by Ella Fields
My hands palmed her ass, and I lifted her to the vanity, fingers brushing over the tattoo on her thigh. We didn’t get rings because that would be too obvious, even on a necklace. So we got small tattoos, the first letter of our names on the side of our thighs.
“I can’t believe we’re here.” She pressed her lips to my chin, then glanced out the window. “Do you think we’ll regret picking a place so close to home?”
We’d applied for many different schools, but Gray Springs was the only one we’d both gotten accepted to, and I was offered a place on their football team.
“Don’t worry, I plan to have the locks changed first thing tomorrow morning.”
Another laugh, then her lips were on mine, and I was drowning in her.
“Did you expect it to be this brutal?” Toby wheezed out between breaths, hands on his knees as he bent over. “Because I sure as fuck didn’t.”
We’d barely been here two weeks, and already Coach had us running drills like we’d been here a month. “I expected …” I stopped, trying to catch my breath as I all but fell to the grass. “I expected it to be hard, yeah. But expecting it doesn’t mean shit when your lungs are close to collapsing.”
“A-fucking-greed,” Paul said, moaning a few feet away on the grass as he stretched his hamstrings.
“Do I hear whining?” Coach bellowed, lifting his clipboard to shield his eyes from the rays of the early morning sun. “What do we do with whiners, here?”
“Ax ’em.” The words rose in a collection of exhausted voices.
“Damn right, we do. Hit the showers.”
Afterward, I found some of the guys outside as I was pulling out my phone to read a text from Renee.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I need me some fucking bacon,” Burrows said, slinging his gym bag over his shoulder.
Quinn yawned as he rounded the corner and saw us standing there. “Did someone say bacon?”
“Yeah, let’s roll,” Paul said, swaggering away from the gym with what looked like more energy than I thought all of us had combined.
I hesitated, knowing Renee was making pancakes. It was Tuesday. She’d decided Tuesday was a miserable day of the week, and the only way to make it better was to start the day with pancakes.
Burrows slapped me on the shoulder, and I tucked my phone away without reading the message.
This being married in college thing was hard, though not for the reasons some might think. Yes, there were gorgeous women around. I wasn’t blind; I just wasn’t interested.
What I was interested in was figuring out a way to keep my shit to myself.
It was easier at home, being that we’d only had to stay another month before coming here.
Now, though? Well, as I sat around the table in the cafeteria, watching my teammates scarf down breakfast as though they’d never seen food before as we shot the shit, I felt incredibly young and old all at once.
“You guys should come round tonight after the team meeting. My roommate, Carl, got a new Xbox.”
Mumbled sounds of agreement met Ed’s suggestion as everyone finished their food. Ed eyed me, and I ducked my head, shoveling more egg into my mouth.
“What about you, Welsh?”
I lifted my head, frowning as though I was mulling it over. “I might be hanging with Renee.”
“Your girlfriend?” Toby asked, fingers tapping on the tabletop as he smirked at some girls walking by.
Orange juice and water would spray all over the table if I were to tell them I was going home to my wife. “Yeah.”
Ed scoffed, making a noise that sounded like a whip cracking.
I laughed, trying to play it off. I didn’t care for being made fun of and wouldn’t fucking stand for it, but this was all so new, and if my father taught me anything, it was that first impressions counted. And never to give anyone a reason to doubt your worth to them.
“Shut up,” Quinn said. “I’ve gotta hang with Lex.”
“Gotta?” Toby asked, smiling wide.
Quinn tossed a piece of toast at him, which he caught and tore a bite out of.
Burrows laughed. “Poor fucking guy, hanging with his hot as shit girlfriend. What a chore.”
Ed gestured to me with his cup. “You seen Welsh’s girl?” He whistled. “Now that’d be some serious high maintenance.”
I scowled at him, frustration making my toes curl in my runners.
Paul threw a dirty napkin at Ed. “You don’t say shit like that about another guy’s girl.”
Ed shrugged, flicking the napkin away, but mouthed, “My bad.”
“You know what?” I said, taking a quick sip of my water. “Count me in.”
Ten minutes later, we went to class, saying we’d meet up later this afternoon.
After physics, I finally remembered to pull out my phone, finding three messages from Renee.
Mini Mouse: Where are you?
Mini Mouse: Your pancakes are getting cold.
Mini Mouse: Okay, well, could you at least text me to let me know you’re okay?
The last one came through two hours ago, and I cursed, stepping off the pebbled path to quickly tap out a response.
Me: Sorry. Ended up getting something to eat with the guys after practice. I’ll see you tonight.
I tucked my phone into my pocket and went home to change before heading to the team meeting.
Stepping out of the elevator, I unlocked the door, wincing as it shut with a bang behind me.
I dropped my keys and phone on the countertop, heading to the fridge in search of water.
A few beers and pizza had turned into eight beers, at least, and a few slices of pizza.
Grabbing the glass jug, I drank greedily as I heard soft footfalls coming up behind me.
I set it on the shelf, cringing when I remembered I hadn’t texted Renee to let her know I would not be home tonight.
Squaring my shoulders, I dragged in a quiet breath before turning around and closing the fridge. “Hey, beautiful.”
