Noel threw back his head and laughed.
“What?” Ten muttered, folding his arms over his chest and glaring. “I make a fucking awesome friend.”
Noel’s chuckle settled before he seemed to realize Ten was serious. His smile dropped flat. Pointing at Ten’s nose, he growled. “Stay the fuck away from my sister.”
Ten sent him a bland glance. “Why do you feel the need to say that to me in that exact tone every time you see me?”
“Probably because you’re a horny little ass who can’t keep it in his pants and hits on anything and everything with tits and a vagina.”
“Have you ever seen me hit on her?” When Noel didn’t readily answer, Ten sniffed and shook his head. “That’s what I thought, fucker. I do have some sense of honor, you know.” Spinning away, he stalked off.
As I stared after my ticked-off roommate, Noel scratched his head. “What the hell is his problem?”
I glanced at Noel. If he seriously didn’t notice how obviously out-of-character Ten acted whenever Caroline was around, then I wasn’t going to be the person to clue him in. I just hoped to God Ten hadn’t been lying when he’d said he had more sense than to hit on Caroline, because if he ever did, the outcome with his and Noel’s friendship would not be pretty.
“I’m going to go ask Zoey and Cora if pizza’s okay with them,” I said instead, moving away before a scowling Noel could question me further.
Eating with the Gambles turned out to be more than okay with Cora...and Caroline too. I don’t think Zoey had much choice in the matter.
As soon as I mentioned the invite to them, Cora’s eyes had gone huge. “You mean, Noel Gamble, the quarterback, wants us to eat with him?”
I blinked, wondering why she was so impressed. She knew Noel and I were friends, but...hmmm. Maybe she just didn’t realize how close we were.
Maybe I needed to talk a little more about myself around her.
Caroline had still been talking to Zoey when I’d mentioned it to her. Before Zoey could answer, Caroline gripped her arm and started jumping up and down. “Oh, you have to. It’ll be so much fun. Please, please, please.”
With a laugh, Zoey nodded. “Okay, I guess. I’d love to.”
So we ended up following Noel to the nearest pizza parlor. On the way, Cora bragged to Zoey about how fortunate we were to spend the evening in Noel Gamble’s company.
“He’s, like, the football icon around here. Hell, the entire university might as well pin his face up as their new logo because he’s such a legendary quarterback. We haven’t seen talent like his in...well, a long time.”
My eyebrows furrowed as she kept gushing. Yeah, Noel was good. But he wasn’t the entire team. If Ten wasn’t such a great receiver, Noel never would’ve made as many awesome passes as he had. If the entire defensive line hadn’t held back our opponents as much as they had, Noel wouldn’t even have time on the field to make impressive plays. And—
“What position do you play?” Zoey asked from the backseat.
It took me a second to realize she was talking to me. I lifted my face to the rearview mirror, and a shock of awareness spread through me when our gazes met.
Seriously. Why did she have to have such pretty eyes?
Cora laughed and waved a hand. “Oh, Quinn’s only a third-string quarterback.”
I glanced at her sharply. She was still chuckling over her dismissive reply. “I’m also a first-string tight end,” I felt the need to add. And a sophomore first-string tight end at that. There were seniors who still hadn’t made a first-string position yet. I’d been kind of proud of how well I’d risen in the ranks.
My girlfriend rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but the only position that matters is quarterback.”
I didn’t even know how to respond to that. But learning my own girlfriend thought the main position I played was meaningless didn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Why had I never heard her say anything like this before?
“If the other players were useless, then wouldn’t it just be a game of one-on-one out on the field?” Zoey asked thoughtfully.
I shot her a grateful glance in the rearview mirror, but yeah, looking at her was still a bit too overwhelming, so I quickly returned my attention to the road and pulled into the pizza place’s parking lot.
“Well, thank God there’s more,” Cora went on. “Watching a bunch of hot men in tight pants is a lot more fun than just watching two.” Nudging her elbow into mine, she grinned across the car and wiggled her eyebrows.
