“Want to get coffee? Discuss some ideas?” I check my watch, debating the idea. My list is at zero at the moment, and we each need five ideas to turn in.
“Sure. Can we do Perk North? I like their hot chocolate.”
“Yeah.” Keith pops up from his chair and begins getting his stuff together. I put my laptop into my bag and head out with him. He talks about a few ideas he has. I try and pay attention, but my mind keeps drifting to whether or not Tiffany has social media. Of course I already checked if Theodore has one—he does, but there is nothing really on it. It felt very generic. “What are you thinking?”
“What?” Crap. I so checked out of the conversation, and there's no way I’m telling anyone what I’m thinking. I haven't even told Zoey about my new weird fascination with Reid’s coach because I haven’t wrapped my mind around it yet.
“For a story.” Right. Keith holds the door open for me when we make it to the coffee shop, being a gentleman. He has been since we met at orientation and he heard my major was journalism.
He’s cute in a boy next door kind of way. He’s taller than me, but most people are. He’s fit too. Not as tall or built as Theo but nothing to turn your nose up at. I think I remember him telling me he was on the swim team. Which makes sense with his build. He’s got short, wavy blond hair, making me think he’s from the West Coast. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did some surfing back home.
“I’m still trying to think something up.”
“I can see the appeal to Coach Gray. The stuff that’s out there about him falls flat. There is no juice to it. Why don't you ask Reid? He might have some insight.” I’ve thought about that too. I give Keith a look. “Everyone knows who Zoey and Reid are, and by proxy they know who you are with the streaming you two do together. Not to mention you’re a Harlow.”
I haven’t decided if my last name is a blessing or a curse. I’m sure everyone assumes that’s the reason I got into this school, but I try not to dwell on what others think of me.
“I’m starting to think I might be your story,” I tease him, knowing he’s right. We both place our orders and wait off to the side. Zoey texts me about how boring her class is.
“There he is,” Keith says under his breath to me. I look up from my phone to see Theo walking into the coffee shop. This is the first time I’ve gotten to see him again since the night in the elevator. He looks as handsome as ever. He has an air of confidence that pushes all the right buttons for me. It’s even in the way he walks. He’s not arrogant, but he exudes power.
His eyes come right to me and then narrow. For some reason I suddenly feel as if I’m in trouble. We stand there staring at each other until someone tries to get into the door, which his big frame is blocking. He gives the person an apology as he moves forward.
I lift my hand, giving him a small wave like a dork, but what else am I supposed to do? We're staring right at each other. It would be rude of me not to greet him in some way. Thoughts of walking up and kissing him briefly enter my mind, but I push them away. I need to get myself under control. This happens to me every time he’s near. I make a fool of myself.
“Theo!” I jerk my head around at the sound of Tiffany’s voice as she pushes into the coffee shop. She’s clearly excited to see him. I shouldn’t be calling him that. He’s not my friend. I barely know him, but Coach Gray sounds weird. He’s not my coach. He’s not my anything. He already belongs to someone. I need to get that through my thick skull. I mean, how many times do I have to witness them together before I stop with this crazy fascination with him?
“That could be your story.” Keith’s brows lift as he watches Tiffany hug Theo. I turn around, grabbing my hot chocolate. My phone goes off in my hand. I look at it to see Zoey asking about dinner ideas.
“Crap. My friend needs me. Text me later?”
“I don’t have your number.” Crap. Why did I say that? I ramble it off so quickly I’m not sure he catches it before I’m out the door and headed home, knowing that I need to bury this silly crush I have for Theo once and for all.
6
Theodore
What the fuck am I doing now? I ask myself as I follow not far behind Willow as she makes her way toward our building. I’m a damn stalker is what I am. Even though I have that thought, that still doesn’t stop me from continuing to follow her. I mean, technically I’m heading home too, so I’m not really following her.
