Campus Heartthrob (The Campus Series Book 2)

Home > Other > Campus Heartthrob (The Campus Series Book 2) > Page 18
Campus Heartthrob (The Campus Series Book 2) Page 18

by Jennifer Sucevic


  My brother’s eyes light up and some of his earlier reserve falls away. “I love football! I watch all the games on television. Sometimes Dad takes me to the stadium.”

  A smile curves Brayden’s lips. “It’s pretty cool to sit in the stands and watch, isn’t it?”

  Lucus nods as his voice ratchets up in intensity. “I get to have popcorn and a hot dog and sometimes,” his gaze flickers to our mother as he drops his voice, “if Mom isn’t there, Dad lets me have an orange soda, but that’s only for special occasions.”

  “I heard that,” Mom says over the babble of voices. She shoots my father a mock glare. Even though she pretends otherwise, she’s well aware of what happens when she’s not around. “We’ll be having a little chat about that after the party.”

  Dad shrugs before pulling her close and pressing a kiss against the side of her face. “Let’s focus on your birthday and save that unpleasant conversation for another day.”

  “Uh-huh,” she says, the edges of her lips curling upward.

  “That sounds like a good time,” Brayden says, focusing on my brother.

  “It’s a lot of fun.”

  “If you’re interested,” Brayden shifts his weight before offering, “I can probably get a couple tickets at the fifty-yard line.”

  My brother’s eyes widen, and his mouth drops open. “Really? That would be awesome!” He glances at our father. “Right, Dad?”

  “Sure would,” he replies, looking pleasantly surprised at how well the conversation is going.

  Emotion wells in my throat, making it difficult to swallow past the thick lump that has become lodged there. I glance at Brayden, only to find him smiling at my brother.

  Who is this guy?

  And why is he being so nice to Lucus?

  Confusion swirls through me like a thick fog, throwing me out of whack. It’s not the first time it’s happened where he’s concerned. Just when I start to feel like I have Brayden figured out, he does something that makes me question everything I assumed I knew. It takes a moment to grasp that I’m reluctant to alter my perception of him. I don’t want to feel any differently about Brayden or like him more than I already do. That realization is enough to constrict my heart, making it impossible to suck a full breath into my lungs.

  Thankfully, I’m saved from further introspection when Caden lets loose a scream so loud it could wake the dead. Conversation and movement erupt all at once, filling the hallway with commotion. It’s almost as if now that Lucus’ seal of approval has been earned, my family is free to descend on Brayden, shaking his hand and introducing themselves as I stand by helplessly and watch.

  To have the handsome, six-foot football player in my home, meeting my family feels surreal. The way he easily interacts with them is equally strange. He’s like a chameleon, fitting in effortlessly wherever he goes.

  Three hours later and I’m polishing off a slice of chocolate birthday cake. If there’s one thing I can’t resist, it’s chocolaty cake with buttercream frosting.

  Yum.

  “Well, I must say that he seems nice,” Mom says, sidling up to me near the basketball court in the driveway where Lucus has roped Brayden into a game of horse. I’ve lost track of how many times they’ve played. It has to be somewhere around a dozen.

  My gaze flickers to the dark-haired guy.

  Oh, who am I kidding?

  My attention has been laser-focused on him for the last hour. Instead of mingling with my family, I’m watching Brayden shoot hoops and goof around with my brother.

  I shrug, torn between blurting out the truth regarding our relationship and allowing her to believe that we’re a legit couple without an expiration date in sight. Lying to my family has never sat well with me.

  When she arches a brow, I clear my throat and decide to keep the truth buried deep inside, “Yeah, he is.” Maybe more than I originally gave him credit for.

  Trust me, it’s not an easy admittance. Even privately to myself.

  She nods toward the boys. “Lucus certainly has taken to him. My guess is that he’s found a new best friend.”

  It does appear that way. Lucus hasn’t left Brayden’s side since we arrived earlier this afternoon. And Brayden...he doesn’t seem to mind in the least. If I didn’t know better, I might even say that he was actually enjoying himself. Emotion settles in the middle of my throat, making it feel as if there’s a clump of wet sawdust sitting there.

