“Well, damn. I was hoping that after this weekend she would have gotten the hint loud and clear.” All of his previous lightheartedness disappears.
By the intensity of her expression, I’m guessing that’s not the case.
“I’m sure after a week or two, she’ll move on,” I murmur.
“I don’t know.” His arm tightens around me, drawing me closer. “I’ve run into some pretty persistent chicks, but nothing like this. Honestly, I’ll be glad to graduate in the spring just to get away from her.”
Wow. That’s really sad. Guilt flickers through me. And here I’d thought he would probably be basking in all the female attention. Instead, he’s attempting to deter it.
My mind goes to what it will be like when Brayden gets drafted. “Don’t you think it’ll be ten times worse once you’re playing in the NFL?”
He jerks his shoulders. “I don’t know. Probably. I try not to think that far ahead. Right now, I’m concerned about making it to the next level. Once I get there, then I’ll worry about it. If it even happens.”
Is Brayden serious?
With his looks and skills on the field?
He’ll be propelled to super stardom. It’s a sure bet that women will be crawling out of the woodwork, attempting to capture his attention.
“Who knows,” I joke, “maybe she’ll follow you wherever you go.”
The look of horror that flashes across his face is enough to make me laugh. “Aww, it’s so hard to be Brayden.”
He tugs me close enough to bury his face against my neck. When his teeth sink into the delicate flesh, I squeal and attempt to push him away. For a moment, I forget all about the stalker-girl watching us.
“Brayden?” a soft voice interrupts.
We both still, not realizing that Kira has separated herself from the group of girls she’d been standing with.
Her tongue darts out to moisten her pink-slicked lips as she whispers, “Can we talk before class?”
If my body weren’t pressed against his, I probably wouldn’t notice the tension that now fills his muscles.
“Ummm...” He gives me a bit of side-eye. “Now isn’t really a—”
Before he can force out the rest, I untangle myself from the death grip he has on me before stepping toward the tawny-haired girl. “I think you and I should have a conversation.”
Kira’s blue eyes flare as if she wasn’t expecting me to take control of the situation. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it either. The words popped out of my mouth before I could stop them. But then again, maybe this is exactly what needs to happen. Maybe it would be easier for Kira to hear this from me, girl to girl.
I loop my arm through hers and continue walking. When her feet remain rooted in place, I tug her along until we’re far enough away from the football player that he can’t overhear our conversation. Even though she’s unwittingly dragged me into this situation, I’m not looking to embarrass her.
And neither, I realize, is Brayden.
He could have easily been cruel or told her to get lost, and he hasn’t. Quite the opposite. He probably could have banned her from his house. Instead, he’s been keeping her at a firm distance, hoping that she would eventually turn her attention elsewhere. As much as I don’t want to unearth any admirable character traits in him, I can’t deny that I’ve already found one.
Maybe even a few.
Since I wasn’t expecting to have this chat with Kira, I’ll have to wing it. “I know we spoke a little bit at the party on Saturday but—”
“You and I don’t have anything to say to each other,” she cuts in, color riding high on her cheeks.
That might be so, but she’s going to hear me out.
“Then let me do all the talking,” I continue, undeterred by the anger wafting off her in heavy waves. “I know my relationship with Brayden looks like it came out of the blue, but we’re together now and I would really appreciate it if you could respect that.” There’s a beat of silence. “Just like I would respect it if you two were involved.”
Kira nibbles at her bottom lip. Instead of holding my gaze, hers skitters away. Emotion flickers in her expressive blue eyes. “It’s hard. I’ve liked Brayden for a long time. There are always so many girls vying for his attention, I thought that if I were,” she pauses, as if trying to find the right words, “bolder, he would give me a chance.”
I nod. At any given time, there are dozens of girls buzzing around Brayden like drunken bees. In a way, I can understand why she felt the need to draw his attention with outrageous behavior. There’s a lot of competition when it comes to the guys on the football team. They’re like the rock stars of Western University.
Personally, I’ve never felt the need to chase after anyone like that. Maybe it’s because I’m also an athlete. And it’s kind of irritating to watch all these girls clamor for their attention. My life has always revolved around my sport, not chasing guys who play them.