“I’m good, I can fight my own battles. I don’t need big brother, Colin, doing it for me. But thanks Lily,” I say. She shrugs before jogging over to her campers. I take a deep breath before finding my group to start drills. The problem is, I really like this guy. Not just a little either. But it would never work out. I can do this just two more days, then he’ll be out of my life forever. I can focus again on school without the distraction of Alex Ross. For some reason, that thought makes me really sad.
At lunch, we have an hour to eat in the cafeteria before the next set of campers show up. Lily and I load our trays up before joining Coach Blake at a table. We’ve just started when Alex and Tim ask if they can join us. No amount of scowling from Lily can deter Alex from plopping down across from me.
I try to focus on my food over the lunch conversation, but every time I feel him watching me, my eyes sneak up to meet his. Lily actually pinches me in the side once when she catches us staring at each other. I don’t know if I can make it two more days without jumping him behind the field house.
With the older kids arriving, we all amp our game up. My afternoon finds me helping Tim drill goalies at one end of the pitch while Alex works his way through the fielders. Lily is his main helper, never missing a chance to growl at him. During a short water break, I watch as they walk through the fielding drills, pulling out players for independent help.
“You know he’s going to catch you staring, then I’ll have to put up with him strutting around for weeks,” Tim says next to me, making me jump. I didn’t realize I had been so obvious.
“I’m a little worried about Lily making him combust into flames with that look,” I respond, trying to deflect the fact I was just caught staring.
“Don’t worry about that. He has a whole bunch of brothers and sisters. I’m pretty sure he’s had lots of experience ignoring that look. It’s quite the experience being around them all yelling at each other in that crazy fucked-up language of his. Sorry,” he says, apologizing for his language. I wave it off. I’ve had coaches in middle school cuss more than that.
The afternoon drags on as the weather turns colder. We have to work much harder to keep our muscles warm, so I’m exhausted by the time the evening pickup game is over. Alex has managed to wing more balls past me than he did yesterday. After helping put up the equipment, I start my trek across campus to my apartment when I hear my name.
“Claire, wait,” Alex calls, jogging toward me. This seems to be becoming a recurring theme with him. How can he still have so much energy? I continue my trek to my apartment.
I feel a hand on my elbow right before I’m spun around into his chest. “Sorry, that might have been a wee bit excessive. I thought I would try this again, but I’m already failing miserably.”
Upon impact, I managed to wrap my hands in his shirt against his hard pecs. With a conscientious effort, I open my hands, stepping back. The reaction isn’t lost on Alex though. His eyes darken before he shakes his head, stepping away from me.
“We were gaun with Lily and her boyfriend tae grab something to eat. Come with us?” I look around him to see Lily standing by her car watching us.
“Sure, I guess. Just let me throw my stuff in my apartment first.” I sigh before pulling my bag up higher on my shoulder. “I really just want a shower, but Lily is hard to tell no.”
I feel my bag gently lifted off my shoulder a second later as Alex catches back up to me. “What are you doing?” I ask, making a grab for my bag.
“I’m carrying yer bag home, Miss Lloyd. Humor me. They can text us where we’re tae meet up.” Shrugging, I turn toward home. The walk is made mostly in silence, probably because all of his questions are met with my unresponsive grunts.
Opening the door, I point to the entrance bench for him to throw my bag on. I’ll just need it tomorrow, so there’s no reason to unpack it.
My apartment is like any other graduate student’s. There is a living area with the standard hard couch and battered coffee table. I brought a TV that sits in the corner, but we’ve not bothered to decorate.
The kitchen is tiny with a bar attached for meals, as long as no more than three people are here to eat. It has two bedrooms with bathrooms attached to each one.
I have a strange roommate that I rarely see, but I hear her often enough banging the bed into the wall at night. I’m fortunate that my bedroom door has its own lock, because I never know who she’s brought home. It’s also why I’ve never decorated.
“Give me a second to run through the shower. Make yourself comfortable.” I point to the couch as Alex stands inside the door looking around. He nods as I walk into the bedroom, closing the door.
The shower feels amazing, but I know I don’t have long to enjoy it. Lily will start texting me soon, wondering where we are. Wrapping a towel around me, I walk into my bedroom to dress, finding Alex sitting on my bed.
“What are you doing?” I growl at him. He stands, backing against the wall, holding up his hands in surrender.
“I was sitting on the couch when this odd lass and an even odder bloke came in and started making oot next tae me. I dinnae know where else tae go.” His words drift off as he stands staring at me, his eyes heating with lust. “Claire,” he says, taking a step toward me.
“Don’t,” I say, holding up a hand. Stopping him in his tracks, I grab some clothes out of the dresser. When I come out of the bathroom dressed, he is sitting back on my bed. “Are we ready to go?” I ask.
He sits looking at me for a minute before rising. Motioning to the door, he waits for me to walk out. Peeking around, I don’t find my roommate or her latest conquest, but I can hear them winding up in the other bedroom. “Okay, it’s clear.”
“I need tae warn ye,” Alex says as we slide into the rental car. “Tim never lets me drive. Something aboot driving on the wrong side.” His easygoing demeanor has slipped back into place.
Somehow, we manage to make it to the restaurant in one piece right before Lily can send a posse after us. Dinner is nice even though Alex seems to be quieter than normal. I catch him studying me several times like he’s trying to solve a puzzle, but when I look over, he looks away.
“I think if you’ll excuse us, I had better get Lily home. She’s a real bear when she’s tired,” Matt, her boyfriend, says with a grin when he pulls Lily to her feet. He ignores her scowl as he shakes hands with Tim and Alex before herding her toward the door. “Claire, can we give you a ride home?” he asks.
“We’ll take her back,” Alex says, waving Matt off.
“I can just catch an Uber,” I say, giving Matt a reassuring smile as Alex spins to face me, making me clamp my mouth closed.