I sent her a tight smile, trying not to let her see how much her words hurt...and ticked me off. But didn’t she realize how much she was belittling me? Did she really see me as so insignificant? As I found a parking spot, I blew out a long, steadying breath, telling myself not to obsess over her thoughtless words. My grandmother had always told me it only hurt me—no one else—when I kept a grudge against someone for an unintentional hurt they’d caused.
“Keeping a grudge is like swallowing poison and hoping somebody else dies from it,” she’d always told me.
But still...my stung pride continued to smart as I killed the engine. What was worse than realizing my girlfriend thought so lowly of me was that Zoey was there to witness it.
I cast her a quick glance as we got out of the car. She darted an apologetic smile to me before looking away, and I wondered what she was so sorry about. She’d actually defended me. Or maybe she was trying to apologize for Cora’s sake, since Cora obviously had no idea what she was putting me through.
I shook my head. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to let a careless slight get me down.
Straightening my spine, I followed the girls to the front entrance where Noel and his sister met us at the door. He paused to hold it open and let us go in first, and I couldn’t help but frown at the way Cora tittered and thanked him for his courtesy. I didn’t like knowing she’d placed one of my friends on a higher pedestal than she’d placed me.
“Aspen and my brothers are on their way too,” Noel told me as I was the last to enter. “Hope you don’t mind.”
I shook my head. “Not at all. That’s fine with me.”
As Caroline dragged Zoey in first, Cora caught my arm and murmured into my ear. “Who’s Aspen?”
I froze, not certain how to answer. In respect to Noel, I hadn’t told Cora about his and Aspen’s relationship. I wasn’t sure if he wanted it spread around. But if he didn’t mind eating here with her in public, with Cora present, I guess it was okay to tell her now.
But instead of going into details, I just said, “She’s Noel’s girlfriend.”
Cora frowned slightly. “I didn’t know he was seeing anyone.”
I nodded and grasped her hand to escort her to our seats, only to pause when I caught sight of Ten already sitting at two tables that had been pushed together.
“Hey,” he called with a big grin, waving us over. “What a surprise to see you guys. You all want to sit with me? There’s plenty of room.”
Noel slowed to a stop, scowling, but Caroline merely steered Zoey toward him. So Cora and I headed that way too.
Cora’s eyes narrowed as they settled on my roommate. “You didn’t tell me he was going to be here.”
It bothered me that Ten and Cora so openly did not get along. Even from the very beginning, when I first started dating her, he refused to be polite to her, and she’d been just as eager to hiss and spit at him. He never, not even once, let her stay overnight at our place.
I knew women usually got off on a bad foot with him, but he’d at least been decent to all our friends’ girlfriends. Why couldn’t he have attempted civility with Cora?
Noel reluctantly joined us, but I think he hated the seating arrangement. Caroline ended up directly next to Ten. He smiled at her as she sat, and then he went and politely nodded to Zoey, telling her it was nice to see her again. Then, instead of calling Cora a dirty name, which he usually did, he simply ignored her.
Yeah, it was strange when he was on his best b
ehavior. Kind of gave me the willies, so I could only imagine what it did to Noel.
I was unnerved to end up sitting on the other side of Zoey. My elbow accidently brushed past hers as I sat, which somehow made that mysterious smell of hers invade my nostrils. They flared, trying to figure it out until Cora sat beside me, and her vanilla perfume drowned it out.
The waitress came and took drink requests, but Noel told her we were waiting for three more to join us before we ordered our meals.
Noel and Ten started discussing the first upcoming game of the season and trying to decide how much of a challenge it was going to be to win when Cora gasped and clutched my arm.
“Oh my God. Isn’t that the teacher who was fired last semester for having sex with a student?”
As I squeezed her hand in warning under the table, Noel swung his head her way and narrowed his eyes. “What did you just say?”
Crap. I definitely should’ve warned Cora, but she hadn’t taken any of Aspen’s classes last year; I didn’t think she’d even know who Aspen was.
But she did. She pointed. “Look. She’s right there.”
We all twisted in our seats to look, even though I’m sure most of us knew exactly who we’d see. And sure enough, Aspen had just entered the pizza parlor with Noel’s two younger brothers, Colton and Brandt.
