I had fucked up in high school; fights, suspension and a few bad grades that resulted in me starting college a year late, and a bunch of remedial classes that had me on the five-year college plan. Julian, my kid brother, had been lucky enough to earn a few scholarships that helped with his tuition fee. I hated that our mother had to pay for both of us when Julian deserved it more than me. He was the good kid.
Walking into the kitchen, I emptied the trash and cleaned up the dishes before heading to my room. Since I’d volunteered to keep the house organized, I was given the bigger bedroom as a trade-off. Lenny and Stu shared a room since they didn’t mind sharing anything, including girls.
I pulled my wallet and phone out of my pocket and laid them on the nightstand. My phone flashed with an unread message but I didn’t get my hopes up. I hadn’t given Brielle my phone number. Yet another stupid thing I had done tonight.
I flipped my phone and noticed I had a text message.
I can’t wait to see you!
Sighing, I tossed my phone on the dresser. I didn’t reply to her message. She wasn’t the person I wanted to talk to.
Chapter 4
Brielle
I had almost two full years left of school but I planned to finish it a full semester early. I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. When I first enrolled, I picked accounting as my major. I figured it would be easy to get a job, and since we all had to pay taxes every year I’d always have work. But it wasn’t my passion. My second semester I took art as a free elective and realized I wanted to do something I loved, so I changed my major. It put me back a few credits, but it was my chance to do something that made me happy.
The second I had my diploma in my hands, I would be sending out resumes to any European museum that would hire me. But this also meant I had to spend every free second studying to stay ahead of my plan. I piled on extra classes, and even while I was answering calls at Dr. Carmack’s office, I had a textbook out.
Two days after my date with Nate, I sat in the library going over my biology notes when Delaney pulled out the chair next to me. Unlike me, she majored in accounting and would take the full four years to finish. She also had the advantage of taking summer sessions, which I couldn’t afford.
“What are you doing tomorrow night?” She placed her bottle of water on the wooden table and pulled out a Snickers bar. “And don’t say homework. We’ve been in school for three days. There is no way you have homework.”
“I’m studying.”
“What are you studying? You haven’t even been to all of your classes.” She took a bite of her candy before I snatched it out of her hand and took my own bite of it.
“You know I do this every year. I study, do my class work ahead of schedule, and I don’t do anything on Saturday nights but study.”
I sat back on the chair as she pulled another bar from her purse. Delaney was obsessed with chocolate. “Brie—”
“What do you need?” I couldn’t help but smile.
“Come with me to the first game of the season?” She pressed both of her hands under her chin. “Please?” She pouted. “Pretty please?”
“Why do you want me to go with you?” Delaney lived for college football. She’d been going with her father and older brothers since she was a kid, and she never asked me to go. Football wasn’t my thing. Usually her requests were limited to term papers she needed me to do for her, or notes from a class I took before her.
Delaney shrugged. “I asked Moose to meet me there.”
“Moose?” I giggled and tossed the empty wrapper at her. “I’m sorry, Del, but when have you ever needed me to be your wing girl?” Delaney was notorious for getting any guy she wanted. She was brains and beauty. The complete package.
“This one is different.” Her eyebrows bunched together. “I’ve known Moose since high school. He’s a few years older and he was in community college but recently transferred to UNC. I bumped into him at the bookstore and we got to talking about my brothers since he knew them. And . . .” She gnawed on her lower lip. “I asked him to go to the first game.”
“Fine.” I wanted to meet the guy who had Delaney all flustered.
She pushed her chair back. “You’re the best!” She leaned in and hugged me. “I owe you so big for this.” She grabbed her water and skipped out of the library.
Saturday night I was dressed and ready for my first football game. I slid my feet into my Chuck Taylors, tossed my hair into a high, messy bun, and then followed her out of our dorm room.
Delaney picked at her cuticles as we passed the ticket booth and headed toward the concession stand. I looked over at her and smiled.
“This is new.”
“What’s new?” Her eyes widened and her hand rushed to her hair.
“You're nervous about a guy.” I pulled her hand away from her head. “And you look great. Stop messing with your hair.”
“I'm not nervous. Moose is great and we hung out a few times when we were in high school. I have a feeling he and I can really hit it off, you know?”
“Oh, it's like that,” I joked.
“Stop teasing, Brie. I've had this crush on Moose since I was a freshman in high school. I don't want him to still see me as a little girl.” Her lips puckered and she leaned forward so only I could hear her. “He's so freaking hot. Like hot sex dipped in chocolate, then covered with nuts, hot. Every girl’s dream.”
I looked up at her with wide eyes. Delaney was never one to speak about a guy this way. Yes, she had her casual hookups here and there, but this was new. She seemed to really care about this guy. “You know he’d be stupid not to be with you.”
“Thanks, Brie. This is why I love you. You keep me sane.” She laced her arm with mine and placed her head on my shoulder as we walked toward the bleachers.
