Lifting his hands, he cups my cheeks and I can't help but lean into his heat. He always makes me feel so safe and secure.
"If he hurts you, then he hurts me, Let. I wish you'd told me this years ago."
I shrug. "It doesn't matter," I say, trying to play it down.
"It really fucking matters."
Leaning in, he presses his lips to my forehead and wraps his arms around me.
His scent and warmth surround me and I soon lose myself in the feeling of his hard body against mine.
"You're my girl, Letty. I'll do anything for you."
"I know," I mumble against his chest, tears filling my eyes faster than I want them to.
I can't cry. I'm scared that if I allow myself to do that again then I might not stop.
I swallow down the giant lump in my throat and pull back from him.
"Thank you," I whisper, staring up into his soft eyes, needing him to know how much I appreciate his support. "I'm sorry I allowed us to lose each other."
"Me too."
He pulls me into him once more and drops his lips to the top of my head.
"He just let him walk onto the team," Luca says when I return with a drink for each of us a while later. I know our time is running out, he needs to get to practice but now I've got him alone, I don't want to let him go.
"Can he do that? Isn't there protocols to follow or something?" I ask because really, I have no clue about any of it. I've tried to remember all the things Luca and Leon have attempted to explain to me about football over the years but mostly it goes in one ear and out the other.
"Yeah, you'd think. Coach is adamant that it's all above board. He's planning on making him first string. He's going to be playing alongside Leon and me. Fucking joke."
"He is good," I say, after taking a sip of my water. "What?" I ask when he stares at me as if he wants me to go up in flames. "You know it's true. You've said it yourself before now."
"Ugh." He drops his head into his hands and pushing his fingers through his hair, dragging it back painfully from his face. "I know, I know. I just wish I wasn't blindsided by this."
"You need him, don't you?" It's no secret that the Panther's best wide receiver opted to enter the draft early in the spring and got snapped up to play for… someone. I have no clue where he went other than he went.
"Do I have to answer that?"
"No, it's written all over your face."
Silence falls between us but it's not uncomfortable. Things are never that way between the two of us, it's one of the things I love about him so much.
"Zayn told me to come to meet you after class. He's worried about you. Should we be?"
Yes. "No, of course not. I can handle Kane. You need to focus on the upcoming season."
He nods but I know it's not going to be that easy. There’s already more tension than there should be between teammates, I really don't need to add to it.
"I wish I could stay and hang out more."
"I've got a ton of work to do, don't worry about it."
He leans over and drops a lingering kiss on my cheek.
"If you need anything, if he so much as looks at you the wrong way, you know where I am."
"I know, but it won't be necessary."
He climbs from the bed and walks to my door.
"Oh, party Friday night. You in?" Excitement sparkles in his eyes at the prospect of letting it all go for a night.
"You got it."
"Sweet. See you tomorrow?"
I smile at him as he slips through the door and disappears.
I'm making myself dinner later that evening when Brax and West come stumbling into the dorm, both fresh from the shower.
"Evening, beautiful," Brax sings. "That smells insane. Enough for three?"
"Funny you should say that," I mutter as he wraps his arms around me from behind and peers over my shoulder.
"Giiiirl, I think I love you."
I laugh at his antics as he smacks a wet kiss on my cheek.
"Just gonna dump this and you can fill us up good."
As they both disappear to their rooms, I pull down three plates and start dishing up.
I didn't need to make this much, but something told me others would be grateful.
After Luca left, I figured I'd be safe because Kane would be at practice with him, so I headed to the on-campus store for ingredients for dinner and everyone's breakfast in the morning.
Cooking always used to be something that helped me to relax but I've barely done it recently, but with all the nervous energy zipping through me after the events of the day, I knew I couldn't just sit in my room and attempt to work on my assignments.
"How was practice?" I ask when they both return and take their seats.
"Brutal. And Luca was fucking pissed."
"I've never seen him like that before," West adds.
My stomach knots knowing that I didn't help with that situation.
"What the fuck was that with you and the new guy earlier?" Brax asks, his eyes drilling into the top of my head as I stare at my dinner.
I knew the question was coming. They were unlikely to forget jumping to my defense in statistics earlier.
"It was nothing?"
"Nothing?"
"Luca wants to kill him and he treated you like a piece of shit."
"He barely spoke to me," I argue.
"Maybe not, but the way he looked at you. It was like he wanted you to go up in flames right in that spot."
7
Kane
"Did you know?" I ask, throwing my bag at the wall in the living room as I stare at the three assholes sitting around the dining table stuffing their faces with dinner.
The bag hits with a thud leaving a dark mark on the wall before crashing to the floor. But it doesn't make me feel any better.
Right now, nothing aside from getting my hands on her will go anywhere near making me feel any better.
Okay, maybe landing a punch on Luca's smug fucking face like I've been holding myself back from for the past fucking three hours might do something.
The three of them stare at me as if I've sprouted another head.
"Know what?" Devin finally asks.
"Did you know she was here?"
"She?" Ezra asks, his brows drawing together. “Wh—"
"Holy shit," Devin interrupts, clearly having a light bulb moment. "No fucking way. She's not?" His eyes are so wide, I wonder if they're about to pop out.
I stumble back on aching legs until my calves hit the couch and I drop down, lowering my head into my hands as three confused sets of eyes drill into me.
"She's here like… she goes here now?" Ezra asks, obviously up to speed on the situation.
"She was in my class, so I'm assuming so," I mutter into my palms.
Silence echoes around the room as they wait to see my reaction to this and also try to figure out what to say.
Scarlett Hunter has been a touchy subject for me for… a long time and they all try to avoid talking about her at all costs because they never know how I'm going to react—and nor do I.