“Cor—” I started, hoping to quiet her, but she just kept talking. “Did you not see the naked picture of her that baseball player was showing everyone on his phone last night?”
I winced and lifted my hand to stop her, but Noel was already slowly turning around to pierce Cora with a hard stare. “What picture?”
She started to answer, but I quickly put my hand over her mouth, muffling her.
Noel swiveled his attention to me. “Hamilton?” His voice was low and deadly.
I glanced toward Ten, not sure what to say.
“Don’t worry about it.” Ten patted Noel’s shoulder in way too nonchalant of a way. “We took care of damage control.”
“Damage control?” Noel swiped Ten’s hand off him and stood up, fisting his hands down at his sides. “What the fuck, man? Someone’s spreading around pictures of my woman and you don’t feel the need to tell me? Whose phone was it on? Was it the same picture the coach posted on the locker room wall or was it a new one?” When no one responded, he kicked the table leg. “Damn it. Somebody answer me.”
Caroline snaked out a hand to catch the napkin basket as it started to topple over while a wide-eyed Zoey moved back in her chair, looking petrified.
Though I was still using one hand to cover Cora’s mouth, I set the other on Zoey’s arm, trying to calm her. “It’s okay,” I mouthed the words, but her eyes were wide with panic and fear.
“Noel?” A concerned Aspen touched his arm as she reached the table. “What’s wrong?”
He spun to her and pulled her into his arms, crushing her to his chest. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Cora ripped my hand off her mouth. “Oh, snap.” Her mouth fell open as she watched Noel and Aspen hug. “Noel Gamble was the student who got her fired?”
“Say what?” Caroline shouted as Noel and Aspen broke apart.
Ten stood up and glared at Cora as if he was going to strangle her.
I rushed to my feet, intervening, and grabbed my girlfriend’s hand to pull her up after me. “Come with me.”
I think it was past time to get my girlfriend up to speed.
I didn’t know exactly what was going on around me, but it wasn’t taking me long to catch up. Caroline’s brother, the star quarterback, had started dating one of his teachers and gotten her fired for having a relationship with her. And they were still obviously together.
Got it.
And now I also knew what had been on that cell phone last night that had set Quinn off.
As he dragged Cora away from the table, I gaped after them, not sure what I was supposed to do. Follow them, or just stay here? I didn’t want to stick around because it looked as if Caroline’s brother was about to blow a gasket. But getting up and leaving now didn’t feel right either. Plus, Caroline reached out and grabbed my hand hard, letting me know she needed some serious moral support.
Watching Cora and Quinn disappear down a hall, Noel’s girlfriend pulled out of the hug and smiled sadly up at Noel. “I’m guessing someone just let the cat out of the bag, huh?”
“Oh my God.” A pale Caroline let go of me and stumbled to her feet, her gaze darting between Noel and Aspen. She covered her mouth. “Oh my God. So that...what she just said...it’s true?”
Noel winced as he kissed Aspen on the forehead. “Care.”
When his voice cracked with apology, her eyes bulged with horror. “Holy shit.” She backed away. “Oh, holy shit.” Whirling away from them, she stumbled over me and my chair in her haste to escape.
Okay, now I really felt uncomfortable for sitting through all this.
Aspen—who actually looked younger than her ex-student—turned worried eyes up to Noel. “We really should’ve told her.”
“Told her what?” the youngest boy with Aspen asked.
“Nothing,” Noel growled as he grasped Aspen’s elbow to steer her toward the exit. “Come on. We’re leaving.”
“But I want to stay,” the older boy said. He had dark hair and looked like a younger Noel. “I’m freaking starving.”
“Me too,” the younger brother whined. He looked more like Caroline, with her fair hair and similarly shaped face. “I want pizza.”
“We’ll get it delivered.” Noel’s tone brooked no room for argument. When his fierce gaze landed on me, I moved back in my seat and held my breath, ready for him to start making threats to ensure my silence. But instead, he asked, “Can you make sure my sister gets a ride home?”
