Chapter 12

We wrapped up our three games at LSU bringing home three wins. There's nothing I love better than to sweep a series. It's such an accomplishment against a damn good team.

But then we came home and swept another series against a team from New York. I love the early season games because we don't have to travel too much or too far away. Whoever is in charge of the schedule tries to make teams from the north travel to us so we don't have to play in the snow. That shit sucks, especially when we aren't used to the frigid temps.

At least tomorrow we head to College Station to take on Texas AM for a Wednesday night game. It's a late one which means we'll do a short overnight trip and leave early Thursday morning.

Now we are getting to the point where we will have one game during the week before a three-game series against a different team. Once the season is in full swing, it becomes a lot.

Early morning practices, classes all day, traveling, meetings with the media or the team in the mix. I love it, and I wouldn't change it, but damn it's exhausting.

"You look like actual shit. Do you even sleep?" Brynn—my oh-so-honest friend—says from beside me. Narrowing my eyes into slits, I just glare at her. "Okayyy, we are not in the mood. Good thing I'm the freaking best and brought you this."

She brings the arm I didn't realize was behind her back to her front, and in her hand is a large coffee.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"Not lately."

"Well, I do." Taking a sip of the coffee, a smile spreads across my face. "You're the best."

She quirks her eyebrows letting me know she knows she's the best. "How's the season going?"

"Not bad at all. We look pretty good. It's just getting used to the schedule. It always takes me a couple of weeks to adjust."

She lets out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, Chloe has been walking around looking like a zombie."

"I'm sure she's a cute zombie," I mumble, not quietly enough, though, because Brynn's eyebrows hit her hairline, and she stares me down.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

I watch as Professor Peters enters our psychology class. I'm not a big fan of the guy, I never have been, but especially not after he tried to make some creepy moves on Brynn last semester. He knows he fucked up because he never looks at our corner of the lecture hall. Maybe he knows I'll kick his ass and turn him in. You don't just get away with insinuating your student is a whore and will have sex with you. That's abuse of power, and it makes me fucking sick. Not only is Brynn not a whore, but she's not the type of girl to sleep with a professor. Yeah, it's taboo and shit, and her moral compass is a little skewed, but she's not that type of girl.

"You and Chloe need to work your shit out. I know something is going on between the two of you, even if you both never act like it. But now that you both are spending time together, maybe it's time to work your issues out. Or bang the tension out?"

I roll my eyes as Peters begins the lecture. As much as I hate the prick, I need the class to graduate since psychology is my major and everything.

Two hours later, Brynn and I are walking side by side as we exit the class. I refuse to let her be alone in his presence. Is it a bit of a caveman? Yes. Do I care? Nope.

"Are you heading to the Union?" Brynn asks as she pulls her cell phone from the pocket of her leggings. "Quinton and some of the guys from the football team are there already."

"Uhh," I start, and I'm about to agree to it when Brynn's previous words sink in. You and Chloe need to work your shit out. She's right, of course she is. But how do we work it out? It feels like too much time has passed us for us to have an awkward conversation. "I'll catch you next time."

She pauses. "Cody?"

"I'm good, B. You're right. I've got to figure out a way to work my shit out with Chloe. It's gone on long enough."

"What's gone on long enough?"

I stare at her with a puzzled look on my face. How has Chloe never told Brynn about our history? I mean, I guess it makes sense. Brynn has never shown any signs she knows that Chloe and I have a rocky relationship. If she would've known, there's no way she would've let this bullshit fester the way that it has.

Shaking my head, I ignore her question. Instead, I pull her in for a quick hug goodbye. Eyes are on both of us. I can feel them boring into my back. It's hard to be a normal college student—for both of us.

Everyone is waiting for Brynn—or Quinton—to screw up and step out of their relationship. Which they never will. Those two are endgame, and the people who don't believe it are blind.

I mean, I'm not looking for love in college, but if it were to fall in my lap like it has them, I wouldn't say no.

Wait, shit, yes I would.

I'm not here for relationships. I'm here to graduate and make it to the major league. Freaking Brynn seeps love like an infectious disease, and here I am eating that shit up.

"See ya, B."

Back at the house, it's a quiet Tuesday evening. Hudson is at the library studying. Ty is holed up in his room working on a paper. And Niko is standing in the kitchen cooking.

"It smells good in here," I muse, sliding my keys into my pocket and tossing my bag at the bottom of the stairs for me to take up when I make it that far.

"Cheesy rice and steak. I made enough for everyone." Niko moves around the kitchen, slicing the steak into thin strips. Steam floats from the pan on the stove. Niko is from Southern California and embraces the Mexican culture he was surrounded by, including the amazing cuisine. Whenever he gets the urge to cook, he always fixes us the best Mexican food I've ever tasted—I'm talking some of the tastiest street tacos and guacamole around. I've watched him make the guac, and it's rather simple to make, but it never tastes the same as when he makes it.

"Thanks, man," I say, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Actually, I'm glad you're here."

