Chapter 6
TYRELL
“I can’t do this!” the girl in front of me wails.
“Would you calm down?” her friend mutters. “It’s a coffee order. For fuck’s sake, girl, pull yourself together.”
“How am I supposed to decide between a mocha latte and a frappé? They both sound like exactly what I need.”
“Then get both.” Her friend is on her phone and barely paying attention now.
“And turn into some hyper, jittery mess?” the girls squeaks. “You are no help at all.”
With a huff, the girl in front of me slips her phone away and turns to eyeball her friend. “It’s a coffee order. You should never be this stressed over something so simple. Flip a coin or something. It’s not that hard.”
With a whimpering sigh, the girl’s shoulders deflate, and she stares up at the order board with an exaggerated pout.
Clearing my throat, I give away the fact that I was listening in and softly tell her, “The mocha lattes here are really good. That’s what I’d go for.”
Spinning with a little gasp, she looks up at me, her surprise morphing into a flirtatious smile.
Oh shit. I should have kept my mouth shut.
“Well, thank you.” She brushes her teeth over her bottom lip.
I reply with a polite smile. “You’re welcome.”
“I’m totally gonna get that now.” She places her index finger on my arm. “Because you said I should.”
“Okay.” I nod, tucking my hand into my pocket so it’s out of reach of her long fingernails. Those things are like talons. And they’re painted red too, so it looks like she’s gone on some killing spree and clawed up a bunch of bad guys.
“You’re really sweet, you know that?”
“Aw… nah, I’m just trying to be helpful.”
“Well, you are.” She giggles.
Her friend has turned to eye me up as well. Shit, I really should have kept my fucking mouth shut!
“The Silent Knight, right?” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.
I cringe, remembering that interview published in the Nolan U Sports Digest at the beginning of the football season.
Ugh. So painful. The interviewer called me the Silent Knight, like I was some god among my team or some shit.
I’m nothing special, and I didn’t win that game.
We won the game. The entire team won that game.
I didn’t want any glory for it, but she labeled me, and that frickin’ nickname stuck for way too long.
The guys hassled the shit out of me, and it took months of low growls and cringing frowns before people finally dropped it.
My body tenses at the thought of having to counter that shit with these two.
Thankfully, the line moves forward, and I can point ahead of me and indicate that the girls need to turn around and place their order.
They get distracted with that and I breathe a sigh of relief, pulling out my phone and trying to look busy so they hopefully won’t attempt to reengage.
What are you doing?
Aren’t you trying to find yourself a girl?
What’s wrong with the two hotties in front of you?
I frown at my phone screen, wondering where I should start.
Talon nails?
Indecisive?
Too flirty?
You are one picky MOFO, you know that?
“So, the Silent Knight, huh?” An amused voice behind my back has me spinning with a jolt.
Smirking up at me with those sparkling brown eyes of hers is Dani Hill.
She snickers. “You must love that one.”
“Hate it with every fiber of my being,” I grumble.
She snorts and shakes her head, no doubt thinking that Atlas would have had a field day with it.
“I’m pretty sure they don’t.” She lifts her chin at the two girls who are still placing their orders. Miss Indecisive is really drawing things out. Now she’s stressing over which muffin to get—will it be apple cinnamon or blueberry?
Seriously?
I glance back at Dani with an exaggerated frown that has her snickering again.
“So, are you a Java Jeans regular?” I can’t help asking, because how has she been in Nolan since January and I haven’t bumped into her once?
Although, it’s possible my brain wasn’t expecting to see her, so we could have passed and not noticed each other.
“I wouldn’t say a regular. My roommate owns a kick-ass coffee machine, so I usually make something on that, but I wanted to go for a walk this morning and figured I’d reward myself with a coffee afterward.”
My eyes skim down her body before I can stop myself.
Damn, she looks good in yoga pants.
I gaze down at her tiny sneakers and am reminded of those times we’d sit on the floor opposite each other and put the soles of our feet together, waging a war on who could force whose legs to bend.
I let her win more times than I can count, but I’m pretty sure she knew that.
My lips twitch, and the curious smile on her face has me wondering what she’s thinking.
“Next,” the guy behind the counter calls.
I spin and shuffle forward, quickly placing my standard macchiato order before asking Dani what she’s having.
“You don’t have to buy me coffee.”
“I know.” I smile at her. “So, what would you like?”
Biting her lips together, she steps forward, hesitating for a moment, then ordering, “A double-shot latte with coconut milk, please.”
The man rings up the order, and I pay with my phone.
“Thank you. I’ll owe you one.” Dani smiles up at me.
“You don’t have to owe me anything.” Shuffling away from her, I wait by the counter, awkwardly waving goodbye to the two girls who were flirting with me earlier.
Shit, I really hope they don’t keep an eye out for me and try to pounce when I’m walking to class.
Wily and I had that once. And when I say pounce, I mean they literally pounced on our asses. Wily thought it was hilarious. Me, not so much. I like my women grounded.
“So, they’re not your type, huh?” Dani sidles up beside me.
I shake my head, resisting the urge to say anything offensive. It’s Dani, so I can probably say anything. But… I haven’t seen her in years, and who knows how much she’s changed in that time.
