Page 54 of Forever Relentless

With a loud exhale of relief, I looked over my work. I’d been lucky; I made it with a week’s grace.

Still, the uneasiness in the pit of my stomach didn’t go away.

Minutes later, I was up, changed, and out into the cool night air.

I like to run when my thoughts become too crowded, and I couldn’t get to a weight bag. Running cleared my head. Hitting something cleared it faster.

Recently, I’d kept running to the morning training schedule. But sometimes you just needed a clear path, the ground beneath your feet and a good few miles to clear your head.

I ran over campus, down side lanes, around the back of a building, and to the parking lot where Hadley kept her car. I avoided Hadley’s building and, by association, Briar’s. I told myself it was route efficiency.

I made a left and took the back way to the library. The steady thump of my feet on sidewalk settled my frayed edges.

By the time I was back at my dorm building, I felt like myself again.

What I needed, what I knew I couldn’t have, was a good round of sparring in the gym.

As I stretched my legs to cool down, I considered it. Would I be able to find a gym and a sparring partner?

A low whistle sounded behind me, and I turned to see Dust approaching, his arm around Hadley’s shoulders.

“If you say you run for fun, we’re going to have to re-evaluate this friendship,” she said with a wide grin.

“I was being chased by aliens, running was my only option,” I deadpanned.

Dustin laughed, and Hadley grinned. “Okay, I admit, I also like running,” she said, and I believed her.

I ignored their whispers and lowered conversations as we headed up the stairs to the rooms. I was surrounded by couples, in what, the space of three, maybe four weeks?

I liked this room when I got it, because it was huge, and I was with guys who were single and focused on the game, only the game.

Now I lived with a loved-up quarterback and a loved-up wide receiver. And the focus had shifted from the game to a huge cover-up that made me feel shitty.

That cons list was growing, because all the good my run had done me evaporated the moment I walked through the door. I’d had about thirty seconds of peace, which was now ruined because Savvy was telling Hadley everything we’d learned.

Dante handled most of the questions as they came out of Hadley faster than an automatic. He’d taken one look at my appearance, raised a brow, and never mentioned the fact I’d left.

The more they spoke, the closer I inched to my bedroom door, and I almost, almost, made it before Hadley turned to me and I knew I was about to get an earful.

I held my hand up to stop her. “Yes, I know where she lives. No, I won’t tell you. Yes, I told Dante and not you. No, I didn’t tell you for any other reason than that Dante was with me at the time. Yes, they said only Dante and me.” I glanced at Dust. “Sorry.” He shrugged it off like I knew he would. “And yes, Dante told Savvy first, because . . .” I looked between the four of them. “Well, do I really need to say why?”

Dante smirked, and Savvy blushed.

“And do you really think, when we haven’t seen him, all day,” I gestured to Dustin, “that I wanted to interrupt anything with you two?” This time, Hadley flushed. “So yeah, I didn’t tell you. Savvy has told you now. That’s all you need.”

I looked at them, waited for her protest. When it didn’t come, I nodded. “I need a shower.”

In the quiet of my room, I heard them talking, and with a sigh, I kicked my shoes off, went into my bathroom, and locked the door.

My roommates respected my privacy; I wouldn’t put money on Hadley to do the same.

As I started the shower, my phone buzzed with a text.

Unknown: You run fast for a guy your size

I lowered the toilet lid so I could sit on it and reply.

Me: You saw me? Or you followed me?