Page 2

Two Years Later

N o matter how many times I reread the headline, the outcome remains the same. Nate is in Mountain Ridge. Here, at my college... What a welcome-back gift to receive after being away for the summer. Just when I start to feel more like myself than I have in two years, this Howler Report gets thrown in my face.

My feet continue to run along the trail, almost in sync with the pounding in my chest as my mind races.

I’ve done everything in my power to keep all things Nate securely locked away in Nori Beach. Never to be seen or discussed again. There are many reasons why I haven’t returned to my hometown, and Nate is one of them. How dare he transfer here, after what he did to me…to us. He can’t possibly think this is a good idea.

Nope, stop that right there. That’s where you are wrong, B. He doesn’t think of anyone but himself. That’s for damn sure.

I pick up my pace, officially lapping several older speed walkers decked out in matching tracksuits. I wonder if the people I’m passing can feel the swirling emotions radiating from me. I’m trying my best to keep it together and convince myself it will all be okay. But the fact that I’ve completed my tenth lap around the trail proves otherwise.

I’ve never been much of a runner, but over the past two years, it’s become a sort of therapy for me. It helps me clear my mind and keeps me level-headed. Running in nature certainly trumps running on a treadmill, and Ridgeway Park has some of the most gorgeous views I’ve ever seen. Not only does it have a running trail surrounding a large pond, but it also has hiking trails, mountain views, and sports courts.

There’s a bit of a breeze today, but the August sun is still hot on my back. Stopping to catch my breath, I wipe the sweat from my forehead and seek out the closest bench to stretch out before heading home.

Ridgeway Park is pretty busy for this time of year. The town is usually quiet during the summer. Yes, families live here year-round, but the university students take over when in session. And considering school doesn’t start for another two weeks, the only students in town should be those who never go home and the fall sports teams. Meaning, Nate is already here. I thank my lucky stars I haven’t crossed paths with him yet, even though I’ve only been back for less than twenty-four hours. But I know it’s inevitable. I’m just glad I now have time to prepare.

“Hey, beautiful.” A voice sounds from beside me catches my attention. My gaze flits in his direction, finding Carter walking my way. His brown eyes trail from my eyes, down my body, lingering on my sweaty chest. Taking in his handsome face, I smile.

“Carter, what are you doing here?” I ask, surprised to see him. Our plan was for him to come by my apartment after my shift at The Wolfpack. I lean into his embrace, loving the familiar scent of his cologne.

“I had to get out of my house. The new roommate I was telling you about has a superstition about cleaning his socks. Fucker smells so bad. So, I figured I’d come to the park, assuming you’d be here.”

Chuckling, I grab my water, taking a large gulp. “Yeah, I don’t think I could survive that.”

“I missed you,” he says, touching my hip. “Two months is a long time. How was Spain?”

“I missed you too… It was amazing. Sooo gorgeous. Still can’t get over how old everything was.”

“Well, I'm glad you’re back.”

“Thanks, I’m glad to be back too.” I smile at him, trying to mask my thoughts of Nate. Did Carter know all summer that Nate was joining his team? From what I’ve read, the transfer portal closes in April… So, he must have known. Is that why he was pushing to be exclusive?

I’ve known Carter Graves for quite some time, since we both graduated from Nori Beach High School. When we first started hanging out, it was just as friends, but eventually, we evolved. At the end of last semester, I felt like maybe I could feel more for him, but instead, I ran away to Spain. So, although he desperately wants to be, Carter is not my boyfriend. I’ve sworn off those. Just the thought of putting myself in a situation to get hurt again scares the hell out of me.

“How’s practice been?” I question, wondering if he’ll mention the team’s new quarterback?

He hesitates for a moment before answering. “Coach has been running us like crazy this week. I’m so fucking sore and so damn hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” I quip as I gather up my things. Is he just waiting for the right time to break the news to me?

Carter laughs and pulls me into him. His tall frame towers over my 5’2” self. I look up at him, admiring his big brown eyes and tanned skin. He licks his full lips before he leans down for a kiss. Hands roaming over my hips, he cups my ass before he pulls away.

“Hungry for you,” he whispers, and I playfully swat him away. My body responds to his touch, but my brain is too fucked up to want what’s clearly on his mind.

“I'm serious. Two months is a long time, Berk. I'm a desperate man.”

Rolling my eyes, I grab his hand. “Come on, let’s go back to my apartment. I need to shower. We can eat and catch up, then I can get ready for work.”

The walk to my place is less than five minutes from the park. It’s located in downtown Mountain Ridge, where most of the off-campus housing is. There’s my apartment complex, several sorority and fraternity homes, and then there are the sports houses, which are basically fraternity homes in a sense with just a little more of a sweat smell to them. At the center of the sports housing is The Wolves Den. The elite players live there, including Graham, a friend of mine and Carter’s from Nori Beach. As of last semester, there were only football and hockey players living there, but that changes every year.

Walking into my apartment, I’m welcomed by silence. Bellamy and Darby aren’t back yet. I, however, live in Mountain Ridge year-round. Nori Beach is no longer a place I wish to visit, so I’ve made Mountain Ridge my home. Although it may be lonely at times, I’d rather be here than face the life I left behind.

Carter walks right to my kitchen and opens my fridge to inspect its contents. “How about sandwiches?” he asks, pulling the essentials out.

“Sounds great. You’re lucky I went food shopping this morning,” I tease as he opens a bag of chips to snack on while he makes us lunch.

“I’m going to shower. Be out in a minute,” I say as I head down the hallway to my bathroom before he has time to ask to join in. I should be jumping his bones after two months and, normally, I would be, but I can’t seem to get a certain someone out of my head.

While I wait for the water to heat up, I text my girls.

ROOMIES

Me

Miss you people… come back to meeee.