  None of the other guys I’ve brought home have spent so much time with Lucus. They’ll usually engage him in a little conversation, and, when it turns awkward, they look at me to throw them a life preserver. Brayden doesn’t need rescuing.

  “I can see why you like him,” she continues.

  Woah. Woah. Woah.

  Who said anything about liking Brayden?

  I don’t like him. Not in that way. The guy is a complete pain in my ass. Except...that’s changed over the last couple of weeks. Our relationship isn’t what it once was. It’s morphed into something new, and I’m not sure what to make of it.

  Uncertain how to respond, I press my lips together and remain stoically silent.

  That doesn’t stop her from slipping an arm around my waist and adding, “Your father likes him as well.”

  This conversation is spiraling out of control. Not in a million years did I expect my family to like Brayden enough to champion this relationship.

  This fake relationship.

  Argh.

  I need to do something to put a damper on her hopes. I rip my gaze away from the guy we’re talking about. “Look, Mom. Don’t get ahead of yourself here. What we have is really new.” I pause before tacking on, “Who knows how long it’ll last.”

  Probably not more than another week, if that.

  “For what it’s worth, I can tell he really likes you.”

  I almost snort. Shows how much Mom knows. We’re not even a real couple. Somehow, we’ve managed to snow Jane Daniels, who usually isn’t fooled by anything or anyone. She prides herself on being able to ferret out the truth in a matter of minutes. The woman is like a pig sniffing out truffles. And she’s good at it. I’ve been on the receiving end of her weird mom radar for years.

  “And the way you look at him...” she adds lightly. “It’s nice to see.”

  Excuse me?

  Exactly how do I look at him?

  My eyes flare as I do a quick mental rewind. “What do you mean?”

  Before she can respond, Lucus lets out a loud whoop, drawing our attention to the driveway. It looks like another game of horse has come to an end. Now they’re playing a little one on one. I’ll tell you this, Brayden has a ton of energy to be able to keep up with Lucus. My brother can bounce off the walls, much like Caden. Or maybe it’s the other way around.

  Mom nudges my shoulder when I become mired in my own thoughts. “Maybe you should bring the boys a couple bottles of water. I’m sure they’re thirsty after all this activity.”

  “Sure.” Added bonus, I can get away from Mom before she’s able to make any more unhelpful observations about my pseudo-relationship.

  Even though this afternoon has gone much better than expected, all it’s done is open up another can of worms. Once we part ways in a week or two, I’ll have to make up a story for my family as to why it didn’t work out with Brayden. Honestly, I’ve gone through my fair share of breakups, so no one should be overly surprised when this one crashes and burns like the others.

  As I walk through the backdoor into the kitchen, I find my other two brothers with their heads bent together. Their voices come to an abrupt halt as soon as they catch sight of me.

  “Hey, Syd. Why don’t you come over here?” Court calls out, attempting to suck me into their conversation. “We want to ask you a few questions.”

  I can just imagine what they want to discuss. More than likely, it’s to give me the third degree about Brayden.

  No, thanks. I’m fresh out of lies.

  “Sorry,” I say, pulling open the fridge and
grabbing two bottles of water before slamming it shut again. “I just popped in to grab a few drinks.”

  “It’ll just take a couple of minutes,” Ryan wheedles. “We want to talk.”

  Please...was I born yesterday?

  I don’t think so.

  These two will tag team me with questions regarding the seriousness of my relationship, and I’m not up to defending something that isn’t legit. Neither of them has ever liked any of my past boyfriends. In fact, they usually rip them to shreds. With their teeth. They are the epitome of overprotective assholes.

  I mean brothers.

  Sometimes those two words are interchangeable.

  The last thing I need is one of them sniffing out the truth. I shake my head and beeline for the backdoor.

  “All we wanted to tell you was that we really like him,” Court calls after me as I slip outside.

