4. Dylan
CHAPTER 4
DYLAN
“What’s up with you?” Jason asked, never hesitating as he ate, digging into his bowl of cereal as his scrutinizing grey eyes looked over the edge.
“Nothing,” I muttered. His lips might have twitched, but my usually quiet roommate didn’t say another word. His gaze moved from mine to the TV in the living space we shared.
“Right,” he murmured. “That’s why you have been walking the halls like some kind of power-walking senior citizen at any mall in America around nine in the morning?”
“Shut up.” Seemed my quiet roommate was more observant than he let on.
“You seriously denying it?” he asked without turning his head towards me. My brows bunched.
“No,” I admitted like some kind of idiot. Did I just make Jason an accomplice? Would he turn me in?
“Good. So, who is she?” I made a growl-like sound. “Relax.” He laughed. “I’m not interested in any kind of romantic entanglements.”
“Really? Just like that?” He set his bowl of cereal down on the coffee table and turned to look at me.
“Look, you might be interested in someone, and from the looks of it, Crank is, too.” We both glanced at the shut door. The guy had been working overnight shifts at the diner a little away from town. Something was up with him, and I had a feeling it was his cute little blonde coworker who happened to be his sister’s best friend. “But that doesn’t mean love and shit is meant for everyone.”
“And you’re telling me that love is something you don’t believe in?”
“Bud, if Cupid were on fire, I would definitely second-guess spraying him down because I would be legitimately scared he’d want to thank me with one of his arrows.” My eyes widened. Not because the guy had a bunch of girlfriends but because the women came and went from his room.
“Seriously? But you bring chicks over all the time.”
“Now, that’s sex.” He smirked. “I never said I didn’t believe in sex.” I shook my head and chuckled. “Dude… plus, we’re not talkin’ about me; we’re talkin’ about you. You know me, man, we’ve been roomies for a year and are stuck with each other for one more unless Jer and I decide to get an apartment off campus, but honestly, I don’t see that happening.”
“Okay,” I sounded slowly. “Fine, I like someone,” I admitted.
“That chick from your sports medicine class?”
“How did—“ I didn’t finish asking because the jerk started to laugh.
“Man, I get you guys get hit on the head, but seriously? Neither you nor Crank are subtle. The rest of your team like this?”
“Jason,” I warned, and he chuckled.
“You talked about Mattie this and Mattie that all freaking semester long. Why haven’t you made a move?” I opened and shut my mouth. I had no idea why the hell I hadn’t. Probably because I’d fucked up.
You’re trying to save her from yourself, I reminded myself. I had been all but climbing the walls. It didn’t help that she was working with the trainers during football practices. My focus on the field had always been unshakeable. No matter what was going on in my life, I always had that.
Until Mattie.
Mattie and those damn blue eyes and pretty face. Those curves that drove me wild and made my hands ache to memorize them. Mattie. Mine. Mine. Mine, that deep primal voice in my head started to chant.
“I’m just sayin’, don’t go getting into any kind of trouble,” Jason warned, snapping my out of my thoughts.
“Trouble?” I repeated before our eyes connected. I tried to school my expression, keep it from giving me away. Does he know I keep following her into the showers? Does he know I took her keys and made a copy of it? Does he know I took her panties and had them waiting for me under my pillow?
“Yeah, man, in the heat of the moment, you don’t want to go knockin’ anyone up. I know our sports are different, but a jock bunny will chase anyone in hopes of getting knocked up and getting paid for eighteen years if we go pro. Which we will.”
“Knocked up,” I repeated, my voice sounding hoarse in my own ears. The idea grew wild and out of control in a split second.
Knocking up Mattie.
Watching her body change and ripen with my baby. Our baby.
Breeding her.
Would she be on the pill? The scowl on my face grew. Why would she be on the pill? Was she hooking up with other guys? My hands clenched at my sides.
“Relax, man, all you have to do is make sure you use condoms each and every time.” He shrugged thinking that I was freaking out about the idea of tying Mattie to me in every which way. “Oh, and be the one who brings them. Never trust some chick who just happens to have one lying around.”
“Why not?” I found myself stupidly asking.
“Again, jock bunnies. You should see an old buddy of mine from back home. About to go pro, goes to a party, vibes with a chick, she invited him back to her place, and now they have three kids under six. THREE!”
“Three kids,” I repeated, the look on my face unchanging while I imagined three kids with Mattie. Different variations of the two of us running around. I had to fight myself from smiling. Fuck me, I liked it. I liked the idea a whole fucking bunch.
“What happened to them?” I asked.
“The poor bastard is still married to her and allegedly says he’s happy, but I’m not so sure.”
“What makes you think that?”
“He’s my brother, dumbass. I know. He hasn’t been happy in a long fucking time. How could he? He gave up his dream! He lost his shot to play for the pros to stay home back east in the same small town where we grew up. How the hell could he be happy?”
“Man.” I scratched the back of my head. “Good luck the day some girl catches your eye, and you fall hard,” I muttered, but the bastard wasn’t even fazed. If anything, he laughed, wholeheartedly, before he shook his head.
“Never going to happen.”
“That’s what they all say. Look at James Montgomery!”
“Hey! Don’t throw that kind of juju my way, man. I was just trying to be your friend and remind you to think with your head and not your dick when you go wherever you go.” I flipped him the bird, but Jason was far from offended. Instead, the bastard laughed again before picking up his bowl and taking it to the sink. “For reals, though, just don’t do anything stupid.”
“Why do you think I’d do something stupid?”
“Because a guy lurking outside the showers isn’t doing something on the up and up.” He laid it out straight for me. I opened my mouth, but he shook his head. “I don’t wanna know. Honestly. I’m just telling you to be smart. I know it’s summer and the building has a hell of a lot less people living in it, but be smart. If I caught you lurking, someone else could, too.”
“Why were you by the co-ed showers?”
“Want me to ask you the same thing?” My lips thinned, and I jerked my head no. “Right. Well, look, I gotta go get ready for batting practice. Wanna meet up at the wine bar tonight? Karaoke night. Heard some Kappa Sweets will be there.”
“Fuck no.” I laughed. Kappa Sweets were cool chicks to hang out with, but they got rowdy sometimes. Add in Karaoke, and that didn’t sound like my kind of night whatsoever. Plus, I was hoping to catch my girl before she headed to bed. “I got an early practice,” I shared instead of telling him I had a night of following Mattie aground planned.
“Good luck with that.” He patted my back and headed to his room. I did the same, and the moment I shut the door, I frowned.
Fuck a duck! Jason had caught my stupid ass lurking around the showers. He had an idea but didn’t want to know the details. He was a good friend trying to warn me to be stealthier. I didn’t think I could follow her into her showers tonight, but as my hand slipped into my front pocket, I touched the key I’d copied. It looked like I would be sneaking into her room instead. Again.