by Harlow Layne
“Did they call triple-A?”
Two girls on the side of the highway when it was getting dark wasn’t a good combination. Make them beautiful in an expensive car, and it was a recipe for disaster. No wonder Oz was on edge. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything we could do.
“About twenty minutes ago. They said it would be forty minutes to an hour before they could get there. I told Dani to get back in the fucking car before they get murdered or hit by a car, but she won’t get inside until Lo does, and she’s being a stubborn ass.” He ran his hand through his light blond hair and fisted it at the ends. “It’s day one, Fin, and they are already in trouble. Why didn’t we insist they come to Willow Bay with us?”
“Because she got a soccer scholarship there, and you got on the Blackhawk’s football team here. Plus, they have the worst football team. You would have lost every game you played,” I reminded him.
“It’s not like she wouldn’t have made the team here or that we couldn’t afford her tuition,” Oz argued back.
I didn’t know Danica’s motive for wanting to be at another school and away from her brother, except that she loved playing soccer. Maybe she had some other motive, or maybe she realized it was probably healthy for them to be apart while off at college.
“She’s good and has a real shot at going to the Olympics with UCLA. You can’t deny her that because you’re worried about her. If she needs you, you can either drive or fly and be there in a few hours. You have nothing to worry about. Danica’s a badass and can take care of herself.” I cocked my head to the side and silently watched Oz as he typed something else out on his phone. “Or is it someone else you’re worried about because you know Dani will kick just about anyone’s ass who messes with her?”
Oz lifted his blue eyes to me, and they were filled with fire. His jaw ticked once before his phone buzzed, and he looked back down. “Don’t start with me unless you want me to ask questions about your life.”
Did Oz know? No, how could he?
“Yeah, I didn’t think so.” He opened the front door and leveled me with a look that said he knew more than he let on. “Let’s go find some food and a place to get drunk.”
“And maybe get you some new pussy.” I knew I was pushing it, but I wanted to see how desperate Oz was to forget about how far away Danica and Lo were.
Oz didn’t bother answering me. We both knew he’d have to be drunk out of his mind for him to hook up with someone. I didn’t understand why he didn’t tell Danica he liked Lo and ask her if it would be okay if they dated. It wasn’t like he slept with every girl who threw themselves at him, and there was a lot with him being good looking and a star football player in our town. He occasionally gave in to temptation and then felt guilty because of it. Oz and Lo were a mystery to me. As far as I knew, Danica had never said they couldn’t be together, but I also wasn’t sure if she knew how much they pined after each other. I’d only noticed this past year. Maybe it was because I was hiding something and had become more observant in my effort. Although I wasn’t sure how Danica wouldn’t know, with how close she was to the both of them.
Since our house was on the edge of campus, we headed down the dark street toward the school. All the frat houses we passed by were dark and quiet since only the football team had moved onto campus early. In a couple of weeks, I knew all the houses would be packed with people and parties.
We reached an area that held a grill and bar and decided to try our luck. Since we were sixteen, we’d had fake ID’s, so I didn’t think we’d have any problem getting served. I swung open the door to let Oz walk in before me when his phone buzzed. I watched as his shoulders visibly relaxed at whatever he saw on his screen.
“All good?” I clapped him on the back.
Oz headed toward a booth, and I followed. After sitting down, he placed his phone face down on the table before he looked up at me. “They’re back on the road. I told her to text me when they get to their dorm. Why the hell did they leave so late? I thought they left right after us.”
“Knowing Dani and Lo, they probably went shopping before they left for LA.”
Oz nodded like what I’d said made sense. He had a better idea about what they did than me, but I didn’t point it out. I hoped he wasn’t going to worry about them all the damn time. Otherwise, he was going to want to drive down to LA every weekend to keep an eye on them, which wouldn’t be possible with our football schedule.
A flirty waitress with short black hair and a ring through her nose smiled and fluttered her eyelashes at us. “Hi, I’m Tiffany. What can I get you, boys?” she purred.