"What's up?"

Niko scrapes the steak from the cutting board into a hot pan. The sizzling sound fills the kitchen as the smell hits the air, and my mouth waters. "I talked to Chloe while we were at LSU."

Immediately, my hackles are up. I remember watching the two of them have a strange, semi-heated conversation before the game had started. He doesn't know her well, and what could the two of them possibly talk about to have him needing to have a follow-up conversation with me?

"What about?"

I watch as he moves the steak through the oiled pan. With how thin the steaks are, it shouldn't take them long to be done. Then maybe he can turn his full attention onto the conversation we are having instead of the dramatic build-up shit.

"She told me you two have a past and that you hurt her. Want to elaborate?"

"Not particularly," I mumble. What gives him the right to act like her protective big brother? He doesn't even know her. Is he trying to imply that I hurt her physically? If he is, did she let him believe that shit is really going to hit the fan?

"Well, here's how I see it."

"Yes, please enlighten me on the past that you know nothing about."

Flipping off the stove with more force than necessary, Niko turns, and his full six-foot-five attention is on me. With his shoulders back and the serious expression he wears, I should be shrinking. He might have an inch or two on me, but I'm not backing down. I deal with a bully on the daily—my dad—and I'm not scared of Niko Vega.

"If I find out that you've hurt her—mentally or physically—I'm going to kick your ass. She doesn't deserve the bullshit she's been dealt."

I stare at Niko because I can't figure out why he's so protective of her. He's genuinely a good guy and definitely doesn't put up with talk about women in any degrading way, including some of the typical locker room talk.

I know he was raised by a single mom, so I get why he wouldn't put up with that shit. I can't say I agree with it either.

But he's starting to piss me off. He doesn't know anything about Chloe and my past. And I would never be one to hurt a girl on purpose. I've been living with someone who instills mental abuse on the regular, and I could never imagine doing that to someone.

"Fuck off, Niko. Don't come into this house, insert yourself in our drama, and act all high and mighty. Yeah, Chloe and I have a past, but fuck you for thinking that I've hurt her physically. That'd be the last goddamn thing I would ever do to her or any girl. Yeah, I hurt her. I fucked up, but believe me when I say it was for the better."

"What the hell did I interrupt?" Hudson says entering the tension-filled kitchen.

Niko and I stare each other down, neither one of us answering him right away. I see Hudson sit at the stool next to me out of the corner of my eye.

"Wow, who are y'all fightin' over?" Ty adds from the doorway.

"Chloe," I grit out, not taking my eyes off Niko. But as I say her name, Niko's eyes widen as he stares over my head. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes because I immediately know she's standing right there. Call it intuition, or hell, maybe my nose can constantly sniff out her floral scent like it's some kind of bloodhound, but turning to look over my shoulder, I see her standing there right beside Billings.

"I-I," she starts to say something, her eyes finding mine before turning to look up at Ty with a familiar smile I once used to see on her face. "I'm going to head home. See you guys tomorrow."

And with that, she turns and practically runs out of the house.

"Are you two fucking?" I grit the words out.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no we aren't. We both have the same communications class and decided to work on this week's reading together."

Dragging both my hands down my face, I rest my head on them and prop my elbows on the counter. I can feel Hudson's eyes on me while I have an internal meltdown.

For so long, I've acted like Chloe Mariano doesn't exist. I've been friendly with her when I'm in social settings where she's attended, but I've avoided being alone with her. And here she is, in my house, in my space, hanging out with my friends.

Seeing her with Ty almost gutted me. The thought of the two of them together, fucking on the other side of the wall that Ty and I share, I can't think of it.

Hudson's the first to speak. "Look, I think there's a lot of history that hasn't been talked about. And while I'm not one to want drama, I think it's time the four of us got on the same page. Niko wants to kill Cody because he thinks he's hurt Chloe," Hudson pauses as he points to each of us as he speaks so no one gets confused about the ‘he' Hud's referring to.

I watch Ty's eyes narrow at me as he wonders if what Niko thinks is true. I shake my head hoping he gets the hint before Hudson continues. "Cody wants to kill Ty because he thinks Ty is developing feelings for Chloe. And I want to kill the three of you for acting like chicks and getting your panties in a wad instead of just saying what's on your mind."

Hudson pauses again as he takes in a long, deep breath. "I want this season to be our season. We've been busting our asses for two years to get where we are today, and I'm not going to sit by and let a girl ruin our chances. So either the three of you work your shit out and then, Cody, you work your shit out with Chloe, or I'm going to Coach and getting her reassigned. We don't need the distraction."

And with that declaration, Hudson stands from where he's sitting and marches out of the room, flipping us off in the process.

Nobody moves. The three of us all watch each other waiting to see who caves first.

"Chloe and I have a history that was never resolved. Yes, I hurt her." I look at Niko as I continue. "but it's not what you think."

And there I sat on a Tuesday evening before a road game, spilling the secret I've kept about the girl who's stolen my thoughts.