Page 3 of Stalked By the Cornerback

“Have a good one, ‘kay,” I interrupted. I hated the flash of hurt as she stared off toward the sunny campus. I smiled tightly when her attention returned to me, and before she did something that would break the little bit of control I was holding on to, I forced one leg in front of the other.

I’m a fucking idiot.That’s all I could think about as I walked away, somehow managing to hold on to the small bit of sanity I had left.

Sanity I would lose no matter what I tried only two days later.

CHAPTER 2

MATTIE FUENTES

I was an idiot.

The world’s biggest idiot.

If you Googled it, my picture would be right there! Front and center. I knew better than to crush on the hot football player, yet there I’d been, slowly letting Dylan Macabee and his charming smile and easy-going self worm his way under my skin.

I was smarter than that. Or at least I had thought I was.

I had spent enough time around athletes in my life to know that the only thing they cared about at the end of the day was themselves. I’d seen it with my own eyes. From my own brothers and guys who used anyone, doing things they shouldn’t just to get what they wanted or needed.

I tossed an arm over my eyes and breathed out before I looked up at the ceiling. The fan whirred and cooled the warm room down. I was in my new dorm. Everything was all moved in and settled. I was exhausted. Between the move and how weird Dylan had acted after our final, my head was a mess, and I hadn’t slept well. My cell pinged, and I picked it up and rolled my eyes.

Scottie: I’m so bored! Why did you have to get a job on campus this summer! Who is going to take me to the mall?!

My little sister was the queen of drama.

Me: It’s not a job; it’s an internship. And a good one! I get to work with the football trainers and hopefully network enough to get a job after graduation.

I typed out, and my little sister immediately started to respond as the little bubbles bounced in our chat.

Scottie: Selfish. (Yes, I’m rolling my eyes!) Jk. I miss you.

My lips twitched, and I pushed myself off my bed. I looked around my new space and grinned to myself. I might have been crushing on a stupid football player who had apparently used me to help him get a good grade during our class together, but at least I had kept my head on straight enough to not get all girly over him and still focused on my goals and plans.

I’d not only got the internship I wanted but was going to be working closely with a seriously respected female trainer. I had that, and that’s all that mattered. The thing with Dylan had been a friendship. No. It had been an acquaintanceship. He’d been pretty to look at, and I’d helped him study. Tit for tat.

Liar,a little voice I quickly ignored chirped up. I had no idea how I had actually thought a guy like Dylan would ever be interested in me! And I had been so stupidly sure of it, too. I rolled my eyes so far back I was surprised they didn’t stay there. Hindsight and all that. I had spent a semester crushing and awhole day moping. I was done. I needed to move onwards and upwards, but first, I seriously needed to shower.

I grabbed my caddy filled with all my favorite toiletries before looking around. I enjoyed the extra space. Moving into the athletics dorms was incredible. It was crazy how much bigger and better these rooms were compared to the older building I had lived in the last two years. I was alone in the dorm for the summer, but come fall, I’d have two new roommates. I took my bathrobe off the hook on my door, my keys, and headed out to the shared co-ed showers.

Even these were nice and clean. I chose the empty stall in the back and turned the water on. The stream was strong and steamy. My lips tipped upward with joy. I couldn’t wait for a hot shower. I missed taking baths like I used to back home, but I would rather stay on campus after my parents split up earlier this year. Not that they didn’t get along. Nope. My parents were one of those who were still friends and super amicable.

I’d just rather stay on campus. I started my internship with the football trainers in the morning, and I couldn’t wait. I moved into the steaming hot shower and sighed happily. Everything about this building was a million times better. The water pelted down my back, and I shut my eyes and rolled my neck.

I should be thinking about my upcoming day. What time to wake up and what I should wear. Instead, my thoughts quickly drifted to Dylan Macabee and his stupid hot body and dumb face.

I still didn’t understand.

Or maybe I didn’t want to understand? My parents always went on about how stubborn I was.

Dylan and I had become friends. Or at least I had thought so. He’d started to act kind of weird during finals week, but I could have sworn that after our last study session, something was going on. Something more than friendship. Especially withthe way I’d catch him looking at me. Or the way he smiled when I said something funny.

But I had been wrong.

Really, really wrong.

I glanced down at my body and fought myself from frowning.What was I thinking?I groaned and reached for my shampoo and started to wash my hair. I wasn’t the typical kind of girl guys like Dylan talked to. Not outside of classes and study sessions, at least. Not that I was bashing on myself. I wasn’t. I was more than okay with my curves. I had always been bigger, but I was okay with that. I wasn’t small and dainty like my little sister or mom. And that was okay. I was happy with my size. And too bad if Dylan Macabee didn’t like what he saw. I rinsed my hair and conditioned before shaving and rinsing off.

I stepped out and grabbed my towel. Something came over me, and I froze. Suddenly, weirdly enough, I felt like someone was watching me. Goose bumps flared to life on my skin, and I tightened the towel around me. My eyes moved to the curtain that hung between the dry space and the shower. It swayed, but no one was there. Not feet under the curtain nor a shadow of anything. Nothing.

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