Chapter 12
HAZEL
I’m so zoned in on my work in the UC Berkeley library, I don’t realize how many hours have passed until I look up and see the dark sky outside the large windows.
I remove my noise canceling headphones and close my laptop before picking up my phone and checking the time.
Seven p.m. That means I worked on my dissertation for, like, seven hours straight.
The best day of work I’ve had since Chadwick moved in, by a long shot.
My stomach rumbles, reminding me I completely missed lunch. My phone is still set on do not disturb, so I switch it off and see I have a missed text from Penn. He’s probably letting me know he went home hours ago, and I’ll need to take the metro back, which I’d already planned on doing anyway.
Penn
Let me know when you’re ready to head back home. No rush.
I check the time stamp. He sent it only five minutes ago. Surely he hasn’t been waiting around all this time.
Hazel
You didn’t have to stay! I feel terrible.
Penn
No worries, I’ve been hanging with my sister. I’m about to take her back to her dorm.
Hazel
How far are you from the library?
Penn
I can be there in five.
Hazel
I’ll be ready!
I quickly pack up my things and rush across the library to wait out front, not wanting to be an inconvenience.
Not even five minutes passes before Penn’s pickup rumbles up to the library steps.
His wide smile beams at me through the window, and I see his sister in the back seat.
Penn hops out of the vehicle as I walk down the steps and opens the passenger door for me, reaching a hand out to take my bag.
He doesn’t seem annoyed or upset that I worked for so long, he doesn’t guilt me about driving out of his way to pick me up. Nothing. Just a smile.
I silently slide into the seat.
Penn settles my satchel at my feet, then looks at me. “Get lots of work done?”
“Yes,” I answer, still taken aback by how easygoing he is.
“Easy to focus without a bunch of noise coming from your ceiling, eh?” He winks.
I laugh, and he finally closes my door and makes his way back to the driver’s seat.
Turning, I look back at his sister and she’s wearing an easy smile like her older brother. “Hey!” she says. “Remember me? I’m Cassie.”
I grimace. “Yes, sorry about the last time we met.”
She waves me off, her funky auburn bob bouncing with the movement. “I can’t believe you two are dating now.” Cassie looks between me and Penn as he drives forward through the parking lot.
“She couldn’t resist my rugged good looks,” Penn says.
Cassie rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling. “I love your sweater,” she says, her gaze dropping down to my shoulder.
“Thank you! It’s vintage Chanel. Thrifted, of course.”
“Shut up!” Cassie’s mouth drops open. “I love thrifting.”
“Is that why you dragged me around to fifty thrift shops today?” Penn asks in a bored tone.
Cassie huffs a laugh, cupping her hand over her mouth like she’s telling me a secret. “Between the two of us, Penn is the shopper. Don’t believe him for a second.”
I look at the man in question. “Is that right?”
Penn smiles. “It’s fun, I guess.” I’m ready with a sarcastic retort, but then he adds, “Well, now it is. I never had money to shop until this last year."
His statement has my heart softening.
A few minutes later, we pull up to a nice-looking dorm. Penn parks, then turns to his sister. “Text me when you’re in your room, okay?”
She looks at me and shakes her head like he’s so over-protective…but I think it’s really sweet he cares about her so much.
Cassie leans forward and wraps her arms around Penn in a quick but fierce bear hug. Then, she touches me on the shoulder. “It was good to see you again, Hazel.”
She sounds like she really means it. “You too,” I tell her as she says goodbye and hops out of his truck, giving us a wave as she enters the building. Penn’s phone lights up and he stares down at it, then groans. “I’m gonna be late for trivia night. I totally forgot.”
“Trivia night?”
“We go every week per Ally’s demand.” He wrinkles his nose. “She said it keeps our brains sharp, and with all those pucks to the head, we need it.”
I laugh. “I can picture her saying that. Sorry I made you late.”
He turns to me. “You have to stop apologizing. And this is coming from a Canadian—we’re famous for that shit.”
“Okay, s—”
He arches an eyebrow before the word is out of my mouth, so I roll my lips together.
Another text pops up on his screen, he angles the phone so I can read it.
I smile at Cassie’s message telling him she’s safely in her room.
