Chapter Two

Honey

My phone buzzes aggressively on the table beside me, jolting me out of my slumber. Pulling the bedsheet over my head, and tucking myself back into darkness, I try to drown out the noise to no avail. I'm going to have to get up even though my body is aching from everything Zach did to me last night. Not that I'd take any of it back. The soreness serves as a delicious reminder of everything he's capable of.

Reluctantly, I push my hand out of the covers; blindly searching for my phone. Once I find it, I slide it under the covers with me, so I can turn it off.

It's only when Zach's smiling face flashes across my screen that I realize it's a phone call.

"Hello?" I answer groggily, throwing the covers off my head because any hope of going back to sleep are long gone now.

"What? No facetime? Come on, Honeycomb. I want to see you." Zach's voice immediately perks me up and I pull the phone away from my ear, flipping it to camera mode.

"Ah, there you are. Gorgeous as always."

I scrape my hand across my face trying to feel a little more awake than I am, but when I see his beaming, bright face smiling back at me, I feel like a wreck. Zach, as per usual, is already dressed in from what I can see, a white T-shirt and a black baseball cap on backward, holding an iced coffee. He's walking across campus already.

"Why are you so chipper this morning?"

"Why aren't you? Didn't I give you two orgasms last night? Maybe I should have given you three."

"No. Please the two were enough. That's exactly why I'm like this. I'm exhausted and my muscles hurt. I don't want to leave this bed for the rest of the day but I have class this morning."

I refuse to mention that my back is also aching from the terrible mattress in the dorm, and I haven't had a good night's sleep since I got here. At least three springs were in the wrong place, and as tempting as Zach's brand-new memory foam mattress is, I am determined to be known as more than just Zach's girlfriend on this campus.

Zach's eyes sparkle as he shakes his head, tutting right before taking a large slurp of his drink. I glance to the top of my phone and my eyes widen when I see the time.

"Uh. why are you even up and out of the house at this time? It's not even seven am."

"I went to the gym at five am."

"Is that a requirement or something?"

"Nope," he pops out. "I just like getting to the gym early before anyone else. Do you remember that guy Jacob I was telling you about?"

"No. No. I don't."

"Yeah, you do. He was a quarterback that came here before me. When I showed you his picture, all you said was 'wow.' He lived with Reese for a while and showed me around before I started here, so we still talk every now and again."

"Nope. Sorry. It's not ringing any bells," I tease, knowing exactly who he's talking about, and not even embarrassed about my initial reaction to him. Jacob Miller is a hot quarterback playing for the Carolina Crossbills. A lot of people discuss how he could easily be a model if he gets injured playing ball. "I'm pretty sure I say 'wow' whenever I see any of your teammates. They're all gorgeous," I say wistfully.

"Ouch. You wound me."

"I'm just making sure all those girls posting their panties to you isn't getting to your head."

"It's not. Don't worry," he says pointedly because my joke has a lot more truth behind it than we'd both like to admit. "Well, anyway, Jacob Miller always said the best time to work out is early because it means there are fewer people to watch you."

My chest deflates. "And by people, you mean girls, right?"

His green eyes immediately look away, only confirming my suspicions. It's no secret that Zach gets a lot of attention from girls. He has at least four social media fan accounts dedicated to him, which feels weird. Videos and pictures with low hearts drawn all over them, and if I ever make an appearance, it's only to be the butt of their jokes. We don't talk about it much. He tends to ignore it, and although I try to pretend it doesn't affect me, it does.

How am I supposed to get over what happened in high school with Jamie when I have a new set of people wishing hate on me?

I'd never tell Zach, but it's one of the reasons I decided not to live with him. I didn't want to garner any unnecessary attention, and I didn't think people would find out so quickly. I seem to forget that Zach likes to stake his claim.

It doesn't matter how much he tells people he's into me, there are always beautiful girls wearing his jersey, talking or flirting with him and although I don't think of myself as the jealous type, sometimes I can't help it. The girls look like they're walking social media filters, and I bet they have fewer complications than me. I can't deny that there's a little voice in the back ofmy head, always reminding me that I lost my first boyfriend through cheating.

What's to say I won't lose my second?

"No. The girls don't bother me when I'm training." He's being nice. I know the truth. Girls are always watching him, recording him smiling and then posting it on the internet cutting to their longing faces. "It's the guys in the gym," He admits. "They record me and post it online so people can comment on my form."

Guess it's not just the women that are obsessed with him then.

"Comes with the territory when you're earning up to a million dollars in endorsements in your freshman year," I say sarcastically because the number of times I've been called a gold-digger is ridiculous. I liked Zach when he was just my fake boyfriend, and I thought he had a kid with someone else. I don't care about the money because I know it doesn't buy you happiness.

"It's funny, though. That's what's reported, but you know I don't get all that money if I lose my spot on the team, or I get an injury."

"I know, but I don't think everyone else does."

"Good thing, then that you're the only one that matters!"

"Is there a reason you decided to call me other than to see me looking exhausted?"

