Page 7 of Falling for the Quarterback

“Maisy. I’m sorry, but I really gotta go. But I’ll see you around, ’kay?”

This somehow cheers her up, her eyes dancing with excitement. “Will you be at the first home game this weekend and the Kappa party after?”

I almost flinch. Not necessarily because of her question, but that the connotation is so different than it used to be for me. Had this been last year, of course I would have gone to the post-game party. I was the goddamn quarterback and star of the team. I would have played the game and gone to whatever house party was being thrown in our team’s honor, where I would’ve gotten drunk and probably laid.

This year, however, none of my friends will be playing—except Hayes McIntyre, who was new last year. He’s still the kicker on the team and is Kelsie’s boyfriend.

If EJ and Killian plan to visit this weekend, then I’ll definitely go to the game, but not the frat party. We’ll just be low-key chilling at the off-campus house I used to share with them.

I shrug noncommittally. “I don’t know. We’ll see. Depends on how much studying I have to do this weekend.”

Maisy pouts again, this time with an added flare of downcast eyes and a syrupy sweet voice. “That sounds so boring. Wouldn’t you rather come with me and have some fun?”

Fun. I remember the last time I truly had fun. And I haven’t been able to get her out of my head for months.

Jesus, I’m almost getting a boner thinking about her now.

To avoid any embarrassing and unwanted attention, I raise my eyebrows skyward at Maisy, brushing a hand over my chin where my short-clipped beard would be if I hadn’t shaved it off last weekend.

“Nobody ever said a graduate program was fun. I’ll see ya round, Maisy.”

Without any further awkwardness, I turn on my heels and beeline it over to join the girls. Gracie waggles her eyebrows as I approach.

“Always on the prowl, aren’t you, Hendy?”

I roll my eyes, giving a half-glance over my shoulder to ensure Maisy has retreated from earshot.

“That wasn’t on me this time. Shocker, I know.”

Lucy chuckles and hands me a drip coffee and two creamers. She turns to Grace next to her. “Oh, Gracie. Our boy is finally growing up!”

I accept the coffee in one hand and nudge her with my shoulder against hers. “Shut it, you brat, or I’ll tell EJ you’re flirting with the barista dude.”

Lucy scoffs and flicks a gaze over at Damon, the guy behind the espresso maker who happens to glance up and smiles congenially.

“You wouldn’t,” she argues. “Plus, Emmett wouldn’t believe you. He knows I can’t flirt.”

I laugh. “That’s true. You tried with me and failed miserably!”

She moves to swat my arm but I dodge away, narrowly missing a tall woman with a severe reddish-blonde bun tied neatly at her nape who walks past us with her head in her phone on our way to the door. Something about her posture and the way she stands pushes at the recesses of my mind, but Grace’s question steals my attention back.

“What’s your first class today? Which building?” Grace asks as I open the door and allow them to walk out in front of me. I blink and shield my eyes from the bright glare of the sunshine that has just risen over the mountain tops.

“It’s over in Cameron Hall. Digital Marketing Case Studies of European Countries.”

Neither seems too impressed by the title, and truthfully, neither was I when I first enrolled.

I still have no idea what I want to do with my life. Since I doubled up on graduate level courses as a senior last year, I now only have a year of coursework left. But there are still moments when I’m really bummed I didn’t at least attempt to go out for the NFL draft, but I knew it was a longshot. While I was a great D2 quarterback, my standing and abilities likely wouldn’t have made the cut, and I didn’t want to be rejected in that way.

Say what you will about my cocky attitude, I’m actually quite thin-skinned. I take rejection hard.

“Sounds cool. Do you know the professor from your undergrad classes?”

I shake my head. “Nah. I think they may be new to the school this year. Someone named C. Butler. Don’t know anything about them. Their bio and picture wasn’t even on the university website yet when I checked last week. Guess I’m about to find out.”

The girls take their turns throwing their arms around me to say goodbye and I hug them back.

“Well, I hope it’s a fun class!” Lucy chirps. “See you at home later.”

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