area. I take it all in from the bowling alley, pool tables, fast food places, and vending machines, getting distracted for a few beats.

  I follow the signs to the bookstore, focusing on my goal and doing my best to ignore the clatter and chatter of joy in the background. My soul hungers for an ounce of carefree laughter and bliss.

  "Theo!" A loud voice booms across the open building.

  It startles me, and in a knee-jerk reaction, I look up. It's pleasure and torture at the same time. It's them. The asshole, also known as Arlo, relaxes back in a chair with his arms propped up and legs spread wide. I don't keep my focus on him long, remembering his cruel words.

  It's his friend who ended the torture that keeps my attention, Theo. He's giving off the "I don't give a shit vibe" again. The stubble painting his jawline and messy dark hair combo does something igniting a sort of magic inside me. The man is gorgeous in a tortured kind of way. I bite down on my bottom lip, continuing to study him.

  He jerks his chin at whoever was yelling his name and then glances my way. I tuck a loose piece of hair behind my ear and bite harder down on my lip. He doesn't break the stare, and it screams intrigue without words. I finally duck my chin, continuing walking when Arlo's deep voice breaks our trance. I have no desire to linger around to see what the hell is going on. I've always been a quick learner and for sure learned my lesson when it comes to Arlo.

  The scent of textbooks, paper, and pens slap me in the face when I walk into the bookstore. Call me a nerd, but man, this is my jam, my favorite scent, and my place. Being the black sheep of the family, I learned at a young age books and learning were my best friends.

  I spot a gorgeous girl behind the counter, popping her gum engrossed in her phone. She doesn't glance up to see who entered the bookstore. The loud, shrilling bell had no effect on her attention. Her bright red nails furiously tap on the screen of her phone. Good thing I don't need any help. I take my time strolling up and down the aisles taking everything in before searching for specific textbooks.

  I grab a set of new highlighters, sticky notes, and pens before piling my books up in stacks on the counter. Not once does Bethy glance up in my direction. Her name badge is blinged out in gold and pink glitter, making it hard to miss. Once I place my last book on the counter, I slide my backpack off my shoulders, and snag my credit card. I stand waiting for her to glance up and notice a customer is waiting. Then I stand there and stand and wait and wait and wait…

  Is this real life right now? I get not being helpful, but hell, she is being paid to do a damn job. I clear my throat.

  "Hey." My voice squeaks. "I'm ready to check out."

  Bethy glances up, rolls her eyes, and goes back to her phone. "One sec."

  "Okay." My patience grows thin as I tap the counter.

  It's out of nature for me to feel and act this way. My fragile and tender final thread of decency is about to snap. I may be odd, sheltered, don't fit in, and come from a wealthy family, but goddamn it, I'm a person. Bethy hops off the stool right before I am about to detonate.

  "Ewww." She curls her nose, picks up an art history book, and then scans it. "Boring."

  I force a tight-lipped smile biting on the inside of my cheek. Not worth it, Sadie. It's not worth it. I'm sure Bethy isn't capable of holding a conversation that doesn't involve social media.

  "This is a lot of books." She scans the last one. "You know you can share with another student or even sometimes get by without one."

  She leans over the counter, giving me an up and down with a judgmental stare. "Oh, yeah, you could def get away without some of these with that body."

  I choke on air in shock at what she's insinuating. "Oh, well, thanks. But I'm good."

  A deep chuckle sounds from behind me, causing me to jolt straight up, and a tiny squeak escapes. Before I have time to move or even think about the situation, a hard warm body presses against my back. A citrus, woodsy scent invades all of my senses. A light breath tickles the side of my neck, and fingers pull back my hair.

  I don't know how I know, but I know it's him. Theo.

  "You're right, Britty." He speaks right below my ear. "She has the body to flirt and fuck professors but not the grit."

  "You mean Bethy?" The pissed-off blonde slams my bag of books on the counter.

  "Whatever." Theo pushes back from me.

  My body buzzes with excitement on the verge of overheating. I've never felt anything even close to what Theo did to me. The romance novels and fantasies they gift have nothing on this man.

  "Oh, you." I glance over to the door to see Arlo leaning on a bookshelf with an arched eyebrow. "Spill any drinks today?"

  "I knew you looked familiar!" Bethy squeals. "The Blind Limo Girl."

  All of those simmering feel-good feels extinguish. Shame, hurt, anger all strike at once, creating a furious storm. Tears prick at the back of my eyes. I want nothing more than to turn and run, leaving my unpaid purchase behind.

  The silence is
thick after Bethy's statement. I can't run because if I do, they'll win and know they can get me every single time. With my chin held high, I hand over my credit card.

  "Holy shit! This is a black Amex." She waves it in the air like it's a damn trophy before pulling it down to her face. "Mercedes Diamond Alexander."

  She slowly draws out my name loud enough everyone can hear. I don't have to peer over my shoulder to know we've now drawn a crowd.

  "I go by Sadie." I place my hand on the counter. "Could you please charge me so I can go?"

  "Pathetic." Arlo rolls his eyes, pushes off the bookshelf, and exits.

  Bethy has put my card down and is now back on her phone. I don't have to be a rocket scientist to know she's sending all the juice of what happened to her crew. Jesus, I don't want to pull the can I talk to your manager card, but I don't have many options left at this point. And everyone knows that will make me out to be as snotty as my full name.

  A hand grabs my hip, this time pulling me back into his chest. Theo doesn't waste time whispering in my ear. This time his full lips graze the shell of my ear. His scent ungrounds me. It's so intoxicating.

  "They'll keep pushing as long as you let them. Time to get some grit, baby girl, or be prepared to be steamrolled." With the last syllable, his lips linger on the shell of my ear.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I watch Theo walk away. His black jeans ride low on his hips while his white tee hugs his muscular back. He's the right amount of swagger, muscle, and overall hotness, not to mention his level of dickheadness.

  "Wow!" Bethy slaps the counter pulling my attention back to her. "I can't believe Theo did that."

  I ignore her annoying voice, face, and personality, doing my best to gain my bearings. At this rate, I'll be a damn professional at doing so.

  "Can you please run my card so that I can get out of here?" I ask, balling my hands into fists.

  "All Theo sees is dollar signs or his next conquest to warm his sheets for a tango and a boot." She leans forward. "Trust me, you're not his type, and I suggest you stay far away from him. There's a line of girls waiting for Theo, and they'll make your life a living hell!"