“Speaking of Logan, I’ll go find whatever freshman dorm room or closet he’s in.” Mason passed me, his hand grazing mine in his own way of reassuring me. He glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll be back with more of your stuff from the car,” he said before disappearing into the hallway.
My roommate started for her desk but swung back around. “Wait. Mason. Does he already go here?”
I nodded.
Her eyes started to light up. “Is he a sophomore this year?”
I gave another slow nod.
“Is his last name Kade? As in, Mason Kade?”
“You’ve heard of him?”
“Have I heard of him?” Grabbing my arms, she pinched into them. “He’s supposed to go pro next year. He’s Cain University’s premium wide receiver. Of course, I’ve heard of him. Mason Kade is a legend. My dad is friends with the coach, and they’ve talked a ton about him. I can’t believe it. Oh my god.” Her chest began rising, picking up pace, and she let go of my arms to wrap her arms around herself. “I need to calm down. I’m getting too excited.”
“Are you a fan of him or of football?”
“Both.” Her cheeks were flushed red, and she was fanning herself. “Did you turn the heat on?”
I gestured to the open door.
“Oh.” She grinned at me, still waving her hand to fan herself. “Sorry. I’m not normally this fangirlie, but, man.” Her smile turned lopsided. “I can’t believe he’s your boyfriend. Mason Kade is dating my roommate. Wow. When I tell my dad, he’s going to freak.”
I was still giving her the side-eye. She was beautiful. She was tall. She was thin. She had bone structure that went through her ass. She could be a model. And she was going all gaga over my man? If she moaned his name in her sleep, I was going to go apeshit. Damn the consequences.
She must’ve noticed my reaction. Her mouth dropped open. “Oh! No! I’m not interested in him like that. No, no, no. I’m a huge football fan. You have no idea. I am not normal. I can give two shits about the guys. It’s all football for me. I inherited my dad’s genes.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Wait. Not that I could give two shits about guys like that. I’m not like that either. I like guys. Well, it’s not that I don’t like girls. I mean, I do. Oh my god.” She groaned, pressing her hands to her temples. “I am making a fool of myself, and I don’t normally do that. Seriously. People make fools of themselves around me, not the other way around.”
One of my eyebrows went up. Really?
She groaned again, shaking her head. “And right there, I came off super arrogant, didn’t I? I am not like how I’m coming across. Not at all. I’m not arrogant. I just don’t adhere to certain rules of society. Now, I’m sounding like a major dork.” She flung a hand out, gesturing to me. “It’s you. You’re super cool, and you’re dating Mason Kade, whose career I’ve been following for years. His brother too, but not as much.”
“You know Logan?”
Her eyes were still wide as she slowly moved her head up and down. Her cheeks were becoming pink again. “I know of Logan. Who doesn’t? Do you not realize how known your boyfriend and his brother are? I know their football stats. I know how many games they played together. I know they were a force to be reckoned with. Mason graduated, and Logan still did amazing with Fallen Crest’s record last year. How many did they win? Are you from Fallen Crest? I guess I don’t even know that. You may be from somewhere else. Wait. How did you meet Mason? I know I’m being really nosy, but I can’t help asking. I’m fascinated with everything. My dad wanted to go pro, and I think he knows their dad, too—something about business. Okay, I’m shutting up. I keep babbling and babbling, and you’re looking at me like I’m a psycho stalker. I’m not. Promise.” She patted herself on the chest before forcing herself to sit down on the bed and tuck her hands under her legs. “I just really like football. That’s all. I don’t want to get into either of their pants.” She squeaked, her entire face flaming up. “Shutting up. Now.”
There was a moment of silence.
The girl was stunning, and she was rattling off things about football, about Mason, about Logan, and even about James. I glanced at the storage totes she’d brought in with her and glimpsed a stack of magazines. The plastic was clear, and the images were blurry, but I could tell the pictures were of her.
This girl was a model and a football fan. “Logan’s going to try to hump you like crazy.”
“What?” Her head swung back up. She was confused until she saw where I was looking. “Oh.” She bit down on her lip. Her hands pulled from under her legs and twisted onto each other. “Yeah.” Her foot nudged the closest storage tote. “That’s my secret. I’m a model—or I was a model. I quit, so I could come to college.” A bitter laugh left her. “My stepmother’s not happy.”
“Your stepmother?”
“My dad got himself a new wife a few years back. It’s been…” She hesitated before continuing, “Difficult, I guess. But what did you say about Logan? He’s going to hump me?”
I grunted, moving to start unpacking my own things. “He’s going to try.” Damn, my roommate was a model. How cliché was that? “A model, huh?”
She let out a sigh, giving me a smile. “Former model. College student now, no matter how famous my mother would like me to be.”