The sun had set over the horizon and the dark night sky descended on the field. The band played for the crowd as the cheerleaders got the crowd excited. It was then that I spotted Nate with a group of his friends. My stomach coiled as his gaze met mine. A grin grew on his face and I knew it matched the one I had.
“There he is,” Delaney whispered. Oblivious to whom she was pointing, I kept my focus on Nate. My heart accelerated as I thought about our kiss. How his hand brushed away my hair, and how his eyes were like lost emeralds.
He ran his hand through his hair and strolled toward us. Delaney released my hand and skipped toward him. Her arms entwined around his neck and my heart stopped.
Fuck.
It couldn't be.
“Brie!” Delaney shouted and motioned me over. My gaze was locked with his and I felt as if my legs were stuck in cement. What were the chances? “Brielle!” Delaney shouted and I snapped out of the Twilight Zone. The guy who had given me the best first kiss in the history of first kisses was like every other guy.
A jerk.
A liar.
And a major douche.
I walked closer to where they stood. Delaney had her arms wrapped around his lean body and I swallowed the urge to puke.
“Brie, this is Moose. Moose, this is my bestie and roommate, Brie.”
“Hi, Brie.” He extended his hand. His voice was husky and manly, just as I remembered.
“Hi . . . Moose.” I looked down at his hand and shoved mine in my pockets.
Delaney beamed between us. “Now that you two have met, let's find some good seats.”
Nate—Moose—held my gaze for a few seconds longer but I shook my head and followed Del into the stands.
People around us cheered and hollered as the players and coaching staff ran onto the field, but I barely noticed. My heart raced in my chest, each beat laced with disappointment, hurt, and anger.
He lied to me.
Asshole.
My stomach turned and I knew I needed to get out of there. I cocked my head to the side and glanced at Delaney.
“Del, I think I’m going to head home.”
“What?” She looked over at me.
“I’
m leaving.”
“No!” Her eyes were wide. “You can’t leave!”
“I have a really bad migraine forming and this is only making it worse,” I lied. Through my peripheral vision, I could see that Nate was looking over at us.
“Okay.” She pouted. “But can I run over to Sara really quick?” She pointed a few rows in front of us. “I need to ask her if I can borrow her accounting notes, and then I’ll walk you to your car.”
“I can walk to the car by myself,” I assured her. I didn’t want Nate to tag along.
“Uh, my keys are in the car and I doubt I’ll be coming home tonight.” She winked and my stomach turned, images of the two of them together filling my head.
“Fine. Make it quick and then we can run to the car. I don’t want you to keep Moose waiting.”
Delaney gave me a wide smile and ran toward Sara. Each passing second felt like hours. This was much worse than being the third wheel on their date.
Nate cleared his throat and I swallowed back the ball of nerves lodged in my throat. I had so much to say him, but nothing that made any sense. I wasn’t his girlfriend. It was one date. And I still hadn’t processed why I was so upset.
“Brielle,” the asshole said.
“Don’t.” I shook my head; my gaze refused to meet his. His tall body shifted as he stood.
“Let me explain.”
I scoffed and looked up at him. “That’s rich.” I inhaled all the air my lungs would allow. “Explain what? That you’re a liar? That you told me you weren’t seeing anyone when you took me out? Please, feel free to explain how you half kissed me with a promise of another date while you’re seeing my best friend?” I paused for a moment, raising my hand when he opened his mouth to speak.
“Talk about coincidence, huh? I bet you didn’t think this was how your night would go, did you?” He licked his lips seductively like he had done so many times before. “Listen, it’s simple. You’re a liar and, if anything, you did me a favor because you would probably turn out to be a disappointment.”
“Ouch,” he muttered. “Brielle?” I hated the way he said my full name.
“What?” I snapped.
The crowd around us roared over something on the field. His lips parted and he shook his head gently.
“Whatever,” I said in disbelief.
I moved past him and made my way toward Delaney. I hesitated and then turned back to him.” And you want to know something else?” He cocked his head to the side. “Moose is the stupidest nickname I’ve ever heard. Completely. Stupid.”
I didn’t wait for him to reply, stomping down each metal step until I reached Del. We walked back to my car and she hugged me goodnight before she grabbed her keys. I slid into my car and slammed my fist onto the steering wheel.
Why did I care?
It was a stupid date. One stupid date.
Chapter 5
Nathaniel
Fuck.
She was Delaney’s best friend.
Roommate.
I fucked up.
Bad.
Fuck.
How had I been so careless?
Delaney and I had hung out a few times with some other other friends before the semester started. I didn’t see any harm in coming to the game with her. Brielle and I had already gone out on one date, and even though I couldn’t stop thinking about her, I figured it was just a football game. But when Delaney said she was bringing her roommate, I never in a million years imagined it was the same girl I couldn’t get out of my mind for the past forty-eight hours.
The crowd cheered over a pass on the field as I shook my head with anger. The way she looked at me with disgust when she noticed me . . . It was an image I couldn’t get out of my head.
Fuck.
I tried to apologize, but she shot me down and didn’t let me explain. This wasn’t the type of man I was.
Okay, maybe that was a lie.
