Romance: The Campus Player: A College Romance

by Caroline Lake

  The girls walked in silence to the cafeteria. Campus was its normal, quiet, Sunday morning self. Alex faintly hoped Liam would be in the dining room. She grabbed half of a grapefruit and looked longingly at a chocolate covered doughnut. Screw it. Alex gave in and grabbed one. The chocolate stuck to her fingers. She licked frosting off of her thumb and index finger and carried her tray to the seating area. The chocolate was comforting.

  “Hey!” Erika waved at her from a far table. Tish was already sitting beside her, picking at a piece of bacon.

  “What are you doing up so early?” Alex’s tray clattered to the table as she took a seat.

  “You mean, what am I doing up so late?” Erika smiled and waved a sausage link in Alex’s direction.

  “You haven’t been to bed yet?” Alex inquired. She could faintly smell some kind of alcohol coming from Erika’s direction.

  “Nope.” Erika beamed proudly.

  Tish looked at her cousin blearily, “You and Walter would get along great.”

  “What?” Erika looked at Tish trying to make sense of what she was saying.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Tish waved her bacon dismissively.

  “I see you’re starting to abandon the whole healthy eating thing.” Erika gestured at Alex’s plate.

  Alex chewed part of the pastry, “Shut up.” The chocolate and the carbs from the dough made her feel slightly better as she sank further into her self-pity.

  “Uh oh.” Erika looked at her intently.

  “What?” Tish was still half asleep and wasn’t really paying attention.

  “It looks like that doughnut tastes like your feelings.” Erika hadn’t stopped watching Alex, “What happened?”

  Alex chewed slower before swallowing, “It’s probably nothing.” She looked down at her phone which still hadn’t buzzed. Erika looked at her pointedly. Alex sighed in exasperation. “I texted Liam and he hasn’t texted me back yet.” Alex grudgingly took another bite of doughnut, “But to be fair, it hasn’t even been a full hour yet.”

  “Did you bang him?” Erika rested her arms on the table.

  “Erika!” Alex hissed at her. Erika’s voice had been louder than Alex was comfortable with.

  “I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’” Erika shook her head. “Look, I know you probably really like him, but he’s Liam. He eats little girls like you for breakfast.” She smiled sarcastically, “Literally and figuratively. But I’m sure you know all about that.” Erika’s tone was harsh, “If he’s already gotten what he wants, why would he text you back?”

  “He’s not like that.” Alex’s appetite was gone. More quietly she whispered, “He wouldn’t do that to me.”

  “Well, I guess we’ll see.” Erika took a sip of orange juice.

  “I think I’m done.” Alex picked up her tray. “I’m going to head back to the room.”

  “Don’t be such a bitch.” Alex overheard Tish reprimanding Erika as she walked away.

  Worry began to bubble up inside of her as she walked back to her room. Erika’s words grated against her. Alex tried to convince herself that Liam really did like her. He honestly seemed like he cared. He was the one who suggested the date, and that was after they had sex. If all he wanted was that, he wouldn’t have taken her out or been so nice afterwards. She hung onto that hope as long as she could. Erika’s words kept swirling around her mind, and as more time passed Alex began to believe her. She kept checking her phone what seemed like every five minutes. The day slowly sifted by, one moment of uncertainty melted into the next. Alex tried to focus on homework, but she wasn’t retaining anything. The clock on her phone said it was nine at night. She was tired of wallowing. The sadness and self-pity swelled up surged in sudden anger. Alex grabbed her keys and stormed out to her car. She drove to Liam’s apartment. Alex got out of her car and pounded on the door. She heard some shuffling inside. The door handle turned slowly.

  All of Alex’s anger melted away. Liam’s eyes were bloodshot. He had dark circles under his eyes, and he hadn’t shaved today. “What happened?” Alex reached up and touched his cheek, “Are you ok?”

  Liam shook his head no and gestured for her to come inside. He rubbed his hands against his eyes, “It’s…it’s hard to say the words. It makes it more real.”

  “Makes what more real?” She closed the door behind her. There weren’t any lights on in the apartment.

  Liam choked on the words as he tried to speak, “Lainey didn’t make it home last night.”

  “What? What happened?” Alex’s heart beat skipped a beat as she waited for his answer.

  “They found her car totaled near the high school football field.” Tears fell slowly down his face as he talked. His knees buckled under him. Alex knelt down next to him. “Jen was driving her car. They found used needles in the floorboard.” His shoulders heaved with grief, “They…they said both of them were dead at the scene.” Liam punched the floor with his fist.

  Alex touched his arm gently. She pulled him into a hug as he fought between anger and despair. Alex stroked his hair as he cried into her shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She whispered next to his ear. “Why did you think you had to go through this on your own?”

  “Didn’t want you to see me this way.” He pulled away from her, ashamed.

  “Hey,” Alex held his head in her hands, “you’re human.” Liam tried to turn away from her, but she wouldn’t let him. “You don’t have to be strong all the time. And you don’t have to go through this alone.”

  Sobs racked his body. Alex held him until he calmed down. “Thank you.” Liam took her hand in his. He looked into her eyes, “Will you stay with me tonight?”

