JOCK (Boston Terriers Book 5) Page 4

  “I can’t go out dressed like this.” I hold my arms out to the side. “I look like you’re paying for my services.”

  “I can give you a sweatshirt if you want.”

  “Yes, please. I’ll give it back to you in class this week. Anything to cover up this hideous costume.”

  “Shut up. It’s not hideous. It’s kick ass,” Perri scolds.

  “I like it.” Nolan grins, shrugging his muscular shoulders.

  I roll my eyes. “Of course you do. You’re a guy.”

  Perri rolls off the side of the bed with a groan, “Ugh. My head hurts. Too much tequila gets me every time.”

  I point at her feet and laugh. “You slept with your shoes on. You must’ve been fucked up.”

  “She didn’t seem it,” Nolan replies. “She was worried about you and was ready to scratch my face off if I didn’t show her you were okay.”

  I smile. “That sounds about right.”

  “Hell yeah. I had to make sure my cuz was okay.”

  He rattles around in his closet and then holds out a hoodie for me. “Perri do you want a sweatshirt too?”

  “No, thanks. I always embrace my inner naughty schoolgirl.” She poses with her hands on her hips, pushing her boobs forward. Nolan’s eyes practically fly out of his head as he looks her over. If I didn’t love Perri so much, I’d envy so many things about her. She’s ridiculously outgoing and confidence oozes from her every pore. And only she can wake up hungover and feeling like shit, but still looking like a million bucks.

  We follow Nolan to the door, and once we’re in the hallway he uses a key to lock the deadbolt.

  We head up the stairs and he flips the single key that remains in the lock. The three of us make our way through the house and as we pass by the living room, I notice multiple bodies sleeping in various parts of the room. The couches are occupied as is the rug in the center of the floor. I swear I even saw someone snoozing on the coffee table.

  Once we’re outside and down the steps Nolan pauses, also halting Perri and me. I catch sight of Owen Dawson, the quarterback for the Boston Terriers, walking toward us. He’s taller than I realized. I’ve never stood this close to him before.

  “Hey, man. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at home resting?”

  “It’s okay. I didn’t walk, I drove. You’re just the person I wanted to see.”

  “Me?” Nolan questions.

  “I heard what you did, and I owe you, man. Anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.” Owen holds out his hand and when Nolan grips onto it, they share a quick, manly hug.

  They pull apart and Nolan glances at us. “Do you know Eliza and Perri?” Oh, hell. I can imagine what this looks like with him walking two half-dressed girls out. And judging from Owen’s contemplative green gaze he’s thinking the same thing I am. His eyes linger on me, tracing from my Chucks up to briefly meet my gaze. My legs tremble and I feel as though I’ve been stripped naked. His careful perusal has me wishing I could shrink down and scurry away like a mouse. I’d hide in the bushes lining the front of the house and never come out.

  “Hey,” Owen mutters.

  I give an awkward wave, my eyes barely meeting his before they nervously dart away. Perri smiles like she’s meeting a rock star. “Heeey.”

  Nolan wraps an arm around each of us. “Come on girls. I promised you breakfast. Talk to you later, bro.” I can feel my face flushing as warmth creeps up my cheeks.

  “See ya,” Owen grunts, heading toward a black truck parked along the curb.

  I bite my tongue until we get out on the sidewalk. “Oh my God.” I cover my face with my hands.

  “What’s wrong?” Nolan questions.

  I drop my hands and bug my eyes out at him. “What’s wrong? Are you kidding? He thinks we had a three way. That’s what’s wrong.” Nolan and Perri both laugh. “It’s not funny. My reputation will be ruined.”

  “Chill, cuz. You don’t talk to anyone so how can your reputation be ruined?”

  “Owen’s not the type to spread rumors. He hates that stuff. He won’t say anything to anyone. I promise,” Nolan offers comfortingly.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. I give you my word.”

