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By the time I am done speaking, my chest is heaving, and my hands are shaking.
“If our schedules work out, we can meet earlier in the day. Doing so might help eliminate the need to meet on the weekends,” my voice wobbles, trying to hold back my tears of frustration.
Giving myself a minute, staring at the papers in front of me, my hands clench under the table. I hate confrontation. Normally, I would be hiding in a corner, trying to avoid having his attention.
Tension is high between us. Trying to ignore Brock, I close my eyes and think of something happy. Unsure how long we sit like this, the rustling of papers has me opening my eyes.
“Look,” he starts. “I am not good at this. You are the first person, other than my father and coach, to call me on my bullshit. I really need your help. Sitting on the bench this year isnotan option.”
My shoulders sag as his words sink in. Nodding my head once, extending my arm, I hold my palm open, waiting for Brock to hand over the papers. Reluctantly, he hands them over. Looking over his class schedule, we work together to make a study plan. The rest of the evening passes slowly, but we manage to make some progress.
CHAPTER SIX
Something in my gut aches at the look of disappointment on Kassidy’s face. Normally I just do whatever I want to, consequences be damned. This girl is different, though. There is something about her that makes me want to do better, be better, and I can’t figure out what it is.
An announcement is made that the library is going to be closing soon. We start cleaning up our work and head to the door.
“What dorm are you in? I can walk you back,” my words are soft, so only she hears me.
“Oh, we don’t live in a dorm. We are in the Olympus Towers apartments. Dionysus building, to be more specific.”
“We?”
“Yeah, me, Kennedy, Callum, Ashton, Gareth, and Rodney. The six of us are all roommates.”
“Are you fucking them?” I bark out, something foreign causing me to lash out.
Kassidy’s feet come to a halt as she turns to face me, eyes narrowed.
“Fucking who?” she asks slowly. Her voice holds menace, as if in warning.
Ignoring her tone, my mouth runs away from me. “All of them.”
A loud crack breaks the silence, accompanied by the stinging of my cheek. Kassidy starts walking away from me fast. Shaking off the slap to the face, my feet start moving, chasing after her. It doesn’t take me long to catch up to her. As soon as I get close enough, I reach out and grip her elbow, halting her steps. Spinning her around to face me, my head rears back at the sight of tears streaming down her face. What is it between me and this girl that I keep fucking up so badly?
In my shocked state, she is able to break free of my hold. She grabs her phone from her pocket, fumbling with it slightly. Hearing a ringing sound come through the earpiece, a female voice sounds on the other side.
“Hey, are you alright?”
“No. Can you send Callum and Gareth out to meet me?” Kassidy says, her words stuttering out, making it obvious that she is upset.
The conversation cuts out to where I can’t hear what is being said.
“Yeah, I just left the library,” Kassidy says, glaring at me. “No, he’s right here… We can talk about it when I get home… No… No… Yes, please… Okay, thanks, bye.”
Kassidy pockets her phone and starts walking again, slower this time. The Olympus Towers are at the end of Greek Row, where all of the fraternity and sorority houses are. She walks with her arms wrapped around her middle, hugging herself. I trail behind her, making sure she stays safe.
Several minutes later, heavy footfalls sound in front of us. My spine stiffens, unsure how many people are coming in our direction. Stepping closer to Kassidy, preparing to defend her, she surprises me, picking up speed and running toward the two men who are rapidly approaching.
It takes me a minute to recognize them. These guys were sitting with her in the dining hall earlier today. I have also seen them at the gym working out. They are friendly with Gage Mitchell, who is on the basketball team.
The pretty-faced blond wraps Kassidy up in his arms. Mentally picturing taking a baseball bat to his face has my lips quirking up on one side at the image. The Jolly Green Giant, on the other hand, looks like he bench presses trucks in his spare time. He stands, blocking Kassidy from view, with his legs spread apart and arms crossed over his massive chest. Being that I am no slouch in the muscle department, this guy makes me look small.
Unsure how long the two of us have our little stare down, a voice calls from a distance. “Come on, Cal. We are done here,” the pretty boy yells back.
Giving me one last glare before turning away from me, the giant spins on his heel, leaving me in the middle of the sidewalk, trying to figure out what the fuck just happened.
Walking toward the frat, my mind spins, playing over the last twenty minutes. Something about Kassidy interests me, making that a first. Women don’t usually distract me from my first love, baseball. Having my father beat the value, or lack thereof, of women into my head has helped me steer clear of them.
