Page 12 of Stalked By the Cornerback

“Who is that?” Crank asked. I stayed quiet. “Dyl?” he called my name, but I couldn’t stop looking at her. Not that she spared me one glance.

“Mattie,” I muttered.

“Mattie?” he repeated. “We took that sports medicine course with her, didn’t we?” I grunted, hoping it was enough to confirm it for him, but didn’t look away.

The girls sat together, and Mattie said something that made Libby laugh. They leaned in, and long forgotten was the stupid rookie pitcher. Luckily for him, he left, and they just kept chatting away. They looked thick as thieves instead of two women who just met. I liked that. I liked my girl meeting someone as genuinely sweet as Libby.

“Does she know that?” I asked, tearing my eyes from the girls. Crank’s dark gaze locked on mine.

“That she’s mine?” I nodded with a shrug.

“We’ve known one another since you transferred here and been roommates for the last two years. I know you. As much as you try not to admit it, we’re even friends,” I shared, not surprised in the least when Crank rolled his eyes.

“I don’t have a problem being friends. Jesus.”

“Really?” I challenged.

“You wanna braid my hair next”? he muttered, raising the water bottle in his hand to his lips.

“Maybe later, shithead.” I laughed. “I’m just saying, girl like her? Don’t waste your time, or especially hers, by dilly-dallying.” Crank scowled at me before I turned to look at the girls. Fuck, Mattie looked good. She was wearing the sweetest little summer dress and showing off a lot of leg.Damn.

“Dilly-dallying? Is that some kind of midwestern thing?” he teased, and I playfully shoulder-checked him.

“Fuck you, man. We can’t all be cool and born and raised in Southern California,” I muttered back.

“You’re right about that.” Crank laughed and shook his head. “I get what you’re saying, though.” He cleared his throat.

“Good.” I nodded. My attention drifted back to the two women who were now talking to a third. “Lock it down because shit can change in the blink of an eye.” As if feeling our gazes on them, the girls looked in our direction. Mattie stared, and before I knew it, she mouthedhi. I nodded. A muscle at my jaw twitched before Crank tapped my shoulder.

“So, you two…” It was obvious that he was putting things together.

“Nothing. Drop it,” I growled, glancing at him, not missing the way his lips twitched.

“Okay, then,” Crank mumbled. “Guess I’m the only one who had to share.” I knew what he was doing.

“It’s… it’s complicated.” I sighed, unable to hide how unhappy I felt.

“When isn’t it, man?” Crank finished his water bottle when we both noticed one of our teammates start to saunter over to the girls.

By the way he was staring at them, I knew exactly what he had in mind. Tuck Pearson was a pain in the ass. Rich kid born with a silver spoon who was never told he couldn’t have something. He was lazy, but money talked when your parents swung it around this way and that. Guys like him were a big reason I didn’t join a frat when I started at U of D. The guy was an entitled prick.

I watched as he walked up to the girls, but they ignored him, too invested in whatever they were talking about.

“Fucking Tuck,” I mumbled under my breath, my hands fisting at my sides. Crank grabbed my arm knowing I had a temper and that Tuck rubbed me the wrong way.

“Chill,” he muttered but still moved, and I wasn’t far behind him.

“Hey, princess, I’ve never seen you at one of our parties before,” Stupid Tucker drawled out slowly.

“Oh, umm…” Libby glanced over at Mattie, who was already rolling her eyes.

“Her name isn’t princess,” I heard my sweet girl defend her. “And this is an a and b conversation, so why don’t you see your way out of it, jock,” she continued beautifully.

“Aw, come on, Pattie,” Tuck scoffed. “Jealous?”

“You wish! And my name isn’t Pattie. It’s Mattie,” she corrected him.

“Look, why don’t you mind your own business, Fattie Mattie?” he hissed.

---