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“I’m protecting you, Brooke. He just wants one thing from you.”
“How would you know?” I shouted as I stood up. “Just leave me alone, okay? This might be our last semester together.”
“We have to be roomies,” she cried.
“I’m not in the mood.”
I stormed past her and into my bedroom, slamming the door shut behind me.
What the hell is her problem? I wondered as I fell back-first on my bed. Laying across it sideways, I stared up at the ceiling and wondered what must be going through Austin’s mind. After all the resistance I’d shown, he would surely move on to the next woman.
Fuck my life.
SEVEN
Austin
The next morning, I woke up half-an-hour early to get an extra mile or two in on my run. Part of it had to do with the pizza I’d consumed the night before, but I also wanted time alone to sort through my thoughts. Brooke had appeared in my dreams.
At least I thought it was her. I’d woken up with a raging boner, something that hadn’t happened in a long time. Now, running along a walking trail that circled the entire campus, I tried to piece together why she attracted me so damn much.
I came up with no answers, just like the night before when she had asked me. We had gotten closer to sleeping together, but I wondered if even that would help get her out of my mind. As I neared the School of Architecture building, I saw trouble.
Derek and a few of his frat brother friends stood on the path, blocking my way. I thought briefly about simply running around them, but that would only embolden them.
As a football player, I wasn’t supposed to get in trouble, and I didn’t want to risk injury, but I had to stick up for myself, not to mention Brooke. Ten yards away, I stopped, jogging in place with a smile on my face. I always liked to try humor first. It makes confrontation more fun.
“Hey, fellas, care to join me? You’re not dressed for it, but you all look a bit soft.”
“Keep laughing,” Derek said with a smug grin on his face. “You should know I talked to your coach. He’s not happy with you.”
“Yeah, well, it’s your word against mine. Coach trusts me. He doesn’t know shit about you fools.”
“Watch your mouth,” Derek said then peered to the left and right for reassurance from his friends.
I stopped jogging.
“Look, we got off to the wrong foot. I’m being more than kind with this bullshit. You were about to attack a woman…”
“We were drunk,” he interrupted. “It didn’t mean anything. We wouldn’t have gone through with it.”
“She was asking for it,” someone else said.
Take down their leader and the rest will scatter.
I braced myself, ready to pounce and strike Derek. He stared me down.
“Let’s go, guys. We’re done here.”
“That’s right,” I said, swinging back my shoulder as if I were about to hit him.
He flinched. I laughed and ran through them.
“Talk to your coach!” Derek yelled.
I raised a hand in the air, flipping him the bird.
They were just joking around, I told myself. By the time I got back to gym, though, I found myself walking toward his office, wondering if they had in fact talked to him. They didn’t bother me, but it pissed me off they had practically assaulted Brooke the other night. I didn’t want them to get away with any more bullshit.