  Yeah, right. Unlikely story.

  Air rushes from my lungs when I manage to escape the house unscathed. I glance at the sports watch adorning my wrist. If we’re lucky, we can take off and head back to school in about an hour.

  The only problem will be finding a way to break it to Lucus that his new hero wasn’t serious about the football tickets. Ugh. I really wish he hadn’t thrown out the offer. Brayden has no idea that this will be all my brother talks about for the next couple of weeks. When he ends up forgetting and ultimately not delivering on his promise, Lucus will be devastated.

  That’s the thing about my brother. If you tell him you’re going to do something, you damn well better follow through with it. Don’t dole out empty promises just to shut him up or impress him, because it’ll only cause more damage in the long run.

  I glance around the basketball court, relieved to find that Mom is holding Caden and is now embroiled in a conversation with Juliette.

  When Brayden’s gaze catches mine, I hold up both bottles. He says something to Lucus before patting him on the shoulder, and then they’re both heading in my direction. My brother is pink-cheeked as his chest rises and falls with labored breaths. There’s a happy light filling his eyes. No matter how I try to steel myself against it, everything inside me softens.

  If there’s a quick way to my heart, it’s through Lucus.

  Even though I’m eighteen months younger than my brother, I’ve taken on the role of protective sister. I’ve spent years watching out and sticking up for him. What I learned at an early age is that kids can be real assholes. Especially in middle and high school. There were at least a dozen times when I ended up in the principal’s office for getting into a fight. If some jerks were going to pick on Lucus, then they could expect to get their asses kicked.

  The first couple of times it happened, my parents tried to convince me that I shouldn’t let my classmates make me so angry. But what did they expect me to do? Stand idly by and listen to these assholes spew crap? With four older brothers and one with a genetic disorder, you learn to stand up for yourself and not take shit from anyone. It’s the not taking shit part that gets me into trouble to this very day.

  Regardless of how old I am, I’ll always stick up for my family. Especially when they aren’t strong enough to do it for themselves. That kind of loyalty extends to my friends. Once a person burrows beneath my skin and into my heart, I’ll defend them to the death. That’s just how I roll. Demi can attest to that.

  Brayden points toward a bottle. “I hope one of those is for me.”

  Knocked from my thoughts, I blink back to the present before thrusting a plastic container at him. That familiar zip of energy buzzes through me as our fingertips brush. I quickly draw away and shift my attention toward my brother before holding out the second one.

  “Are you thirsty?” I ask.

  He nods before wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. Then he twists off the cap and guzzles down every last drop. Brayden and I stand by and watch with amused expressions.

  “I need another water,” he says, sounding winded.

  “Sure. There’s more in the fridge.”

  Lucus nods before taking off without another word, leaving me to stand alone with Brayden in the driveway. It doesn’t take long for awkwardness to descend, and I find myself shifting my stance, racking my brain for something to fill the growing void.

  Brayden’s gaze stays locked on mine as he takes another drink. Once he finishes, he says, “If I had realized I’d be playing basketball all afternoon, I would have worn athletic shorts and a T-shirt. Or at least brought a change of clothes.”

  Whatever tension had been swirling through the air, ratcheting up in intensity, thankfully dissipates.

  My teeth sink into my lower lip as I survey his appearance. I almost feel bad—the guy really is a sweaty mess. Albeit a handsome, sweaty mess. Even with the slight wind that wafts over us, his hair is damp. Bits and pieces of it stick to his forehead. The urge to run my fingers through it and push the dark strands away from his eyes thrums through me.

  Instead of giving in to the impulse, I tighten my fingers and force my gaze away. “Thanks for playing with my brother. I can tell that he’s having fun.”

  He steps toward me, swallowing up some of the distance between us. My attention skitters back to him only to realize that I have to crane my neck to meet his steady gaze.

  “There’s no reason to thank me. Today’s been a blast.”

  I think that’s the first time those words have been spoken by one of my boyfriends.

  Fake or not.