Penn tosses his phone onto the seat beside him, relaxing before he backs out of the parking spot.
Once we’re on the road, he turns the radio on and “I Walk the Line” hums softly through the speakers.
“You know,” Penn says, breaking the comfortable silence. “You could come to trivia night with us. You’ve been working your ass off all day; you deserve to have a little fun.”
I mull it over for a second. “I don’t know; I’m usually in my pajamas by eight.”
“Okay, but guess who won’t be at trivia night…”
I groan. “Ugh, Chadwick.”
Penn smiles as he stares at the road before him, knowing he’s won.
“Fine, I’ll go. But you have to buy me a Coke or something to keep me awake.”
“I think I can swing that.”
Thirty minutes later, we’re pulling up to the grungiest bar I’ve seen in a while.
Totally not the place I pictured a group of pro athletes hanging out.
We walk inside and it’s just as outdated as the outside.
The place smells like beer and greasy food, but it looks like everyone is having a good time.
An Elvis song I’ve heard a million times plays from a dilapidated jukebox.
Penn gently grabs my arm and leads me through the throng of high-top tables until we reach his roommates.
“There you are!” Ally hisses, glaring at him.
I open my mouth to take the blame and apologize, but Penn’s warm hand slides gently over my mouth to stop me. “We’re here now, that’s all that matters,” he tells her.
Fisher scoffs. “Penn sucks at trivia, anyway.”
Noah widens his eyes in silent agreement.
Penn pushes Fisher’s shoulder. “Whatever, at least I don’t wax my back.”
“Hey!” Fisher pushes back. “I told you that in confidence!”
Ally’s palm goes to her forehead. “I live with children.”
I laugh, loving their interactions and how comfortable they are with each other.
Penn and I take a seat, and the next round of questions are announced by the emcee, who looks to be about seventy with white hair and a long white beard. He looks like a skinny Santa who had a rough life.
“Okay, next round is…France,” the man rasps through the microphone.
Everyone at my table groans at the same time I clap my hands together in delight.
Penn eyes me with a confused expression.
“What? I’m a Francophile.”
Fisher cocks an eyebrow. “What the puck does that even mean?”
I sigh. “Lucky for you guys, it means I’m a huge nerd about France.”
Ally grins. “Have you watched Reign?”
I gasp. “Yes!”
“Okay that’s our next roommate show, guys,” Ally says, eyeing all of the guys.
The emcee interrupts, speaking into the microphone again. “Question one is, which dauphin of France finished building the Palace of Versailles?”
Ally hands me the whiteboard and dry erase marker, and I quickly write King Louis XIV.
“Raise your white boards!” The emcee says, and I raise ours high. It’s correct, of course, and Penn wraps me in a big hug as the rest of our group cheers loudly. Noah gives me a high five, and Fisher holds his fist out for a pound.
“Pays to date a smart girl,” Penn says, smacking a wet kiss on my cheek.
I look over at him, trying to keep the shock off my face that he kissed me. I know we agreed to affection in front of others, but that’s what he chose to do? It was the goofiest kiss ever.
Penn shoots me an overly flirtatious grin. “There’s more where that came from if you keep answering trivia questions correctly.”
“Note to self, wear my earplugs tonight,” Fisher says with a knowing smirk.
I attempt to glare at Penn, but I can’t wipe the smile off my face. I’m having fun. More fun than I’ve had in a long time.
The emcee taps the mic to get everyone’s attention again and then asks how Napoleon Bonaparte died.
I quickly jot down stomach ulcer and raise it above my head.
Everyone at my table goes nuts again when my answer is confirmed as correct.
There are probably ten more questions about French history, and I easily get them all right. They’re not even challenging, honestly. But Penn and his friends are so impressed with me, it’s hard not to feel a little cocky by the time trivia night is winding down.
The emcee announces at the end that our group, apparently named No Pucks Given, is the winner of tonight’s trivia, and Fisher struts up to the stage to accept the trophy which is an empty beer glass spray-painted gold.
He raises it above his head as he walks back toward us, then hands it to me. “Hazel, you wonderful little nerd, thanks to you, we’ve won our first ever trivia night.”
I laugh and take the beer glass. “You guys seriously have never won before?”
