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She laughs. “Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Here’s your room fob. You’re in 433. Your roommate just finished moving in. You’ll like her,” she adds. “I think you two will be a good match.”
I thank Kit and wheel my suitcase into the elevator.
When I get to the fourth floor, I follow the signs to room 433.
The door of the room is open and Isla is sitting on one of the beds, reading a textbook. She looks up as I walk in.
“Hey, roomie. I’m Zara.”
“Hi, Zara. I’m Isla.” She gets up off the bed and after a second of hesitation, we hug. I can immediately tell we’re going to hit it off. She’s cute, with dark blond hair and little round glasses. She’s slim and we’re around the same height. I can see the family resemblance between her and Gabriel in the shape of their eyes and their cool, intelligent vibe, but in every other way, they’re very different. “I hope you don’t mind me claiming the bigger desk. Your closet is bigger.”
“No, that’s fine. I ran into your brother and West in the parking lot. They introduced themselves. They’re moving all my stuff into the lobby.”
“Oh, that’s good. When I told Gabriel who my roommate was, he said he’d never met you. Had you met West?”
“No. Believe it or not, I don’t really have a lot to do with my dad’s team.”
“West is fun. He and Elias have come to visit us in Virginia a couple of times.”
“Elias.” The name Elias O’Shea is definitely one I’ve heard. “He’s the quarterback, right?”
“The very hot quarterback. You haven’t met him either?”
“No. I’ve never been much of a football fanatic and my dad is sort of overprotective. He doesn’t like me mingling with that much testosterone.”
She laughs. “I don’t blame him. So you’re an art major?”
“Yeah. And you’re a business major?”
“With a minor in finance. Following in my brother’s footsteps, for better or worse. Math was my thing in high school. Ugh.” She smiles, like she knows that’s a rare thing.
Isla definitely comes across as a bookworm, but as I get a better look at her, she’s seriously gorgeous. She’s got fine, petite features and her hair is long and braided down her back. She’s got a few freckles across her nose and, behind her glasses, her eyes are amber-colored with long, blond-tipped eyelashes. It’s sort of striking, how her golden eyes perfectly match her honey-blond hair. She’s wearing skinny jeans and a white t-shirt. Almost the same tom-boyish outfit I’m wearing.
“Better you than me,” I smile. “I don’t have a mathematical bone in my body.”
Even though she’s obviously studious, there’s a rockstar edge to her. I don’t know why I say that. She’s got a quirky sense of humor and you get the feeling that, even though she’s shy, she’s not easily intimidated. My guess is that my new roommate has a wild side and for some reason I love this about her.
“Let me help you bring your stuff up. Then I’m supposed to meet Gabriel for dinner and probably at least one of his teammates. You should come.”
“I guess my dad will just have to get used to me being around a few of his players from time to time.”
“My brother is overprotective too. And so’s Jake. He’s Gabe’s best friend. I’ve known him forever. But I’ve already told them they’re no longer allowed to make any decisions for me whatsoever. They’re a little overbearing. It’s annoying but I knew that would be part of the deal if I came to Hawthorne. I hoped we could spend one year together on this campus without driving each other crazy. And I really wanted to come here. Hawthorne was always my first choice.”
“Mine too. What position does Jake play?”
“Linebacker. He’s really good. All four of them are like the stars of the team. And they all live together.”
“Wow.” I place a few of my bags on my bed, checking out the space. “This is a cool room.”
“Yeah, it’s bigger than I was expecting. I think we got one of the better views on campus.”
The room has a large window seat that looks out over the Green. My bed is next to the window and there’s a built-in desk under a few bookshelves. Isla’s bed is against the far wall, next to her own desk and more bookshelves, which are already full to the brim with books and framed photos of her family and friends. Her laptop is on her desk, along with a speaker and more books.
Over the next half hour, Isla helps me carry my stuff up to the room. Gabe and West made quick work of unloading my car and everything is already piled high in the lobby. Kit hands me my keys.
I get everything moved in and we talk about Isla’s hometown in Virginia and our hobbies. Isla’s were chess club, studying and reading. And going to football games. “You must be glad you’ll be close to home and close to your family,” she says. “At least you’ll get some home-cooked meals.”
“It’s just been me and my dad for a while now. My mom passed away two years ago and my sister’s at school in L.A.”