She was wearing a lacy peach tank and matching panties. My eyes slowly dragged up her body from the tips of her red painted toes, up and over the perfect globes of her perky tits, and stopping at the sour twist of her pretty lips.
Moving a smile into place, I stepped closer and hooked my arm around her waist. “Missed you,” I whispered, inhaling the scent of her hair as my lips ghosted over her cheek, stopping at her bare shoulder. I rubbed my lips over the soft skin, feeling her relax a little.
“You wouldn’t need to miss me if you saw me,” she said, a sharp, sweet bite in the whispered words.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve sent you a text, but I didn’t plan to stay long, then I just lost track of time.”
“Uh-huh. You reek of beer.” She tried to push at my chest, but she couldn’t move me if she tried.
Bending, I picked her up, setting her on the counter and maneuvering her legs around my waist.
“Callum,” she groaned, my hardness hitting her softness as I pulled her flush against me.
I grinned down at her, resting my forehead on hers. “It’s okay. You can stay angry. We haven’t had angry sex in a long time.”
“You can’t just—”
My mouth meeting hers cut her off, and she only froze for a second before her fingers were diving into my hair and her lips were opening for my tongue.
I snuck my fingers between us, moving her panties aside to caress the softest part of her. She shivered, tensing her legs around me. My teeth scraped over her tongue as I parted her, testing her warmth with the pad of my finger.
And when my jeans hit the floor, her hands reaching to put me inside her, I knew I would soon be forgiven.
“Callum, off. We’re going to be late. Again.” Renee shoved me, and I humored her by rolling onto my back. “Don’t you have practice?”
“Already been.” And now, I planned to sleep.
My shoulder was jerked, eyes popping open. “Hey, you have ten minutes to make it to the other side of
campus.” Renee’s brows furrowed. “What’s up? Are you sick?”
We’d been at Gray Springs for over a month, and the class schedule was fine, though admittedly kind of boring, but it was the training that was catching up to me.
“Never been worked this hard before.” Renee raised a brow, and I conceded with a grin. “Well, shit. Maybe I have.”
“Practice is that bad?” She stood, tossing her hair forward and gathering it into a high ponytail.
“Yep.”
Green eyes softened, then skirted down my bare chest. “I wish I could say I felt sorry for you. But I’m liking the view way too much.”
She squealed when I caught her wrist, pulling her back down to the bed and over my chest.
“My miniscule high school bulk wasn’t good enough for you?”
Her teeth punctured her lip as she rose onto her forearms. “Every part of you is good enough for me. Especially”—she rocked over me, feeling me hard and wanting beneath her—“this part.”
“You wicked woman,” I whispered.
Her nose bumped mine. “You love me.”
She got up, too fast for me to stop her, and checked her reflection in the mirror. “I’ll see you later.”
“Wait,” I said, sitting up, the sheets falling over my bare waist.
Her ponytail swung as she left the room. “No. No kisses, or we’ll never leave.”
“Renee,” I warned with a growl.
She was already gone, the doors to our apartment closing twenty seconds later.
Sighing, I stretched my arms above my head, then dragged my sore ass to class.
There was no point in driving, my first class being closest to our apartment building than all the rest. I jogged, wincing at the stretch of my tender muscles, but still arrived five minutes late, earning me a look of disapproval from the professor that’d probably make others shrink.
I offered the stern woman a crooked smile and slumped into the first seat I saw.
“Yo, Welsh,” Burrows, one of the guys on the team, whisper-hissed once the professor got lost in the numbers on her whiteboard.
I turned, just enough to let him know I was listening, my pen poised in my hand.
“There’s a party this weekend. Huge. Danny is hosting it for all the freshmen.”
We’d been to our fair share of freshman parties already. Well, I had. But college parties were different. Thinking about my sore body and the rigorous training routine Coach had us under, I said, “Where?”
“An old house he’s leasing off campus. Give me your number, and I’ll text you the address.”
Returning my attention to the front of the room, I slid my phone from my pocket and handed it back to him.
“No, I haven’t seen it yet.” I nodded to the barista, taking my latte and hightailing it through the waiting crowd inside the Bean Stream.
“You have to see it. It’s marvelous. She really does look ten years younger.”
I hit the sidewalk, the autumn sunshine bright and my sunglasses at home on the kitchen counter. “Shit.”
“Renee,” Mom scolded. “Are you even listening?”
“Yeah, yeah. Naomi Watts looks marvelous.”
She tutted. “Don’t be such a bore. You’ve left the nest, and now I have nothing to do but fish through magazines, get my hair and nails done, and go shopping.” She paused. “Maybe we should get the kitchen remodeled.”
“So basically, you’re doing the same things you did when I was home.” I quickly checked the time on my phone, picking up the pace when I realized I only had five minutes to spare.
“Now that you mention it, I suppose I am.” A quick laugh tinkled in my ear. “How do you always know how to make me feel better?”
I barely contained a snort. “Years of practice. Hey, I have to go. I’m about to head into class.”
“Right, have fun. Give Callum smooches from me.”
With a roll of my eyes, I hung up, taking a long sip from my too hot latte and wincing as my tongue and the roof of my mouth protested.
