Beg You to Trust Me (Lindon U #2)(47)
I wouldn’t have pegged her as a rich kid, but people probably say the same about me. When I first arrived, it’d been clear I came from wealth. I wore expensive clothing with brand names stitched on each piece. Over the years, it’s become less obvious. I blend in now. “Have you molded yourself into who you want to be here?”
There’s a moment of hesitation where she stalls to take a sip from the cup she’s grasping onto. I don’t know if she realizes it or not, but she’s playing with one of the dyed strands of her hair, twirling it around her finger thoughtfully. “No. I didn’t realize how homesick I’d be, so I sort of shadowed Rebecca and tried being like her. But it was obvious from the start I couldn’t live up to her social prowess. She loves going to parties and dancing and drinking, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Unlike her, I’d never judge somebody just because they live differently than I do. It just seems like being myself hasn’t exactly made me a lot of friends.”
“As far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing. The more people in your circle, the more drama that’s in it. It’s about quality, not quantity. And Olive seems like a cool chick to me.”
That gets me one of those rare smiles from her. “She is. She was one of the first people who gave me a chance here. No judgement. No assumptions. She just lets me be my awkward self.”
Curiosity sinks in. “And who’s the other people who gave you a chance?”
Her expression turns shy. “You.” Her fork pokes at the cake. “Just you.”
Just me.
I reach out and flick her hand playfully to grab her attention. “Are you finally acknowledging our best friend status?”
She challenges me with a single look. “I don’t know. Do best friends give each other boners?”
The boner in question that had deflated turns into a semi in its confinement. Flashing her a devious smile, I lean in and say, “You have no idea, Blondie.”
Her lips waver as she tries to hide a smile, but she fails. It grows on her face like my dick grows in my pants.
She really has no clue at all.
“So,” I prod, “tell me about that new book you started. You basically blew me off last night because you said it was getting good.”
Her eyes widen. “You want to hear about the book I’m reading?”
I sip my drink. “If that’s what makes you happy, then yes.”
She stares.
I stare back.
Slowly, she shakes her head. “Okay. Well, it’s a brother’s best friend romance…”
I listen to every word, hanging onto the way her expression lightens as she tells me all about the story.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
DANNY
Our tight end’s blue-haired obsession sinks into the chair next to me, sniffling through the first ten minutes of Biological Anthropology. Her cheeks are flushed, and her eyes are red as she furiously scribbles down notes as Professor Relethford talks.
“You sure you don’t need to go home?” I ask her, frowning when her lips twitch into an irritated frown. Aiden wouldn’t like knowing Ivy’s here when she looks so rundown from the cold she’d been fighting for days.
She side-eyes me before gripping her pen tighter and stares back at the balding professor at the front of the room. “DJ, I don’t wake up and strive to be a hardcore bitch every day of my life, but you’re about to see that side of me if you ask me that one more time.”
My lips threaten to shift into a smile. The more I get to know the fiery personality of the person sitting beside me, the more I like her. And I can see why our star tight end does too.
One of my teammates snickers at her frosty reply from the other side of me, but I don’t know who. Whoever it is stops as soon as she leans forward and shoots him a small scowl.
I nudge her arm halfheartedly. “I’m looking out for you, and not just for the tight end either.”
Ivy flips gears. “Did you take any decent notes while I was away?”
She should know better than to ask me that sort of thing. I’m lucky if I even absorb half of what this guy says. “No, but—”
“You can borrow mine.” I recognize Wallace’s sleezy voice and press my lips together to fight from glowering. He’s had his sights set on Ivy since Aiden showed interest. Just like the douchebag is doing with Skylar.
My teeth grind at the thought of him hanging around her. The shit Wallace has been saying in the locker room about her isn’t worth repeating to her face, but I’d been two seconds from throat punching him every time he grabbed himself and talked about what he wanted to do to her tight—
Jaw clenching, I force myself to stop thinking about it. Caleb had to steer me out while Aiden talked to the dickhead before I lost it. With my luck, Coach would have blamed me for the altercation and let Wallace off the hook.
When I see Ivy giving the douche an appreciate smile at his offer, I want to snap at her to quit it. I’d vowed to dislike the guy as soon as he took over Brady’s position and started acting like he owned the place. But when he makes moves on women he has no claim to?
It makes me rage. “Watch out for that one. He thinks because he’s the new quarterback he can charm his way into anyone’s pants.”