by Nicole Dykes
That sounds like a blast.
It’s my last night home and Brooke made my favorite dinner, homemade country-fried steak, and mashed potatoes.
She invited Jax, who is usually here for dinner anyway, Alex and Shriller.
Alex brought the accountant she’s seeing, and Shriller brought a hot chick, whose name I didn’t catch. Really, don’t think it will matter with Shriller anyway.
There are several conversations going on at the large dining room table. Alex and Brooke are discussing a psycho that threw a fit in Alex’s salon today. Jax, Dylan, and Shriller are talking about Shriller’s upcoming race, while the girl he brought is hanging onto his arm, pretending to follow the conversation. Cassie is texting on her cell phone, probably with Brent, but I give up on that whole situation, unless he decides to show his face. Michael is talking to Alex’s boyfriend about numbers, or some shit and Gabby is feeding her dog under the table.
And me? I’m sitting here dreading tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I go back to being Lucas Monroe, wide receiver for Kansas State University.
Can’t fucking wait.
Chapter 40
Hannah
Luke will be back in town tomorrow. I can’t believe it’s already been six weeks since we said goodbye and he left for his summer break.
I missed him, of course, but I’ve also been having a lot of fun.
I know, right? Hannah Martin has been having fun, and even without Luke.
Strange, but true.
I’ve enjoyed the classes I’m enrolled in so far, worked at the library, and I’ve even found some time to go shopping and to the movies with Vanessa.
Tonight she’s taking me to a party to celebrate my birthday, which was actually three weeks ago. Luke sent me flowers and a short but sweet message, telling me he hoped I had a great birthday and he wished he could spend it with me.
To his credit, he asked to come into town to take me to dinner, but I told him I had to be up early for class the next day and didn’t have time. Which was true, but also I didn’t think it was a good idea, it was just too romantic. Too much of a boyfriend gesture and Luke is not my boyfriend. That fact has been made very clear.
Vanessa said that since I wouldn’t go out with her on my actual birthday we needed to make up for it. She knew this party was coming up, so we made plans then.
I’m a little uneasy about it though, of course. I haven’t been to a party since the night Luke brought me to my first and only college party. If Rachel calls me while I’m there, hopefully I can find a quiet spot to talk to her.
Vanessa knows a little bit about my friendship with Rachel and my family life, but she doesn’t know it all. I don’t want to scare her away, after all.
We are in Vanessa’s room and I’m lounging on her bed while I wait for her to get ready. She’s tossing clothes around in her closet and then finally looks satisfied with the outfits she chose, and glides over to where I am standing to hand me a pretty sheer black top and black camisole.
I hold it up, “Oh, this will look great on you.”
She rolls her eyes, laughing at me, “No, put it on.”
I look down at the t-shirt and jean shorts I have on. I think it looks okay. I’m really not looking for attention tonight. “I like what I have on.”
“Hannah, it’s your special night. Put on the damn shirt.”
She turns to her closet and I relent, taking off my t-shirt and putting on the shirts she gave me. It’s not overdone and at least she’s letting me wear my shorts.
She changes into a dark red, maxi dress and we leave after she locks up. I did put some make-up on before leaving my room, left my hair down, and put my contacts in.
When we get to the party I can’t believe how many people are here. I look around the massive party and say, “Shouldn’t they all be home for the summer?”
Vanessa practically has to yell at me over the loud music and voices of the party, “No, these are older students, ones that live and work here all year long.”
I nod and holler back, “Oh wow, I didn’t think about that.”
“Just relax and have a little fun, Hannah.”
Fun, right. I can do this.
I follow Vanessa through the crowd and we make our way over to a table that has every type of alcohol you could imagine sitting on it. “Pick your poison.”
“I don’t drink.”
“Not even tonight for your birthday?”
It’s not like I’ve never tried alcohol before and I guess one drink won’t hurt. I just have to be careful. If I have too much and Rachel calls me, I’ll be in big trouble.
That’s so pathetic.
Good Lord. I’m pathetic.
Vanessa hands me a mixed drink and I take a large gulp.
She smiles proudly, “Nice.”
We find a spot to sit in the living room of the house. Vanessa was invited by a friend she kind of knows, but not really well. She looks so casual, like this is the easiest thing for her.
Why can’t I be brave like her?
Two guys walk over to us and sit down without even asking, both oozing confidence, but they are both handsome and seem fairly harmless.
Vanessa innocently flirts with them, but I take on the role as “the quiet one.”
I’m really good at that role.
That seems to really intrigue the darker haired one and he introduces himself as, Christopher.
After a while of talking, I learn that Christopher will be a senior next semester and that he stayed in town to earn a little extra money, working on the grounds crew at K-State. He says it’s mostly mowing the grass and hanging out with the other guys.
They go to get us a refill of our drinks when I feel my phone vibrate in the pocket of my shorts.
Oh no. Rachel is calling me.
I stand up, hurriedly looking around for a quite area in a total panic, and pull the phone out of my pocket.
