He never mentioned what Jordan thought of everything. He never mentioned her at all. Zach grumbled about our decoy relationship from time to time, and ribbed me about dating one of the most popular guys on campus while slumming with the houseboy.
The girls lobbied for Zach to make the finals, but the selection committee was run by Greeks. Geeds and houseboys didn't have a shot. I thought he'd been robbed. Despite that disappointment, life was great. I was flying high.
I had a big midterm lab report due on Thursday morning before Homecoming Week. It was freaking me out. College classes were harder than even my high school AP classes. And so much more work! I didn't go to the sleeping porch on Wednesday night. Instead, I stayed in my room, working in the circle of light beneath my desk lamp until my eyes went bleary, intent on pulling an all-nighter if necessary to finish.
About three a.m., someone knocked on my door. When I answered, Kayla tumbled in. Her eyes were red and puffy like she'd been crying.
"Oh, crap!" she said, and sniffed. "Isn't anyone sleeping in the sleeping porch tonight? I'm looking for a bed and a place to crash. They're all full."
"Feel free." I pointed to the bed. "I have a big lab to finish. If you don't mind sleeping with the desk light on."
She came in and closed the door, looking relieved. "Great. Thanks. It's not like I'm actually going to sleep anyway." She plopped onto the bed and fell back with her arm over her head.
I swiveled in my desk chair to look at her. She lived out with a couple of roommates. But she and Eric pretty much slept over at either her place or his every night. "What happened?"
"I was spending the night at Eric's, but he was being a douchebag!" Her eyes flashed. "We had a fight. I had to get away and calm down before things really got out of hand. I couldn't go back to my place, because my roomie has her boyfriend over and I can't stand him. So I came here to crash."
I nodded, not wanting to pry. "Sorry."
"Yeah, Eric can be a real prick." She sat up, eyes flashing indignantly. "He's been flirting with this Geed who works at the College Grind. Like I wouldn't notice!" She rolled her eyes. "I caught him texting her."
"Sorry," I said again.
She talked right over me like she hadn't heard. "When I called him on it, he had the nerve to accuse me of flirting with other guys." She shook her head and laughed. "Like he's seriously jealous of Justin Green. I mentioned him, remember? My cousin's friend?"
"Sure. Now that you mention it," I said.
"He's a boy genius, like Dex." She grabbed a pillow and bunched it in her lap like she was taking her anger out on it.
I almost joked about not abusing my pillow. Then I thought better of it. She was clearly not in a joking mood.
"You've seen Eric?" Beneath her anger, she got a dreamy look on her face.
"Once or twice with you at the house," I said.
"Then you know how stupid it is for him to be jealous of anyone!" She pulled her phone out of her purse, brought up a picture, and handed the phone to me. "Justin. He's completely adorable in a little boy, puppy kind of way." She sounded fond of him.
I studied the picture. "He's in college? Serious? He looks about twelve." I wasn't exaggerating.
She nodded. "I know! He swears he's seventeen."
I gave her a skeptical look. "He doesn't look it."
"Yeah." She nodded. "And he's in this junior-level class of mine. Acing it without even trying. Some of the guys pick on him, which is crap. I put them in their place. Eric says I have to stop playing mommy. Bastard." She sighed. "Poor Jus. He's really sweet and cute in his little boy-like way. You can't see it in the picture. He's only about five feet four. And super scrawny. If he weighs 120 I would be surprised."
I tilted my head and stared at Justin's picture. "He's baby-faced."
She nodded. "Poor boy. He'd love to be a hipster, but he can't grow the beard."
I pursed my lips. "He has good bone structure. If he ever goes through puberty, grows about nine inches, gets some facial hair, and fills out, he has a shot at being hot." I handed her phone back to her.
"Yeah, he'd be irresistible." She sounded highly skeptical, like the odds of that happening at seventeen were about zero. "He has a wicked sense of humor, though. Really funny. But totally awkward around girls. He has an adorable crush on me."
Her eyes narrowed. "So you agree—Eric is being a douchebag? And totally making excuses for himself so he can flirt with the barista girl to make up for Justin having a crush on me?"
