Fallen Fourth Down
Page 14
A group of six girls were at a picnic table, and unlike most of the rest, they weren’t paying attention to us. At his greeting, three of them looked up with snarls at the ready. They were primed for a fight, but when they saw it was Matteo, two rolled their eyes and looked back at their textbooks. The other girls were unfazed. They were either talking or studying, but all of them held a paper coffee cup. The last girl with long black hair, almond eyes, and a clear complexion laughed. She stood up from the table and headed our way. She was dressed in a simple white polo with a pink emblem of a unicorn at the corner and jeans. She was stick thin, and as she walked to us, she was confident. The others around us turned enviable eyes on her, and when she got closer to Matteo, she lifted a fist, pounded it on his chest, and grabbed his shirt. “Come here.” She yanked him forward, but he didn’t move. He dropped his smirking mouth down on hers.
I glanced to Drew. “This is Georgie?”
He nodded, grinning at the couple. “Yeah. You two didn’t meet at the ass’ party.”
When they broke apart, Drew asked, “Is that Carly over there?”
Georgie turned around, drawing Matteo’s arms around her. “Yes, it is, but I’m told to tell you to stay the fuck away from her.”
He laughed and pretended to shiver. “Why the hostility?”
Her eyebrow arched high. “Something about a non-phone call after you two hooked up the other night?”
He shrugged, craning his neck to study the table. “We had back to back practices that day. I was wiped out by the time we got home. Trust me, she would’ve gotten mad at me anyway, saying I wasn’t listening to her enough or something.” He grimaced, glancing to me. “Chicks. They’re all the same. If we don’t listen good enough, they get mad. Your girlfriend like that?”
“Nah.” I grinned. “I’m the one who has to push Sam to talk.”
Drew and Matteo seemed surprised. My roommate broke out laughing. “For real? You’re the talker in the relationship?”
“Believe it or not, I am.”
Matteo continued to hoot as he slapped his leg. “That’s awesome, man. I really have to meet your girlfriend. I know she helped you move in, but that was long ago and you two disappeared right afterwards.”
“Speak for yourself.” I gestured to Georgie. “It’s been over a month, and this is the first time I’m meeting your girlfriend who goes to college here.”
She tipped her head back, resting it in the nook of Matteo’s arm and chest. A low, smooth chuckle came from her. She leaned all her weight against him and crossed one ankle over the other. “That’s my fault. I’m in a sorority, and we’ve been busy with the pledges. The beginning of the year is always the most chaotic. Plus, I have my own room, and no offense to the rest of your house, but being around sweaty, shirtless guys isn’t my dream come true. I’m all about my studies, my house, and my man.” She straightened up and smacked a hand to Matteo’s bicep. It bulged at the touch, and her fingers wrapped around it. The two shared a secretive smile.
I grunted. My roommate might talk a big game, but he was in love with this girl in front of him. Drew was watching them too, but he was patient. It was obvious he’d seen this before.
Breaking their little moment, a radiant smile came over her face, and Georgie gazed around to us. “What class do you guys have?”
Drew answered, “We all have poly sci now.”
She flinched, gritting her teeth. “Good luck. Professor Matson is hard core. That’s a mixed class, right?”
Matteo seemed happy just to be holding his woman. Drew nodded. “I put it off till this year. Is that a problem?”
“Not if you don’t mind dealing with a bunch of eager, stressed-out freshman.” Her gaze clicked to mine, and she realized what she had she said.
I grinned. “Like me, you mean?”
Her cheeks grew pink, but she smirked at me. “Something tells me you’re not like most freshman.”
“No way.” Matteo shook his head. His arms tightened around her waist, but he lifted one hand to meet my fist in the air. As they touched, he dropped his arm back. “Kade is stone cold cool. He handled Park like he was a baby. It was awesome.”
“You knew?”
“I saw that smooth move you and your friend did. You snubbed him, but in a smooth way. I bet he didn’t even realize it.”
Georgie studied me again. I felt renewed interest from her. She murmured, “My friends like their house. You have a friend there? I know Matt said something about him before.”
I nodded. “Nate Monson. His dad pledged there.”
“Wait. Kade? James Kade?”
“Yeah.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Your dad pledged there. He’s a legend. Didn’t he make the Forbes list or something?”
Drew and Matteo grew silent.
I scowled. “My dad’s a dipshit. I try to do the opposite of everything he did.”
Their shoulders dropped.
“Oh. Still. And didn’t he marry into a family who comes from old money too? Like he’s the poor one in the marriage?”
“Yeah,” I flashed her a hard smile. I don’t do personal. “They’re divorced and he’s now engaged to a psychopath. Again, I do everything opposite of my dad. We don’t get along.” Drop it. I wanted her to get the message without saying it.
Matteo cleared his throat. He gave me an uneasy grin, then patted her on the hip. “We should get going. Lunch later?”
She broke eye contact with me and turned to face her man. They moved to the side as they said their farewells, leaving Drew and I alone. I felt his perusal and sighed. “Yeah?”
He was grinning. It widened at my question and he shook his head. “You really hate your old man, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Me too.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. He banged three of my girlfriends from my first two years here. The last one was the worst because I actually loved her.”