Vanessa looks over at me, concerned, and I breathe a sigh of relief when I see it’s actually Lucas video calling me. “It’s just Luke.”
She nods and takes care of entertaining both of the guys when they rejoin us.
I sit back down on the couch and hit the Answer button.
“Hi!”
Luke’s face shows up on my screen, from the looks of it he’s in his bedroom at Dylan and Brooke’s, lying on his bed, shirtless. I find myself staring down at the little bit of his bare chest that’s showing.
“Lucas, are you already in bed?”
Stop looking at his naked, chiseled chest. Look up.
I move my eyes further up and look into his beautiful eyes instead.
“Yeah, it’s ten thirty and I’m leaving here pretty early tomorrow.” I briefly look away when an intoxicated guys runs through the living room, screaming about how great this party is and when I look back at my phone, I see confusion in Luke’s eyes, “Where are you?”
“Vanessa decided to drag me to this crazy house party.”
His looks now morphs into concern, “You’re just there with Vanessa?”
I nod, “Yeah, and like 100 other people.”
“Oh, are you having fun?”
I nod, “Yeah, we’re just hanging out.”
He looks upset, almost angry, with his jaw twitching, “Well, I won’t keep you from your fun, then.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m great. Talk to you later.”
“Okay, bye.”
I barely get the words out before he hangs up the phone.
What the hell was that all about?
Chapter 41
Luke
I load the last box in my car’s trunk and then look at my family gathered around my car to send me on my way.
Back to college. A place I never wanted to be.
Cassie is here, with those fucking arms folded against her chest, clearly not here because she wants to be. She gives me a quick hug and begrudgingly says, “Have fun.”
“Thanks Cass, be careful t
his summer.”
I say goodbyes to everyone else and then Brooke hands me a bag full of food and hugs me a second time, “Please be careful.”
“I will, I’ll let you know when I get there.”
“Thank you, and you know you can come back whenever you want.”
Hidden meaning, I can quit school and football and come running back here.
I just gratefully take the bag, and climb into the driver’s seat of my car. I put the car in gear and drive off from my waving, happy family.
The entire drive, I think about Hannah and the video call with her last night. She looked hot, way too fucking hot to be at a house party with drooling guys just hoping to get a chance with a girl like Hannah.
I know, I know. I have no fucking right in the world to be jealous. Hannah isn’t mine, but she is my best friend and I want to protect her from guys like that.
Guys like me.
I keep telling myself that is why I got so pissed off on the phone with her last night. She just doesn’t know how dangerous those parties can be. Of course, there may be a little more to it.
I quickly, ignore that thought, just like I do with almost everything in my life lately.
When I park my car at the front of the athletic dorm, there are several other cars parked up close, so they can unload their stuff.
I instantly see Cam and Hunter walking over to my car, both with massive grins across their well-rested faces.
Hunter shakes my hand happily when I climb out of my car and Cam gives me an eager high five, “Hell yeah! We are all back and ready to kick some ass!”
He and Hunter slap hands after that. Damn, I wish I were that excited.
Hunter is, of course, pumped up by that, “It’s going to be a hell of a year.”
I go around to the passenger side of my car and pull one of the heavier boxes out, “Yeah, can’t wait for the two and three a day practices, curfews, team meetings…”
My tone is covered in sarcasm and Cameron interrupts my droning on, “Alright Debby Downer, it’s going to be a fucking great time.”
Hunter takes another box out of my car and hands it to Cam and then grabs another one, “Yeah, shouldn’t you be excited about it?” His tone is suspicious.
“I am, of course I am.”
He doesn’t say anything else, and we take the boxes up to our room.
After two trips, Cam plops the last box on the floor of our suite, “Alright let’s head down to Vanessa’s room now. I think Hannah is there too.”
Makes sense, they have been together non-stop since I left. Of course that beats the hell out of her hanging with Rachel.
I take the box he just dropped on the floor to my room and come back, “You sure are antsy to get to Vanessa’s room.”
“No shit, I need to get laid, ASAP.”
Hunter gives him a curious glance, “You’ve really been faithful for six whole weeks.”
Cam nods with confidence, “Yeah, of course I have. Thank God for video chat.”
I rub the back of my neck, it’s tense from the drive, “Oh shit, that poor girl has had to watch you jerk it for six weeks.”
He grins, “And fucking loved it.”
Hunter stays in our room to start getting situated, but Cam and I walk up to the fifth floor to Vanessa’s room, where her roommate, Denise, and she are unpacking. No Hannah.
When Vanessa sees Cam, she runs across the room, jumping into his arms and wraps her long legs around his waist, “I’ve missed you.”
He gives her a big kiss, “You have no idea. We need to find somewhere we can be alone.”
She agrees, but before he takes her to God knows where, I stop them, “Vanessa, I thought Hannah was here.”
“Oh she was, but she had to get to work.” She winks over at me, “She’ll be at the library all day.”
Denise stands up, and slinks over to where I’m standing, “Or you can stay here, Luke.” She traces the collar of my t-shirt with one finger, “I can promise you it will be a hell of a lot more fun than the library.”