  “I guess that’s all I have to go on.” Shit. I hope Nolan is as nice of a guy as he seems so far. He could really get some mileage out of telling people he spent the night with Perri and me. “Please don’t let me down.” I’ve had promises made to me before and they never panned out. This is what I get for coming to the party with Perri. All I wanted to do was make her happy and make sure she was safe for the night. I failed at my job. I ditched her for sleep and now we’re in a weird situation because of me.

  He squeezes my arm. “Stop worrying. Let’s go eat. Some greasy food will make everything better.”

  Chapter Five

  Owen

  “Owen, you’ve had a rough time of it, haven’t you?” Dean Benson stares intently at me from the other side of the massive desk.

  “I’m okay, sir.” I’ve been lazing around for ten days now. It’s about time to do something before I lose my mind.

  “I’m glad to see you still have your positive attitude. I know things are rough for you right now, but you’ll be back in the gym before you know it. When can you start rehab on your arm?”

  “They’re going to take some new x-rays early next week and see how it’s progressing. If all goes well, I could be starting physical therapy in another ten days or so. I was lucky it was only a small fracture.”

  “While you’re waiting for the time to pass, I don’t want you to worry about anything besides catching up on the work you missed. You need to keep those grades up to remain eligible for your scholarship.”

  “Am I in danger of losing the scholarship because I can’t play now?”

  “No, your injury isn’t a long-term concern, and more than three quarters of the season is over.” He leans back in the large, leather chair and steeples his fingers. “However, I want to make sure there’s no repeat of what happened with Hannah Locke. Rules are in place for a reason and we expect them to be followed. There are no exceptions. The no fraternization policy exists to protect our students and avoid conflicts of interest. One time is too much, but it absolutely cannot happen again. If you can’t abide by the rules, you’ll be asked to leave the school.”

  “I understand, sir. It won’t happen again.”

  “Are you and Hannah still in contact?”

  “No, sir. I haven’t spoken to her in over a week.”

  “She didn’t visit you in the hospital or since you’ve been home?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Good. Keep it that way.”

  “That’s the plan, sir.”

  “Speaking of plans. I’ve set you up with some peer assistance to help you get caught up in your classes. You’ve already missed over a week of school and according to your doctor, you’re cleared to return tomorrow. Ten days is a long time to miss and still be able to maintain a solid GPA.”

  Fuck. I don’t want to have a babysitter.

  “I’m sure I’ll be fine, sir. I’m a quick learner.”

  “Just the same, I’ve already arranged for someone to help you, and I know she’ll be of great assistance.” He glances at his watch and jots something down on a yellow legal pad of paper.

  “Do you need me to go, sir?” I question, hoping he’ll say yes.

  His head raises, and he smiles. “No, not at all. I’m waiting for Miss Michel to get here.”

  “Miss Michel?”

  “Yes, your tutor.” I nod, even though I don’t recognize her name.

  Knuckles softly rap on the door. “Here she is now. Come on in.” He raises his voice to be heard through the thick wood.

  Remaining rigid in my chair, I fight the impulse to turn around and see what my new nightmare looks like. I’m annoyed at the dean for forcing my hand. I don’t need anyone to help me with my studies. I can handle it just fine.

  “Hello, Dean Benson.”

  “Eliza, come on in and take a seat.” He waves her over and points to the empty chair next to me. In my periphery I notice her setting her bag down on the floor before she sinks down on the seat. Eliza? How do I know that name?

  “Eliza, this is Owen Dawson, the student I spoke to you about.”

  My brows press deep into the middle of my forehead. Spoke to her about? What did he say to her? Does she know everything that’s happened? Does the whole school know? The entire fucking world?

  I can feel her stare on the left side of my face. “Hi,” she says softly. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  I want to shun Eliza and show them both that I’m not going to be told what to do, but I need my scholarship. And that’s what it comes down to. I can’t afford to pay my tuition on my own and I’m not going to ask one of my family members to help me.