“Do you have a girlfriend or…?” Her eyebrows rise, and I have to shake my head.
“Nah. Still single.”
“I take it from the look on your face that you don’t love that idea. Have you come through a painful breakup or something?”
I can shake my head with gratitude this time. I’ve been through lots of little breakups. Nothing too major, because I seem incapable of going out with a girl for more than a few weeks before getting “cold feet” and bailing.
“Just haven’t found the right one yet,” I mumble. “And with graduation just around the corner…” I shrug. “Not sure it’s a good time, you know?”
“Oh, come on.” She nudges me with her elbow. “Any time’s a good time to fall in love.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “You speaking from experience?”
Her entire face crumples, lines quickly forming on her forehead as her shoulders deflate. “Only ever been in love once.”
“Yeah, I know.” I brush my hand down her arm, trying to comfort her. “Think you’ll ever let yourself go there again?”
“I want to.” She nods, her voice cracking. “I’m really trying. I know it’s time.”
“Yeah,” I whisper, dipping my chin and not wanting to look at her. Damn, I can feel her sadness as if it’s my own.
I know the pain she’s been through. I mean, I experienced a version of it. Atlas was like my other half. Going about my days, knowing he’s not on this planet anymore? Yeah, it sucks.
“Ty. ’Sup, man?” Grady walks into view, and I raise my chin at him.
“Hey, man.”
“You ordered already?”
“Yeah, I’ll be heading off to class in a minute.”
“Wait for me. I’ll walk with you.” Grady does a double take, obviously sensing Dani’s curious gaze. “Oh, hey. You work at Offside.”
“I do.” She smiles and sticks out her hand. “Dani Hill.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Grady.” He shakes her hand while pointing at me. “You know our boy, here?”
“Yeah.” She nods. “Tyrell and I go way back.”
“Nice.” He studies her face while obviously trying not to ask a million questions.
“Flash, let’s go,” Carson barks from his place in the line. “I’m not paying for your ass again.”
“Get me a double shot!” Zander calls from the door, holding up two fingers before going back to his phone call.
“See you around, Dani.” Grady gives her a light pat on the shoulder before falling into line next to Carson, and I feel obliged to explain who all of these people are.
“Cap.” I point to the door. “His real name’s Zander. Quarterback. Carson and Grady.”
She glances at each one before smiling back at me. “Roommates?”
“Yeah, we live at a house right near Greek Row.”
“Nice.” She keeps nodding.
“How about you?”
“I’m living with Tobin Evans. Do you remember him? He was my neighbor growing up.”
I scour my brain but have to shake my head.
“That’s okay. Anyway, I live with him and his boyfriend, Jed, and we have another roomie, Nix. She’s a sophomore this year. I don’t know if you’ll know her, but she’s a real pocket rocket, that’s for sure.” She starts to laugh, and I’m glad she’s living with good people.
“Sounds like a cool place to be.”
“It is. I love our apartment. It’s got a great vibe.” Her voice trails off, a sad frown sweeping over her face.
“What is it?”
Her shoulder hitches, her nose wrinkling.
“I just found out last night that Tobin and Jed are moving to New York. Jed’s been offered a great job, and Tobin’s been accepted to a college in Manhattan, so he’s all buzzing.
I’m really happy for them both, but I’m kinda sad that things will be changing soon.
I feel like I’ve only just arrived, and I’m not ready to say goodbye to this awesome living situation, you know? ”
“Yeah,” I murmur, totally getting it. I’m gonna miss Football Frat big-time after I graduate.
Shit, it’s just around the corner, and I’m so not ready.
“Here you go, guys.” A young woman with a bright smile places our coffees on the counter.
“Thanks,” I murmur, passing Dani her cup and wondering when I’m gonna see her again.
I’ll probably notice her all the time now that my brain knows she’s in Nolan.
But it feels weird to just walk away from her, and I did promise Atlas last night that I’d keep an eye out, right?
Talking to her just now hasn’t been soaked in sadness.
If anything, there’s been a comfortable nostalgia floating around us. It hasn’t been all bad.
“Well, thanks for the coffee.” She lifts her take-out cup and looks ready to walk out the door.
“Hey, um…” I pull my phone out of my pocket. “Should we swap numbers? You know, just in case you need anything. I mean, I know you have your roommates and you’ve been getting on just fine without me. I just… Is your old number still the same? I have you in my contacts list, and I—”
“No, I’ve changed my number.” She holds out her hand, and I hesitate for just a second before unlocking my screen and passing her my phone.
“You’ll probably never need to use it, but… you know.” Her lips twitch, her thumb shaking a little as she enters her number. “It’s a good idea.” Handing the phone back, she pulls hers out from the side pocket of her yoga pants. “Text me so I can have your number too.”
I send a lame thumbs-up emoji because I don’t know what else to do.
“Perfect.” She smiles at her screen, not looking up until just before she turns. “Thanks, Ty.”
“Bye, Dani,” I whisper to her back, staring after her until my Football Frat brothers surround me, blocking my view of Atlas’s girl.