65

Adam

The Gray Sweatpants Problem

Everybody noticed how much I was itching to get out of practice. I was short with everybody and the freshmen were hiding from me across the field after I shouted at them again for fucking up another drill. I was counting down the seconds. In our final twenty minutes, I beat everybody around the track for a practice run.

"Woah, actually do your lap," Ryan said, standing with the assistant coaches.

King grunted from the sides. "He did."

"He did?" Ryan blinked at me while I wiped the sweat off my forehead.

My shower was quick, my skin prickled with how much I rubbed it raw. I threw on my clothes as fast as I could. Piper's first part of the event started thirty minutes ago. If I could cut through the buildings, I'd make it before her next one.

"Adam?" Ryan called after me. "Your weight training?"

"I came in at five o'clock!" I tossed over my shoulder, shrugging on my hoodie.

"Tutoring?"

"I hit my hours on Tuesday!"

Everyone was determined to slow me the hell down.

Kassie opened the door to the locker room and grinned up at me. "Howdy, partner. Did Piper like the cupcakes?"

"I don't know, I haven't gotten there yet."

No messages popped up from Piper and I'd turned my phone on and off three times to see if that did anything. But Piper hadn't responded. That could've meant a lot of things but it could've also meant the actual building was on fire, so I couldn't understand why everyone was trying to stop me for a long conversation.

"We're going to Gianna's for some pizza," Kassie said.

I shoved my stuff in my gym bag. "Okay?"

Zariah appeared from the other corner, another obstacle in my way. "Hey!" She grinned. "Is Piper coming?"

"Piper has a twenty-four-hour shift today." I scooped up my package from the locker. "She's not allowed to leave the building. It's a study thing she's doing, and I've been putting up posters all over the dorm for it."

"Taking the night off?" King asked, sitting on the bench.

What is with the fucking interrogations?

"Actually, there's high ceilings, and she wanted some decorations up. I can't miss that," I told him, closing the locker.

"Uh…" Kassie laughed. "But ladders exist?"

"No one goes to the athletics events anyway." Zariah shrugged. "It'll be short. You can meet us at Gianna's ."

"I know. That's the problem," I said. "They're putting in all this work, and none of these bastards are showing up."

No one said anything. And when I glanced back, all my friends were hanging out on the benches or leaning against the lockers, staring at me in surprise. They shared quick looks together, but nobody moved.

A part of my brain reminded me that they were my friends. They were just trying to be my friends. But I couldn't help the ripple of annoyance pass through me with the knowing looks on their faces. The bunch of nosy assholes were slowing me down.

"Do you know what you sound like right now?" Kassie asked with a sly grin.

"Like a guy who's late for an event?" I suggested.

Ryan frowned. "Watch the tone, Adam."

"No, it's fine." Kassie stood up and dusted her pants. "Because we're coming too."

I watched as she strolled over to the exit. "To the…?"

"To the study session or whatever."

" Why? " I closed my locker.

"We're showing support."

That's not what I asked for .

I bit back my comment and grumbled under my breath, following after her. The truth was, I wanted them to head to Gianna's without me. Piper had a full twenty-four hours in the building. We planned on a movie night, just the two of us after her events finished. And now I had to share her time with everybody else.

Goddammit .

But what could I say? Nothing. That's what.

"We have to take all the time we can with Piper." Zariah giggled from behind me. "I'm pretty sure we're going to fight for her attention soon, I can just feel it."

"What are we fighting?" Ryan wondered. "Who are we fighting?"

"From Gray Sweatpants," Zariah sang.

I'd been zoning in and out of the conversation, trying to figure out the fastest possible way to get to that event so Zariah's words took a moment to sink in. When they did, my head swiveled so fast on my neck, I popped something.

I stopped mid-walk. "Gray what? "

Ryan passed me by. "Is that a nickname for someone?"

