by Harlow Layne
All the guys, with the exception of Fin, had their eyes glued to her rack and followed her breasts as she moved around the table. I wanted to laugh at them, but one look in Fin’s direction had my gut plummeting. His dark eyes had a fire in them as he watched me from down the table.
“Thanks.” Oz flashed her a smile I’d seen at least a dozen times in the last week. It was the one he used when he wanted something. What he wanted besides food, I didn’t know, but I had a pretty good guess. It immediately dropped, and he started to make a pile of food on his plate.
“Dude, leave some for the rest of us.” Fin slapped Oz’s hand away and slid the remaining sticks of one plate over to him.
“Leave some for the rest of us, pigs.” Ford snatched up a chip piled with melted cheese, shredded beef, and sour cream and threw it in his mouth. He smiled as he chewed. “This shit is the bomb. If you don’t want to hit that,” Ford tilted his head toward Tiffany, “I’ll do her.”
Ridley and Fin scrunched their noses up at Ford. “For free food? Are you that desperate?”
“She flirts with every customer.” I looked at him with wide eyes trying to convey she might also sleep with a vast majority of the men she served. It wouldn’t surprise me.
Popping another chip in his mouth, he looked around the table. “So? I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“Whatever, you do you, man.” Oz laughed. “You can have her.”
“Since it’s your first time out with us, what’s your story?” Ridley asked, and everyone fixed their eyes on me except Fin. He was looking off in the distance at the line of TVs on the back wall.
“What do you want to know?” Did they ask me to come with them to put me on the hot seat?
“No offense, but why are you our RA?” Ridley slugged half his glass of water in one go as he waited for my answer.
There was no sense in lying, and they’d eventually figure it out if they hadn’t. “I’m here on a scholarship. It covers everything but my living expenses. When I came up here to visit, I talked to Coach Kyle and explained my situation.”
“And what’s that?” Ford butted in.
“My mother can’t afford to pay for me to live here. I didn’t think I’d have time to work during the season and asked him if he had any ideas on how I could afford to come to school here since he wanted me to play for the Blackhawks. He asked around and made it so I could be the RA.”
Would they see what Coach Kyle did for me as preferential treatment? If they had a problem with me being the RA, they could fuck off. I did what I needed to for myself and my family, and that was all that mattered.
“Are you really that good?” Ford asked around a bite of food. Damn, he was a pig. Every time I saw him off the field, he was eating. No wonder he wanted to hook up with Tiffany for free food.
“West went to our rival school, Central Valley, and they kicked our ass in the championship. I’ve watched a lot of his game videos, and he’s fucking good. I wouldn’t be surprised if he went pro.”
Fin leveled Oz with a scathing look but kept his mouth closed. It was shocking, but I’d take it.
“Pro?” Both Ford and Ridley looked surprised at Oz’s admission.
“We’ll see.”
“Is that what you want?” Oz asked. It didn’t escape my notice that I was the sole focus of Fin’s penetrating gaze.
“What boy doesn’t grow up wanting to play in the NFL?” It was something I’d wanted for as long as I could remember, but it wasn’t until colleges started to recruit me last year that I realized it was a possibility.
“And what happens if you blow out your knee or something before you even graduate?” Fin’s gruff voice asked.
“I’ll have my business degree I can use,” I answered truthfully. I knew there was always a possibility I might not make it to the big leagues, but I was going to do everything in my power to make becoming a professional football player a reality.
Fin’s face turned to stone right in front of me. “Your degree is in business?”
Why was I scared to answer what seemed like an innocent question?
“Yeah,” I drew the word out. “What’s yours?” I looked at everyone for them to answer. I didn’t want all the attention to be on Fin in case he decided to ruin the moment.
“Business,” Fin, Oz, and Ford all answered at the same time while Ridley said education. The three guys laughed at their identical answers while Ridley and I looked at each other wide-eyed. I didn’t know why he was looking at me that way, but I was shocked at the revelation that Fin and I would more than likely have at least one class together.
The sharp jut of Fin’s jaw said he had come to the same conclusion.
Luckily, Tiffany brought our food out then, and everyone dug in. We were still ravenous, even after the appetizers.
While I ate, I couldn’t help but watch Fin while he was in his element. The only other time I’d had the opportunity to look at him was when he was stuck at my apartment in Lake Arrowhead. Since that night up on the mountain, Fin had shaved the sides of his head, making him look even more like the bad boy he was. His dark hair had grown out and now hung in his eyes if he didn’t have it slicked back. His black orbs were more intense with the look. He had a shadow of growth on his face that had me wanting to rub my cheek and lips over it.
Damn, Fin. Why did he have to be so damn hot along with a total asshole? And why did he have to be here?
Once I finished eating, I excused myself to use the restroom before we left. Now that we were full, we were ready for sleep if the constant yawns coming from everyone were any indication. Practice had kicked our asses.
Relieving myself, I was standing at the sink and washing my hands when Fin walked in. Instantly, I was on alert. Fin moved in behind me like a lion, and I was his prey. The only problem was I didn’t know what he was going to do. I hated how my heart rate picked up as our gazes locked in the mirror. Fin’s eyes were so dark, I couldn’t see anything but his black soul shining through.