"You look gorgeous and frankly, I think it's the best time to see you. Just waking up after being freshly fucked by me. What better reason to call you."

"Zach!" I sink into my bedsheets as though that will curb my embarrassment. "You're walking around campus. There's no way someone didn't just hear you say that."

"Don't worry, Honeycomb. No one's around, but since your dorm is back open and I have practice tonight, I was wondering if you'd let me bring you breakfast in bed?"

My heart skips a little beat because I love how he shows me he cares through these little gestures. I just hate that I can't always accept them.

"As much as I love that prospect, I'm going to have to pass." His brows furrow and I sigh. "We both know if you come over, you're going to lock me in this room and have you way with me until you need to go to practice."

"Affirmative."

I roll my eyes and shake my head. "I've got class in an hour and if I don't take my shower now, there will no doubt be a line and I'll be late."

He slurps on his drink while the edges of his lips curling into a smile. "Can't you skip class today? I'm starving and your pussy is the only thing I want on the menu."

"No. I can't miss my classes if I want to graduate. Not all of us have an NFL career in their future."

"Number one. It's our future. I don't intend on ever leaving you behind, and number two, don't jinx it."

"There's nothing to jinx. You're the hottest shit in this place."

"Damn right, Honeycomb."

"Okay, well, if I don't want to be late, I need to go and shower."

Another slurp and when I narrow my eyes at him, he smirks, telling me he did it on purpose.

"When are we seeing each other next? I have practice tonight, but I also can't go too long without being inside you."

"How about I come watch you at your practice later?"

Zach's grin grows and he looks at me earnestly.

"Really? You'd want to?"

"Definitely."

"Then I'd love to have you there, and I'm just going to put it out there that I'm not averse to you wearing my jersey."

Still on my body, I look down at his jersey and curl my lips. "Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen. I need to wash it before I can go out in it."

"No, you don't."

"Zach, it stinks of sex."

"Correction, it stinks of sex with me."

I nod, giving him a bemused smile. "When did this possessive streak get into you?"

"The minute Jamie offered me the full cost of the bet to leave you alone."

My brows cross. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, did I forget to tell you that little tidbit about your ex? Yeah, I guess he could see what was going to go down between us before we did, but all of that's in the past now. I want you there in my jersey."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Perfect. See you later, Honeycomb."

I purse my lips, blowing a kiss to the screen. Instead of catching it because Zach has his drink in his hand, he bites it, taking a visible gulp, and then signs off.

Forcing myself out of the bed, I grab my shower caddy and head out of my dorm. Although the hallway is quiet, I know the majority of the girls will be in the showers at this point. When I open the door to the enormous bathroom, I'm right. Pop music plays on a portable radio as I walk past shower stalls, hunting for an empty one.

Finally, the last one in the corner is free and I shut the curtain behind me, taking a quick shower.

Wringing out my hair, I finish up and turn the shower off before wrapping a towel around my waist. At this point, the music has stopped and the only noise I can hear are a few footsteps further down the bathroom.

"Yeah, I heard them again last night," one of the girl's whispers with obvious irritation, and the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Why do I know they're talking about me?

I lean closer to the curtain, careful not to reveal myself as I listen in.

"There's so much grunting, and the persistent bang is like an annoying drum against my head."

"It's just gross," another girl adds. "Like, we've already said something. How many more times do we have to tell her before she stops letting him come over and well, come all over her."

I take in a sharp breath, trying my best to stay still because I think it's worse for them to find me here, upset.

"I think she'd doing it on purpose."

"But why would she do that?"

Maybe it's not about me. Nothing about this conversation gave me any hint that it's about me, but there's a pang in my gut making me feel like it is.

"Because she wants to gloat that she's got the quarterback wrapped around her finger."

My stomach drops because that only confirms my instincts were right. That's me they're talking about.

"But honestly, it's just disgusting. No one wants to hear her screaming."

My cheeks heat and my heart races because I‘m making a name for myself without even trying. Exactly like I did in high school.

What's wrong with me?

Why don't girls like me?

The only people that can seemingly stand to be around me are Zach and my best friend Olivia. But she's not here. She decided to head to Southern Collegiate with her boyfriend, Mike. How I wish I went with them now because then I wouldn't be known as Zach's girlfriend.

I laugh bitterly to myself, though, because Southern Collegiate has its own issues. Like Jamie, my ex being there.

I lean against the tiles, thankful that I at least have Gemma, the girl down the hall to talk to. Although, I'm not sure how I would even talk to her about this, considering she's warned me about this before.

With my eyes closed, I wait for the girls to leave before I dare peek out of the shower. When I've confirmed it's empty, I pad out and, with my head down; I sneak back to my bedroom.

Shutting my bedroom door, I blow out a breath and wonder if this was the right decision. If I moved in with Zach, and people couldn't hear me, would I have been friends with those girls instead?

No, because I'd be living with the quarterback, which would no doubt be even worse.

I quickly change, wanting to get out of the dorm and get some head space, but as I step out of my dorm, I notice a small, pink post it note on my door.

‘The room of Honey Sanderson. The ultimate Pick Me."