Penn shakes his head. “We’ve never even gotten close.”
“You were amazing tonight!” Ally says, smiling at me as she cuddles against Noah’s shoulder.
Penn must take note of the affection and is reminded that we’re also supposed to act like a couple.
My body tenses in anticipation as one of his arms grips the bottom of my chair and with one tug, he drags it up against his own.
He moved the chair so easily, I can’t help but be a bit impressed.
The man must bench press hundreds of pounds without breaking a sweat.
He smirks at my surprised expression then wraps his strong arm around my shoulder and nuzzles his nose against my hair. “Mmm,” he hums. “You smell amazing. Like fancy tropical flowers.”
I withhold a laugh, trying to relax like this is totally normal. But his close proximity is very distracting as he runs the tip of his nose over the shell of my ear. Blood rushes to my face and chest at his public display, as all of his friends’ eyes are trained on us.
Penn’s hand slides across my back until it’s just behind my neck. He rubs the spot and I instantly relax, melting into the soothing massage. The man knows how to give a back rub.
He kisses my temple, and his lips are soft this time, almost teasing as they graze my skin for a fleeting moment. A tingle of sensation shoots through my body, warming it.
“Okay, I’m heading home. I’m beat, and we have practice in the morning,” Fisher announces, standing up. Ally and Noah join him, all three of them saying goodbye and that they’ll see Penn back at the loft.
“Ready to go?” Penn whispers into my ear once they’re gone. His warm breath sends goosebumps across my arms, and his hand is still working the tension in my neck. I don’t feel like budging from this spot, but I can’t admit that or he’ll think I have real feelings for him.
A girl simply enjoys a good back rub, okay?
Instead, I nod, and we head back to the loft. Penn walks me to my door, which I insisted wasn’t necessary. But when I slide my key into the lock and it won’t unlock, I’m grateful he’s beside me. Panicked, I look at the apartment number to make sure I’m not at the wrong door.
2B.
I try again and nothing. This reeks of Chadwick. Pulling my phone out of my satchel, I see a text from the evil man himself, sent just a few minutes ago.
Cheater Chadwick
Wanted to make sure our apartment was safe so I had a locksmith come and install a better lock. Waited up to give you the new key but you never showed.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter, trying to keep the rage inside of me from tipping over.
“Wow,” Penn says, reading over my shoulder. “Grade A asshole”
“Tell me about it,” I mutter as I tap out a reply to my ex.
Hazel
You’re clearly still awake. Come let me in.
Cheater Chadwick
I’m not there to let you in. Staying with a new friend tonight
I scoff as I turn my phone screen to let Penn read the texts. “Hope she—whoever she is—lives in a fifth-floor walkup with no elevator, and he’s forced to climb up a thousand stairs on crutches."
Penn snorts a laugh. “Chad-dick’s clearly upping his douchebag game. It’s almost impressive how disgusting he is.”
“What am I going to do? It’s like, eleven PM. I can’t call a locksmith at this hour.”
“Guess you’re bunking with me tonight, Bubbles.”
I tut. “Um, no. Absolutely not.”
Penn comes to stand right in front of me. “What would enrage Chad-dick more than you sleeping in my bed?”
I narrow my eyes at him. Penn Matthews is either an expert at seducing women, or he’s an evil genius. Perhaps both.
I decide not to over think it too much, though, because I’m exhausted and need a place to sleep…and I do like the thought of Chadwick’s mean trick backfiring on him. “Okay, fine.”
“That’s my girl,” Penn says with a grin as he grabs my phone and sends a reply to Chadwick.
He passes my phone back to me and I read the text and burst out laughing.
Hazel
No worries, guess I’ll just sleep at Penn’s. His bed is comfier than mine, anyway. Have a good night!!
“He’s going to freak,” I say with a shake of my head.
“Yup.”
I look up at my fake boyfriend. “Thanks for letting me crash at your place…but no funny business.”
Penn holds his hands up in surrender. “These magical hands will stay far away from you, promise.”
I stare at his wide palms and long fingers, remembering the way he rubbed my neck at the bar. Somehow, I don’t think he’s exaggerating by calling them magical.
I fully believe those hands are capable of greatness.