“Did you know I was going to be here?” he growled, stopping right behind me.
“At dinner?” I tried to swallow the rock that was lodged in my throat. “I assumed since Ford’s been hanging out with you and Oz.”
“Don’t test me.” Fin’s anger churned in his voice, large hands came down on my shoulders. The tips of his fingers dug into my flesh. “I meant Willow Bay.”
I tried to shrug his hands off but was unsuccessful. Staring at him through the mirror, I let him see my truth. “I’ve been planning on coming here since my junior year. Everything was dependent upon my grades and the scholarship they’d offer.”
“If I find out you’re lying, I’ll end you.” It wasn’t a threat. It was a statement. One Fin Huntington meant every word of.
“I have no reason to lie to you.”
In one swift move, Fin turned me roughly and crashed his lips to mine. After every nasty word he’d said to me, having his lips on mine was the last thing I should have wanted. I was disgusted with myself, but I couldn’t help how my body responded to him.
A noise outside the door had Finley pushing himself across the bathroom. His back was to the wall as he panted. The door opened, and a middle-aged man walked in without a glance at either one of us. I took that opportunity to get the hell out of there before anything else could happen.
Fin’s lips brushed against my ear as he passed by. “Not a word.”
Raw anger simmered in my veins at his words. Would it always be like this, or would I eventually be able to control myself around Fin?
9
Fin
I let the chill of the ice settle deep down into my aching body. Our first game of the season kicked my ass, or should I say, the opposing team kicked my ass. College football was no joke, especially as a freshman.
While I thought I was in top shape before arriving at Willow Bay, I severely misjudged how big the seniors whose job it was to tackle my ass would be. Here I was, the new quarterback out to prove himsel
f, and I didn’t do that in our opening game.
My phone pinged from across the room with my dad’s distinctive tone, letting me know it wasn’t worth getting up from my bed to read the message. I already knew what it would say. It would say how I was a disgrace to the family name after getting sacked twice and multiple incomplete passes to both West and Ford. I didn’t need to hear it from my father after listening to Coach Kyle ream my ass for half an hour after the game.
It wasn’t like I hadn’t tried my hardest, but I quickly learned my best wasn’t good enough at this level. I needed to step up my game by working out more, practicing after hours, and eating better. Eating at The Bar every night wasn’t doing my body any good with the greasy bar food. Instead, I was going to start eating the meals Coach had set up to be sent to the house.
At least I wasn’t out every night partying like most college students were. Coach had someone that wasn’t West take a headcount every night at ten o’clock on the dot, and if we weren’t here without his express consent, the entire team had to run extra, and no one wanted that. We didn’t leave after the headcount either. Coach wasn’t stupid and knew we’d sneak out or start our own parties afterward. He had people on rotation who came by at all hours of the night to make sure we were home. He had us on lockdown.
A soft knock at my already open door had me rolling over to see who it was. If it was Oz, he’d walk right in and throw himself down on the bed next to me, disturbing my peace. I was shocked to find West standing there looking as good as ever. Which, of course, only set to piss me off. Why was I so damn attracted to Weston Jackson?
I’d been slightly attracted to guys in the past, but nothing like West. With him, it took everything in me to hold myself back from giving in to what I wanted, which was a foreign concept to me. Still, I’d let myself slip a couple of times, and when I did it, was both heaven and hell having his hard body so close to mine. The feel of his full lips under the harsh slant of my own.
I sat up in a rush to hide what West did to my body and flinched at the pain.
“Here,” he strode into my room with his hand outstretched, “Oz was looking for painkillers and couldn’t find any.”
Snatching them up, I popped them in my mouth and waited for him to leave. Only West didn’t leave. He continued to stand at my door.
“What?” I barked out and decided to lie back down. I didn’t want to look at him any longer. If I did, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to control myself.
“I wanted to ask if you’re okay but wasn’t sure if I should or not. You took a nasty hit today,” West confessed, looking unsure. He examined my room, not making eye contact.
My usual harsh tone was absent as I spoke. “Since I need ice and ibuprofen, I’m not a hundred percent, but I’ll live.”
“Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me.” West paused at the door as if he thought I’d call him back. If I was going to do anything, it would be to banish him from my existence.
“I won’t,” I muttered, turning away onto my side.
The room was quiet for a minute, then I heard the soft click of the door shutting as West left the room. A sigh of relief left me, knowing I was alone. Even if it was Oz, I wouldn’t have wanted to hang out. From now on, I would work harder than ever before. There was no way I was going from the elite to the loser quarterback on the bench. My world had tilted on its axis today, and the realization that I was no longer the top athlete at my school ate at me.
10
West
Bloody hell, what had I done in a past life to warrant Fin Huntington to be my tormentor?