I spent an hour after practice not watching game tape like normal but watching Willow’s videos on social media. How did I not put it together before now she’s a Harlow? Of course she comes from money, how else would a college student afford to live in our building?
Yet she doesn’t act as though she’s some stuck-up rich kid. Her parents are big contributors to our school, which only puts up another roadblock in my path to her. Still, I pick up my pace as she gets closer to the entrance of our building, wanting to savor the small glimpse I’m getting of her.
If I time it right, she’ll have to ride the elevator with me. Hopefully we’ll be alone. Maybe talking to her will cure this obsession I have with her. It will show me that we have nothing in common and that this is only a physical attraction. Let’s hope, because I don’t think I could stay away from her if that’s not the case. I’m already fighting a losing battle here.
I watch as she enters the lobby. She presses the button for the elevator and steps back. I study her profile for a minute. She’s perfect. So young and full of life. She has her entire future ahead of her. What would she want with an old man like me?
I don’t stand a chance in keeping her, so I should let her go now, before I get a taste of her. I know once I do that, I’ll never be able to set her free. Against my own advice, I head inside and toward her. She has that effect on me, making me do things that I wouldn’t normally do.
She must sense me because she turns to look at me, and those gorgeous green eyes of hers connect with mine. She looks a bit shocked, but I see a flash of relief there that I can’t explain. Her mouth drops open only for a second. I think I groan out loud as I watch her pink little tongue peek out to wet those plump lips of hers.
The elevator dings, pulling her attention from me. She steps inside, and I follow her on. “Hi,” she says softly as she pushes the button for her floor.
I reach over past her and press the button to my floor. She doesn't move out of my way and lets me crowd her. She tilts her head up to look at me.
Her eyes drop to my mouth. It’s all I need. I should be soft with her, but I strike, hard and fast, the same way I used to all those years on the football field. There is no grace to my movements.
I grab her, lifting her off her feet as my mouth comes down onto her. A gasp comes from her, making her lips part. I slip my tongue in to get a better taste. Warm chocolate with a hint of vanilla fills my mouth. For a moment she doesn't respond but lets me kiss her without pulling away.
Her fingers dig into my shoulders as she starts to kiss me back. I groan when her tongue tangles with mine tentatively. There is nothing about Willow that screams shy, but the way she kisses makes me think otherwise.
Suddenly she jerks back, her eyes fluttering open. Her green eyes look darker now. I can see the desire there. She wants me. She lifts her hand, touching her lips.
“You kissed me.” I did. I don’t know what the fuck came over me. But I know I would make the same decision again.
“Yeah, I did.”
“Are you allowed to kiss me?” Her brows furrow together.
“Do you just give your number out to random men?”
“Wait. What?” She starts to wiggle in my hold, and reluctantly I put her down on her feet.
“You gave your number to the boy in the coffee shop.” Yeah, I heard that. I saw the look of victory on the boy's face when he’d scored it. I wanted to lay him out right there but decided against it. I’m a grown-ass man, I can’t go around knocking teenage punks around.
“So?” She pushes on my chest, but I don’t move. She huffs out a breath. �
�I can give my number to whoever I want.” She tilts her chin up in defiance. All it does is make me kiss her again. I don’t stop until she is back to being soft and sweet in my arms again.
“Are you guys getting off?” Willow tries to jump back from me at the sound of Zoey’s voice. I force myself to free her from my hold. She darts out of the elevator.
“Zoey.” I give her a nod.
“Coach.” She smirks as the elevator doors close. I drop my head back when I’m alone, wondering what the fuck I just did. I pounced on the girl like a wild animal who can’t control itself.
I should go back down and apologize, tell her it was a mistake, but I don’t. Instead I head into my place, going straight for my computer and logging in. I immediately start searching the online database for students named Willow until I find her number. I stare at it, telling myself again not to do this, but I pull out my phone and add it.
I sit wondering how long it will be until I break and text her.
Not long…
7
Willow
“What the hell was that?” Zoey shuts the door behind me, flipping the lock.