  My head turns her way and our eyes lock, mine widening with surprise. Holy shit. It’s the girl Nolan had the three way with. I stare into an ocean of swirling blues mixed with icy hints of silver as she looks over my bruised and newly scarred face. I just got the stitches removed two days ago and the bandages are finally gone. The ocean color of her irises makes me miss the warm summer weather and playing flag football on the beach with my friends.

  “Yeah, you too,” I manage to grunt out a quick greeting and tear my gaze from her. Focusing on Dean Benson once more, I will him to say what he needs to, so I can get the fuck out of here.

  “Now that you’ve met, you need to arrange a time each day that works for both of you.”

  “Each day?” I repeat. “Is that really necessary?”

  “You can have the weekends off,” he glances at Eliza before his gaze returns to me. “It’s imperative that you don’t fall behind
. If all goes well, Eliza should only have to help you for two or three weeks tops. I’ve taken the liberty of printing out a blank schedule for each of you to fill in with your prearranged times.” He hands us each a piece of paper. “I’ve added your phone numbers and emails at the top of the page in case you need to reschedule.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Eliza replies demurely. Flicking a glance in her direction I notice her hands folded primly in her lap and her posture is board straight. I know she’s not as prim as she looks. My mind calls up a vision of Nolan’s arm wrapped around her shoulder. She’s obviously as uncomfortable with this situation as I am.

  My reputation is as good as dirt right now. She’s probably heard terrible things and thinks I’m some asshole. Or much worse, a sexual predator. I know how the rumor mill works. The transgressions get increasingly worse as the story is passed from one person to the next. I can only hope this situation will prove to be the exception and fade from everyone’s memory. Hopefully, something they deem more interesting will capture their interest.

  “Eliza, what time tomorrow works for you to meet with Owen?” Dean Benson questions.

  “Let me check.” She pulls her phone from a side pocket on her cardigan and stares at the iPhone screen. “I’m free after dinner.”

  “Owen, does that work for you?”

  I nod. “Yes, sir.”

  Eliza turns her head in my direction. “Where would you like to meet?”

  I shrug. “Library? The cafe? My apartment?”

  “Let’s meet at the library at seven. I’ll wait for you by the help desk.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Wonderful.” Dean Benson smiles. “Tomorrow night you can work out the rest of your study sessions. Think of them as mandatory, because they are.” He glances at me pointedly. “Whether you think you need them or not you’ll follow through.” He raises a brow as if to say, ‘won’t you’.

  “Yes, sir.” I rise from the chair.

  “You both may go now. Eliza, I’ll be checking in with you in a few days to see how it’s going.”

  Is that necessary? Jesus. I might not want to do this, but I’m not going to refuse and piss him off. I’m lucky I wasn’t kicked out of school for what happened with Hannah.

  She eases to her feet, gracefully rising. “Yes, sir.”

  Standing next to Eliza, I tower over her petite frame. The top of her head lands around chest height on me, making her roughly five foot, four inches tall. We move toward the exit side by side and my hand lands on the knob before hers can. Opening the door, I gesture for her to precede me through.

  “Thank you,” she murmurs, avoiding looking at me as she hurries by.

  I close the door and follow behind her. My long strides make it easy to catch up and soon we’re walking together. Getting a better look at her now that I’m no longer occupied with listening to Dean Benson, I track her from the top of her long, sandy brown hair to her leather boots. Her lean legs, wrapped in tight fitting jeans, take long strides. She walks with purpose. Maybe getting away from me as quickly as she can is the motivation behind her fast pace. Maybe she’s not any happier about our arrangement than I am.

  For the first time since I was a teenage boy trying to navigate through the newness of dating, I don’t know what to say to a girl. I say nothing and feel cognizant of every move she makes; her presence drawing me in like metal to a magnet. She’s piqued my interest.

  Her hand tightly grips the strap of her bag where it rests on her shoulder, as if at any second she’s prepared for it to fall down her arm.

  We pass by the secretary’s vacant seat and walk through the waiting area where one lone student waits to meet with the dean. Reaching in front of her, I pull the door open and hold it while she goes through. Her perfume teases my nose as the sweet scent trails behind her.

