Page 5 of My Brother's Teammates

“Jenny, please. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all night. I haven’t slept.” Landon fell into step beside me, talking just under his breath so I’d be the only one to hear him. It was the same song and dance we’d been doing since we started seeing each other the second semester of my freshman year. He couldn’t touch me in public or look as if he was treating me differently.

I looked down at my feet and walked faster.

“Stop, Jenny. Talk to me. Meet me after class, okay? Meet me at my apartment-” He stopped short as he realized what he’d said and I stopped to cast an incredulous look at him.

“No, thanks, Professor Hall. I’ll be busy today looking for an apartment. Since, you know, I’m homeless.” I gripped my backpack tighter and rushed into the building.

I slipped into the lecture hall and made my way down to the front. My hands shook and I still felt like vomiting, but I was great at hiding my feelings thanks to dating Landon for so long.

He’d brought me on as his TA my sophomore year and I’d become an expert at knowing exactly what he needed, exactly when he needed it. I only helped him with the large intro classes and my help didn’t extend as far as several other TAs I knew. Landon was hands on with his classes, so I didn’t do any of the lectures, thank god. I graded papers and held office hours if anyone needed help, but that was basically it. Unless I included the work I’d done for Landon personally when there was no one around his office. He’d loved that part of my work.

I felt bitter as I set up the projector for him and made sure the rest of the tech was working. I’d spent so much time worshiping Landon. I’d fallen for him so fast and he’d known right away. Within a month of being in his class, we were making out on his desk. I thought he loved me, too, but he’d let me get rid of my apartment so I could move in with him, just to change his mind. I was homeless because he’d gotten cold feet.

I sank into a seat in the first row and tried to gather my hair in a bun. I hadn’t looked in a mirror all day and I knew I looked rough. I was still in Axel’s shirt and the pants I’d worn the day before.

“Ms. Ramsey, please make a copy of this and drop it by my office after class.” Landon dropped a manilla folder on my lap and went up to the podium to get his laptop set up.

I’d just started to open the folder when big hands grabbed my shoulders from behind. I gasped and drew several sets of eyes my way, including Landon’s. Looking back, I saw Jason and breathed out a sigh. “You scared me!”

He climbed over the row of seats and settled next to me. “Yeah, well, you scared me first. Ready to talk to me, yet?”

I looked around and saw that Axel and Hudson were sitting just behind us. I jerked my gaze away from them before they could see my cheeks darken. “Not here, Jason.”

He stretched out his legs and threw his arm around my shoulders. “Kid, you’re giving me heartburn.”

I rolled my eyes at him, but a small smile played at my lips. “You’re just two years older than me. You realize that, right?”

Hudson leaned forward and I smelled mint on his breath, he was so close. “Is that Axel’s shirt?”

Jason looked me over and turned to glare at his friends. “Not fucking funny. Take that off, Jenny.”

I heard the sound of someone getting hit and Hudson grunting before I realized Jason was reaching for me. I slapped his hands away and scowled at my brother. “Stop it. I can’t take it off.”

“Excuse me. Is there a problem?” Landon’s voice rang out loud and clear through the lecture hall. “Ms. Ramsey, why don’t you come up here and work through the slides for me? The remote isn’t working.”

I wanted to fall through a hole in the floor. I glared at Jason and hugged my backpack as I walked in front of the room to sit at Landon’s desk, facing everyone. He never stayed still while he lectured so his request made sense until I saw him slipping the remote into his pocket and knew he’d just wanted me closer. I was sure the remote was working just fine.

Sitting in front of everyone and forcing myself to keep a straight face was hard. Landon kept turning to face me as he paced to give me longing looks that made me want to cry. I just wanted to get away from him. He’d hurt me deeper than I knew how to express, and I just wanted him to leave me alone.

The lecture went on for an hour and a half and I didn’t hear a single word of what he’d said. After missing the first cue for the slides, he’d slipped his hand into his pocket and had taken over. I just waited desperately for it to all be over.

I technically had office hours after class, but I needed to find an apartment. I was lost in thought, nervously thinking of where to start my search, when I noticed everyone standing up to leave. I jumped to my feet and was so close to escaping when Jason stopped me.

“You’ve got office hours now, right? That means you can talk to me.” He leaned down to look me in the eyes and smiled. “I’m not going to give up until you tell me, Jenny.”

“Can I help you with anything?” Landon moved to my side and looked down at Jason until Jason stood up straight again. “Ms. Ramsey’s got to take care of something for me, so I can help if you have anything to ask about class.”

Did he really not know that Jason was my brother? We had the same last name and I was pretty sure I’d pointed it out a dozen times. Has he listened so little?

Jason frowned and pulled me into a hug. “Nope. I don’t need anything from you, Professor Hall.”

Axel and Hudson chose that moment to walk up to our miserable little party. Hudson, unaware of the building tension, winked at me and then looked at Jason. “I will say, Jace, she looks good in Axel’s shirt.”

I slipped out of Jason’s arms and ducked out of his reach. “I have to pee.”

I could feel all of their gazes on me as I shoved my arms through my backpack straps and took the stairs towards the exit two at a time. It was amazing I didn’t trip and break my leg. I didn’t breathe normally again until I was in my car and miles away from campus.

***Jenny***

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