Prologue
Candi
“Hey, Candi Girl!“ Mom practically shouts into the phone, making me panic reach for the volume of my car stereo to turn it down before she blows out a speaker. Staci Malone doesn’t have a quiet bone in her body, and I should’ve known better than to answer before adjusting the volume.
“Hi, Momma.” Turning the dial to an acceptable volume on the stereo, I shift my eyes to the long stretch of country roads leading me to my new destination.
Leaving Liberty College has been a big decision for me, especially being halfway through my junior year, but I felt the need for something different and Rosewood College was the answer. Being on the shyer side, the complete opposite of my mom, the small college in the tiny town of Rose Prairie seemed more my style.
“How’s the drive going? Are you keeping an eye out for deer?” It’s become an inside joke in our family to tell each other to watch out for deer whenever we drive through backroads. We mean it as a joke, but it’s a real warning. Deer are always out and going where they shouldn’t during the winter season and seeing that it’s January and Iamon a country road, I do indeed have my eyes out for deer.
“Yes,” I chuckle. “So far I’ve seen a couple in the tree line, but none have made the mad dash out onto the road. The driveisn’t too bad either. No traffic and the roads are clear of ice.” I’m surprised that there aren’t more people on the roads, but with the heavy snowfall in the area a couple of weeks ago, it makes sense that they are still avoiding the roads.
Mom decides to rapidly change the subject, as she normally does. “Good, good. So,” she pauses for dramatic effect, “I just got off the phone with Grandma, and guess what?” She practically screams at me, making me reach for the volume once again. “Your cousin Bridget got engaged! Can you believe it?”
Now that all my cousins—all seven of them—are getting older, these “so and so got engaged” phone calls are becoming more frequent. I’m thrilled for them, I really am, but sometimes I would appreciate it if I didn’t have to pretend to be so overly excited. Always being the shy and perpetually single girl in the family, a twinge of pain hits me right in the feels when I hear of a new engagement.
“Oh, nice.” Trying to sound excited is getting more and more difficult with each phone call like this. “She’s been seeing Meg for a couple of years, right?” That manages to get mom talking about all things proposals and weddings and blah, blah, blah.
Once I pull into the parking lot of Stone Hall, my new home for the next year, I’m more emotionally withdrawn than I was thirty minutes ago. Exhaling slowly, I drudge up enough courage to open the door.
Chapter One
Jaxon
"Why do we have to do this?” Pulling my baseball cap off my face, I scowl at the freshman complaining and interrupting my nap.
“Coach said so, that’s why,” I mumble. “So, stop your whining.” The freshman at least has the brains to look contrite as he shuts his mouth. I don’t want to be doing this either, but you won’t see me complaining, not when Coach specifically told me to keep the guys in line. It’s my “captain’s duty” as he put it. Placing my cap back over my face, I attempt to relax.
Moving in the new students is a Rosewood tradition. All the sports teams take turns each semester unloading cars to get them settled, and now it’s our turn. It’s supposed to be this “Welcome to Rosewood, we’re happy you’re here!” bullshit, but it’s really an awkward, “Hi, we’re a bunch of strangers who will be touching your stuff and carrying it to your new room. Don’t mind us.” I didn’t like it when I first got here three years ago, and I don’t like it today.
“Jax, when can we leave? No one’s shown up in an hour.” All chances of catching a quick nap after going to Trevor’s party off campus last night float away.Fuck me.It wasn’t like I wanted to carry in other people’s shit with a hangover, but here I am.
Sitting up, I glance up at the clock above the entrance to the common room of the dorm. “We have another fifteen minutes. Then you can scamper off to do whatever the hell you want,Sam.” A series of groans and thank god’s make their rounds through the other players sitting around. We’ve been at this for three, going on four hours and we’re all over it. “Be right back.”
Not really needing to take a piss, I head for the bathroom anyway just to get a break from the guys. I’m seriously hung over. Splashing my face with water from the faucet to hopefully make me look less dead on my feet, I examine my reflection. My skin is pinking up from the hot water, but my blue eyes are bloodshot as hell, and I look like shit. Just a few more minutes and then I can crash into the oblivion of sleep.
Pulling the bathroom door open, not bothering to look at where I’m going, someone crashes into me. Out of instinct, my arm wraps around whoever I just ran into in an attempt to steady both of us. All I see is long, brunette hair pulled into a ponytail that smells like some sweet fruit when it smacks me in the face. This girl, whoever she is, is the perfect height, her head nestling against my collarbone as I hold her tight.
“Shit, are you okay? Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.” Making sure she’s steady, I unwind my arm from around her waist and pull back. She’s mousy looking, with small delicate features. She’s tall for a girl compared to my six foot one, but nothing else about her stands out. She’s just average.
“Sorry, my fault. I have no idea where I’m going.” Her cheeks turn bright red as she looks up at me with wide brown eyes.
She’s embarrassed.
Smiling politely down at her, I ask, “You new here?” She swallows hard, nodding her head. “In that case, I have some guys here to help you unload your car.” Putting my hand on the small of her back, I gently guide her into the common room pointing her to the front desk with the resident advisor who will check her in.
Leaving her to deal with that, I saunter over to the guys, kicking the foot that’s in the middle of the walkway. “C’monguys. The last one of the day just showed up. Let’s get this done quickly so we can go.” Offering a hand up, the guys stand and stretch as they head for the front door.
We’re all waiting on the sidewalk outside of Stone Hall when the mousy girl with good-smelling hair timidly walks down the front steps. She looks casual in her black leggings and a long-oversized hoodie, but she’s tense as fuck with her eyes dashing in every direction.
“Um, I’m the dark blue Toyota.” Her voice is soft as she points out her vehicle and unlocks it with a click of the fob.
We’re not supposed to let the newbies carry any of their stuff inside, so we all pile around the car, grabbing whatever we can carry. We sure as shit want to get this over with.
Mousy grabs her purse and shoulders a backpack as we grab everything else. “I’m in room 205,” she announces to the guys already up the front steps with loaded arms.
Shit. Of course, she would live upstairs.