“I’ll have the all-American bacon cheeseburger, medium rare, with fries and… a pitcher of beer,” Oz answered her. He flashed his boy next door smile that made every girl's panties melt.
“Sure thing.” Her gaze swung to me. “And how about you, handsome?”
“I’ll have the same.”
She looked down at the ticket she was writing on. “Um… do you want one or two pitchers?”
“Just one, for now, sweetheart.” Oz laid it on thick, smiling up at her as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world. But I didn’t give a damn. She hadn’t even asked us for our IDs, so it was a win in my book.
Tiffany swayed her hips in a way that made her short shorts showcase her ass to perfection. She definitely knew what she was doing. Oz’s eyes were zeroed in, and I wondered if he’d hook up with her. Maybe he needed a chance to meet new girls, and then he’d get over Lo.
“That was easy,” he grinned once she was out of sight.
“You keep up that flirting, and this might be our new spot.” I waggled my eyebrows at him, and Oz flipped me off, making me laugh. This was our normal, and it felt good after the revelations of the day.
I watched as Tiffany moved toward us, stopping by tables and smiling at everyone. She was a good waitress and knew how to work with what she had. I noticed her dip down and let an already plastered guy look down her tank top to get a good look at her cleavage before he paid. She winked at him and patted him on the shoulder before sauntering over to our table with our pitcher.
“Here you boys go. Let me know if you need anything else before your burgers are done.” She twirled back around and swayed those hips of hers again.
“Are you in love yet?” I laughed at the way Oz watched her.
“It takes a lot more than someone shaking her ass at me, but I’m only human, and there’s no harm in looking.”
We each poured ourselves a beer and clinked our glasses together. “To college life,” Oz cheered.
“And a new start.” Or at least I hoped it was. I wasn’t so sure now with West at Willow Bay.
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Oz asked after taking a long draw of his beer.
I opened my mouth to answer when West walked in with a guy wearing his hat on backward and a scruffy jaw. My muscles locked up at the sight. Was he E?
“Dude, what crawled up your ass all of a sudden?” Oz turned to look over his shoulder and let out a long sigh before he looked back at me. “I don’t know what your problem with West is, but do you think you can get over it? Why not start our college life with a fresh start?”
Because if I did that, my world would come tumbling down.
8
West
Panting with my hands on my knees, I looked up at Coach Kyle with a grimace. It was easily a hundred degrees in the July heat, and he’d had us run five miles with a fifteen pound medicine ball that we threw back and forth to each other while we circled the track. I wanted to throw up but held it back as I tried to remain standing.
I spied a few others who weren’t so lucky spewing their water and Gatorade into the grass.
“Now, listen here, boys, if you can’t get your act together and play like a team, I am going to run you into the ground. Do you hear me?” Coach Kyle yelled.
“Yes, sir, Coach sir,” we yelled back weakly.
“That’s what I want to hear. Get cleaned up, hydrat
e, get some food in you, and I’ll see you all tomorrow morning at seven o’clock sharp. If one person is late, you’ll run ten miles through town.”
We all groaned at the thought of running through the hills of Willow Bay. I was sure he’d have us run toward the water and the steepest of hills in town. It was more like a mountain, especially when running. We already had that privilege last week when the defense wasn’t blocking like they were supposed to. Fin got tackled hard and spent the rest of practice with the trainers getting checked out.
For a couple of days after getting laid out on the field, Fin was strangely more docile. I wasn’t sure if it was because he was in pain, humiliated, or both. He stayed in his room the entire weekend except for when he, Oz, and Ford went to grab something to eat or if one of his meals was heated up.
Half the guys had their meals made up for them and delivered to the house every couple of days since we didn’t have the refrigerator space to hold a week’s worth of meals for ten men. Fin, Oz, and Ford being among them. I, on the other hand, bought my own food and cooked it, following the plan the nutritionist gave me.