Darby

Ahhh! Miss your face.

Bell

Welcome back to this side of the pond.

Me

For real. When are you guys coming back?

Bell

Possibly sooner than I thought. I don’t know how much more family bonding time I can take.

Darby

Woof… sounds like torture.

Me

Yeah, sounds like you should come back tomorrow. You literally live like thirty minutes away… Okay, thanks .

Darby

Jackie and I are going away this weekend before she goes back to school. So, I’ll probably head there on Monday after she leaves.

Bell

Aww, that’s so sweet. Hope you enjoy it!

Me

Aw okay! Well, enjoy your lovas weekend. And I'll see you both soon. Bell, let me know when you're coming.

Bell

Sounds like a plan.

I step out of the bathroom in my robe, with my hair wrapped in a towel. Carter takes one look at me and laughs. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to you looking like that.”

Rolling my eyes playfully, I sit next to him. “It’s granny-chic.”

“You keep telling yourself that.”

“Listen, you can’t judge until you’ve experienced the robe life. Until then, zip it.”

“Okay, granny, eat your sandwich before I do,” he teases before taking the final bite of his own.

Carter, refusing to go back to his smelly house, walked me into town for my waitressing shift, then headed over to a friend’s house to play Call of Duty. It’s a Monday, so I'm not expecting to make a lot of tips, but anything will help. Especially after the way I ate and drank my way through Barcelona and Madrid, I'm broke as a joke. Usually, Mondays during football season are a gold mine shift, but it’s still a bit too early for that. At least there’s baseball…and thankfully, the Carolina Bulls have a game tonight.

Strapping on my apron, I begin my prep work, checking the utensil rolls, ketchup, and salt and pepper shakers. I jot down today’s specials, then head to the bar, where my manager Phil Oakley is wiping down the bottles.

“Hey, kid! How was your trip?” he asks with a genuine smile across his face.

“It was life-changing, but I’m glad to be back.”

“Oh, I bet you are. We missed you. Well, I think Tiffany did the most.” He laughs, and I join him.

I help Tiffany and Phil by watching their crazy clan of four kids whenever they need me. It’s great money, and their kids are hysterical. I swear their youngest, Gwen, will be a stand-up comedian or an actress one day.

“Well, I'm back and don’t have classes for another week and a half…”

Phil’s eyebrow quirks. “Oh, she knows you’re back, probably giving you at least forty-eight hours to adjust before she unleashes the beasts.”

I notice a table has been seated in my section, so I wave off Phil and walk over to greet my first guests of the night.

Several hours later, my friend Graham strides through the doors, followed by a herd of hulking forms. My stomach sinks immediately… If Graham is here, does that mean Nate is with him too?

I make my way over to greet him, and he wraps me up in a big hug. “Hey, B, is there room for us in your section? There are…” He pauses to count how many of them are huddled in the entryway. “Seven of us.”

Taking a deep breath, I nod, then gather a bunch of menus and have them follow me to a table. Nervously placing the menus, I step back and eye the guys Graham has with him. When I realize Nate isn’t here, I can't tell if I'm relieved or disappointed.

Frickin’ fool.

They’re quick to order their wings and burgers, and I gather up the menus after delivering their drinks.

“Oh, we might have a straggler or two. Would you mind leaving a menu?” Graham asks, right as I'm about to walk away.

“Yeah...uh, sure. Here ya go.” I smile and walk away, but my knees shake with every step. Nerves ripple through me. What if the straggler is you know who?

I need to get my shit together. Regardless of if I see him tonight, tomorrow, or a week from now…it doesn’t change the fact that Nathan Outlaw will be attending my school and be the center of everyone’s attention. So, I'm going to have to get used to the fact.

Can't fucking wait.

Taking a deep breath, I start loading up my tray for their table’s second round of drinks when I hear a throat clear behind me. My eyes go wide, and my heart skips a beat before I turn around. But to my surprise, it’s Graham.

“What’s up? Did you need something?” I ask, but the look on his face tells me otherwise.

He gives me a half-hearted smile and nods for me to step off to the side with him.“You were supposed to text me when you got back… I wanted to talk— Shit, B, I know you’ve probably heard…” Trying to gather his words, he hesitates. His hand sweeps through his sandy blonde hair as he looks at the floor and then back at me.“Nate is here in Mountain Ridge.”

I take a steadying breath before responding. “Yeah, I read about it this morning. Great welcome-back surprise for me,” I say, sarcasm dripping from every word.

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I found out right before you left to study abroad, and I wanted you to enjoy your trip. I know you purposefully don't follow his sports updates, so I was hoping I could tell you when you got back so you weren't stressed about it during your time away.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that. But I'm okay.” I stand on my tiptoes and wrap my arms around his six-five frame. Graham’s probably the biggest softy I’ve ever met, and I'm so glad to call him a friend. He’s basically like an older brother to me at this point, and seeing how he cares just proves that further.

He raises his eyebrow, and I laugh. “No, for real, I am. I have a lot going for me, and I have Carter too. I'm good. Don’t worry about me.”

Maybe the more times I say it, I’ll eventually convince myself.

“ last thing…” Graham starts. “He’s moved into The Wolves Den.”

Of course, he has…

“We knew that empty room wasn’t going to last long,” I tease and finish loading up my tray. Carter wanted that room, and even though Graham and Carter are friends and know each other from back home, Bellamy’s stepbrothers, who just so happen to be Graham’s cousins, hate Carter, so they didn’t vote him in.

As I follow him back to the table with a tray in hand, I try my best to come to terms with my new reality. Long gone is my safe haven; Nate has now infiltrated yet another place where I felt at home.

I’ve spent the last two years ignoring my past… Now, I have no other choice but to deal with all six foot two of it.