6. Chapter 6

" H ey, sweetie," my mom's voice comes through the phone as I place it against my shoulder to unlock the door to the apartment.

Pushing open the door, I'm met with a savory scent from the kitchen. Walking forward, I pause in the doorway. Harris and Bret are in the kitchen. She's sitting on the counter, towel in hand, as she dries the dishes Harris hands her. There's almost a domestic vibe coming from the two of them. I won't lie and say that jealousy doesn't course through my veins.

"Crew, honey." Mom's voice pulls my attention away from the kitchen and back to the call.

"I'm here, Mom. Sorry, I'm just getting in from classes." My voice interrupts the two in the kitchen.

Bret's head snaps up as a blush creeps up her cheeks. Her emerald eyes warm and soften as she spreads a sheepish smile across her pouty lips. The same lips I can't stop thinking about. They are soft and pillowy. Luscious and full. A natural pout that leaves everything about her alluring. As I'm busy watching the vixen in the kitchen, Harris gives me a nod in greeting, snapping my attention away from her.

Moving from the doorway, I step into my room, closing the door behind me as I toss my backpack on my desk chair. My navy bedding is tossed haphazardly across my king-sized bed. What's the point in making my bed when I'm only going to sleep in it later?

"How was the first day of class? Are you getting excited for football season?"

"Classes were fine. It's going to be a busy semester, but I'm used to it now." Laying across my bed, I rest my head against my bent arm, keeping me propped up. "We have a new roommate this year."

"Oh, that's great, sweetie. I'm glad you could find someone to fill the empty room." Mom's voice is cheery, but if I listen closely, I can hear the hint of exhaustion she is trying to hide from us kids. "Is this young man on the football team too?"

I chuckle. "No, Mom. She is not on the football team."

"Crew Ryan Riggsby, a girl is living with you? Who is she? When did she move in? These are things a mother should know."

I chuckle at her onslaught of questions.

"This isn't funny, mister."

"I mean, it's a little funny, Mom." Images of Bret flood my brain as I try to find the right words to describe her to my mother. Where do I even begin? It doesn't matter what I say to Mom. She's going to read me like a book. It's the one gift she's always had. Dad would come down on punishments, but Mom always wanted to know the root cause of everything. She started picking up our ticks and cues for when we were lying when we had crushes, and everything in between.

"Where do I even start, Mom? Her name is Bret. She transferred from the University of Arizona and arrived on Sunday. We all thought we were getting another guy as a roommate."

Mom's soft chuckle fills the other end of the line. "With a name like Bret, I can see where there's confusion."

"Yeah, it was quite the shock. But she's really cool. She kicked our asses in Grand Theft Auto the other night, which was a fun surprise. She's captivating with her love for sports and action movies and her unique sense of humor. It's like she's one of us but a girl."

"You sound smitten, my boy."

"Nah, it can't be like that."

"And why not? Because you're roommates? That's foolish."

"It's not just that. It would be awkward in the apartment if we were to pick up something and it didn't work out. The guys would be stuck in the middle. She's also a Campbell, as in Coach's daughter and Grant's sister."

"The heart wants what the heart wants, Crew. Don't forget that."

"So you've told me before. She's hiding something. I can feel it."

"That may be the case, and if she is, you should be there when those walls come crumbling down. Believe me, sweet boy, she will need someone strong if her world implodes. Be the gentleman your father and I raised."

"Always, Mom. Now tell me, is Grandpa still working himself to the bone?"

"You know that man will never settle down. Just this morning, he was running through the yard trying to gather the chickens when the rooster caught sight of him. That damn bird chased him all over the yard." A loud laugh bursts from me as a knock sounds on the other side of the door. I call out for whoever it is to enter.

Onyx locks contrast against the white-painted door as Bret pops her head into my room. My pulse thumps as my heart races whenever I'm in her presence.

"Hey." Her soft voice fills the space. "Sorry to bother you, but we have dinner ready whenever you are."

"Thanks, Bret. I'll be out shortly. "

"Bret?" my mom's voice practically shouts from her end. Bret's eyes widen as she must hear my mom call her name. "Switch me to FaceTime, Crew."

"Mom, I don't think now is the best time."

