Page 21 of Tutoring Mr. Hotshot

Rodney:Made it home. Stayed up with Ma to talk about animals. She wants a pet since I’m gone so much. I don’t know how I feel about it. Missing you. XO

I stare at the last few words until I fall asleep. Then the next morning, I open my phone to read them again.

He has no clue what he’s done. If I hadn’t already been obsessed with him, this would have done it. He’s never going to get rid of me now.

* * *

When I get down to breakfast, the guys are all sitting around talking about the party last night. Most, if not all of them, appear to be hungover. I’d laugh about it if I weren’t so pissed off about Rodney’s words from last night.

He made it seem like the rest of my team likes to give him shit.

Like they bully him.

What a bunch of fucking losers. Who bullies people in college? That’s playground behavior. These are guys who want to get professionally drafted and earn millions of dollars. Yet they aren’t mature enough to leave someone be.

If this were back home, I’d already be beating the idiots bloody. I’m sure I’ll find a reason to punch each one of these fuckers at some point. They won’t get away with hurting my little genius.

“Yo, Andy!”

“Andry,” I bite out to correct a sloppy-looking Liam.

“Yeah, right. Andry. Where did you disappear to last night? You were supposed to hang, man.”

Ignoring his question, I go about making my morning protein drink. I’d have loved to make some breakfast — or better yet, to have gotten breakfast with Rodney — but I spent far too much time analyzing how I’ll proceed in the pursuit of making him mine to actually have time to eat.

My personal training schedule is non-negotiable. While these guys take time to get over last night, I’ll be lifting weights and stretching out my sore muscles. Tonight’s game means I have to take it easy. It doesn’t mean I get off without doing anything.

“I was at the party for a while then left. There is nothing to say.” I chug the drink mix, not even caring that it’s flavorless. I’m used to things having little to no taste.

The guys all laugh at my reply, though Liam doesn’t appear pleased. “You’re supposed to stay with the team. Or did you forget you’re part of one?”

“I didn’t forget. I was busy. They don’t need me.”

He opens his mouth to speak, but his brother cuts him off. “Let it go, Liam. He came like you wanted. Who cares where he went after? Maybe he found a girl to hook up with. I saw more than one making eyes at him when we walked in.”

Liam frowns as I chuckle. Now would be a good time to tell them I’m gay. I think over it for a second, then decide, fuck it —why not.

“That wouldn’t matter to me,” I say, drawing everyone’s attention, “considering I don’t fuck women.”

There’s a pause, then Liam says, “Don’t tell me you’re a —”

“Ah-ah-ah. I wouldn’t say that if I were you, Liam. Coach said he has my back. There are rules here at university. I’d hate for you to get suspended and lose the chance to play because you opened your fucking mouth to say shit.”

Everyone in the room is silent. The sound of Liam’s heavy breaths is the only thing audible in the space.

After a tense moment, I nod my head, then whistle as I leave the house. I hear them all starting to whisper as soon as I’m out of the kitchen.

Let them think and say what they want. So long as they don’t call me those fucking slurs and they don’t mess with my little genius, I don’t care.

I’m sure the game later is going to be a mess. They’ll probably try to take out their frustrations on me in some way.

Good luck, boys.

It takes a lot to rattle me. I’ve been beaten and broken before. It was the way of life back home. Bellport is a paradise compared to there.

Needing to feel better, I pull out my phone to text my little genius to see where he is. If I can catch him after my workout, then I might just boost my mood enough I don’t punch every motherfucker on the team that gives me lip.

Coach would not like it.

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