Lily: Tell me what happened. Do I need to kill me some little douchebag when I see him?
Me: Maybe.
Instead of typing it all out, I call her so I can tell her everything. Lily is my voice of reason. When everyone else in my life is completely off their rockers, she tells me what I really need to hear. Even though she never liked Bradley, she always understood what that relationship meant to me. I think she hoped that he would end up being the man I deserved. I don’t bother to tell her about my knight in shining armor, Alex. He played a supporting role in the story, but I know she’d get fixated on him, which is a complete waste of time. It’s not like I’m going to ever see him again.
Chapter Five
ALEX
Ican’t stop thinking about Stella, even though I need to be focusing on my workout. Since school doesn’t start until tomorrow, the team is still required to have two-a-days, or two workouts per day. One is in the gym and consists of strength and cardio workouts. The second is on the field in full pads and gear. Our first home game is coming up this Saturday, so these practices are pretty serious and lengthy. But no matter how hard I push my body, I can’t stop thinking about her. How could someone so sweet and beautiful end up with a tool like that frat guy? Granted, I don’t know her at all, but from the little I gleaned from her yesterday, I can tell she’s special.
The truth is, I’m worried about her. What if that guy came back? Of course, she didn’t call me. I knew she wouldn’t. It’s like she didn’t want to impose on me. She’s very ladylike and feminine––gentle. My Stella was all soft and sweet. My Stella? I think I’m going half crazy. I either need to sweat her out of my system, or I’ve got to go for it with her. Run. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll run my ass off for now, and then I’ll check in on her after practice. Taking a deep breath, I increase the speed on the treadmill until I’m sprinting. No need to keep worrying about her and her douche of an ex. I’ll see for myself that she’s okay. Maybe I can talk her into going down to the dining hall with me tonight for dinner. Yeah, that’s it. “I’m a freaking genius.”
A guy in the weight room hears me and starts laughing. “Yeah, that’s what we always say about you, Emerson. You’re a fucking genius,” shouts Kinley, our right tackle.
This time they all laugh.
Go ahead and laugh becauseIamsmart. I’m no genius, but I have a 3.9 grade point average, and that’s not from taking fluff classes like Geology 101. I’m working on my degree in Communications, and I plan to graduate on time—with honors. I need to be sure I have a backup plan in case I get hurt because I’ve seen what a career-ending injury can do to a guy firsthand. My dad was a great ballplayer, but he blew his knee out when he was a senior in college. He lost his chance at the NFL. He was smart, though. He finished up his construction engineering degree, and now he’s got his own construction company. It all worked out for him, and I want to be sure I can land on my feet if I can’t play football anymore.
The minute our workout is over, I jog back to the dorm. Unfortunately, I have to wait around for Hank to finish up his beauty routine before I can shower and shave. I don’t want to frighten her with post-practice body odors. After I’ve showered and dressed in my nicest pair of sweats and a tee, I take the stairs up to her floor. When I reach Stella’s door, I knock and wait. And wait some more. After what feels like hours, that chick, Brooke, opens the door. Her face has no expression until she gets a glimpse of me, then a fake grin slips into place. “Alex! Hi!” she squeaks. “What are you doing here? I wish I knew you were stopping by; I’m such a mess!”
“That’s okay. I didn’t come to see you. I came to check on Stella.”
“Really? Why?” Her face scrunches up. She looks seriously perplexed.
I want to tell her it’s none of her damn business, but I need to play nice with the roommate. “I wanted to see how she’s doing after yesterday. She was pretty upset.” Why am I explaining myself to her?
“Oh, she’s fine. I’m sure she ate her feelings and she’s all better. You know she’ll take Bradley back. I mean, who else is going to want to date her?” she says with an evil cackle.
What a bitch. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, just look at her. She’s fat.” She shrugs like she said something obvious.
I decide to ignore her because I’m only encouraging this girl to speak. “Can you please get Stella?”
Brooke looks dejected. “Get her yourself. There’s her room.”
She points over to the door closest to the bathroom. It’s the same setup as our place. She’s got the same room. Mine’s just two floors down. As I approach, I can hear music playing softly. I knock on her door.
“Yeah?” asks Stella.
“Stella? It’s me, Alex.”
That’s when I hear sounds of movement behind the door, things falling and furniture scraping across the concrete floors. I smile. The music stops playing, and the door opens abruptly.
“Uh, hi, Alex. What are you doing here?”
I nearly choke when I see her. She’s even prettier today with her blonde hair pulled up and knotted on the top of her head. It showcases her face and rosy cheeks. She’s so gorgeous, I can barely speak. “Um… well, I just came to see how you were doing and ask if you wanted to go with me to the cafeteria.”
“I’m not very hungry today,” she murmurs.
That’s when I hear Brooke mutter from somewhere behind me, “Yeah, right.”
Yep, she’s a bitch. I look back over my shoulder and glare. She’s eavesdropping on our conversation from the kitchenette. Stella leans her head out of her doorframe and gives Brooke a dirty look, one that matches my own. It makes me laugh. I half expect Brooke to take the hint, but she doesn’t move an inch.
Choosing to ignore her nasty roommate, I turn back and look down at Stella. I’m dying to touch her, but I keep my hands to myself. For now. “I know you probably don’t feel hungry because of what happened yesterday, but your body needs food. You need to nourish your body for school and everything else that’s going on in your life. I’m an athlete; I know about these things,” I say, smiling. “Please? Come down to the dining hall with me. I really don’t like going down there by myself.” I give her my most pathetic expression. It says, “Please?”
Am I begging? I guess I am. I hope it works. While I wait for her to respond, I take a good look at her again. She has beautiful blue eyes, like the Caribbean Sea. I let my eyes travel to her cute little button nose then on to her luscious lips shaped like little rosebuds and down to her full breasts. They’re hidden beneath an oversized T-shirt that says, “I Paint Therefore I Am” with a picture of that sculpture of the Thinker guy holding a paintbrush. She must like art or something.