"Total douche," I said.
Her phone rang. She glanced at it. "Speak of the devil."
"Aren't you going to answer?" I asked.
"He can stew overnight. Thanks for letting me stay here. Have anything to drink?"
"If you mean alcohol, Em keeps a stash under the bed. If you mean anything else, help yourself to anything in the mini-fridge."
She got up and got herself a bottle of coconut water. "I already have a headache. I don't need to make it worse. What are you studying?"
I'd forgotten she didn't drink. "I'm writing my biology lab report. Due tomorrow and worth a third of our lab grade."
"Biology!" She made a face. "Sorry, I can't help you with that. Science is not my thing. I sucked in that class." She drank her water while I worked on my lab report and curled up to sleep.
About four thirty, I finished the stupid lab report. I was so tired, I could barely stand. No way could I make it to the sleeping porch. Two of us could fit on the twin bed. Em and I had done it before.
"Scoot over." I slid in next to Kayla. The bed groaned.
"Finished already?" she whispered.
"I thought you were asleep."
"Just dozing."
We did a dance, trying to get comfortable. The bed was old. It squeaked and creaked while we tossed and turned.
Kayla laughed. "It sounds like we're doing the deed in here." She wiggled on purpose, making the springs groan rhythmically.
"We should record this and send it to Eric to make him jealous," I said. "I'm just as attractive as Justin."
"More," she said as we turned back to back. "Taller and bigger, too."
"Thanks for that," I said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
She laughed. "Plus you're a quarterback. Now get your shoulder out of my back."
We maneuvered around until we found a comfortable spot. Just as I closed my eyes, the door burst open, scaring me so that my heart pounded wildly.
"Caught you in the act!" Morgan stood in silhouette in the doorway. "I'll have you thrown out. Both of you—"
Kayla sat up and flipped the lamp on. "This isn't what it looks like."
Morgan's eyes went wide.
"Oh, shut up, Morgan." Kayla started laughing. "I'm not bi. Alexis is letting me crash here while she studied. I had a fight with douchebag Eric. She got tired and needed to lie down for a few hours. So I scooched over to make room. And then you charged in."
Morgan actually blushed. Or maybe her face was red with rage. Anyway, she blustered and mumbled an apology. "Sorry, Kay. I thought you were a guy."
"You need your eyes checked, Morgs," Kayla said. "What are you doing up at this hour, anyway? Stop playing morality cop and go get some sleep."
Morgan left, but my heart wouldn't stop pounding.
"That scared me spitless." I put my hand on my heart and took a deep breath.
Kayla studied me. "You don't think this is as funny as I do. Who was Morgan expecting me to be? Zach?" She sighed. "The crush that never ends."
"I'm with Dakota now," I said.
Kayla studied me. "Morgan wouldn't go stalker psycho trying to catch you with Dakota. She's only certifiable over Zach. If she's jealous, she's picking up on something between you."
I shrugged. "She's crazy. Zach and I study together for our History of Rock and Roll class. And he's helping me with the plays for our football game. If she's reading something more into that, that's her problem." But I knew it was mine.
Zach
A
lexis asked me to meet her at the College Grind before football practice on Thursday. She was waiting for me at a table with two cups in front of her. When I saw her, my pulse raced in that crazy-ass-in-love way. Despite all the secrecy shit we had going on, I was the luckiest guy on campus. She was my girl. I wanted to kiss her badly, badly enough to risk it. But when I approached, she shook her head, warning me off.
She pushed one cup toward me as I sat down. "I suppose you've heard the rumors?"
It was cold outside. The warm cup felt good in my hands. "What is it with you and rumors? Who am I supposed to be jealous of now?"
"Kayla," she said with a grin. "Morgan caught me in bed with her last night."
"What? And you didn't invite me?" I grinned.
"Shut up! This is serious."
When she explained, I lost my sense of humor about the situation. "She burst in on you?"
"Yeah. And said she'd have us thrown out of the house. Kayla put her in her place." She grinned. "That part was kind of funny." She bit her lip. She looked so cute and kissable when she did that. "We're going to have to be more careful. No more, you know, in the house."
