When I arrive back at the dorm, Hailey is fully engrossed in her Kindle, yet another thing we have in common. I fill her in on the plans for tomorrow night before taking a fast shower, making quick calls to the Emersons and Gran, before going to bed. It’s been a long and exhausting day.
As I climb into bed, Hailey informs me that tomorrow night is country night at The Warehouse, and she and I are hitting the mall tomorrow to ensure we’re dressed appropriately. I fall asleep with a smile on my face. I’m getting to live the normal life my peers have been living. I miss Gran, but I love her for pushing me to do this. Not bad for a first day.
Chapter 4
Liam
After dropping Blitzen off at his place, I decide to hit the gym. I’d already been there first thing this morning, but I need a distraction. All day long I’ve been thinking about Allison. The way I can’t get her out of my mind is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I can’t wrap my head around it. I’ve only spent two hours with her and she’s consuming my thoughts. I work out for a couple of hours, hit the showers, and head home. There’s no way in hell I can act on this… attraction I’m feeling for her. She’s my sister’s roommate. Hailey would kill me.
I pull into the lot of our complex at the same time as Aiden, also known as Dash, my roommate does. Dash is our running back and ‘speed’ is his thing, hence the nickname. “Hey, man! I thought you were meeting up with Ash tonight?”
“I did, we had dinner at Longhorn. She gave me this,” he says, smiling as he lifts a large basket filled with goodies. It looks just like the one that Allison brought up to her room earlier today. There I go again.
“Is that from your mom?” I ask. My mouth is already watering. Aiden’s mom is an amazing cook and always sends the best treats.
“Why yes it is. Can I possibly interest you in banana bread, buckeyes, or a peanut butter cookie, perhaps?”
“Dude, stop teasing and share the love,” I whine. “I’m starving, I haven’t had dinner yet.”
“You should’ve come with me, you could’ve met Ash.”
I raise my eyebrows at him. “I wouldn’t intrude on your date, man, not cool.”
“How many times do I have to tell you? It’s not like that with Ash. She’s like my little sister. Her parents died in a car crash when she was ten. She came to live with her gran, who lives next door to my parents. She was shy and scared, and my parents fell in love with her immediately. It’s really kind of hard not to. Anyway, they asked me to take her under my wing, look out for her at school and things. She became my best friend. I love her like my little sister. I’ve never had romantic feelings for her.”
“You just said it’s hard to not fall in love with her,” I remind him.
“Yes, it is, and when you meet her, you’ll know why. There are many different types of love. She’s family, that’s all.”
“Okay, I hear what you’re saying, but you warned all of us off of her like she was yours, man.”
“That’s because, she’s different.” He runs his hands through his hair, obviously struggling with something. “Listen, man, I don’t want the other guys to know this. You’re my best friend, other than Ash, so I know I can trust you. I don’t want those other vultures to get wind of this.” He takes a deep breath. “Ash is innocent, man. She’s never been on a date, she’s never even been kissed. Her parents were both college professors, so she spent all of her time studying and making grades. It was her way of honoring their memory and making them proud. Any spare time she had, she was taking care of her gran. Gran is old and her health is failing fast. Ash took care of her. They took care of each other. Granny Hagan is her only family. My parents and I adopted them into ours. My dad calls her sis, and we’re all she’ll have left when something happens to Gran.”
We sit in silence for a few minutes. “Wow, she has no other family?”
“Nope, both of her parents were only children, and her mom’s parents both passed on before she was born. It’s just her and Gran.”
“Damn.” I’m trying to process all that I’ve just learned.
“She’s amazing, the strongest person I know. She’s not like the girls we’re used to; she doesn’t bitch and whine all the time. She’s been dealt a bad hand in life, but she keeps her head up and just lives for each day. She constantly worries and fusses over her gran, but it’s endearing. Her gran had to make her stay on campus. She wanted to drive back and forth each day, just so she would be there if her gran needed her. It took a lot of convincing from my parents and Gran’s home-care nurse that Gran would be well cared for to get her to go through with it.” He takes a deep breath and runs his hands through his hair again. “She didn’t go to prom. I told her that I would come home and take her, she refused. Said she didn’t need her best friend to be her pity date. The thing is, she had offers, tons of them, she’s beautiful, but she always turned them down. Gran came first. Instead, she stayed in, and she and Gran watched movies and ate popcorn. So, you see, Ash is different, special. Once the guys get wind of all of this, her innocence, it’d become a challenge for them. I want better for her, more. She deserves better, she deserves respect and love. She needs to find someone who’ll make her the center of their universe, because that’s what they would be for her.” He rests his head against the back of the couch.
Fuck! Now I feel bad for always razzing him. “I see, now, where you’re coming from. I get it.” I get up to get more cookies out of the basket. Damn things are addicting. “So, I helped Hales move into her dorm today.” I need to change the subject.
“Oh, yeah, so your little sis is officially a college student.”
“Yep, she’s really excited, her roommate was there, she’s...beautiful.” What the hell, did I just say that?
Aiden throws his head back and laughs. “Wow, that’s huge coming from you. You feeling alright?”
It’s my turn to run my hand through my hair, trying to process what I want to say. “Fuck if I know. This girl has consumed my thoughts all damn day. I spent two hours with her and Hales, and now she’s all that I can think about. I can’t describe it, there’s just something about her. She’s gorgeous and I’m drawn to her, man. I know this sounds fucked up, and I’m in major jeopardy of losing my man card, but I can’t seem to stop thinking about her.”
I plop down beside him on the couch with the entire cookie container. “Get this shit. I shook her hand when Hales introduced us and when she let go it bothered me. What the fuck is that about? I’d just met this girl, and I didn’t want her to let go of my hand.” I take a drink of milk. “Go ahead and say it, I’m a pussy.” I take another drink of milk. “Then, when I introduced Blitzen, he kissed her cheek, and I wanted to punch him. So, tell me what the fuck is going on with me?”
Aiden chuckles. “Sounds to me like it’s love at first sight.” He winks at me, winding me up even further.
I take a minute to process what he said, and to finish the cookie I just shoved into my mouth, addicting fuckers. “Do you believe in that shit, love at first sight? I mean, I’ve heard my dad talk about the moment he met my mother that he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. I thought he was just spouting shit to me and Hales. Besides, you know me, I don’t do relationships. My commitment is football.”