“I don’t know!” I shout back. “But you saw it, right? We were kissing.” My lips are still tingling, but I want to be sure that wasn't a freaking dream.
“Yeah, I saw it.” We stare at each other for a long moment, neither one of us saying anything.
“Crap.” I fall back onto the sofa. “Tiffany. He has a girlfriend.”
“Oh yeah.” Zoey drops down onto the sofa, her ass next to my head. “You made out with Coach Gray.” I nod my head. I think he made out with me really. He manhandled me, and I enjoyed every damn second of it.
I really hadn't seen that coming. One second he was leaning in to push the button to his floor, and the next he was all over me. His hands held me tight like he never wanted to let me go. Then that mouth of his. It wasn't some sweet, slow kiss. It almost felt as though he was claiming me, but that can’t be right. It was so raw and possessive.
“Tell me everything,” she demands. I do. It doesn't take long because there isn't much to tell. “He was mad you gave your number to another boy?” She smiles as she says it. Yeah, I might get excited about that too, but it’s a bunch of crap.
“Tiffany was all over him at the coffee shop, not to mention when they were at dinner that night.” I put up a finger. “And the other night he was leaving here after ten all freshly showered. He was going out for some booty.”
“Booty?” Zoey snorts a laugh. “We were leaving too, and we were not going out for booty,” she points out. I give her a look. “Okay, you were going out and not planning on booty.” She has a fair point.
“Don’t tell Reid,” I blurt out when I hear a key in the door. Her eyes widen. She can’t protest because Reid opens the door, walking in. I know I’m asking a lot from her since she and Reid tell each other everything.
“Hey.” He gives me a nod, going straight for Zoey. He lifts her off the sofa, laying a kiss on her before putting her back down. “What is up with you guys?” His eyes bounce between us.
“I made out with Coach Gray!” I blurt out, folding like a cheap chair. Zoey lets out a loud breath, clearly about to burst with the news too.
“Say what?” Reid shakes his head, thinking he misheard me.
“You know. Like this!” Zoey jumps up from the sofa and attacks Reid, making me burst into laughter.
“Hey, he kissed me.”
“And you saw this?” Reid holds Zoey in his arms. She nods. Even he’s so shocked he needed double confirmation.
“They were all over each other in the elevator. The doors opened, and they didn't even notice me. That's how into it they were.”
“Ah.” Reid starts to laugh. “Now I see why he came down so hard on Mack.” He puts Zoey on her feet. “You hungry? I’m starving.” He’s always starving when he gets back from practice.
“You can't say that and then start talking about food.”
I nod in agreement with my best friend, needing him to elaborate. “Who is Mack?”
“You met him at the party last weekend.” My mind draws a blank. We hadn't been there long and there were so many guys there. “Doesn't matter. He was talking about hitting you up, and I shut him down and then Coach had a bit of a go with him too.”
“Wait. He was jealous?” Zoey asks for me.
“He seemed pissed through most of practice.” Reid heads toward the kitchen, and Zoey and I follow after him, wanting more details.
“Isn't he dating Tiffany?” I ask.
“How the hell would I know that?” He pulls out one of the containers of food Zoey’s mom left.
“You two are together all the time,” Zoey points out, taking the dish from his hand to plate it for him.
“We talk about sports and sometimes our family. He’s never mentioned a wife or girlfriend. The only thing he has ever said is they can mess with your head.” I hand him a bottle of water. “Thanks.” He chugs it back. “It’s total bullshit that he gave me a hard time about Zoey when I first met him, and now he’s hooking up with a student half his age.”
“We are only twelve years apart,” I clarify for Reid.
“You googled him.” Zoey spins around from the microwave, pointing a wooden spoon at me.
“I was thinking of doing a story on him.”
“A story? Is that what you kids call it these days?” Reid leans up against the counter, smirking at me. Zoey hits him dead center in the chest with the spoon.
