Page 12 of Running Play (Gods of Campus #1)

Christian

Well, fuck! That probably didn’t look good.

Dani watches me watching Shelby as I slowly shut the door. “Do you know her?” she asks as she pushes her study chair over to me. She moves some books to one end of the bed and takes a seat on the other, crossing her legs.

“Yeah…no…kinda. We have bumped into each other a few times,” I reply in an attempt to play it off as I take a seat on the chair.

Actually, it’s been more than a few times now.

And I have definitely noticed her around campus even from across the quad.

It’s like I can feel her presence. The other day some guy had his arm around her neck walking her to class.

I have no idea who it was as I couldn’t tell from where I was standing, but it better have been Travis. Fuck, was it him?

“Oh, you like her?” Dani says as she plays with her braid that’s pulled over one shoulder.

“What?” Her question takes me by surprise as I zone out, thinking about her.

“You do!” She gloats. “She is gorgeous. I’ve spoken to her a few times since she is only four doors down from me. She seems sweet. I can drop a good word.”

Leaning back in the chair with my hands resting on the top of my head, I stare back at my little sister. “I don’t need your help getting girls.”

She rolls her eyes as dramatically as she can. “Oh, I know you don’t.” She points at her chest. “Remember, I’m the one who has to listen to the girls in the common bathroom talking about how fuckable you are and learning about who you’ve slept with.”

I grunt.

“Seriously, it’s not good to hear those details about your big brother. How would you like it if you overheard your friends talking about me like that?”

“My friends know better, Dani,” I say, dropping my arms and folding them across my chest. I see the looks she gets from my friends, but none of the guys are stupid enough to say anything about it.

My sister is also athletic, playing for the university volleyball team, and unfortunately for me, she is absolutely stunning.

She got the Stone family eyes, gray with hints of blue, they have always been a massive talking point in our family because they are so unique.

To top it off, she is the whole package: sweet, caring, smart, and way too charismatic.

“Yeah, well, you would probably threaten him, like you did to Aaron.”

I smile . “He was your prom date, Dani, what was I supposed to do?” I shrug.

“Not threaten him!” she shoots back. “Stop smiling about it,” she laughs, throwing a pillow at me.

I catch it with ease and hug it to my body.

“It was bad enough having Tyler and all his hockey buddies at the prom death staring him. I didn’t need you to threaten him before we even left the house.”

“Yeah, well, what every guy has planned on prom night wasn’t going to happen.”

“Overprotective much?”

“Maybe.” Sorry, not sorry, little sister.

“Well, it worked. He didn’t even attempt to kiss me when he dropped me off at the end of the night.”

“I know,” I snort. I watched him the entire time. He couldn’t have stood farther away from her at the front door if he tried—both arms in his pockets, no notion of funny business to speak of. She picks up another pillow from her bed and throws it at me.

“It’s not funny, Christian. Can I ask what you, as a guy, planned for your prom and if you succeeded?”

I think back to my prom night and sleeping with Melody in the spare bedroom at the afterparty. God, that was a good night. “Nope,” I shoot back.

“Yeah, well, I’m not a virgin anymore, so you can’t baby me forever.”

“Fuck, Dani, I don’t want to hear that.”

She laughs. “You keep treating me like a child, and I’ll keep telling you how wrong you are. In. Detail.”

“Anyway, change of subject.”

She continues to laugh as I throw her pillows back onto her bed bedside her. “Mom wanted me to check on Tyler again. Just wondering if you’ve heard from him?” I ask.

“We talk daily, mainly via text, but it’s always just the everyday chit-chat.

He’s not talking to me about the heavy stuff.

He is going to lose his scholarship if he’s not careful, or get some random chick pregnant,” she flicks her braid back behind her.

“I hear about him in the girls’ bathroom, too, you know.

” She raises her palms to the ceiling in frustration. “Why can’t my brothers be ugly?”

“Like you can talk, Dani. I’ve threatened every guy in this school to stay the fuck away from you.”

“It’s not working, but thanks anyway.” She winks.

“Fuck’s sake, Dani,” I say, pushing my hands on my knees and standing up.

“I told you…In. Detail. You can’t have one set of rules for one sibling and not the other!”

I ignore her because, yes, I can. “I’m going over to his dorm now to check on him,” I say as I stretch.

“Okay, I hope for his sake he is decent,” she says, standing and heading to the door. “I’ll see you at your game tonight, and see you after?” Dani says, walking to her door.

“Yeah, I’ll see you then.” Reaching over, I give her a hug as I open the door to leave.

“Good luck, big brother.”

***

Knocking on the door, I wait and listen. It’s quiet. Knocking again, harder this time, I hear a grumble and groan. “I’m coming!” a rough voice yells back.

The door opens and my brother greets me from the other side. I rake my eyes down him as he stands there in only a pair of shorts. Stepping around him, I enter his room. “You look like shit,” I say, speaking the harsh truth like only a sibling can.

“Gee, thanks, come on in,” he yawns at me.

“It stinks in here,” I say as I take in the room, dirty clothes cover the floor, a half-eaten pizza sits on top of the television, and soda cans are mixed in with his laundry that’s spread all over.

“Again, thanks,” he says, adjusting his loose gray shorts.

“Did you go to class yesterday?”

“Was yesterday Friday?” he says to me, rubbing his eyes.

Turning my head, I look at him in disbelief. “Yeah, it was! You know you smell like a brothel, right? You need a shower and to be run over with a razor.”

“All right, Mom, calm down,” he replies, a flicker of guilt in his eyes as I watch him walk around picking up clothes.

“I’m not Mom, which is unfortunate for you because I will seriously beat the shit out of you. This has got to stop! You’re here on a scholarship, so you can’t blow this!”

“All right, all right, I’ll take a shower, geez.”

“Mom and Dad are driving in for tonight’s football game, will you be there? ”

“I’ll be there,” he replies. I raise my eyebrows at him. “I said I’ll be there,” he repeats.

“Good because they are worried and want to see you.”

“There is nothing to worry about.”

I give him a pointed look.

“I’m good. Maybe I’m partying too much lately, but it’s all under control. I promise.”

“If you say so.”

“I do.”

I rub my hands over my forehead and sigh. “Do you want to go get a coffee and something to eat? I can wait here while you shower?”

He nods his head at me, eyes bloodshot. “Yeah, sounds good. Do you think you could just throw the coffee straight into my eyes, so it works faster?” he says, looking at me with those glazed eyes.

I shake my head and give him a pointed look. “Don’t fucking tempt me,” I bite out.

He’s an idiot, but he is my brother, and I love him. He has been making some bad decisions lately, but deep down he is a good kid. I take a seat on the edge of his bed and wait for his dumb ass to finish his shower.

I’ll kill him later, but first I need to eat.