I bite my lip and there's a lump in the back of my throat because I feel embarrassed and the same shame I felt in high school comes pummeling back to me. We've only been here a little over a month, and I've already garnered that reputation.

All because of my boyfriend. As much as I hate admitting it, Zach is big at this school. Much bigger than Jamie was in South Point Prep. Zach was the outcast there, and he's dealing with a level of popularity he never had to before. The number of people that want to talk to me about him is unreal, and sometimes it almost feels like they know more about him than I do.

Had being on his arm, made me the ultimate pick me in these girls' eyes?

I crumple the post it note until it's a tiny ball in my hand and toss it on the floor before heading to class.

Zach or not, if people are that petty to leave a note on my door like that, then it's their issue. Not mine.

As my class ends, and I stare at the empty page in front of me, I can't help but feel a little despondent over my lack of work. I skipped out on seeing Zach this morning so I could focus on this class, and I've got absolutely nothing to show for it.

All because I let those girls and that note get in my head.

Any time I tried to write some notes, their words came drifting into my mind, stealing any sense of calm I might have had.

As the students start to leave, I take my time packing my things away and just as I push my chair out, I knock into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that," A perky blonde says with a smile, moving to the side.

"No problem." I go back to stuffing my books in my bag and she clears her throat, leaning over to me.

"I'm Jenni." With her bright smile still plastered on her face, she looks at me eagerly as she holds out her hand. I glance down at her palm, at first somewhat suspicious, but she doesn't seem to notice. "And this guy behind me is Cole."

I flick my gaze to the blond guy with slightly red cheeks as he waves at me from over her shoulder.

"We thought we'd say hello since we've noticed you sitting on your own in class a couple of times."

Her words register in my head, and I look between the two of them. They've noticed I sit on my own. So much so that they thought they'd come and say hello. How embarrassing.

Is this about Zach? Are they trying to talk to me because of him?

I take her hand and shake it and then wave at Cole.

"Nice to meet you."

I take a step back, but Jenni takes a step forward.

"And you are?" Jenni trails the end off slightly, looking at me with curiosity. Wait, she doesn't know who I am? So, this definitely isn't about Zach.

I close my eyes and shake my head. "I'm sorry. My name is Honey."

"Honey? As in honeybees?"

"Yeah, it's short for Hunniford," I answer, feeling somewhat embarrassed about my rather unusual name under their gaze. "It's a family name."

"It's cute. I like it," Jenni says, elbowing Cole. "Don't you think, C?"

"Yeah, it's real cute," he says, not once taking his eyes off her.

She looks over at him and then I notice he chuckles and shakes his head as he looks down at her. Oh. It all makes sense now. These two are dating.

"Well, we just wanted to say hi, and thought that maybe in the next class, if you don't want to sit on your own, you can come sit with us."

I force out a smile, still not sure what to think. There's something that doesn't feel right, but I can't put my finger on it.

"Great. That sounds good," I say, knowing full well I'm not going to take them up on it. "I'm just going to head to my next class. It was nice meeting you both."

I keep it short and turn on my heel, ready to walk out of the class. Just as I'm at the door, I get knocked on the shoulder nearly fall over. It's only Cole's large chest that manages to save me from that embarrassment.

"Watch it," The girl that knocked me says sharply before looking me up and down as though I'm the one that did it to her

"I'm sorry." I don't know why I apologize, but it feels like I should.

"Oh, it's you, football slut."

My mouth parts in shock because I can't believe she just called me that.

Elbowing the girl she's with, she snarls. "This is the girl whose sex tape went viral in high school. Did you hear about it?"

I try to take another step back, but Cole's body makes that impossible.

"No. Oh my goodness. What did she get caught doing?"

Just as I'm about to say something, Jenni pushes her way in front of me.

"Gabbi," Jenni drawls out. "I think you have more things to concern yourself with than my friend's time in high school, like making sure no one finds out you've been secretly dating Professor Henderson."

Gabbi's eyes widen, and she backs away, refusing to look at me.

Jenni's eyes narrow. "Come for Honey again and I'll let everyone know your secrets. Don't test me. I have receipts."

What the hell? Did Jenni just defend me?

Gabbi presses her lips together before she grabs her friend, and they shuffle out of the classroom. I can't help but look at my new acquaintance in awe.

"Um, thanks," I say, ready to explain that there was no sex tape video of me, and that it was actually my ex-boyfriend, but Jenni waves me off.

"Whatever, it's not that big a deal, anyway. Gabbi's an asshole. I went to high school with her, and I really wished she'd picked somewhere else to go."

"Um okay."

"What are you doing tonight?" Jenni asks, wrapping her arm around my neck. "We were thinking of watching a movie in my dorm and it would be great if you could come."

"Tonight? Um, I'm a little busy," I say disappointed. How pathetically eager of me to be upset that I can't be a third wheel.

"No problem. What are you doing for lunch? How about you meet us in the lunch hall after your class?"

"Sure, that sounds awesome," I say with a smile and after we arrange everything, I walk to my new class felling like maybe there's still some hope for me here.