Page 17 of Personal Foul
“Easton.”
Liv and Kenz burst into laughter at my expense, and I glare at them both.
"You’re not helping.” I pour my coffee with a heavier hand than usual and skip the creamer and sugar. I’m gonna need the fuel to steel my spine on this conversation.
“Oh come on, he’s not that bad. He’s… East but it’s not like he’s a slacker or anything.” Kenz comes to his defense.
“Isn’t he? I’ve never once heard him talk about homework or grades or anything other than partying and football. I don’t even know how he’s in this class. Another jock privilege, I guess. Do whatever you want because the athletics department says it’s okay.”
I love sports. I practically live at a sports bar. I can recite stats in my sleep. Before I worked too many hours to do anything else, I even used to coach girls’ soccer. And at one point, a long, long time ago, I had dreams of playing in college and the pros. But even I can acknowledge that sometimes the system is rigged.
“Be nice, Wren,” Liv chides me from across the kitchen counter.
“I’m nice to people who deserve it. And Easton does not deserve it after… everything.”
I had other reasons to dislike him, beyond being disappointingly fantastic in bed. I really did.
“Well… he means well most of the time. I think.” Liv hedges.
Means well is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Easton had nearly doomed Mac and Waylon’s relationship when he set up one of the jersey chasers in my bedroom to seduce Waylon, and while he had sort of helped Olivia and Liam finally come to terms with the fact there was something more than friendship between them, he’d done it by locking them out on a rooftop patio. And both times, I was responsible for trying to extricate Waylon and Liam from their fate. I managed to rescue Waylon. Liam on the other hand was, uh, already too far gone with Olivia. I shake my head trying to get the images of the two of them that are burned into my brain, thanks to Easton’s handiwork, out of my mind.
“Does he?” Kenz raises a brow, and I’m glad I at least have half an ally in her.
“His intentions are good, at least for him.” Liv shrugs.
“‘For him’ being the operative part of that sentence. And whatever the case, I don’t want to be stuck on this project with him. I’m hoping the professor is going to let me switch partners.”
“Did you talk to East about it?” Liv questions.
“No. Why would I talk to him? He doesn’t care who he has as a partner. In fact, he could probably find someone who would only be too happy to do all the work for him.”
Liv and Kenz exchange glances.
“What?”
“Nothing.” They both say in unison and return to sipping their coffee.
I eye them warily but put my empty cup in the dishwasher rack and start heading for the door. If I get to campus early, I can get to the bookstore to buy the rest of my books before it gets too wild.
“I’ll see you all later!”
“Bye! Have a good day!” they call after me.
* * *
I standat the professor’s desk after class, waiting in a line of students to discuss the prospect of not having Easton as my partner. I’m honestly even willing to go it alone if it means not having to work with him. I glance down at my phone, hoping this little conversation isn’t going to take too long because I need to get to the bar within the next hour to relieve Kelsey from her shift. I need to put the order in for this weekend’s food, and I need to contact the freezer repair guy to check the broken gasket on the door before the health inspection people show up unannounced and have my head for it. And I need to put in another beer order because we are running low on several kinds, and I do not need cranky customers for this weekend’s big hockey game.
“So I see we’re paired together for this,” Easton’s voice breaks through my mental laundry list.
“Yeah, that’s what I’m going to talk to the professor about,” I say without looking at him. I really wish he would just have gone to the gym or his next class or wherever else he needs to be. I do not want to see him.
“What do you mean?” A tone has entered his voice, and I finally turn to look at him. It’s a mistake because he looks especially good today. Don’t get me wrong. I hate him, body and soul, but the boy is pretty. The money means he dresses well, he grooms well, and he has all the swagger that comes along with it. I hate it, but I also kind of like it. A little. And now that I know what he looks like with it all off?Doom.It spells doom. This is why I can’t be around him.
“I have an insane schedule. Between classes and work, I don’t have spare hours. I’d prefer to work on this project alone. If he won’t allow me that as an option, then I at least want to be paired with someone with less… extracurriculars.” I straighten my spine, trying to increase my five-foot-eight stature to something a little taller. Something that might match his stupid height and build.
“Football’s over. I have plenty of free time.”
“I assume you have The Combine to train for, and all of your manymanyparties and club openings and whatever else you do.”Whoever else you do.I keep that last part to myself because I refuse to be jealous over him. I had a one-night stand. A thoughtless ill-advised one-night stand. But nothing I can’t handle.
