Boarded by Love (Bellevue Bullies 1)

“Yeah, but Mom is wondering where he will go. The scout said something about Wisconsin.”

“Mom isn’t happy, I take it?”

“No, she cried at the thought. I told her I’d talk to him, that maybe I can get him to come here.”

“Yeah, it only makes sense that we all come through here before going into the draft.”

“I think he wants to see what’s going to happen to you.”

I smile. “We know what’s happening. I’m gonna play for a great team while y’all play school for another year.”

“Ah, fuck you,” Jayden says, sending me an envious look. “I’ll be up there soon and hopefully on the team that kicks your ass.”

“Whatever,” I tease as I stand up, chucking my jeans off before settling into bed.

Silence fills the room as we both play on our phones, but then Jayden breaks it by asking, “How do you think Mom’s gonna handle it when we all are playing all over the US?”

I shrug before glancing over at him. “I’m not sure. I don’t like to think about it.”

“Maybe Nashville will want you?”

I shake my head. “I don’t think they’re looking. Maybe they’ll want you or Jace?”

“Jace has his heart set on New York, and I want Chicago.”

I nod because I know this. While I don’t want to leave my mom, I know Nashville isn’t looking, but maybe they’ll start once the season starts. I know it’s not my responsibility to look after her, it’s my dad’s, but I can’t help but want to be there for her. Make sure she’s good. She’s always done that for me.

“Who was the redhead you were talking to today?”

Meeting my brother’s gaze, I smile. “Claire Anderson. My next conquest.”

Jayden laughs. “Lord help us all.”

“Oh, shut up. She’s hot though, right?”

He nods. “Really hot. Too hot for you, to be honest.”

I laugh at his smirk. “Please, she’s just right for me.”

“No girl is ever right for you, apparently.”

“Maybe that was true, but I’m starting to reconsider it.”

Jayden sits up, shaking his head. “I don’t believe that for a second. I bet ya a hundred bucks that you won’t get her and date her for more than a week. If she does give you the time of day, you’ll get bored, like you always do.”

Sitting up, I hold my hand out to him. He takes it earnestly, and I can see in his eyes that he thinks this is an easy bet. He couldn’t be more wrong.

“You got yourself a deal.”

Chapter 5

Claire

I throw open my dorm door, and Skylar looks up at me from her bed and then looks back down at her books that she has around her. “Hey, you.”

“Hey, yourself,” I say, throwing my bag on my bed. “What are you doing Tuesday around six?”

Before she can answer, I crawl into the bed with her, fitting myself in the little bitty space that doesn’t