We'd gotten careless, or maybe we'd started to feel invincible. We'd been having sex in my room and hers. "So where are we going to do it? Against the rough brick of a wall? That was pretty hot."
"And horrible on your hands." She winked. "In the park at midnight."
"By a study carrel at the back of the library?"
She rolled her eyes. "We could borrow a room or rent a hotel."
"We'll think of something."
She took my hand. "I love you." She paused. "Do you think it shows?"
"I hope so." I squeezed her hand.
"Crap. It's not supposed to. But I can't help myself." Her eyes sparkled. She frowned, wrinkled her nose, and pursed her mouth to one side in an expression that was totally, sweetly her. "We have to warn Dakota."
I held back a curse. I was tired of involving Dakota.
Seeing my look, she changed the subject. "Good news! Kayla thinks he has a real shot at winning the Mr. University pageant."
Yeah, that cheered me up. "Oh, yeah? He looks great in a bathing suit, does he?"
Her eyes sparkled. "Not nearly as hot as you. You were robbed! Stupid Greek snobs on the committee." She winked.
"Thanks, pledge," I said. "Aren't the two of you the pair? The beauty queen and the star quarterback. Only he's the queen. Nothing like role reversal."
She shook her head. "How many times can I tell you to shut up? I want to be out in the open with you. I'm your girl, through and through."
Alexis
I had the most fantastic, best practice of my life. The game was really starting to make sense to me. I'd always loved watching it. But the perspective from the field was totally different and took getting used to.
"Alexis is ready to up her game," Dakota told Zach after practice. "I'm calling a coach, assistant coach, captain meeting. Coffee in the SUB to talk strategy."
They were getting along well. Mending their relationship at each practice. I saw glimpses of the way they must have been together in high school. Inseparable. Easy in each other's company. And I thought, If nothing else, I did one thing right. I got them back together. All the deception is worth it.
"What are you saying? Are you giving me the green light to teach QB1 the Friday Night Lights Special?" Zach sounded totally serious as he hefted his athletic bag over his shoulder, but his eyes twinkled. "I don't know, Dak. That's a big step. Maybe we should watch some game film together first, the three of us."
"What's the Friday Night Lights Special?" I walked into their trap willingly as I fell into step with them.
Zach acted scandalized that I didn't know. "Come on, pledge. We've watched some episodes together. That's only the move that Coach teaches Julie that wins her and Matt's team the big powder puff game over Riggins' team. We made our own version."
"That's what I'm saying. 'Cause you can never lose with a TV show move." Dak put his arm around my shoulders.
"Got that right," Zach said.
"We can watch the game film at the house tonight," Dakota said.
"Which house?" I asked.
"Your house," he said. "Let's include everyone. They'll all need to know how to run the play. We'll call the girls together and have a movie night. Popcorn and everything." He turned to Zach. "The way we're playing, we have a real shot at the title." He sounded pleasantly surprised, like a minor miracle was occurring. "The Zeta Nus are almost certain to be in the finals. Dan Bates is coaching them and drilling them like it's the NFL." He sneered like Dan's name was anathema.
Zach explained the situation to me. "Dan was the opposing quarterback against us in the finals the year we took state. He knows a lot of our plays and how we think from studying our game films and playing us. The good news is we know his."
"He's itching for revenge. I'm half serious about that Friday Night Lights Special." Dakota grinned. "We might need it."
"I wouldn't mind besting Dan a second time." Zach grinned, evilly, making it clear he was the king of understatement.
All the way to the SUB, I was Dakota's girl. But when we settled into a booth, the dynamic changed. I sat next to Dakota. But beneath the table, I slid my foot between Zach's and brushed my leg against his in a way meant to turn him on. Zach gave me that quick, intimate grin of his.
Dakota ordered a large basket of fries with his coffee, and doused them with ketchup.
"Damn, Dak," Zach said to him. "You really going to eat those with the beauty pageant a week away? Think about it, man. You're risking your girlish figure for a momentary indulgence."
Dakota scowled at him. "Shut the fuck up."