After showering and getting changed, I trudged my way back to the house with a line of other players. Most of us walked, but after today we would probably start carpooling for practice if we were going to be in for more torture. I barely had any energy to make it back, and the thought of having to stand in the kitchen and cook because I’d eaten all the chicken I’d made earlier in the week had me wanting to throw myself on the ground and give up.
Ford passed me by like he hadn’t been punished like the rest of us. He turned and looked over his shoulder. “Hey, we’re going to hit up The Bar to grab a bite to eat if you want to join us.”
I was ninety-nine percent sure Fin would be going, but I didn’t have it in me to cook tonight. Plus, I wasn’t going to let him ruin my experience or the chance to make friends or connect with people. If he didn’t like it, then he could stay home.
“That sounds perfect. I’m dead on my feet,” I answered back as he picked his speed back up. “What’s got you in such a rush?”
“I told my mom I’d call her after practice today. She had a doctor’s appointment she was worried about. I want to make sure it went okay.”
Even now that he was five feet away, I could see the strain on his face. Ford was worried about his mom. I understood that. I’d been worried about how my mom and brother were doing without me and my income. Once the football season was over, I planned to find a job around here and send as much money as I could their way. I’d done as much as I could leading up to moving away; now, all I could do was hope it would be enough.
“I hope it’s good news,” I yelled as he took off.
Once back in my room, I fell onto my bed with my phone in hand, texting my mom and Easton. We had a group chat to keep each other in the know about what was going on in our lives. Easton was playing games with his friends online, and Mom was working, so it was a quick conversation—nothing long enough to make me forget I’d more than likely be eating and hanging out with Fin. I wasn’t sure if he’d ignore me or be his usual asshole self to me. I was hoping for the former but betted on the latter.
A sharp knock had me bolting upright on my bed. The door swung open with Fin, Oz, Ford, and Ridley standing at the door with mixed expressions on their faces. Ford had a smile that was about to crack his face in two, he was so happy. I guess his mom gave him good news. Ridley looked bored like he always did unless he was eating. He was a linebacker that had to weigh close to three hundred pounds. He was not a guy you wanted to get on his bad side. Oz looked curious while Fin was expressionless except for the tick in his jaw. It wasn’t a surprise Fin would be pissed I was joining him, but he was going to have to learn to live with it.
“You ready?” Ford asked as they all started to move away from the door.
“Yeah, I’m starved.” Closing and locking my door, I followed behind everyone. I wanted to give Fin plenty of space just in case he was feeling, well… like his usual self. An asshole.
It was move-in weekend for most of the campus. As we walked, there were shouts from the houses we passed by and loud music playing. I was surprised none of the guys were headed to one of the parties hosted by the frats, but they were surprisingly being good. Maybe Coach Kyle’s brand of training had scared them, or maybe they were as dead as I was.
Oz let everyone get a step ahead of us as we hit the street. “It’s good you’re hitting up The Bar with us. You’re always holed up in your room or studying.”
I stuffed my hands in the pockets of my shorts and huffed out a laugh. “Well, I’m a pretty boring guy.”
There was no way I was going to tell Oz about not having the money to go out every day for food or having my meals delivered, or why I had to do well in school to keep my scholarship. All of it was something none of the guys would understand. I knew I wasn’t the only player on the team here on a scholarship, but I knew I was the odd one out with the group I was out with.
“I seriously doubt that. Otherwise, Fin wouldn’t…” Oz looked to Fin, who was glaring back at us.
“Hate me so much,” I added to help him out.
Oz’s lips pursed. “He doesn’t—”
“He does,” I interrupted him. “You don’t need to lie for his sake.” Or mine.
Oz’s gaze flicked up to his friend and back to me. “I gotta say, I don’t know what his deal is with you.”
I had an idea, but maybe that was all it was. Maybe I was thinking too highly of myself, and Fin simply hated me for the reason of hating me and not because he was attracted to me.
