Shit. I didn’t put them away. I was looking at the instructions at Mom’s insistence.
“Um…” My mind races, trying to cover the truth with a believable lie.
“Are you…? Err, do you…? Emma’s unable to form a coherent sentence, and I know exactly what she wants to ask.
I sit up, resting my back against the headboard.
Her face flushes. “So, you don’t have cancer anymore.”
I shake my head. She walks towards me, crossing the invisible line between her side of the room and mine, and takes a seat on the edge of my bed. Slowly, tentatively, she extends her hand toward me.
“Is that why you took a year off?” she asks, her voice low as if speaking to a wounded animal.
I clear my throat. “Yeah.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’m sorry.” She says those words that everyone automatically says when they find out.
I remove my hand from her hold. “Please don’t be. Cancer sucks, but it happens. I’m not the first person to have it.” And sadly, I won’t be the last either.
“No, you’re not, but that doesn’t make it any less serious.” She gets up, retreating to her bed. “What kind do—did you have?” she asks, no longer beating around the bush. That’s another quality I’ve come to admire in the last week.
“ALL.”
“Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. How long has it been? I know the five-year survival rate for children is eighty-five percent, and for adults it’s sixty-nine.” She spews the statistics like it’s her major and she’s been studying it forever.
“Wow, you’ve done your research.”
She shrugs. “I like researching. Also, sorry if that was insensitive. I just…when did you find out?”
I love that she goes from feeling bad for me, to throwing stats my way, to being concerned again.
“I got diagnosed a year ago. I did the whole stay in the hospital, the chemotherapy...”
“Did you get a bone marrow transplant?”
I’m taken aback by how much she knows. “No,” I reply. “It hasn’t been necessary.”
She nods, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “You’re in remission now, then?”
“Yep. If I relapse, then I’d need a bone marrow transplant.”
“It won’t come to that,” Emma says with absolute certainty.
“I know a little girl in the hospital who is currently going through the process,” I say. “Her name’s Maria. She’s four years old.”
“Man, fuck cancer,” Emma says, jumping up from the bed.
“Woah, did you just swear?” I ask
She shrugs. “Sometimes I do. It just depends on how angry I am.”
“I never thought I’d hear that word come out of your mouth.”
She shrugs again. “Cancer deserves it.”
I move to swing my legs over the side of the bed. “Thanks for being understanding, by the way.”
She sits back down. “Anytime. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted to start fresh. I didn’t want anyone to pity me.”
“I wasn’t... I don’t… I didn’t mean to—”
I give her a knowing look, and she closes her mouth. “I’m sorry.”
“People don’t intend to pity me, but it’s a gut reaction. I’m beating cancer. There’s no need to be sorry for me. I’m alive.”
“I’m glad! You’re a pretty darn good roommate, and it would have taken a while to find a replacement,” she says with a smile, and I feel the remaining tension dissipate.
“Wow, back to not swearing, huh?”
She grins. “I’ve met my swearing quota for the week. Stay tuned for next time.”
“I’m anxiously waiting for it,” I reply and then add, “So, are you putting clothes on anytime soon, or are we implementing a no-clothing zone?” I tease, knowing exactly how she’ll react.
Her cheeks redden immediately. “This is a clothing zone at all times! I’ll put on mine.”
She gets up from my bed and makes her way to her closet once again. “Hey, Zo,” she says, turning to face me once again. “I know we haven’t known each other for more than a week, but if you ever need to talk, I’m only, like, two feet away.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“So now that we’ve had the heavy emotion conversation, I’ve been meaning to ask you about that guy.”
I pretend to have no idea what she’s talking about. “Which guy?” I ask.
She throws a pair of pants onto her bed before continuing to rummage through her closet. “The handsome one from the quad.”
“The one that called out to us? I don’t know him,” I reply.
“No, not that clown. I’m talking about the one behind him. The one that waved and smiled at you. The one who I’m pretty sure was texting you immediately after, if you smiling down at your phone was any indication.”
I can’t believe she noticed all that! I still act clueless though.
She gives me a knowing look. “The dark-haired guy next to the redhead and blonde? I saw how he was looking at you.”
I shift uncomfortably. “You must’ve been seeing things.”
She finally takes out a shirt and shuts the closet doors. “Things were very clear from where I was standing. I’m just saying.”
“Could you just put some clothes on, lady?” I say, trying to distract her.
She grabs her pants. “Stop avoiding the topic. You know I’m not going to drop it!”
“I didn’t know you were boy crazy,” I tell her, finally giving in.
She walks into the bathroom to change, calling out, “Not at all, but you should know I am crazy about romance books.”
“Noted!”
“What are we doing today, anyway?” she asks.
“What we do every day, Pinky; try to take over the world!” I respond, following it up with my rehearsed devilish laughter.
“You’re such a weirdo!”
“I think I’m pretty normal.” I lay on my stomach. I’m still exhausted, but I know I won’t be falling asleep anytime soon. “When you finally put clothes on, do you want to go for some coffee?”
“Sure, but just so you know, I hate coffee. Hot chocolate is my drink of choice,” she says, coming back into the room fully clothed.