The towering dorms and old buildings loomed in front of me, old and gray. The lawn was a glowing deep green, surrounded and interrupted by vibrant gardens probably tended to more than my mother’s hair and nails.
Admittedly, when I’d opened the acceptance letter, I was just happy to be attending the same school as Callum. It wasn’t until our last weeks at home that the worry set in. Gray Springs wasn’t known for their performing arts department. Though they did have one, it was small.
Design was where my heart longed to explore, but if I didn’t take any drama classes, my mother would likely have a tantrum. She’d said when I was a child, dressing up in her out of season clothes and telling her my dreams, that no one wanted to be the help when they could be the star wearing the help’s designs.
Those words stayed with me because I guessed she had a point. Too bad I wasn’t a great actress. I knew my heart had to be in it for me to make it a career, but it just wasn’t. Not only that, but no matter how rich and well-known one’s parents were, it didn’t garner you any lasting favors in that industry. Once you were in, it was up to you.
And if it were left to me, I’d be kicked off the first Broadway show I was fortunate enough to land a role in.
A girl approached me outside the English building. “Renee, hey.”
“Hi,” I said, continuing up the stairs.
“You don’t remember me?” she asked. “I sat next to you last week and saw you at a party a few weeks ago.”
I glanced at her, offering a small closed-lipped smile. “Sorry, no.” Callum had frequented a lot of parties already—part of being on the team, he’d said—but I’d only tagged along to a few and usually left a few hours in. I didn’t know anyone well enough yet. Only him and Mike, and Mike was busy finding his feet in this new world, too.
The girl’s face fell. “Oh.”
I took a seat in the back, quickly drinking my coffee before the professor showed.
The girl sat next to me, reeking of cheap perfume and accidentally bumping me with her elbow as she got her stuff out of her bag.
“Sorry.” She cringed.
Wiping the dribble of coffee from my chin, I kept my annoyance to myself and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Kristy.” Her hair was burnt orange, and her blue eyes held a nervous gleam.
“Kristy,” I repeated, trying to think of something else to say. “I like your hair.” Yep, that was sad. In my defense, it’d been a while since I’d had friends, especially of the female variety.
“Thanks.” She beamed. “Us redheads, we need to stick together.”
“Is that so?” I couldn’t help but ask.
She nodded eagerly, clicking her pen. “You going to that huge party this weekend? We should totally get ready together.”
“Haven’t heard of it.” Lies. I had. I was tired of parties, though. Tired of not getting to spend enough time with Callum. College was no joke. I had a research paper to turn in on Monday, not to mention sleep and hopefully some sex to catch up on.
“It’s supposed to be for freshmen. Everyone will be there.”
“Haven’t they already thrown enough parties for the freshmen?” I would know. I’d attended one weeks ago, and Callum another just last week. Without me.
“Yeah, it’s so awesome.”
“Uh-huh.” Callum had a game on Saturday. The first official one for the season. “My boyfriend has a game, so I’d have to speak to him first.” Lies again. I did what I wanted, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to commit to this party.
“Callum, right?”
The professor walked in, placing his laptop down on his desk and starting it up.
“Right,” I confirmed, a little unnerved by how much this girl knew about me when I knew nothing about her. Perhaps that was my own fault.
“He’s … wow.” She giggled, a soft yet irritating sound. “And he’s on the football team?”
“He is.” I’d just said that
he was playing a game but bit my tongue to keep from biting those words out.
The professor clapped his hands once. “Okay, everyone. Books open, pens ready. We’ll be taking notes from one of the classics today.”
Kristy leaned in, whispering, “Let me know about the party.”
I didn’t plan to, but something had me saying, “Sure.”
A day later, it was Callum’s birthday and almost midnight when I finally heard the door slam closed and keys being tossed to the kitchen counter.
I didn’t get to see him that morning. When I woke up, even after setting my alarm an hour earlier, he was already gone. A message had arrived on my phone in the evening, informing me that my boyfriend would be attending a small get-together with the team, and that he’d try not to be home too late.
My plans foiled, I put his present away, then ran myself a bath. Desperate to rid the tension that insisted on ruling my body as each day sped by since we’d arrived at Gray Springs.
It worked. I’d gotten out, finished a good chunk of my paper, and ordered in before watching Game of Thrones while doing a unicorn cross-stitch. Yet no amount of hot water, distraction, and Chinese food could stop the tension from returning, slamming into every one of my limbs when Callum came stumbling down the hall to our room.
“Well, Happy Birth—why do you smell like a cheap whore?”
Callum belted out a laugh. “What?”
I kept facing the window as he tried to turn me. He eventually succeeded, dark eyes narrowing and studying my face. “What the hell, Renee?”
“You stink of cheap perfume.”
His thick brows scrunched, and he reared back as though I’d offended him. “Seriously?”
“Do you think I’m mistaking the smell for something else?” I scoffed. “Yes, seriously.”
He laughed, almost tilting over on the bed as he slurred, “You’re being crazy.”
I sighed. “Go to sleep.”
He did. What felt like thirty seconds later, his snores were filling the room.