But I really liked Brielle.
“Fuck!” I shouted. A few people standing in the row below me turned around and I apologized. ”My bad.”
Hopping off the bleacher, I started to walk. I knew Brielle wouldn’t hear me out now, but I’d get her to talk to me in class. The only thing I wanted to do now was find Delaney, tell her something came up, and then head home.
Coward move, I know.
I spotted Delaney walking toward me, and her smile widened when she noticed me. She was stunning, I couldn’t deny that. Most of the guys we knew would kill to be with her, including me. But then I met Brielle.
I pushed those thoughts out of my head when Delaney approached. “I’m sorry.” She shrugged and pouted her lips. “Brie isn’t a big fan of football. I knew I was pushing my luck when I asked her to come.” She reached for my hand and I gave her mine. “We can head back.” She nodded toward the game.
“Actually . . .” I paused for a second. I wanted to tell her I was heading home but then I realized it wasn’t Delaney’s fault. “You want to get out of here?”
Her eyes widened as she smiled brightly. “I’d love that.”
“Come on.” I tugged on her hand to follow me. “I know just the place.”
Mario’s Pizzeria was empty. This was a rare occasion, but most of the student body and regulars were at the game.
“What can I get you two?” the man asked.
I looked over at Delaney. “I’ll have a plain slice and a bottle of water, please.” She looked up at me and smiled.
I placed my order and then walked over to the fridge cooler and pulled out my Coke and her water. Delaney slid into a booth and I joined her.
“I’ve never seen this place so empty,” she stated before she took a sip of her water.
“This town becomes a ghost town when there’s a game.” I coiled my fingers and rested them on the wood table.
“How come you never pursued your football career?”
“I wasn’t that good.” I chuckled. “I only liked football because I got to hit people.”
“I thought you were great.” A grin grew on her face.
A waiter slid our pizza in front of us and I folded mine in half. “Your brothers were great,” I reminded her. “I was mediocre at best.”
Delaney was the youngest of the Pratt family—football royalty. Her father had the chance of playing professional until he tore his ACL his senior year at Ohio State, but he went on to raise two boys who led our high school to championships every season they played. Her oldest brother, RJ, was the third draft pick this year.
“Yeah.” She smiled. “I think my mother was over the moon when I came along. She finally had someone who wasn’t going to play.”
Delaney and I sat at Mario’s until the crowds from the game began. We talked about her family, high school, and what we were up to now. I didn’t kiss her that night when I dropped her off.
But I did agree to see her again.
Chapter 6
Brielle
The few days following the football game, I found any reason not to hang around our dorm room. If Delaney was coming in, I was heading out. I sat around in the common room until late at night before heading back to crawl in bed. I didn't want to give her a chance to tell me about her new beau. I shouldn't have cared about her seeing Nate; it was one stupid date.
One stupid half kiss.
As I dodged my roommate, I had plenty of time to think about what Nate did to me. He was the spark to my heart. And if I was honest, there was nothing more enticing than holding a sparkler. It was captivating. But I convinced myself that like everything else, that flame would burn out and in a few days I would be back to my normal self. I would see him in class and it would be done. Everything would go back to normal.
It had to.
Tuesday morning, I had spent most of the day aimlessly wandering campus to kill time before I needed to head out for work. With my headphones plugged in my ears, I leaned my head back on the couch and rested my eyes. I was exhausted. I was getting up at the crack of dawn to avoid Delaney an
d sneaking back into my room before midnight.
“There you are.” I heard her chipper voice. I peeled my eyes open and was greeted with Delaney sauntering toward me wearing a wide smile. Her hair was still damp from a shower and she wore yoga pants and a cute little camisole top. Of course, her breasts didn't need the support of a bra. They were perky and perfect, just like her.
“Hey,” I murmured and pulled my headphones from my ears. I exhaled and realized that for the first time in three years I was jealous of my best friend. How could this be? We never fought. We were always in sync, for God’s sake. Even our periods arrived on the same day.
“Are you ignoring me?” She came right out with it. Delaney and I were both straight shooters. Never once did we beat around the bush.
I bit my tongue and lied. “No.”
“Brie.” She sat on the couch across from me and curled her feet under her. “It’s too early in the semester for you to be pulling all-nighters studying, so what gives? Are you mad that I stayed with Moose at the game?”
I hated his stupid nickname.
“No.” I shook my head and tried to smile. “I have a lot of pressure on me this semester.” I picked at my fingernails and shrugged. “And on top of it all, I got an email from my mom, which I don’t want to open.”
Del had two older brothers, RJ and Christopher. Her father was a sports doctor and her mother was a stay at home wife who volunteered for different organizations. There were no secrets, no affairs, no lies. They all got along and loved one another. They vacationed together twice a year—Switzerland over Christmas break and a Caribbean island the last week of June. I, on the other hand, avoided emails from my mother and refused to speak to my father at all.
“Oh, Brie.” She exhaled and her shoulders relaxed. “What do you think it is this time?” Delaney was the only one who knew my history with my parents.
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