  “Thanks.” She raises her hand in a brief wave as she steps out into the hall. Bolting away, she walks comically fast. I pause to watch her make her escape.

  “See you tomorrow night,” I shout, breaking through the quiet. Her shoulders rise up and I can see her visibly cringe before she gives me a thumbs up. The staccato rhythm of her boot heels tapping against the tiled floor echo down the hallway to me.

  Amusement twists my lips into a smirk. She couldn’t escape my company fast enough. Why is she so embarrassed? People have sex all the time. And who am I to judge anyone for their sexual preferences? I’m just not sure why I’m so curious about hers.

  Chapter Six

  Eliza

  Oh my God. How freaking awkward was that? Is Owen watching me right now? Is he laughing at my odd behavior? Is he thinking about our first meeting?

  Scurrying down the hallway, the soles of my boots clatter thunderously in my own ears. Jeez. The faster I walk, the more noise they make. But I desperately needed to escape from Owen Dawson. I couldn’t be near him one second longer without doing something stupid. Maybe I’d explode from embarrassment, or melt into a sizzling puddle on the tiled floor. I’ve never been in his company for so long before and he’s way more attractive than I realized. I was too embarrassed at Nolan’s to notice how gorgeous he really is; even with his face banged up.

  How pathetic and predictable for me to be attracted to a handsome jock.

  Believe me, I know. I made the mistake of becoming involved with a football player my freshman year and the experience is one I’ll never forget. Since then, I’ve avoided all athletes and most of the guys who attend this school. I’m sure there are plenty of nice guys at Boston University, but I just haven’t met many of them. And I can’t say I plan to. I’m not a man hater, or anything close to that. I’m just a girl who mistakenly gave her heart to the older, bad boy jock. It’s such a cliché story, even I cringe when I think about it. I still can’t believe I fell for Cameron’s act, but he was damn convincing. And I didn’t exactly make it hard on him. I was bowled over by his attention and I ate it up like it was Swiss chocolate.

  These days, my tastes run more cerebral and less barbarian. Less bad boy and more predictable. I like guys who are focused on their schoolwork and their futures instead of what frat party they should attend. Or how much weight they can squat.

  Is there a male version of me? If I could find one, we’d be able to live together in a blissful non complicated bubble of organization and solid decision making. We could study together, watch movies together, and jointly retire to bed at a decent hour. Sure, some people would consider the predictability of it all boring, but there’s something to be said for having a routine and sticking to it. Stability is a beautiful thing and under appreciated by too many.

  When I reach the front door, my hand closes around the handle and I’m just about to pull it open when I hear my name being called. And it sounds suspiciously like Owen Dawson. I pause and lean my forehead against the door, releasing a sigh. Shit. Has he been behind me the whole time? Watching how uncoordinated I am? Could he tell I’m in the middle of a mental freak out? I thought I didn’t have to speak to him again until tomorrow night.

  “Eliza,” he repeats.

  Yep, it’s definitely Owen. I’ve only heard his voice today for the second time, but the deep tone is ingrained on my brain and forever in my ears.

  Slowly, I turn around and lean back against the front door. My eyes land on his muscular chest showcased in his Boston Terrier sweatshirt before skimming up to his broad shoulders. They’re so wide, how does he fit through doorways? Tipping my chin up, our gazes connect. He moves closer until only a foot separates us, leaving him towering over me.

  “What’s up?” I question nervously.

  “Just making sure you said seven for tomorrow night.”

  Licking my dry lips, I roll them together. “Yep, I did.”

  “If anything changes let me know.” He smiles wide and I can’t take my eyes off his face. His open and friendly expression is making it difficult to see him as the arrogant quarterback ladies man he’s rumored to be. And even worse, I find the corners of my own lips raising in a reflexive reply.

  “I will.”

  “How did your meeting with the dean go?” Perri asks flopping down on the other end of the couch in our apartment.