NESSA

Beau and I were on a strict Madie-protection detail, as demanded by her boyfriend.

Bren also continued to bother me for picture updates to ensure she was alive and well. It was like she'd been kidnapped, and we were the ones holding her captive, waiting on a ransom.

The latter was my fault, to be honest. I started sending him candid Madie pictures after she came back to campus because his tortured expression when he'd left for Fresno had damn near broken my heart. And now that greedy bastard wanted them all the time.

Regardless of Bren's protectiveness, we'd still have a close eye on Madie. Beau liked to cite Bren's Glock as the reason why we didn't want to mess around with his orders, but he was joking, of course. Beau had a soft spot for Madie just like everyone who had ever met her did.

But the fact that Bren had shown up on campus packing a gun did say something. He was damn near terrified that Madie would get used as a pawn in the game his dad was playing.

The library was as good of a place as any on campus to hide away and get some work done, and so that was where we were tonight. We sat in the corner of the third floor while I stared blankly at my laptop.

This paper on the Protestant Reformation was taking me ages to finish, and I heaved out a sigh in annoyance. But it didn't have anything to do with homework. Beau's curious eyes hadn't left my face for at least ten minutes, and it was making it really fucking hard to concentrate.

"Oh my god, what is it?"

He squinted at me. "You're hiding something."

"I am not."

Not unless a vibrating panties experience with Grayson Everett counted as hiding something.

Then yeah, I was definitely hiding something.

"No, you for sure are," Madie said without looking up from her textbook. Her black-rimmed glasses slid to the tip of her nose, but she just left them there, trying to read something.

"I am definitely not."

Not unless having a date at the gym with a football player counted. In an hour.

Because I was definitely hiding that, too.

I didn't run. Or lift weights. Or own those cute little workout sets I always saw girls wearing around campus. I didn't go to the gym. But watching Grayson run or lift weights definitely had its appeal.

Shit, I just couldn't get his annoying, cocky ass out of my head. When I closed my eyes, all I could see was his smokey eyes. All I could feel was his body pinning me to the door. All I could hear was his hot demands.

"There she goes," Beau sang quietly, following the tune of Sixpence None the Richer. "There she goes again."

"Shut up and drink your bubble tea," I hissed at him, and he looked offended.

"This is chai." He shook his drink in my face, ice rattling in the plastic cup. "Honestly, Nessa. Do you see any fricken bubbles in it?"

I rolled my eyes at him.

"So..." he probed.

I ignored him.

"How's your spicy piano man?"

"He's not my spicy piano man," I drawled while pulling out my phone to check the time.

"He wants to be," Madie sang from the corner, nose still stuck in a book. I used her distractedness to snap a quick picture of her studying and send it to Bren.

He replied quickly.

Bren: That's my girl. How's she doing?

Me: She's doing well. Honestly. Work and school are keeping us busy.

Madie recently started working with me at The Grounds, and it was so nice to have a friend to run shifts with.

"But you do admit he is a spicy piano man," Beau said, cutting in. At the same time, another text popped up from Bren.

Bren: And you? How's it going with Grayson?

I groaned. Had they all planned this interrogation?

Bren knew more of the truth than anyone, though. He caught me trying to sneak back from Grayson's room the weekend of the gala. And while I hadn't told him about anything that had happened, he definitely knew something happened.

Ignoring Bren's text, I stared at Beau, trying to keep my face straight.

"Grayson plays the piano, and he's hot, so yes. Objectively speaking, I admit that."

Beau seemed satisfied by that response. "Very good. Very good. Well, objectively speaking, the two of you would make very good-looking babies." 

Madie looked up, laughing.

"Dear God, I have to go," I said, standing up from my chair and starting to shove all my things in my bag. When I was all packed, I looked between Beau and Madie, who were both still chuckling and giving each other meaningful glances—which I ignored. "You two will stick together?"

Madie sobered at that, rolling her eyes. Beau tossed an arm over her shoulder with a smile, though.

"I got my girl."

Beau was probably the only guy in the world who could get away with calling Madie my girl without getting kicked in the balls by Bren.

I nodded, glad to hear that Beau was committed to sticking by Madie's side. I really was worried. Not so much because of Bren's dad—although he did sound like a creep—but more because of Brodie. Grayson mentioned his roommate had been acting really weird lately, and that ass had already given Madie so much crap to cry about.

Hoisting my backpack onto my shoulders, I waved to them before walking away.

"Say hi to Grayson for us!" Beau called, which caused at least five people to scowl at him across the library.

He deserved every one of those scowls. I scowled too, and then I replied to Bren before ducking outside.

Me: I don't know what you're talking about.

Bren: Did you think you were good at hiding it?

Bren: ps I think I remember when you said those words to me. Turned tables, Nes.

I shoved my phone in my pocket. God, my friends were irritating.

Almost as irritating as Grayson.

***

I was breathless by the time I arrived at the athletic center a little over an hour later. Spotting Grayson standing by a water cooler, I made my way over to him. He wore a cut-off t-shirt, and so many of his muscles were on display that I had to swallow past the sudden dryness in my throat.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," I croaked, striding over to him.

The only excuse I had was that I tried on at least twenty outfits before going with black leggings and Grayson's shirt that I stole the night after the gala. I figured he would like that better than skimpy workout gear anyway.

His face lit up as he saw me, a twinkle in his eyes, and I knew I was right.

"Thought for a second you weren't gonna show, Adler."

"Yeah, well, I did tell you I don't work out."

Being active was important to me, but I would do anything to achieve it without setting foot in a gym. I hated the atmosphere. It always felt like eyes were on my back, sticking to it like my sweat. Judgment lingered in gazes. In a way, it didn't feel...safe.