As if it wasn’t bad enough that we lived in the same house and on the same floor, we were on the football team together, and he was in three of my classes. I tried to ignore him as much as possible for both our sakes and sit as far away from Fin as I could manage, but of course, I had to be running late because of a problem at the house on the first day of statistics. What were the odds the only seat available was right in front of him? I had no idea, but they weren’t in my favor. If this were The Hunger Games, I’d be the first one out with my lack of luck. I could hear the noise telling everyone I was dead before my body hit the ground. Our teacher, Mr. Randell, passed out a seating chart stating we would be sitting in those seats for the duration of the semester. Lucky me.
From the moment I sat down, I could feel Fin’s glare on the back of my neck. I tried to take notes and focus, but it was hopeless with his heated gaze beating down on me.
Turning around, I narrowed my eyes at him, only to find him looking down at his phone with a look of devastation on his face. It was strange to see anything but malice and hatred tarnishing his handsome features.
Before I could turn around, Fin looked up, and our gazes locked. A mask of indifference slipped over his face. The only thing he didn’t or couldn’t hide was the fire blazing in his dark eyes. A shiver ran through my body, and goosebumps erupted along my arms as I tried to rip my gaze from his.
“Turn around if you know what’s good for you,” he said under his breath so quietly only I could hear him.
Jerking around, I sat forward and focused on Mr. Randall as he droned on and on for what felt like hours when instead, it was only the standard fifty minutes. With Fin’s attention off me, I thought I’d feel better, but instead, I was worried about the asshole. Fin didn’t seem like the type to let anything get to him, so whatever it was had to be immense.
By the time Mr. Randall dismissed us, I was starved and ready to eat. I wasn’t sure what compelled me to look back, but when I did, Fin hadn’t moved from his spot. He was staring blankly ahead as if in a trance. It probably wasn’t the smartest move, but I trudged my way back up the stairs and stood outside his row of seats. With how hostile he normally was with me, I wasn’t sure how to proceed.
“Fin,” I called his name quietly, “class is over.” When he didn’t react, I moved closer and closer with each attempt to get his attention. Finally, I placed my hand on his shoulder and spoke his name one final time.
He wrenched his head my way and scowled. “What?” He looked around the room and then back at me. “Where did everyone go?”
“Class is over, and you were… wherever you were. We should probably get out of here before the next class comes in.”
“Yeah,” he answered and shoved his book and notebook into his backpack before he placed it on his shoulder. Fin walked slowly down the stairs, through the halls, and out into the warm afternoon sun. He moved as if he was in a slow-motion video.
The moment we were outside, I passed him only to stop in front of him. “Listen, I know I’m the last person in the world you want to talk to or confide in, but are you okay?”
“You don’t need to worry about me, West. I’m sure you’ve got more important things to focus on. Now, why don’t you run along and go study or something?” He walked away, moving his hair out of his face, dismissing my concern.
Maybe the next time I saw Oz, I’d mention it to him. He’d know what to do or not to do if that was the case.
Sitting down on a bench, I pulled out the lunch I packed early this morning before my workout, ready to forget about Fin. I’d barely swallowed the first bite of my chicken sandwich when Ford sat down next to me.
Kicking out his legs and crossing them at the ankle, Ford turned his hat, so the bill blocked the sunlight from his face looking at ease with himself. “Why don’t you ever join us in food commons to eat your lunch?”
“I enjoy being outside and people watching,” I lied and hated doing it, but there was no way I was going to say it was because I wanted to avoid Fin.
He tapped his fingers along his thigh. “While that may be true, I don’t think you’re telling me the whole truth, now are you, Weston.”
“Maybe one day, but I’m not ready to join you,” I admitted. I wasn’t sure if I ever would be either.
“That’s—“
“It’s not you, so don’t worry about it,” I interrupted him.
>
He tilted his head like he could see me from underneath his hat. “If you think I haven’t noticed how Fin’s demeanor changes every time you’re around, you’re wrong. What I want to know is why?”
“I’d like to know as well, but I don’t think I’m ever going to get my wish. You’ll probably find out before I do. Back in Santa Lucia, I thought it was high school rivalry.”
Ford sat up, flipping his hat back around. “And now?”
“Like I said, I have no idea why. All I can say is Fin hates me, and I try to do my best to keep things civil between us. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to eat my lunch in peace.” I was ready to pack up and find another location to enjoy the break between classes.
Placing his hand on my arm, he pressed down. “I got the message, and you don’t need to leave. Maybe tomorrow I’ll get a few rays of sunshine while I eat my lunch if you don’t mind.”
Taking another bite of my sandwich, I chewed and tried to decide if I wanted to deal with the consequences that might come with Ford’s friendship. “As long as you don’t try to drag Fin with you, I don’t see a problem.”
Being the house RA made the team standoffish with me. It was either that or Fin had threatened them if they were friends with me. I could see it either way. Although I didn’t think they were afraid of me narcing them out as much as they were afraid of getting caught and the wrath of Coach.
“He needs to get over himself, or poor Finny boy is going to find himself on the wrong side of the friendship tree.”
I laughed at that. If Fin heard anyone call him Finny boy, he’d punch them in the face. “Trust me, don’t do me any favors. You don’t want to get on Fin’s bad side.”
Ford stood with the grace of a gazelle, looking down at me. His brown eyes were full of something dark. “Maybe he doesn’t want to get on my bad side.”