“He gave you crap about me?”
“For about a second. Now he thinks you're the best thing for me.”
“I knew I liked Coach Gray,” Zoey chirps.
“Watch it,” he orders, taking a step toward Zoey.
“Pause the caveman act. I’m not crushing on my best friend's boyfriend.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Better not be crushing on anyone but me.”
She ignores us both, going back to making Reid’s plate. It’s sweet watching them morph into this domestic couple. That same longing I always get when I see a happy family together hits me dead in the chest.
My phone dings, and I pull it out of my pocket, seeing it’s a text from Keith asking if everything is okay. I toss him a text back telling him it’s fine and that I’m hanging with my friend. I kind of ran from the coffee place. I’m so not cutting the conversation short because of Theo’s earlier remarks about me giving out my number.
“Is that him?” Zoey tries to look at my phone.
“No, he doesn't have my number, dork.” My phone dings again, making a liar out of me.
Unknown: We should talk about what happened. It can’t happen again.
At least I think it’s him. Who else could it be? Still, I play dumb.
Me: Who is this?
His text burns. He was the one who kissed me and now he’s saying it can’t happen again.
Theo: Theo
Me: Theodore as in Coach Grayson?
Theo: Yes
“You got balls poking that beast.” I jerk my head up to see Reid towering over me, reading my text. Even though Theo is pissing me off, I have to admit that I am enjoying digging at him a bit.
“What the hell? Mind your business.”
“Pretty sure it was you two who were just grilling me for info on Coach.” Reid has a point. I quickly save Theo’s contact information to my phone.
Me: Oh the kiss. No worries.
I hit send and then show it to Zoey.
“Add a winky face,” she suggests. Reid snatches the phone from my hand.
“Coach is a good man, but he’s not to be fucked with.” I roll my eyes and snatch the phone back. I jerk my head up when a knock sounds at the door. “Told you.” Reid turns to head toward the door.
I grab his arm. “Don’t big brother this. Not yet,” I plead with him. I have no idea what is going on with Theo, but I’m not ready for it to die out yet.
He relents, letting Zoey pull
him back toward her bedroom. I open the door, and excitement bubbles up inside of me at the sight of Theo standing there.
“Don’t play games with me.”
“Aren’t games like your thing?” His lips twitch.
I lean up against the doorframe, trying to play it cool. I’m in way over my head here. Not only physically but emotionally as well.
“Do you always brush off the people you’ve kissed?”
“I thought we were supposed to be brushing it off?”
He doesn’t answer me. He only stares down at me with those cool blue eyes of his. “And how can you call me out about kissing so many people when I saw you at the coffee shop with Tiffany? And if I had to guess you were leaving the other night to meet up with her for a booty call.”
The bark of laughter that comes from him surprises me. “Booty call? I went to get food. I’m a terrible fucking cook.”
“Oh.”
He steps in closer to me. “Did it make you mad thinking that’s what I was going to go do? Because it pissed me the fuck off thinking about you going to that party.”
I suck in a breath. That was the last thing I thought he was going to say. “We don’t know each other,” I blurt out. “We shouldn’t care what the other is doing.” Yet I can’t seem to stop myself from doing exactly that.
“But here we are.”
“Here we are,” I repeat. He reaches up, almost touching my cheek, but he stops himself.
“Stay away from frat parties.” His hand drops, and he takes a step back, hitting the button for the elevator. The doors open, and he gets on. “I never kissed Tiffany.”
I smile, having no clue what the hell is happening here, but it’s something. I can feel it.
8
Theodore
“It’s interesting meeting you here.” Willow smirks, not stepping closer to me. She’s going to make me come to her.
Today she’s got on an oversized hoodie and yoga pants with a pair of sneakers. She knew she was going to see me. There are no sexy clothes or done-up hair or makeup to try to snag my attention. She doesn’t have to try because she always has my attention. So much so that she has me all out of sorts.
His Forever Love Page 3