King grunted but Kassie took the lead. "Gray sweatpants like the sweatpants guys wear, where you can see the outline of their dick. Like you can see it."

"Who's dick?" I demanded. "What dick? "

"Well, that man in her phone," Zariah smirked.

I struggled to keep my voice level. "Zariah, what are you talking about?"

"I was wondering…" Kassie trailed off and pushed beyond me.

"Wondering what?" I called after her, slowing my pace.

"She has been more distracted recently," Ryan allowed.

King grunted in agreement.

My stomach twisted in knots. Piper and I practically spent twenty-four hours a day with each other. I never saw any weird behavior or weird texts or guys with their fucking cocks out on her phone and I broke into her phone regularly to change my name to make Piper laugh. My mouth was dry. I had to find out whatever dumb piece of shit decided to send a photo of his cock to my RA and then I was going to pummel him into the concrete.

"Piper Fontaine got a sexy little photo while we were in a meeting," Zariah told us.

My fingers curled into my palm. "Some guy's harassing Piper?"

"I didn't say that."

"What kind of photo?" Kassie pressed.

"Kass, you should've seen her. I've never seen her blush harder. I'm talking blushing, stammering—girl—the whole thing. It was a good thing we were sitting down, she would've dropped her phone. And I know that look anywhere."

"Good for her." Kassie chuckled.

Ryan made a noise at the back of his throat and Kassie glanced up with a grin.

"Let that be a lesson to you. I need more photos," she teased him.

While they were talking, my whole world was falling apart. Piper had gotten some fucking photos from some fucking guy. I knew why.

Piper kissed me and immediately knew it wasn't worth it. Knew I wasn't worth it. My mind raced a million miles a minute, coming up with the worst possibilities. Who the fuck was texting Piper? Who would Piper have texted after she found out she wouldn't want to kiss me ever again?

Thomas .

I felt like I was going to throw up.

"Adam? Adam? "

"What?" I turned back, dazed.

Kassie raised her eyebrows. "I asked if I could invite Piper to the movie night? Friday?"

"Uh…sure." I hoisted up my gym bag and tried not to let the devastation show. Fuck me. I'd do something unspeakable to that KYU player. Burn his jerseys or that stupid tattoo off his arm or some heinous shit. Because he was toying with Piper's emotions and popping back in like he was wanted . What a fucking asshole.

" Adam? "

I snapped up again. "Yeah?"

Kassie threw a glance at everybody else as we crossed towards the dorms. "I said we could pop open the drinks tonight."

King muttered under his breath.

"It wasn't that bad last time," Zariah chided him.

"Yes, it was," Ryan retorted. "King had to skip practice. Whatever they put in those things, should be illegal."

I forgot all about those. The big box of peach lemonade in the girly cans that put me on my ass the last time we cracked open the bottles. When Kassie had told me what their alcohol concentration was, I'd been shocked as shit. I mean, I'd been drunk before, but I'd never woken up fourteen hours later on the rooftop of my dorm in nothing more than a deflated pool floatie before.

Wait.

Piper didn't grab those. Right?

I frowned. No. She wouldn't have. If you looked down at the underside of the can, it said they were alcoholic drinks. But if she would've been slammed with getting ready, she would've just read my text that the fridge was hers. And Kassie had the surprise…and I didn't mention the cupcakes.

You've got to be fucking shitting me.

I crashed into a crowd in the lobby of our dorm, all the athletes clocking out from the day, and I tore across the linoleum, sprinting towards the elevator. My heart pounded in my chest. Piper would've looked for sure. But she also would've trusted me to tell her and I'd completely and moronically spaced it.

Fuck Gray Sweatpants. Fuck Thomas. Fuck everything else. All I could think about was if Piper accidentally passed those out at an RA event. That shit would be all my fault.

"Adam?" Kassie tried to get my attention as I slammed my fist against the elevator button. They were too far back in the lobby and I needed to go .

"I'll meet you downstairs!" I shouted.