Agony (Entangled Hearts Duet 1)

“You didn’t tell me that,” Cooper says.

“That’s because I haven’t agreed to go out with him.”

“What’s his name? We’ll check this guy out.” It’s more of a demand than a request.

“Coop’s right,” Levi agrees. “If we don’t know him, we can find out. It’s not hard for us to find answers on this campus.”

He’s not being conceited, just speaking the truth. Football players are like celebrities at CU. In this college town, football is life. “Nobody is finding anything out about anyone. If I decide to date him, that will be my choice. I don’t need you”—I give Cooper a pointed look—“or any of you”—my eyes scan Dustin, Levi, and Nixon—“to investigate him.”

“Good luck getting Cooper to agree to that,” Levi mumbles under his breath.

I choose to ignore him. “So, are all of you staying here over the summer? Or are you headed home?” I ask, changing the subject. Kind of.

“Trey and Hank are headed home. They’ll be back mid-July for football,” Dustin tells me.

“I thought football started when classes did?”

“It’s not a requirement of freshmen to be here earlier, but it’s required of the upperclassmen,” Nixon explains.

“Really? I find that odd. Shouldn’t it be the same for the entire team?”

He shrugs. “That’s just how Coach does it. He works with the veterans for a few weeks, and then when the rookies come into the fold, we’re ready for them.”

“Huh.” I’ve been best friends with Cooper since I was eight, and just when I think I know everything I need to about the sport he loves, that we both love, I find myself learning yet another new piece of information.

“Not all colleges do it this way. This is Coach’s thing. Something about coming to school is overwhelming enough. He says that it gives the veterans on the team time to reconnect, and then we take the newbies under our wings. You know, like I did with these two knuckleheads,” Levi says of Nixon and Cooper.

“Here we go.” Nixon rolls his eyes. “He can’t let it go,” he says, pretending to be annoyed, but we can hear the humor in his voice.

“Laugh it up. You assholes would have been lost without me,” Levi boasts.

“So, what are we doing tonight?” Tessa asks.

“You see it,” Dustin tells her.

“What? No party? Are you all feeling okay?”

“You’ve got that one locked down.” He points to Nixon, who grins, pulling Tessa’s hand that’s entwined with his to his lips. “The rest of the guys are out at some seniors-only bullshit, which I get. And Reese has this one locked down.” He points to Cooper. “So, no, Levi and I are just chilling for the night.”

“Hey now. I don’t have anyone on lockdown,” I correct him.

“This one gets prime pussy vying for his attention on the daily, yet he turns them down.” Duston points at Cooper.

“Vultures,” Cooper grumbles.

“What’s that?” Nixon asks.

“They’re all fucking vultures. They want my attention because I’m on the team. Put a girl in front of me that’s with me for me, and we’ll talk.”

“She’s sitting on your lap, dude,” Dustin says, with a look of disbelief on his face. “Tell me you see that.”

“How many times do we have to tell you that we’re just friends?” Cooper groans.

Just friends. “Come on, guys, catch up,” I tease.

“I’ve never known you to hook up with anyone,” Levi challenges.

“My sex life isn’t your concern.”

“What about you, Reese? It’s not just Cooper here that’s been sitting the bench when it comes to the opposite sex,” Dustin calls me out.

“My sex life isn’t your concern,” I repeat Cooper’s response.

“Denial,” Levi coughs into his hand.

“Just because you’re not as cool as us, doesn’t mean you have to hate,” I sass.

“I’m the king of cool,” Levi fires back.

“Well, king of cool, why don’t you order us some pizza since we’re staying in?”

“Yeah,” everyone agrees.

“Cough up some cash.” He holds out his hand, and we all pass him some money. Tessa and I both work part-time at the local coffee shop, and Cooper and the guys, well, I’m not sure where the guys get their money. I know that Cooper worked and saved up, plus his parents—like mine—send us a monthly stipend from our college funds. It’s none of my business, so I never asked. It’s not like they’re rolling in cash. I just assume they have the same set up that Coop, Tessa, and I do.

Cooper and I both got scholarships so that extra money our parents saved is now spending money. And my apartment, splitting that cost with Tessa, equals out to be the same as my room and board at CU, so it’s a win-win situation for me and my parents.

It’s still hard for me to believe that my first year of college is almost over. It flew by, but I admit it’s been fun. Tessa and I have become close, and the guys on the team have become more than just Cooper’s friends. They’re my friends too.