Tutoring the Player (Campus Wallflowers #1)(75)

“A ball do-over?”

“Something like that, but less pressure. I can’t ask Vi to do all that again.”

“And I already sent all the centerpieces back. Plus, the flowers are gone.”

“We don’t need that stuff,” I say. “The four of us are fabulous enough on our own.” I look at her dress again. “But you should definitely wear that.”

Her lips curve up into a smile. “Let’s do it.”





33





JORDAN





Monday morning I’m dragging, but I manage to make it (and stay awake) for my first class. After, I text Liam to see if he wants to meet up at University Hall. We have an hour before our analytical mechanics class, and I need caffeine and something made of sugar.

He shows up a few minutes later with Cole.

“Hey.” I push off the wall outside when I see them. Cole has become a constant presence. I like him, and I like him for Liam. I was so worried about how dating Daisy would impact his game, but I guess the joke is on me because ever since Liam and Cole worked things out, he’s on fire. Relationship Liam is focused and playing the best hockey I’ve ever seen out of him.

“Made it to class this morning, eh?” Liam grins.

“Barely.” I didn’t want to if I’m honest, but a weekend of drinking hard didn’t help me forget about Daisy, so I guess that just means it’s time to get back to normal life. Whatever that is. Hard to imagine my days without knowing I’m going to see her later to study together and make out until her lips are red and puffy.

But she hasn’t texted, and I respect her too damn much to force my way into her life again. Or maybe I am just too chicken shit to put myself out there a second time. Liam was right about one thing (okay, fine, he was right about everything), losing people sucks.

Cole holds the door open, and Liam steps through.

“Thanks,” I say to Cole as he continues to hold it for me to go before him.

Liam stops abruptly, and I run into the back of him.

“Dude,” I start and step around him. There’s no one in front of him, so I look around to see what his deal is. Then I come up short too.

“Daisy,” I say her name out loud. She hasn’t seen us, and the shock when she looks up mirrors my reaction.

I step out of the doorway, Liam and Cole behind me.

“Hi,” Daisy finally speaks. She briefly glances at Liam and Cole and nods, but her gaze is drawn back to me.

“How’ve you been?” I ask as I catalog everything about her. The pink of her cheeks, the tremble of her bottom lip, the way she clutches her sketchbook to her chest.

The dress she’s wearing is new, or not one I’ve seen before, and for some reason this makes me angry. I want to be someone that knows everything about her. Even something as stupid as every item in her closet. One of my favorite things used to be looking forward to seeing what little dress or shirt she’d picked out for the day. I bet I know her closet as well as I know my own. Except, maybe not anymore.

She removes one hand from her sketchbook and tucks her blonde hair behind an ear. “Okay. How are you?”

I consider lying, but since that got me into this mess, I just nod and redirect. “It’s good to see you. Can I buy you a coffee or pastry?”

“I have to get to class,” she says.

“Ceramics?”

She inclines her head like she can’t believe I remembered. I remember everything.

University Hall is busy this time of day, and people are funneling around us. Someone bumps her as they cut around her, and she steps closer to me. I place a hand on her elbow. Daisy flushes under my touch, and her chest rises and falls with quick breaths.

“I better go,” she says.

Reluctantly, I drop my hand and step out of the way. She heads out, looking back at me once she’s outside, then turns and power walks away.

Liam cuffs me on the shoulder. “That looked painful.”

I forgot he was standing there. I blink at him.

“Are you okay?” His brows pull together.

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure? You look weird.”

“I forgot you were there. She barely looked at you.”

“Yeah.” He gives me a face that says, so?

A small grin pulls at my lips. I backhand him softly in the chest. “She didn’t look at you. She was looking at me.”

“O-kay. She was talking to you, not me.”

“Exactly!”

“You’re talking in riddles.”

“Her face was flushed, and her voice was trembling. She was nervous.”

“And you look so excited about that because?” Cole asks.

“That’s how she used to look at him.” I motion with a head to Liam.

They still don’t seem to be following my twisted logic.

“She likes me,” I explain. “She still likes me.”

I take off for the coffee line with a bounce to my step, brain spinning with this new knowledge.

“Of course, she didn’t look at me. I’m in a relationship,” Liam says with a hint of defensiveness as he gets in line behind me.

“Yeah, but she doesn’t know that.”

We order and take it to a table in the back of University Hall.