Chapter Sixteen EVERLEIGH

Chapter Sixteen

EVERLEIGH

Monday is my busiest day, and what’s funny is it’s not even a school day for me. I open at the café, so I’m up bright and early, and I work through most of the lunch shift. Once that’s done I head home and work on any homework or projects that need to be wrapped up before I have class on Tuesday. Or I’m studying for a quiz.

By the late afternoon I’m prepping for dinner. I’ve kept up my part of the deal and make at least three meals a week for my always-hungry roommates. Sometimes I make four or five meals. Mostly dinner. I originally thought there might be leftovers that could see them through, but no. These guys eat every last crumb of what I prepare for them.

It’s always shocking and just the tiniest bit satisfying that they enjoy my cooking so much.

Today I’m prepping a marinade for some chicken I’ll bake in the oven. I put it all in a plastic bag and leave it in the fridge, where it’ll sit for a couple of hours and absorb all those flavors. I’ve made this recipe for them before, and it was a hit.

Everything is a hit with them. They’re not picky and always appreciative. They also trade off and help me clean the kitchen. Well, Coop and Nico always shove me out of the kitchen and clean it for me. Frank likes to help me because that gives him an excuse to talk to me constantly.

He’s backed off on pursuing me, but I’d like to think we’ve become friends. He tells me a lot, and I share plenty of my own stories with him in return. I consider Cooper a friend too. There’s something so calming about him. He’s steady and quiet, but every time he opens that mouth, he reveals just how smart he is too. And observant.

Sometimes too observant.

I think back on Saturday night when we were at Charley’s after being escorted there by the team’s security crew. The mob that initially swarmed us asked so many questions—even to me.

Who are you?

Heard you’re the roommate.

Are you involved with any of them?

Nico?

Coop?

It was funny how offended Frank was that they didn’t ask him if we were involved, and I wasn’t about to remind him that he’s been benched most of the season so he’s not in the forefront of their minds.

He knows that’s happening, and he’s devastated by it. Poor Frank.

Nico was quick to quash the rumors, and I couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit .?.?. offended by how fast he said no, we weren’t together. Which is dumb. So dumb. Even though he did tell Portia we were together, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s spreading that around.

Though maybe she isn’t. I have no clue.

But anyway, he was just telling the truth, and he doesn’t need any rumors about him hooking up with his roommate to spread.

Not that it hurts him. The moment we got to the bar, he was surrounded by women, all of them calling his name and flashing their flirtatious smiles. Each of them beautiful and hanging all over him. I was jealous.

And Coop caught me in my feels.

It was late, and I was sitting alone at a small table. Sienna had abandoned me for Gavin—I don’t blame her, but she’s always chasing him. Coop approached me, catching me watching Nico laughing with his fan base over at the bar, and he said the weirdest thing.

“You know he’s just fighting his feelings.”

That was it. The only thing he said before he settled into the chair next to me. A teammate magically appeared and sat next to Coop, engaging him in football talk for the rest of the evening while I sat there and turned that one sentence over and over again in my mind.

You know he’s just fighting his feelings.

What did Coop mean by that? I’m sure he was referring to Nico, considering he looked right at him when he said it. But what did he mean? Fighting his feelings for what?

For who?

He couldn’t have been talking about .?.?.

Me?

I didn’t want to put too much thought into it because it just seemed too fantastical to me. Nico is friendly and flirts with women. A lot. It’s part of his nature.

The front door slams closed, startling me from my thoughts, and I smile when I see Frank enter the kitchen. “Hey.”

“Hi.” He sets his backpack on one of the dining room chairs. “They cut me loose from practice early.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” I hope he says good because he’s been so down lately.

“Coach literally said he didn’t need me to stick around, so he let me go.” Frank shrugs. “I take that as a bad thing.”

“Aw, Frank. I’m so sorry.”

“They never let anyone leave practice early. We’re a team. If you’re hurt, suspended, benched, what the fuck ever, you stay for every practice. Every meeting. Every game. We’re together always, and if you’re pissed that you can’t play, too bad. You’re sticking with your team. I’ve never had a problem with it. I’m in it for the long haul, but today I swear .?.?.” He presses his lips together, shaking his head. “It hurt, having him send me away. Like I don’t matter anymore.”

My heart hurts for him, and I don’t even think about what I’m doing. I go to him and give him a big hug, wishing I could absorb his pain.

He returns the hug, his arms coming around me carefully, holding me close. We just stand there for a few minutes hugging each other in the middle of the kitchen when I hear a familiar voice.

“Oh. Hey.”

We spring away from each other at the sound of the familiar deep voice, and everything inside me shrivels a little.

It’s Nico.

And he doesn’t look happy to catch me and Frank hugging. Though why should he care? After all, I’m just his roommate.

“What are you doing here already?” Frank asks, rubbing the back of his neck.

“We all got released early. It’s a bye week,” Nico bites out as he strides toward the fridge and opens it, grabbing an apple. God, they are seriously always hungry.

“Oh yeah. That’s right.” Frank sends me a look, and I swear it says, Maybe I overreacted.

Maybe he did, but I’m glad I could be there for him. He was feeling down, and he needed someone to lift him up.

I hope I was that someone, even if all I did was show him sympathy and give him a hug.

“Could we maybe start the yoga session early?” Frank asks me. “Looks like everyone will be available. Want me to text the rest of the guys?”

He’s already got his phone in his hands, ready to send out the text.

“Sure. That’s fine with me.” I send a look in Nico’s direction, but he’s not even paying attention. Too busy munching on the apple and scrolling his phone.