“Who are you?” I reply, getting off the bed. “How can you not like coffee? How do you even function?”
“I’m Emma, your roommate, friend and avid reader,” she says, extending her hand to me.
I wave it off. “And you say you aren’t weird? Fine, let’s go to the café and get a coffee and a hot chocolate.”
“Okay! Let me fix my hair. I’ll be ready in a jiffy,” Emma says, running into the bathroom once again.
Who says jiffy?
17
JESSE
Before going to practice, some of the guys and I decide to stop and grab a bite to eat. I haven’t seen Zoe since that one time on the quad a week ago, and it’s not because I haven’t wanted to. It’s just that Coach is running us all into the ground in preparation for the upcoming season.
I’m the last one through the doors of the cafeteria, and I glance around, spotting Zoe sitting at one of the tables with her roommate. None of the guys has noticed her yet, so I don’t draw any attention to her either. I trail behind them, ordering my food last. When I’m sure my teammates have gone to our usual table, I suck in a breath and walk towards her….
Zoe smiles as I reach the table. God, I’ve missed that smile. “Hey.”
“Hi,” she responds.
I turn to look at her roommate, who’s reading on an e-reader. “You must be Emma,” I say.
She looks from me to Zoe, a knowing smile on her lips before saying, “That’s right. And you’re the guy from the quad.”
“Jesse,” I supply, but she’s already looking back down at her book.
“Have a seat,” Zoe says.
I sit down beside he
r, our shoulders brushing in the process. “How’s everything going so far?” I ask.
She shrugs. “Not bad. It’s different than I remember.”
“Yeah, a lot of things have changed.”
“That they have,” she says, her tone reminiscent.
I look to Emma, waiting to see if she’s going to join the conversation.
“Don’t mind her. She’s always getting lost in one of her romance books,” Zoe says, shaking her head.
I nod. “Got it…hey, so, I’m sorry I haven’t been around much.” The truth is, I really miss seeing her every day.
Zoe waves her hands in the air, dismissing my statement. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve had a long line of guys to entertain me.”
I know she’s only teasing me, but I still can’t help but feel my jealousy surge. I tamp it back down before saying, “You’re still going to make some room for me in that busy calendar, right?”
“When you make some room in yours for me.” She picks up an apple and takes a bite. With that one simple action, I’m taken back to the time we spent in the hospital. In the cafeteria. I’m shocked to realize that the memories of being there aren’t at all what they used to be. They don’t fill me with a feeling of hopelessness or pain. Rather, they remind me of meeting her.
“I’m sorry. Football practices and team bonding shit have been all-consuming,” I tell her.
She shrugs. “I get it.”
“It still sucks.”
“Does it get better?”
I nod. “Oddly enough, yes. I’ll still have practice, but not as often with all the games. You’re still coming to my games, right?” I ask, and Emma clears her throat noisily, her eyes still scanning the digital page.
Zoe frowns at her roommate before saying, “I’ll think about it.”
She’s baiting me, but I miss this banter—more than I thought I would.
“Hey, Falcon, wanna introduce us?” Zack calls, and I turn to my left, looking directly at him across the room.
I curse under my breath. “Not really,” I whisper loud enough for Zoe to hear. Her expression falls, and I kick myself for saying it out loud. “Sorry, I… I don’t want them to… he…” I stumble over my words, trying to justify to her why I don’t want them to meet her. I guess it’s hard to explain something to someone else when you don’t quite understand it yourself.
“Don’t worry about it,” she says, waving me off, but I can see the hurt in her eyes.
Bringing my hand to the back of my head, I try to think of a way to dig myself out of the hole I’ve made. “It’s not you. They’re sort of… a lot.” That’s the best I can come up with.
“Yeah, Falcon, who are your new friends?” Nick shouts.
I shoot daggers at the guys before turning my attention back to Zoe. “I… I’ll just go… we have practice in a few, and I still need to eat.” I don’t want Nick or Zack coming over here and taking it upon themselves to find out more about her—or worse.
“Is it okay if I text you later, Red?” I ask, feeling like a giant ass.
She looks at me with her beautiful hazel eyes and smiles. “Sure.” Her smile gives me the assurance I need to know I’m not screwing it all up. I get up and head over to the counter, picking up my sandwich and drink and walking back to the guys, who are watching me with amusement.
“So, that’s the girl you’ve been keeping from us, Falcon?” Chase asks. I stare at him, a little stunned. Generally speaking, he’s the least interested in girls.
Chase, Zack, and Nick look over their shoulders in the direction of Emma and Zoe, then look back at me.
“Wait, are these the same girls from the quad?” Zack asks as I take a seat next to him. He’s fixated on the pair, and I hit him on the shoulder to stop him from staring.
“Damn, Falcon. You work fast,” Nick adds. I shake my head but don’t say anything. I don’t want to explain anything—not yet.
“So, you’re saying you knew who they were and didn’t say anything?” Nick accuses.
I smile, but it doesn’t quite reach my eyes. “Yes.”
Zack looks at me and shakes his head. “That’s cold, man.”
“No wonder they were immune to my charms. You probably told them to ignore me,” Nick says, like that’s the only reason a girl wouldn’t fall at his feet.