"I know," he said, and his gaze was sympathetic. "But this was also your idea."

He was right. It was my idea.

With midterms approaching, both of our schedules were crazy. But Grayson still made time to come see me at work yesterday, and when I'd asked what he was doing tonight, he regretfully said he had a captain-mandated workout that he couldn't skip.

And then the words just fell out of my mouth.

"Can I come?"

Because even though I hated going to the gym, and I hated the eyes on my back, all I'd been able to think about was his eyes on me. And that was a totally different feeling.

Grayson's eyebrows had shot up at the question before a smirk played on his lips.

"You wanna come, huh?"

The double meaning definitely didn't go unnoticed, but innocence quickly masked his smirk before I dared to comment on it.

As promised, Grayson's dirty innuendos had been reduced to practically nothing since we made our little deal. This had been a rare occasion. It clearly slipped out on accident, but the worst part about it was I didn't hate it. Or him. Or anything that had been happening between us lately.

After acknowledging Grayson's point about this being my idea, I followed him through the maze of weights and machines until we reached hooks where I could hang up my gym bag and jacket. Glancing around the room nervously, I took in all the hulking, massive men before noting a few tiny, toned women.

"Jesus," I muttered as a guy in front of me let out a roar, snatching up a bar with weights that probably weighed more than me. Maybe two of me.

Grayson chuckled. "Don't let them intimidate you.  Remember, most football players are actually nice."

"Is everyone in here on the team?" My gaze danced over to the girls on treadmills.

Following my line of vision, Grayson nodded. "For the most part. The cheer team has access, too."

Well, that explained it.

For the next hour, Grayson walked me through his workout, which involved a never-ending string of leg exercises. Seriously, how many ways could there possibly be to torture your quads?

After showing me the basics about form, he spotted me while I tried out the squat rack, which was a terrible idea. It was like the night when he'd unzipped my dress—his breath on my neck, hands ghosting the small of my back, the little bit of murmuring he always did—except now I had a bar with huge freaking weights resting on my shoulders.

It was a terrible idea. And a miracle that my legs didn't give out after one set.

Grayson was attentive as ever, even when some of the cheerleaders tried to distract him by asking when he would come over to the house again, whatever the hell that meant.

"You're never there anymore," a redhead whined. She had on a matching gym set, and it was precisely the type of thing I wished I had. Although, even if I had it, I wouldn't be able to pull it off like she did.

Grayson shrugged. "Been busy, Sarah."

After he said it, he looked pointedly back at me. As if to say, I'm busy right now.

Surprisingly, she seemed to get the message and made a little pouty face before stalking off with her blonde friend.

"You're out here breaking hearts, Wilder." I tried to say it teasingly, but even I heard the bitterness leaking into my voice.

He rolled his eyes. "No, I'm not. Sarah's not on the prowl for anything more than a hook-up."

I frowned. "How do you know?"

He wiped his brow off with a towel. "Because that's what she told me before the last time we hooked up."

Sourness hit my stomach. My thoughts raced as it occurred to me for the first time that maybe I wasn't the only one he was pinning to his door at night. And even though I tried not to react, Grayson saw right through me.

"Which was in September, Adler."

Stupid, annoying relief flooded me. It was almost March.

He leaned against a stack of weights with a satisfied grin on his face.

"That was fun."

"What was fun?"

"Watching you try not to get jealous." Chuckling, Grayson brushed past me to change his weights. He paused when I looked over at him, gripping the squat rack and leaning forward between the metal cage-like structure. "Stop fighting it, darling," he said, quiet enough that no one else around us would hear.

But fighting was all I knew when it came to him. So I tossed a hand on my hip, popping it out.

"I wasn't jealous."

Grayson was back to adjusting the weight plates. He didn't even bother looking up, but I heard his breathy laugh. I stepped closer, watching him in the mirror as he got ready for his set. "Go on, then. Tell me about the girls," I said.

"Nessa, there are no other girls. It's just you." He sighed, seeming annoyed that he had to spell it out for me.

Ignoring the sudden burst of butterflies in my stomach, I shook my head. "No, I mean before me."

Stopping what he was doing, Grayson leaned against the squat rack. "Before you was the occasional hook-up at football parties and a girl that I dated junior year of high school." He snorted. "She broke up with me for Brodie, actually. Only then he didn't want anything to do with her because, you know, bro code."

I wrinkled my nose, hating to hear a story about Grayson's roommate that didn't make me hate him.

He laughed at my expression as he walked around to get into position to squat. Before he dipped below the bar, though, he stopped to slip a finger beneath my chin tenderly.

"As much as I like the jealous look on you, I need you to know that you don't have a reason to be. I am so fucking into you. And only you. It blows my mind that I even need to say that at this point, but the look on your face tells me that I do. So that's the truth, Wednesday Elez."

So close. I was so close to melting into him completely. And then he just had to throw that into the mix.

I swatted his hand away. "Gross, you just ruined all of that."

Tossing his head back, Grayson laughed. But then, as he lowered his gaze, he sobered.

"I'm so obsessed with you. And that includes your name. Even if you hate it."

The little grin he pulled onto my face didn't disappear throughout the whole time he did his set of squats, and our eyes kept connecting in the mirror as I stood behind him to spot. It was another terrible idea because I could barely focus, and I wouldn't be a lick of help if he needed it.

"Let's hit the showers after this," he said while finishing his last squat. Casually. Like we were teammates.

"I can shower back at—"

He began shaking his head before I even could finish.

"Trust me. Our showers are way nicer. You'll be thanking me."

He winked, and it was that and the gleam in his eye that made me slowly nod yes.

💗

Thanks for reading!
xoxo amelie