Holy shit! I didn’t just like him. I was in love with Jeremy Fletcher. Him and stupid beautiful blue eyes and crazy ripped body. But it wasn’t just physical. It was the way he cared. He watched over me.My adorable stalker.Because that’s what he was! He had to be with the way he popped up everywhere I was, even before the whole bullying, blackmailing crap he did to me.
Though… was it really bullying if all he’d done was help me with my bio work and give me a place to study and decompress when life was too much during the craziness of the soccer season?
“Tere?” Sadie called, snapping me out of my head.
“I’m totally freaking out.” I swallowed.
Suddenly, everything hit me all at once.
My grades, the heavy practice schedule, my asshole biology professor, and Jeremy. Jeremy, though, if I was being honest, wasn’t necessarily something I was scared of. How could I when I’d fallen in love with him? Head over heels in love.
I just didn’t know where he would fit in my life.
Where will I fit in his?
“Why? From everything I’ve seen and that Jason’s told me, Jeremy’s a good guy.”
“He is.”The best,I thought to myself, but the realization only had my heart pounding harder in my chest. My eyes locked with my roommate’s, the best friend I could have ever asked for.
“How’s stuff with Jason?” I was deflecting and knew it. I was officially a chicken shit!.
“Changing the subject?” Her lips twitched before her face transformed into the dreamiest smile I’d ever witnessed. “Stuff with Jason is good. I… I think I really like him.”
“That’s good. You look happy.”
“I am.” She smiled brighter, and then her features softened. “You know you can talk to me?”
“I know. It’s just…” Words failed me. One, because I didn’t have them, and two, because if I was honest, it felt wrong talking about it with her before Jeremy.
“A lot?” she guessed. I nodded because it was an understatement. “Take it one day at a time.” She shrugged. “That’s what I’m doing.” She sighed. “If I’m honest with you, I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…” She hesitated as she got her words together. “Can life, dating, love… really be like this? It feels too right. Too easy somehow.” I felt those words deep.
Being with Jeremy felt too good to be true. Somewhere, somehow, something was going to happen and it would all go to crap.
Were we even a possibility of being more?
10TERESA
Practice ran long, and I had promised myself to get in a third workout to make up for missing my runs this weekend.
I’d also been dodging Jeremy’s texts and phone calls.
I needed some time to think and time on the field usually helped. Though tonight, I wasn’t so sure. Sweaty and exhausted, I pulled my shirt off and wiped my face as I stood in the middle of the practice soccer field in my soccer gear, shorts, and sports bra.
The lights were still on, but it was pretty much dark all around the field while I ran drills and then laps until my legs felt rubbery and about to give out on me, but I didn’t stop. Taking endless shots at an empty goal, one after another. We had two really important games coming up, ones that would matter a lot, and I needed to be ready. As a mid-fielder, I was all over the pitch during a game.
Once I was done, I sat in the grass, sipping my water before I started to unlace my cleats and slipped on my Crocs. Dumping everything into my duffle, I stood and started to walk out of the athletics area on campus but still hadn’t left the field.
“Teresa!” a deep male voice called from behind me. I turned, fully expecting to see Jeremy, but my feet stopped and suddenly felt like they were nailed down to the ground. Professor Nick Gage jogged towards me only to stop right in front of me.
“Professor.” I said quietly as a queasy feeling started to climb and tingle at the back of my neck.What is he doing out here?
“How are you?” he asked. His eyes searched my face for a moment before they slipped lower. Right to my chest.Gross.Instantly, I regretted only leaving my sports bra on with my shorts. I hated men. How their lecherous gaze could make you feel dirty without being guilty of anything.
“Fine. And yourself?” I asked, glancing away for a second, hoping I could see someone. Anyone. But I wasn’t lucky.
