He stares at me in amusement for a few seconds. "Who are you and what have you done with my football hating best friend."
"I don't hate football, I just—"
I can almost see the light bulb go off in his head. "You wanted to stay away from him. You never came to our Harrow Creek games. Ever."
"Guilty as charged."
Anger washes through him and his expression pulls tight as we make our way to our seats.
"I wish you'd have just told me, Let," he grits out after a few minutes of silence.
"If I knew it would turn out like this, then I would have. I don't want him ruining your chances at the NFL."
"That fucker isn't going to ruin anything." He reaches out and grabs my hand under the table. "I won't fucking let him."
I smile at him and rest my head on his shoulder. "You're a good person, Luc."
"So are you and I won't let you get poisoned by the likes of him."
"We've got your back, Letty. No matter what," Leon adds right before our professor starts the lecture.
I feel his stare throughout the entire class but I never once look back. And when we get up to leave first, I continue looking where I'm going.
Kane is a part of my past. A part I'd rather forget. It's time to focus on my future.
* * *
I breathe a sigh of relief as I walk out of sociology late Friday morning. It's my last class of the week and I've got my first MKU football party to get ready for.
Ella has already warned me that her and Violet have the face packs and fireballs ready.
I can almost feel the alcohol burning down my throat as I think about it.
I haven’t had a drink in… I can't even remember how long. So I know I'm going to need to take it easy tonight.
The last thing I want is to end up passed out or sick and embarrass Luca and Leon at their own party.
I practically skip back to the dorms with excitement stirring in my belly. It's a feeling I've missed.
Hanging with the girls and getting ready to spend the night dancing and forgetting about the stresses of college is one of the reasons I was so excited to embark on this chapter of my life.
No parents, no one watching your every move.
I push through the door to our dorm and already there's music booming through the small space and Ella and Violet are dancing around the kitchen.
"We're making tacos and margaritas. You want?"
"Serious question?"
I dump my bag and books into my room before joining them and helping where I can.
The guys never appear and I wonder if that's because they got class or if they've been banished from the dorm so we can all hang out.
It's not until hours later when I'm sitting on Ella's bed with some purple junk on my face while she paints my nails fire engine red to go with the dress she insisted I wear tonight that we hear them return to the dorm.
"It's Friday," one of them bellows before their doors all close, I assume so they can get ready for tonight.
I was happy with a pair of skinny jeans and a top but she point-blank refused and pulled out a dress that was hanging in my closet with the tag still attached.