“Central Valley did beat you,” I flashed him a cocky smile. Running in the winning touchdown against them still brought a smile to my face. “I think it was a huge blow to Fin’s ego when he wasn’t named MVP.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that.” Oz chuckled, but there was a dark tone in it, making me wonder about the true meaning of his comment. “Fin’s dad… let’s just say, leave it at it was about his dad and not his ego.”
Why was Oz being nice to me and telling me things about Fin that Fin would never want me or probably anyone else to know?
“You should probably stop talking to me before you’re on his shit list.” Every few seconds, Fin would look at us out of the corner of his eye and then clench his hands into fists. If Oz didn’t stop talking to me, I’d probably end up with a black eye. Was that rational? No, but nothing Fin did in regards to me was.
“He’s more bark than bite. Anyway, I know how to handle Fin.” His brow furrowed as he looked at his friend giving me little cause to believe he understood why Fin was so unwarranted with his hostility toward me.
“Still, I don’t want him to go all Fin on me in front of new people,” I admitted quietly.
“I can understand that. For what it’s worth, I’m glad you joined us.”
My steps faltered at his words. At first, I thought they might be an indication of something Fin might have planned, but I didn’t think Oz would give up his friend like that. But what did I know? Tonight was the first time we’d ever talked.
I hung back for the rest of the walk and let everyone take their places around the table. I sat across from Ford and beside Oz. Ridley and Fin sat on the other side, with Ridley flanking Ford. A sigh of relief escaped me, seeing Fin as far away from me as possible.
“Is everything okay with your mom?” I asked Ford after we’d all ordered.
He leaned forward on his elbows, his eyes scanning to see if any of the guys were listening in. “She got a clean bill of health, just a little low on iron. How crazy is that? They had us so worried, and it was something as simple as fixing it with a vitamin.”
“Who’s sick?” Oz asked, breaking into our conversation.
“No one,” Ford answered, eyes shifting toward Fin.
Did he not want Fin to hear? He was an asshole, sure, but I didn’t think he was heartless enough to want someone’s mom to die.
Bot
h Oz and Fin shrugged as if they didn’t care and went back to talking. Mostly it was Oz telling Fin about his sister, Danica.
“Who’s got a sister?” Ridley questioned out of the blue. I wasn’t sure about him. He seemed nice enough, and at practice, he did his job. Most of the time outside of the field, Ridley was staring at nothing with a vacant look on his face. Maybe he was on drugs. If that was the case, he wouldn’t last long.
Oz indicated it was him by lifting his index finger but said nothing.
“I’ve got three sisters, and they drive me crazy. They’ve been hitting up my phone day and night since I got here and killing my game. I swear they are doing it on purpose.” Even though he seemed annoyed, you could tell by the way his face lit up that Ridley loved them.
“All younger?” Oz asked, tapping the fingers of one hand on the table.
“All younger. I thought they’d be happy I was gone and trying to have boys over all the time, but they seem to spend all their time trying to mess up my game,” Ridley growled, making us all lean back in our seats away from him. With his size and the way his dark eyes looked black, he was slightly terrifying.
Fin slapped the table and laughed. “You better not tell Dani if you like a girl. I can totally see her doing that to fuck with you.”
“Fucking hell, she would. It’s not like she hasn’t thwarted my attempts to get laid before.” His phone, sitting on the table between us, lit up with a message from his sister, and he groaned. “How can she know I’m talking about her when we’re hundreds of miles away?”
“You’re screwed, man.” Fin smirked at him.
Tiffany, our waitress, came to our table with our drinks and a couple of plates of mozzarella sticks and nachos.
“That’s not our order,” Ridley mumbled as he stared at the food like he hadn’t eaten in days.
“It’s on the house. We’re busy, and I didn’t want my boys to get too hungry while you waited on your food.” She dipped low as she set small plates down in front of each of us.