I grab her hand and pull it away before dropping it, “No thanks.”
I practically sprint to the library.
Way to be cool, Luke.
My stride turns casual as I walk into the library and up to the first floor to Hannah’s desk.
She looks up from a book she is reading when I walk over to her, “Lucas, what are you doing here?”
“I’m back in town and I wanted to see you.”
She stands up from the large wooden desk, “Well, it’s good to see you. How was your drive?”
“Long, really fucking long, and boring.”
“When does practice start back up?”
“Tomorrow.”
“That’s quick.”
“Yeah, it is, way too quick. So, I was thinking we could do something tonight. I don’t think Vanessa will be able to break free from Cam. They’re glued to one another.”
She laughs at that, “Yeah, I figured they would be, she really missed him.”
I massage the back of my neck, nervously, “So, just us tonight, then?”
She bites her lower lip and looks like she’s desperately searching her mind for something she has to do tonight instead. “Um.”
“Thinking of an excuse not to?”
She looks guilty and then smiles over at me. That smile that does me in every time I see it, “Maybe, I’m sorry. It’s just so hard to be alone with you.”
Damn, that’s honest. I thought I was the brutally honest one. “I know, but I want to try to get past it somehow and I don’t think avoiding each other is going to help anything.”
“Maybe not, but I mean you were so angry last night, for some reason, that you hung up on me and now you’re here wanting to spend time with me.”
“I didn’t hang up, we said bye.”
“You were mad, I know when you are mad, Lucas Monroe.”
“I was worried.”
Her brow crinkles and she puts one hand on her sassy hip, “Worried about what?”
“You. You’re tiny and you were at a party with a bunch of horny guys just looking to get laid, using any means necessary.”
She laughs at me, “I can take care of myself and it was a very relaxed, fun night. You aren’t my father and you aren’t my boyfriend, Luke.”
“I’m still your friend, dammit and I’m going to worry about you.”
“Well you can’t be angry at me for going out. I wasn’t alone and I’m not stupid.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry.”
She has a satisfied smirk on her face, “I forgive you, I always do.”
Hannah’s moving past whatever it was that we had together. She’s growing more and more independent every day. And me?
I feel like I’m going backwards.
Chapter 42
Luke
My first two weeks back at practice and immersed in the in world of football has been fairly uneventful. My body is here running and catching passes, but my brain is definitely still back in KC.
I don’t know how many times I’ve called Jax, checking up on my shop and the orders that are coming in. I wish I was the one there fulfilling those orders, but I’m stuck here.
And I’m getting my ass handed to me left and right at practice. I’ll be thinking about the sick paint job for a bike and totally miss an easy pass when I’m wide open and it’s thrown straight to me.
The assistant coaches have been all over me, and when I drop what seems like the hundredth pass today from Hunter, they release us for a water break.
It’s fucking hot and humid as hell out today. So, I pull my helmet off and run over to the sidelines to chug a cup of water.
Hunter runs over to me, his face is red and pissed off, “Where the hell are you, man?”
“I’m right here.”
“Where is your head at?”
“It’s not that big of deal, man.”
He shoulder-checks me when he moves to get a cup of water for himse
lf, “Not that big of a deal? You need to pull your head out of your ass. You’ve been a fucking mess.”
“Back off, Thompson.”
He growls at me, “Wake up, Monroe. I’ve never seen you play this sloppy.”
With that, he runs back to the field and I take seat on the bench to chill out.
Fuck this.
I lean forward, resting on my knees. Why the fuck am I still here?
I’m too in my head to play and pissing off even the most patient teammates. Hannah’s moving on, I’ve seen her twice since I’ve been back and it was tense both times. I fucking hate every minute here, but I’m still here to please my dead father, who probably isn’t all that pleased with me any way.
And I’m sure my mom is up there just shaking her head the whole time at my bumbling antics.
After the second practice of the day is finally over, I shower and take the long way back to my dorm.
When I get back to the dorm, Hunter is sitting at the table in our kitchen, eating mac and cheese.
He still looks pissed off and grunts a hello to me.
I sit down in the chair across from him, “Hey.”
He anxiously rubs the top of his head, “Look I’m sorry for earlier. I was an asshole, but what the hell is going on with you, man?”
“I don’t know. I just can’t focus.”
He looks thoughtful, “Do you know my parents are still together.”
I lean back in my chair, wondering why he’s telling me that, “No, I didn’t know that, but that’s awesome.”
“No, it’s not. It sucks.”
Okay, now I’m confused. “What?”
“My parents got married straight out of high school and it didn’t take them long to start hating each other. I mean they really fucking hate each other. It’s terrible. My younger sister and I have been begging them to get a divorce for years.”
“But they won’t?”
“No, they are staying together for us. That’s the excuse they always give, that they cannot get a divorce because we need parents that are married.”
I run my hands over my face and up through my hair, “I’m sorry, that sucks.”
“It does suck, they may have loved each other at one time, but that love has morphed into hate and they are not doing us any favors by staying together.”