  A burst of nerves explodes in my belly as his gaze burns into mine. I jerk my shoulders, unsure how to respond. For some reason, it feels like we’re talking about so much more than just the games he’s played with Lucus. That’s all it takes for the noisy party around us to fade away. And then it’s just the two of us. His face looms closer, and for a moment, I wonder if he’ll kiss me.

  But why would he do that?

  There’s no one that we need to put on a show for.

  Instead of ending this farce, I tilt my face upward until our lips can align.

  Just as his mouth ghosts over mine, a voice calls out, “Hey, Brayden, I found a football in the garage. Wanna throw it around?”

  I jerk away and blink up at him before shaking off the strange sensations that have fallen over me. I mumble something under my breath before swinging around and heading to the relative safety of the house. Even if my brothers pounce, it’s easier to deal with them than what almost happened in the driveway.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Brayden

  I lift the bottle of beer to my lips and take a long swig. As I do, my gaze cruises over the thick crowd that has gathered. It might be Thursday, but our house is packed to the gills. Everyone knows that the weekend officially begins tonight and runs through Sunday, ramping up in intensity. Tomorrow evening, most of my teammates will lay low. At least, that’s what they’re supposed to do. We’ll have a walk-through practice, eat a carb-loaded dinner, and hit the sheets early. Some of these guys are superstitious and, much to their girlfriends’ annoyance, will refrain from sex in an effort not to sap their energy for game day.

  Even though I tell myself that I’m not on the lookout for Sydney, that’s exactly what I’m doing. I almost shake my head before taking another sip. If fucking that girl was supposed to get her out of my system, that plan has backfired spectacularly. It seems like the more sex we have, the more I want. It’s becoming a problem.

  So far this evening, Sydney has remained elusive. But then again, Demi hasn’t made an appearance either. And those two are usually attached at the hip. Unless Demi is with Rowan, which has been happening more and more lately. They’re so lovey-dovey that it’s almost enough to induce vomiting.

  And no, that’s not jealousy talking.

  All right...maybe a little bit.

  As soon as that thought pops into my brain, I shove it away. I really need to get my head on straight, which is exactly why I’ve been keeping my distance from a certain blonde soccer player this
week.

  When Sydney told me that I could bail on her mother’s birthday party after we screwed in the locker room, I probably should have jumped at the chance to bow out gracefully. Instead, I’d doubled down on my stance to attend the family gathering.

  Big mistake.

  I’d expected to be bored off my ass. Instead, I’d had a surprisingly good time. Her family is pretty awesome. And yeah, she’s right—there’s a lot of them. My guess is that the normal decibel level at their house is somewhere around chaos. I ended up spending most of the afternoon playing basketball with her brother before tossing around the football. I also talked with her father and one of her brothers about our accounting class.

  The most interesting part of the day had been watching Sydney lower her guard and reveal a totally different side than I’ve been treated to in the past. Her two older brothers enjoy giving her shit for just about everything. Instead of getting upset or pissed off, she dishes it right back at them. It had been a real pleasure to watch her rip both of them to shreds.

  It goes without saying that I now have a better understanding of why she’s so damn feisty. Can’t say I blame her for it either. It must have been hell to grow up with the two of them picking on her nonstop. Teasing aside, they all seem thick as thieves. My guess is that they might enjoy giving their sister shit, but they won’t allow anyone else to get in on the action. It’s also obvious from her interactions with Lucus that she’s extremely protective of him. She softens when he’s in the vicinity, becoming almost—dare I say—nurturing? It was a strangely touching revelation.

  Now that I realize Sydney has a totally different facet to her personality, I’d be lying through my teeth if I didn’t admit to wanting to tease it out of her.

  What would it be like to have that Sydney more often?

  It’s those thoughts that had me mentally pumping the brakes and deciding that a little time and distance to clear my head would be the shrewdest move to make. The only reason we’re in this situation is because of Kira. The tawny-haired girl might have been skeptical at first, but she seems to have fallen for the fabrication.

 

‹ Prev