Bret's head shakes as she waves her hands, mouthing no.

Ringing in my ear has me pulling away the phone to see the FaceTime request from my mom. Tipping my head against the headboard, I accept her call. "Hi, my handsome boy. As much as I love looking at my son, turn me around so I can meet your new roommate."

Doing as she requests, I turn the phone and watch Bret's face morph into shock before she runs her fingers through her lengthy black hair.

"Oh my goodness, Crew, she's stunning."

"Th-thank you, Mrs. Riggsby," Bret replies, fumbling over her words as she strides closer to the bed. Sliding over, I make room for Bret to sit on the bed next to me. She does, and what she does next surprises me even more. Instead of sitting on the edge of the bed, she brings her body closer to mine so that we are flush. Our backs against the headboard so my mom can see both of us in the frame.

Mom watches as Bret gets comfortable, moisture glistening in her eyes. I swear she better not cry right now. I love my mother, but she's an emotional woman. I've seen her cry more than imaginable. If she's feeling uneasy, she cries. If she's happy, she cries. If she's sad, she cries. If she's overwhelmed, you might as well forget it, as she'll find herself shedding all the tears until she can't breathe.

"Honey, call me Nora. Mrs. Riggsby is my mother-in-law."

"It's nice to meet you, Nora. You've raised a good one over here." Bret nudges her shoulder against mine as she smiles up at me.

"Well, aren't you a sweetheart? It was really nice to meet you, too. Now, you both go on and enjoy your night. Bret, I hope to meet you next weekend at the game. Crew, call your mother more, and don't forget what we discussed." She gives me a pointed look before softening her gaze on Bret.

Bret smiles at the camera and nods while I roll my eyes. "Yes, Mom, I'll call you more. Love you."

"Love you too, sweets." Hanging up on the call, I toss my phone before rolling my head to face Bret. Only by doing that, it brings our faces even closer together. My eyes find those full lips. Her bottom lip is more plump than the top. The perfect size to quickly suck into my mouth like I did that first night when she arrived.

It's her that moves away first. Her hand slaps my thigh as she stands. "C'mon, let's go eat dinner before Tyler gets cranky or we let the food go bad."

Following Bret to the dining table, Harris placed all the food out and was scrolling on his phone, waiting for us. "It's about time, assholes. I didn't make all this food for it to go cold."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. My mom wanted to meet the new roomie." Sitting in my seat, I reach for a roll, which is still warm.

"How's Mama Riggs?" Harris reaches for a steak before passing the platter to Bret.

"She's good." Taking a bite, I let the warmth of the buttery pastry melt against my tongue. Hawaiian rolls are the superior roll. Reaching for the asparagus, I pause midair. "Wait, did Bret make anything?"

Her vibrant eyes shimmer as she rolls them. But it's Harris who speaks as he cuts his medium-rare steak. "She put the asparagus in the oven."

I nod. Okay, that should be safe. Her brother has told me on more than one occasion that Bret is the worst cook and no one eats anything she prepares. It's either burned, disgustingly bland, or highly over seasoned. Spearing a spear of asparagus with my fork, I shove the whole thing into my mouth. As soon as the spear hits my tongue, I'm instantly regretting my decision. Quickly chewing the green vegetable, I try to rush the process and swallow the disgusting thing in my mouth.

As Harris reaches for the asparagus, I knock his fork out of the way and shovel more spears onto my plate. "Jesus, Crew."

"So good," I mumble around the disgusting, oversalted vegetable.

Bret eyes me skeptically, but I just smile.

She stands from her chair and heads into the kitchen. Meanwhile, Harris is eyeing me as I work the chewed food down my throat and immediately reach for my water.

"What's with you?"

"It's awful," I whisper. "Don't let her salt anything."

He shakes his head. "You've got it so bad."

"Shut up," I mutter, cutting into the steak as Bret returns.

A look of disgust is plastered onto her face, and she gives me a soft punch in the shoulder as she walks by. "You jerk! The asparagus is disgusting!"

Laughter breaks out around us as she sags in her chair. "I can't believe you ate that and said it was good."

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"No, you thought you'd risk a stroke by spiking your blood pressure with all that salt. It's like drinking straight from the ocean." She shivers, and I lift a shoulder.