  “Of course.” Alex kissed his cheek softly and squeezed his hand. She had let herself get carried away again without knowing the full story. She let the self-doubt get into her head and make her think such awful things about Liam, when the whole time he had been over here hurting and alone.

  Liam led her into his bedroom, “Do you care if we watch some T.V.? It’s been at least a little bit of a distraction from everything.”

  “That’s fine. Whatever you need.” Alex crawled into his bed as he turned the volume up on the show he was watching. “Have you eaten today?”

  Liam stared into space for a moment, “No, I guess I forgot to.” He let out a sigh.

  “How about I order some Chinese food?” Liam nodded quietly as she looked up the number for the local Chinese place. She ordered a little bit of everything and gave them the address to deliver to.

  Alex stroked his hair while the T.V. cast a mixture of light and shadow across the room. She felt terrible that she had doubted him, again. So far he had given her no reason not to trust him. Everyone thought he was some kind of player, but she was getting to know the real him. He was nothing like what his reputation made him out to be.

  There was a knock on the door. “I’ll be right back.” Alex reassured him as she slid off the edge of the bed and went to get the food. She came back with a bag of Chinese food and handed him a container of noodles. “Eat.”

  Liam smiled weakly, “Thank you.” He twirled the noodles around a pair of chopsticks, “You didn’t have to do this, you know.” He chewed slowly as he looked at her face.

  “You helped me. Now, it’s my turn to help you.” She crawled back into bed and let her knee touch his as she opened up a container of wontons. The physical contact was a comfort for them both.

  “I’m glad you came by.”

  Alex looked over and quoted him from earlier, “Anytime.”

  The two of them ate and watched mind-numbing television. They fell asleep together with the T.V. as background noise. As Alex dozed off, Liam pulled her closer in his sleep. She could feel his breath through her hair. It was warm and comforting. She scooted herself back so that she was closer to him. His arms made her feel safe. Alex drifted to sleep as her breathing synced with his. Her dreams were peaceful as she slept.

  Chapter 6: More Important Things

 
Alex’s alarm blared though her dreams and pulled her back to consciousness. She fumbled through Liam’s comforter, trying to find it. Pillows and blankets were lumped together. Liam bolted upright. The noise had startled him back to his reality of grief and loss. Alex finally found her phone in the floor next to a half-eaten container of fried rice. She silenced it and the other two alarms she used as backups. She tossed her phone to the floor again.

  Liam looked at her as she laid back down in his bed. “Are you not going to class?”

  She reached over and pulled him down next to her, “Some things are more important than class.” She stared up the ceiling. The ceiling fan’s constant movement made the glass globes clink softly. “I wouldn’t want to be alone if something like that happened to me.”

  “Thank you.” Liam’s voice was so soft she barely heard it. He leaned over and rested his lips against hers. His kisses were soft and caring. Alex could feel his desire for closeness and acceptance. She could feel his walls crumbling down.

  Alex felt herself being pulled further down on the bed. Her shirt bunched up underneath her as he eased her down. Her fingers were tangled in his dark, curly hair. Her body moved with his. She felt him slide inside of her. She wanted to be closer to him, even though it seemed impossible. Their bodies pressed together. This time was different than the last. Last time had been about the physical pleasure. This time everything was more spiritual. Every movement, every breath, every kiss was part of some complex rhythm they knew by instinct.

  Liam lost himself inside of her. Her body was an escape from his pain and a reminder that good things did exist, even at the darkest of times. Her warmth flowed into him as he gently pushed and pulled against her like the tide. For once, he felt free. He didn’t have to save face or pretend everything was ok. She had seen him break, and she was here, helping him through it. No one had ever been there for him like that before.

  His pace was slow and kind. Alex felt the pleasure deepen as he continued to move on top of her. She closed her eyes to focus on the sensation. She could feel it building inside of her. She heard herself whispering, “Don’t stop.” She didn’t want it to end. Alex wrapped her legs around him to keep him close to her.

  The pleasure mounted to perfection as they climaxed at the same time. The euphoria of sharing that moment linked them more than any physical connection ever could. Liam kissed her forehead and brushed her hair away from her face. He rested his head against hers. She couldn’t stop smiling. It was the most incredible thing she had ever experienced.

  “I…I think I might be falling in love with you.” Alex’s heart beat against her ribcage. She couldn’t believe she had just said that. She hadn’t planned on it or even consciously thought it until the words were already out of her mouth. She watched his face for any sign of regret or happiness, anything that might give her an insight as to what he was thinking.

  Liam laid down beside her and cupped her cheek in his hand, “Alex.” She could feel her heart sink. “I’m going through a lot right now.”

  “No, it’s fine.” She shook her head, cutting him off, “I shouldn’t have—”

  “Just listen.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb, “I’m going through a lot, and I’m afraid that if I tell you ‘I love you’ right now, it will be the grief and hormones talking. And you don’t deserve that.” He kissed her forehead again as tears started to well up in her eyes, “When I tell you that,” Liam smiled at her, “I want you to know that it’s because it’s real and not just because I was vulnerable.” Liam wiped away a tear that slid down her cheek.