The door slams, and Coop comes sauntering into the kitchen seconds later, sending a glare in Nico’s direction. “Didn’t even wait for me, bro.”

“I didn’t know you needed a personal escort into the house.” Nico’s attention never wavers from his screen, and he taps out what I can only assume is a response to someone.

Who’s he talking to? Texting with? One of his fangirls? Ugh, I hate myself for wanting to know.

“Could we work on some of those poses that’ll help with my shoulder?” Frank asks me, not even paying attention to the mini fight that’s currently happening between our roommates.

“Absolutely.” I nod, sending a questioning look in Coop’s direction, but he appears unfazed. Good. I don’t like an angry Coop. “I’ll go get changed.”

“You doing yoga right now?” Coop asks.

“Yes.” I offer him a brief smile. I’m a certified yoga instructor and even led classes back at home. I worked for a year at the local senior center and had so much fun with my students there. My oldest one was ninety-three. “You’re joining us?”

“Definitely.” He smiles at me in return.

“Okay, everyone’s coming,” Frank says, setting his phone on the counter.

“Damn, that was fast,” Nico mutters, shaking his head.

I ignore him. He’s being rude, but he’s always somewhat dismissive of my yoga sessions.

“You finally going to one of her classes?” Coop asks.

“No.” Nico sends a fleeting glance in my direction. “I’m not interested.”

And with that, he exits the kitchen.

“He’s in a bad mood,” Coop says the moment Nico is gone.

“He’s always in a bad mood,” I grumble, grabbing my phone and sending Sienna a text that I’m starting the yoga session soon. “Is Gavin coming?”

“Yep, everyone is,” Frank says.

Me: Your boy will be here for yoga. Wear your hottest workout outfit.

She responds immediately.

Sienna: I’ll be there in ten looking like a total hottie.

A string of fire emojis follows her text.

I’m headed to my room to change when I spot Nico in his bedroom, his head lifting when I walk past. Our gazes lock and he doesn’t look away.

Neither do I.

“You and Dollar have a thing going on, or what?”

I blink at him, absorbing his question slowly. Shocked by it because is he for real right now?

“Um, no.”

“Looked pretty friendly just now in the kitchen.” His deep voice is extra low.

And sounds extra serious.

“He was feeling down, and I wanted to offer him support.”

“Uh-huh.” The doubt in his voice is strong.

“I’m telling you the truth.”

Nico leaves his bedroom, walks across the short hall straight toward me. I have no choice but to walk backward into my bedroom, nearly tripping over my feet to stay out of his way. He shuts my bedroom door behind him, towering over me with an intimidating expression on his handsome face. He smells like fresh-cut grass and spicy male with the faintest hint of sweat, which might disgust the average woman, but me?

All I can think about is How can I rub myself all over his muscular body so I can smell like him?

“He had his hands on your ass, Ever.” He bites each word out, and they hit me like pellets against glass.

Ping. Ping. Ping.

“No, he did not,” I retort, indignant. I don’t remember feeling Frank’s hands on my butt. No way did he touch me there. As a matter of fact, I know those hands were on my lower back, but definitely not any lower.

“Yeah.” Nico is nodding, his dark gaze full of fire. “He did. I saw them.”

I ignore his statement. I think he’s just—mad, and I don’t understand why. “It was nothing.”

“Looked like something to me.”

“Why do you care?” I toss out at him.

He rears back, confusion in his features. “I don’t.”

“That’s a mighty big reaction then, for someone who claims to not care.” I take another step backward, needing the space. His presence eats up every bit of air in the room, and I’m suddenly finding it hard to breathe. “You need to leave. I have to change.”

“What you two do is none of my business,” he says, his voice deceptively soft. “I already warned you about Dollar.”

“He’s not as bad as you made him out to be. He’s actually a really nice guy.” I cross my arms in front of my chest. “And what’s funny is that all sorts of people have warned me off of you.”

He’s frowning, his brows drawn together. “What do you mean? Who’s warning you about me? And what do they tell you?”

“How you’re a player and that you use women.” I drop my arms at my sides. “And I’m not interested in you like that.”

Oh, the lies are just flying from my lips with ease, aren’t they?

“Fucking great.” Why does he sound so disappointed?

“And I’m not interested in Frank like that either.”

His anger seems to dissipate. “Really.”

“Really,” I repeat. “Why do you keep knocking my yoga sessions?”

“What?”

“You always seem to make snide remarks or little digs at what I do. Your teammates love it. You might, too, you know. You seem so stressed all the time. I think it’ll do wonders for you.”

His expression goes blank. “I’m not interested.”

“You won’t know unless you give it a try.”

He stares at me.

I stare in return, not about to back down.

“Will you stop harping on me if I try it out?” he finally asks.

Triumph curls within me. “Yes.”

“Fine.” He sounds vaguely irritated, and I can’t help it .?.?.

I smile.

“Don’t look too pleased with yourself. I’m sure I’ll hate it.”

“You are so grumpy.”

Nico actually seems offended. “I’m never grumpy.”

“With me you always seem to be.” Reaching out, I shove at his chest lightly, but he doesn’t even budge. The guy is a solid wall of muscle. “Get out of my room. I need to get dressed.”

“You’re already dressed.”

“Not in my yoga outfit. Get out.” I shove him again, and this time he goes, flashing that devastating grin at me before he turns and exits my room.

I shut the door, leaning against it, hating how fast my heart is beating.

How breathless I suddenly am.

Ugh, this man. He’s going to ruin me for anyone else if I don’t watch it.

And I’m going to enjoy every single second of it.