I shake my head and take a bite of my sandwich. “I didn’t say anything to them. I didn’t need to. You do know your charms—” I say the last word with air quotes, “—don’t work on everyone, right?” Some girls just aren’t into what he’s selling. Not many girls, but some, and I’m sure Zoe is one of them.
“Are you going to sit with them again?” Zack asks.
“Nope, I talked to them for a while.” Mostly to Zoe, and definitely not for long enough.
“Why don’t we all join them?” Zack, the grinning idiot, asks.
“They’re busy.” My words are clipped, but I can’t help it.
“Too busy for us, but not too busy for you?” Nick asks in disbelief. The asshole knows I don’t want him near them—near her.
“If they’re okay with you joining them, I’m sure it’d be fine if we did too. Which one are you going for? I’d love to get my hands on that pretty redhead,” Zack adds, and I’m on my feet in an instant. My pulse is pounding in my ears, and I take a moment to register the look of shock on everyone’s faces. Clearing my throat, I take my seat before I do something stupid.
Zack lifts his hands in defeat. “The redhead is yours, got it!?”
“I’m still down to get with the other one—for a night,” Nick says, unable to help himself.
I hiss through gritted teeth, “Leave Zoe and Emma alone.”
“Zoe and Emma. I like those names. I bet the redhead is Emma,” Zack says again, deliberately testing my patience.
“No, Zoe is the redhead. I won’t warn you guys again about staying away from them.”
“We’ll let your girl be. The other one though, I may call dibs,” Nick says again, and I give him the coldest stare.
“She’s not even your type.”
“Do I have a type?” Nick shoots back with a devil-may-care smile.
I sit there wondering why I’m here instead of with Zoe. Man, if I didn’t love these guys, things would be a lot different.
“I don’t think you do,” Chase chimes in, and we all burst out laughing.
Nick shrugs, not at all bothered. “What can I say? I give all girls an equal chance to please me.”
“Please stop talking,” I tell him, hoping the girls don’t notice we’re talking about them.
“When was the last time you got any? Is talking about my active sex life making you feel deprived?”
“Don’t start,” I say in a low voice.
Noting the change in the atmosphere, Zack steps in and says, “Anyway, are you guys ready for the crazy parties we’ll be having this year?”
“Hell yeah!” Nick shouts, causing people to stop their conversations and tune in to ours. Chase doesn’t say anything, and neither do I. The party planning stays in the competent hands of Nick and Zack since they’re the ones that thought it out last year—after every game, we party.
“We have the welcome party this weekend. Remember we need to sort everything out,” I remind them. From the corner of my eye, I spot Zoe and Emma walking towards the trash cans near our table. My eyes are trained on them as they laugh at something Zoe says, and I wish I was part of the conversation too.
As they pass, Zoe gives me a small, reserved smile. In response, I give her what I hope is a sly wink. I don’t know why, it just felt like the right thing to do, and I spend a second analyzing it. She and Emma discard their empty containers and head towards the exit.
“So yes, we have everything we need for the party,” Zack adds in a very ‘end of business’ fashion, which reminds me I’ve tuned out for a part of the conversation. It’s insane how well put together they are when it comes to parties—I wish they did everything else with as much de
dication.
The door to the café opens, and I turn in my seat, hoping to see Zoe once again. I’m disappointed when two guys walk in instead.
From the corner of my eye, I see Nick’s shoulders stiffen, his back ramrod straight. On top of the table, his hands ball into fists.
He attempts to get up, but Chase is there, pushing him back down by the shoulders. “Easy,” Chase says.
The guys walk by our table, and one of them mutters something under his breath to the other. All I hear from my seat is Kaitlyn’s name. In the blink of an eye, Chase leaps from his seat, grabs him by the neck and shoves his face into the café table.
I stand up. “Fuck!” I try to pry Chase from the guy before he does some real damage, but Chase shoves me away. “Zack!” I shout, calling in back-up when I notice Nick’s nostrils flare. I head over to him and hold him back, knowing he’s seconds away from joining the fight.
“On it,” Zack replies, locking Chase’s arms down and pinning them to his sides. Zack does his best to haul Chase away, putting himself between him and the guy who had seemingly pissed off the defensive lineman.
The guy who Chase attacked stands up, his eyes wide and his chest heaving. His friend grabs him by the arm and leads him out of the café.
I have no idea what’s just happened. By the look on Zack’s face, he hasn’t got a clue either. I know neither Chase nor Nick is about to explain it to us, so I clear my throat. “We should get to practice.”
ZOE
The moment we step outside the café, Emma exclaims excitedly, “I saw that! He just winked at you!”
“What are you talking about? He was just blinking.” I choose to downplay it—mostly because I think I should. After all, he doesn’t even want me to meet his friends.
Emma gives me an incredulous look. “With one eye? Blinking with one eye? Really? That’s reserved for one-eyed individuals and pirates!”
I laugh. “He may have had something in his eye.”
“Yeah, YOU!” She throws her hands into the air, outraged at my apparent lack of understanding.
Bragan Boys (Bragan University Boxset) Page 29