  Alex nodded and tried to regain her composure, “That’s actually really reasonable.” Her mouth formed a small smile.

  “Are you ok with giving me a chance to get to that point?”

  Her smile widened, but some traces of sadness still remained in her eyes, “Yes.”

  “I’m really grateful that you stayed the night.” Liam let out a slow sigh, “I didn’t realize how much I needed this. Just having someone here has made a big difference.”

  “You don’t have to do everything on your own.” Alex played with his hair. She twirled his curls around her fingers.

  Liam nodded, “It’s just hard for me to let people in.”

  “Well, I’ll make you a deal.” Alex propped herself up on her elbow.

  “What’s that?” He looked at her a little suspiciously.

  “You keep opening up like this and letting me share in your life, and I promise to keep your secrets and help you through things.” Alex smiled, “Plus I might throw in some orgasms and stuff.” She shrugged.

  Liam chuckled and shook his head, “Deal.” He held out his hand and she shook it.

  Liam pulled her close to him and held her. He breathed in the smell of her shampoo. Even with everything crashing down around him, it was nice to have someone on his side. He felt like he was falling in love with her, but he wasn’t ready to say it yet. The fact that she was willing to wait for him to be ready to say it meant a lot to him, too. There was still a lot of pain ahead of him before he would be able to move on from this tragedy, but he was thankful to have found Alex when he did. He couldn’t imagine making it through this without her now.

  The two of them lay there in silence, because with some people, silence is enough. Alex felt like she could trust in Liam, and he made her want to be a better person. He made her feel alive. She needed to trust her own judgement and stop being influenced by others. Even though she knew she wasn’t through with this giant transition period in her life, Alex finally felt like with Liam’s help, she was on her way to becoming the woman she wanted to be.

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  The Billionaire’s Choice

  Veronica Cross

  The Billionaire’s Choice

  Copyright 2016 by Veronica Cross

  First electronic publication: July 2016

  All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to person, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: Due to mature subject matter, such as explicit sexual situations and coarse language, this story is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. All sexually active characters in this work are 18 years of age or older, and all acts of a sexual nature are consensual.

  The Billionaire’s Choice

  Prologue

  How did I end up here?

  These words ran through Janet’s head hundreds of times during her time at Georgia University. Presently, she was mulling over the same mystery again. It isn’t that Georgia University wasn’t prestigious enough for her; it was; it really was. Aside from the children of the elite and political class, Georgia university accepted very few students based on credentials. Janet Price was one of the lucky ones. Or was she one of the unlucky ones?

  Georgia was filled with students who knew that their futures were set. Most of their parents were major corporate and estate owners. Some were the kids of politicians and senators. Others were from families of celebrities and businessmen. These were the children who ruled the university. And since they were so incredibly influential, even the teachers faltered under their wishes. Georgia was still considered extremely prestigious since all major companies offered jobs to its graduates; after all, everyone would love to offer a job to the daughter of the governor or the son of a senator. But the good
part was companies didn’t know who Which students were rich and which ones weren’t. When they were offering jobs, it was probably with a hope that the employee turns out to be from a well off family, which happened more often than not. Janet knew this was an opportunity that would be hard to come by. Upon her parents’ insistence, she was pushed into attending Georgia. The unusually huge tuition fee was being covered by a partial (and generous) scholarship and a part time job. Offering scholarships to a tiny amount of students at Georgia was their idea of giving back to the community.

  Janet had grown accustomed to the place but always felt slightly out of place. She never made any friends since the rich kids preferred to hang out with each other and Janet would feel like an outsider amongst them anyway. Plus, they weren’t exactly what she would call ‘nice’. Since none of them had any studying to do (courtesy of their future being set), they spent most of their time bullying and picking on the ‘lesser’ students. You’d think people grew up after high school. These children were worse. Up until her junior year, Janet had managed to stay out of their way. It wasn’t that she was scared; she wasn’t. She just wanted an uneventful university life, graduate quickly and move back home to reunite with her family. The loneliness at Georgia was purely based on her financial background and she hated it. She was counting down the days until her graduation. Up until the middle of her junior year, it was all good. She was invisible and hence, no one bothered her.

  But one day, because of a spilled cup of coffee and a scared transfer student, Janet Price’s life was changed forever. She was no longer invisible. And eventually, she was no longer lonely either.

  Chapter 1 – The Big Day

  Normally, your big day would be your birthday. Or your graduation. Or your wedding. Any important event that can change your life forever and turn it around. Janet Price’s big day, however, was slightly different from a normal person’s.

  It started off like a normal, uneventful day. Janet woke up in her small, one room apartment and grudgingly dressed for classes. She had a packed schedule on Tuesday’s so she wasn’t expecting any free time on her hands. After she was done with classes, she had to fulfill her duties as a part time waitress at The Four Stars, a tiny but cozy coffee shop nearby her apartment. The only friend Janet had in the city was her colleague and fellow waitress, Marlene Brown. Slightly older than Janet, Marlene had already graduated. In the mornings, she worked at a small start up with a friend. In the evenings, she worked as a waitress to help make ends meet. Marlene had no family except for a younger sister and had to look out for the both of them.