“Shit.” I grimaced.
“And he likes to act like he and I are the best of buddies. Your old man know how much you hate him?”
“Yep.”
He nodded, a tone of respect in his voice, “You got balls, Kade. I knew you had them before, but that’s cool.” He pointed to the couple, who were kissing. Their mouths were opened and tongue was being shared. “If we don’t break them up, he’s going to take her back to the house. He’ll skip class for her. The guy is nuts about her.”
I glanced to Drew. “This is Georgie?”
He nodded, grinning at the couple. “Yeah. You two didn’t meet at the ass’ party.”
When they broke apart, Drew asked, “Is that Carly over there?”
Georgie turned around, drawing Matteo’s arms around her. “Yes, it is, but I’m told to tell you to stay the fuck away from her.”
He laughed and pretended to shiver. “Why the hostility?”
Her eyebrow arched high. “Something about a non-phone call after you two hooked up the other night?”
He shrugged, craning his neck to study the table. “We had back to back practices that day. I was wiped out by the time we got home. Trust me, she would’ve gotten mad at me anyway, saying I wasn’t listening to her enough or something.” He grimaced, glancing to me. “Chicks. They’re all the same. If we don’t listen good enough, they get mad. Your girlfriend like that?”
“Nah.” I grinned. “I’m the one who has to push Sam to talk.”
Drew and Matteo seemed surprised. My roommate broke out laughing. “For real? You’re the talker in the relationship?”
“Believe it or not, I am.”
Matteo continued to hoot as he slapped his leg. “That’s awesome, man. I really have to meet your girlfriend. I know she helped you move in, but that was long ago and you two disappeared right afterwards.”
“Speak for yourself.” I gestured to Georgie. “It’s been over a month, and this is the first time I’m meeting your girlfriend who goes to college here.”
She tipped her head back, resting it in the nook of Matteo’s arm and chest. A low, smooth chuckle came from her. She leaned all her weight against him and crossed one ankle over the other. “That’s my fault. I’m in a sorority, and we’ve been busy with the pledges. The beginning of the year is always the most chaotic. Plus, I have my own room, and no offense to the rest of your house, but being around sweaty, shirtless guys isn’t my dream come true. I’m all about my studies, my house, and my man.” She straightened up and smacked a hand to Matteo’s bicep. It bulged at the touch, and her fingers wrapped around it. The two shared a secretive smile.
I grunted. My roommate might talk a big game, but he was in love with this girl in front of him. Drew was watching them too, but he was patient. It was obvious he’d seen this before.
Breaking their little moment, a radiant smile came over her face, and Georgie gazed around to us. “What class do you guys have?”
Drew answered, “We all have poly sci now.”
She flinched, gritting her teeth. “Good luck. Professor Matson is hard core. That’s a mixed class, right?”
Matteo seemed happy just to be holding his woman. Drew nodded. “I put it off till this year. Is that a problem?”
“Not if you don’t mind dealing with a bunch of eager, stressed-out freshman.” Her gaze clicked to mine, and she realized what she had she said.
I grinned. “Like me, you mean?”
Her cheeks grew pink, but she smirked at me. “Something tells me you’re not like most freshman.”
“No way.” Matteo shook his head. His arms tightened around her waist, but he lifted one hand to meet my fist in the air. As they touched, he dropped his arm back. “Kade is stone cold cool. He handled Park like he was a baby. It was awesome.”
“You knew?”
“I saw that smooth move you and your friend did. You snubbed him, but in a smooth way. I bet he didn’t even realize it.”
Georgie studied me again. I felt renewed interest from her. She murmured, “My friends like their house. You have a friend there? I know Matt said something about him before.”
I nodded. “Nate Monson. His dad pledged there.”
“Wait. Kade? James Kade?”
“Yeah.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Your dad pledged there. He’s a legend. Didn’t he make the Forbes list or something?”
Drew and Matteo grew silent.
I scowled. “My dad’s a dipshit. I try to do the opposite of everything he did.”
Their shoulders dropped.
“Oh. Still. And didn’t he marry into a family who comes from old money too? Like he’s the poor one in the marriage?”
“Yeah,” I flashed her a hard smile. I don’t do personal. “They’re divorced and he’s now engaged to a psychopath. Again, I do everything opposite of my dad. We don’t get along.” Drop it. I wanted her to get the message without saying it.
Matteo cleared his throat. He gave me an uneasy grin, then patted her on the hip. “We should get going. Lunch later?”
She broke eye contact with me and turned to face her man. They moved to the side as they said their farewells, leaving Drew and I alone. I felt his perusal and sighed. “Yeah?”
He was grinning. It widened at my question and he shook his head. “You really hate your old man, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Me too.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. He banged three of my girlfriends from my first two years here. The last one was the worst because I actually loved her.”
“Shit.” I grimaced.
“And he likes to act like he and I are the best of buddies. Your old man know how much you hate him?”
“Yep.”
He nodded, a tone of respect in his voice, “You got balls, Kade. I knew you had them before, but that’s cool.” He pointed to the couple, who were kissing. Their mouths were opened and tongue was being shared. “If we don’t break them up, he’s going to take her back to the house. He’ll skip class for her. The guy is nuts about her.”
