Page 59 of One Day

He sputters at my words, and I watch as he turns red in front of me. When his lips part to say something no doubt misogynistic, he’s cut off by a rough tone.

“I’d consider the next words out of your mouth very carefully,” Fitz says, approaching the table in the same carefree fashion he always does.

“Rich coming from you, Fitzpatrick.”

“I’m not the one that puts women down to make myself feel bigger,” he says, stepping in front of me before Topher can say anything else. “You know who does, though? Weak men, because let's be honest, if you really had it, you wouldn’t need to,” he tells him, his lip hitching up before he turns to me. “You need a ride home, Sunny?”

“You’re supposed to be helping me,” Topher says, reaching for his arm, but Fitz shrugs him off and keeps his attention on me. “You can’t do that. You haven’t sat down with me once for the player profiles, and you’re obligated to do your part here.”

“No, Topher, I’m not. I owe you nothing, and unfortunately for you, I don’t take too kindly to bullies,” he says with a little too much joy written on his face. “Sunny?”

“Yeah, a ride is good.” I gather my stuff from the table while Topher stands baffled by Fitz’s refusal to assist him in his project. “Would you mind dropping me off at Walker’s?”

He nods his hand, keeping his body between me and Topher. Once I shoulder my bag, his hand moves to the middle of my back, gently ushering me forward.

“I’ll tell your coach,” Topher calls out in a last-ditch effort to get him to stay.

“Go ahead. I’ll take my chances.” His answer comes without hesitation, not even bothering to look behind us on our way towards the exit. “Fucking finally,” he groans in pure bliss when we step outside the library, and I can’t help but grin.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

WALKER

“Walker, hurry up! Devon and Wren are on their way. I need to get in there,” Flynn shouts from the opposite side of our shared bathroom door. A smirk creeps up on my lips as I drag my hand across the mirror to clear the condensation, running my thumb over the stubble cluttering my jaw. “Walk!”

“Have you ever heard of this thing called patience?” I ask, yanking the door open to find her annoyed face on the other side with her hands resting firmly on her hips.

She doesn’t answer me and instead shoves her way into the bathroom, forcing me to the side to let her pass before her hands are on my bare back and shoving me out into the hall. “If you didn’t take your sweet ass time in here, I wouldn’t have to be impatient,” she argues, reaching for the door to slam it shut.

“I was in there for twenty minutes tops,” I tell her, using my foot to stop the door. “And I was showering. What’s your excuse?”

“It takes effort to look this good,” she says with a grin, sliding her hand over the tight black shirt and denim jeans hugging her curves. “You’re sure you don’t want to come to the movie with us? It’s not too late.”

I shake my head, moving towards my bedroom. “I’ve got a paper to finish, but thank you. I’ll come and keep Wren company while you run off to make out with your girlfriend next time.”

“Girlfriend.” An overwhelming grin fills her face, her cheeks brightening under the steam, still running out of the bathroom from my shower. “I have a girlfriend.”

“Yeah, you do,” I say, smiling at her. “Have fun tonight.”

“You too! Make sure you give yourself a break,” she says, shutting the door with a click.

Stepping into my room, I run my towel through my hair and toss it into the hamper before reaching for my phone from the nightstand to check for any texts from Sonya. When I see the screen is still blank, I set it back down and settle into bed against the headboard after grabbing my laptop from my dresser. Waking my computer up, I watch the blinking cursor on the open document.

I had every intention of finishing my paper earlier, but then Sonya snuck up on me and made herself at home. If I were being honest with myself, I’d admit it’s not the first time it’s happened, and it likely won’t be the last. I’ve been tripping over my own two feet since she entered my life, and I don’t think it’s going to change anytime soon.

A knock at my door pulls my attention away from the paper going nowhere, and I’m about to tell Flynn I haven’t changed my mind when it opens, and a dimpled smile lights my grey room. “Sunny, hey,” I say, unable to keep a smile from filling up my face. The pain in my chest at the excitement made it clear the lines were blurring together more than I thought. She is the person my world orbits around, which is painfully obvious. I am a withering mess over her. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, you made such a tempting offer.” She smiles and steps into my room, toeing her sneakers off and nudging them towards the dresser before her bag slides off her shoulder. “Is it a bad time? Flynn let me in,” she says, slipping her jacket off her shoulders. “I can always go.”

“No, I’m just finishing up a paper.”

“Good, I was so hoping you would say that,” she says, grinning and showing off the dimples I’ve come to adore. She shuts the door with a quiet click. “I’ve had a frustrating day, and I decided I’m in need of that break,” she explains, taking all my focus when she undoes the buttons on her cardigan and shrugs it off before climbing up my bed and towards me.

“That so?”

She hums, gently pressing her fingertips into the back of my laptop to push it shut in my lap the closer she gets. “And I think you’re just the man for the job.”

When her lips find mine, it’s as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist. It’s just Sonya and her warmth, and I will gladly hand it all over to drink in every ounce of her. She fills in every space with a lightness, a genuine fucking glow that it hurts to think that anything could possibly frustrate her. She’s so full of energy and goodness. It’s hard to believe she could be anything but overjoyed all the time.

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