Zach was undeterred. "Pledge, I hope you're keeping him off the beer, too. A beer gut hanging over swim trunks will not win us the competition. If we lose the tourney, Dak is our last hope to take the trophy."
"I have absolutely no control over him," I said.
"Only over my heart." Dakota winked at me, looking like that was so much BS.
"Speaking of hearts…" I told him about Morgan.
"Shit," Dakota said. "You were bouncing the bed with someone else? I'm damn jealous."
I rolled my eyes. "Be serious."
"I am serious," he said. "Sounds like we need to up our game. Guess I'll have to casually start shopping for promise rings."
I grimaced. "Don't buy me a ring."
"I didn't say I was going to buy one." He grinned. "I said I could be seen looking for one. You know how fast that will get the rumors going."
Zach's expression was masked. "What will Jordan think of that?"
I didn't understand it, but it seemed to me that Zach almost hesitated at her name. As if he didn't like mentioning her.
Dakota shrugged. "She understands the situation."
That was all he said. No one pushed. But his body language said she wasn't thrilled, either. The happy mood was killed. It was like a shadow had passed over it. I wondered how long we could keep this up.
It was like Dakota read my mind. "Don't worry. We're fine," he said. "We can keep this up all school year if we have to."
"And do what?" I asked. "Keep upping the lies? At that rate, you'll have to pin me at some point."
"If I have to, I will." Dakota's face was dead serious.
Zach looked away. Pinning was tantamount to getting engaged. I couldn't read what he was thinking.
Chapter Nineteen
Alexis
On Wednesday of Homecoming Week, we went as a house to the all-campus bonfire with the Tau Psis. The university's football coach gave a pep talk and introduced the players. The cheerleaders led a spirit rally. We had two girls on the squad. If there had been a competition for spirit, we would have won.
I stood sandwiched between Dakota and Zach. The Tau Psis seemed to accept Zach's presence, since Dakota had named him assistant coach. I watched Zach and Dakota's expressions in the glow of the firelight, wondering if they missed
the excitement of being the center of attention on the field.
The ASB officers tossed rolled bonfire T-shirts into the crowd.
"Make eyes at the guys throwing the shirts so he'll toss one this way," Zach whispered to me.
"Pimping me out, are you?"
"Haven't I been all semester? What's changed?" His tone was neutral, not teasing like it should have been.
I showed him and stuck out my chest, batted my eyes, and got the attention of one of the T-shirt throwers. Sure enough, he tossed one our direction. Zach, Dakota, and I all lunged for it. The guys had the height advantage, but I refused to let that stop me.
I jumped for it. Zach, the natural quarterback, stretched for it and caught it just out of reach of my fingertips. Dakota and I both tried to pry it out of his hands before he had a firm grip. The three of us fell, grabbing for the shirt and laughing, into a pig pile with me at the bottom. Zach right on top of me, bracing himself to keep his full weight off me.
I looked into his eyes, wanting him so badly.
I love you, he mouthed.
Caught up in the moment, I lifted my face to his instinctively for a kiss, closing my eyes so I could feel the full force of it.
Dakota hissed at him. "Cut that shit out. Give me the damn shirt so I can make a show of giving it to Alexis."
Zach swore beneath his breath and slid the shirt to Dakota before rolling off me. Dakota batted Zach away when he tried to give me a hand up, offering his own instead. I thought, This has to stop. I only wanted Zach.
When I was on my feet, the Tau Psis and Double Deltsies cheered when Dakota handed me the shirt and brushed my lips with a kiss that did nothing for me. It was like kissing a good friend. No zing. Almost too late, I remembered to fake it.
I shook the shirt out. "It's a small!"
"Of course it is, babe," Dakota said. "That's why he threw it to you."
The single-elimination powder puff tourney started on Thursday. Our uniforms were cute, and tiny. Sports bras and boy shorts. Cold, but effective in distracting opposing frat coaches. We handily won our first two games, surprising everyone with our blowout. As a coaching unit, Zach and Dakota were unbeatable. It was like they thought with one mind, even finishing each other's sentences. Watching them in action was pure joy for me.
Rushed (The Rushed Series) Page 20