I was so startled to hear that question, I fumbled at first. “Uh...yeah, sure.” I bobbed my head, glad to help in any way. “Of course.”
His shoulders eased fractionally. Then he sent me a respectful nod. “Thanks.”
As he ushered Aspen and the two boys from the pizza parlor, I stared after them, dazed by what had just happened.
I turned toward Ten, who’d slumped into his seat and rested his forehead in his hand.
What now? I asked him the silent question.
He met my gaze, lifted a brow, and then blew out a breath. “Well…fuck.”
Without saying another word to me, he stood up and walked off.
I remained seated, letting everything soak in. I didn’t stay long, just long enough for the waitress to return with a tray full of drinks. When she found just little ol’ me left hovering at the two tables, she paused and glanced around.
“Um…” I sent her a weak smile. “Everyone else had to…go.”
She didn’t seem to know what to do with the drinks. “What do I do with all these, then?”
“Oh!” I popped to my feet and grabbed my purse. “I can pay for them. I’m so sorry for your trouble.”
Still confused, she continued to hesitate. “So…you just want me to take them back?”
I bit my lip. Seeing as everyone had left, yeah, I pretty much wanted her to take them back. But I didn’t know how to say that without sounding condescending. “Well…” I glanced around. No one from my group was in sight anywhere. “I don’t think they’re coming back.”
They definitely were not coming back.
“That’s just lovely.” Huffing out a moody breath, she spun away and stalked off, returning the tray full of cups to the kitchen. When she came back, I was standing at the counter, waiting to pay.
She couldn’t seem to stop glaring and sighing out her disgust, so I apologized again, but she just blew me off.
Once the bill was taken care of, I clutched my purse to my chest and glanced around, wondering how I was going to find anyone. I glanced down a hall that led to the bathrooms and didn’t spot anyone there, so I pushed my way out the back exit. When I saw Ten’s back as he rounded a corner, I hurried after him. No idea
why I followed him. But he was the only person here I somewhat knew, and I was kind of stuck here until I found a ride home, plus I needed to find Caroline. So I darted after him, only to realize he’d just found her.
I was going to approach, but after the tender way he touched her back to get her attention…I don’t know…I held back.
“Hey.” His voice was soft. “You okay?”
Caroline spun around and looked up at him a good ten seconds before she nodded. The tears filling her eyes probably told him she really wasn’t okay, though.
“I just...” She wiped at her cheeks and sniffed. “I knew she was a teacher, and I knew she was looking for a job, but I...I had no idea she was his teacher, or that she’d gotten fired because...oh my God. She never let on that anything like that had happened. Neither did he. They just...they’ve been so supportive and strong, helping Colton, Brandt, and me settle in and adjust. I didn’t even...I had no idea. She doesn’t look old enough to be a university professor.” Her wet eyes looked extra blue and pleading as she stared up at him. “Why didn’t they tell me?”
Ten shook his head slowly. “I’m sure they didn’t want to worry you with it. You—”
When he reached for her cheek, she jerked back and gritted her teeth. “But I’m going to be going to that school on Monday. I’ll be attending the same college where they...” She gulped. “What if I heard some rumor, or...I don’t know. Why wouldn’t they want me to be prepared for that? What—”
“Hey. Shh.” Ten caught her arm and hauled her in for a hard hug. “Your brother wasn’t expecting you to hear any rumors. You might hear about an English teacher losing her job, maybe even speculation of why, but very, very few of us know it’s actually because of Noel.”
She sniffed and burrowed deeper into his chest. “You’d think he’d know he didn’t have to protect me like that anymore. I’m eighteen.”
Ten smiled. “Doesn’t matter how old you get. You’ll always be his little sister. He’ll always want to protect you.”
“And I’m sure I’ll always want to knock his head off for it, too.”
With a soft chuckle, Ten began to stroke her hair. “I bet.” When he closed his eyes and buried his nose in it as if he was smelling her, something tight wrapped around my chest. He liked her. I mean, he really, really liked her. I slunk an inch in reverse, feeling like a voyeur. But I didn’t know where else to go. So, I just...stayed and watched.