003

Ending the call, Liam strolled to his car. Ignoring the questioning gazes directed at him, he slammed the door shut. He had never been this frustrated. Usually, all it took was a flash of his smile, a few charming lines, and their panties would practically drop faster than you could say “watermelon”. But today, he had been left benched. Skylar. The name was now stuck in his mind. Speeding off, he was sure of one thing about himself: he didn’t know how to give up.

April’s non stop chatter about Liam filled the car ride home, each topic revealing a new fun fact. “Do you know he shattered Jack Miles’ long standing college record of most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback ? I mean, I’d leave Chris in a heartbeat if he came on to me like that.” She had zoned out minutes ago, propping her head against the window, struggling to fall asleep.

“Hellooo, Earth to Sky,” she murmured.

Skylar opened her eyes, rubbing her temple. “Yeah, I get it. He’s a football star and has a lot of girls throwing themselves at him, but honestly, I don’t care. And oh yeah, thanks for ditching me, by the way.”

“I’m sorry! I had to do it, you needed to step out of your rut. Now, back to Liam.”

“I’m not in a rut, shrink, and can you please stop sounding like a canary bird? I’m not into him.”

“Come on, don’t say that. He’s a catch! And who knows, maybe you’ll be the one to tame him.”

“I don’t think so, taming some arrogant quarterback isn't on my bucket list.” Admitting defeat, the rest of the ride home was quiet. When they entered their apartment building, she spoke up again.

“Sky, please think about it.”

“Wait a minute, did he put you up to this?” she asked furiously, rummaging through the fridge for a drink.

April shook her head. “What? No, I just think you guys would be so cute together.”

“Well, thanks for the keen interest in my dating life, but I’m good.” she responded, before gulping down seltzer water.

“Fine. So you know you are legit living in a parallel universe, ‘cause some girls will die for him,” she said walking off.

Skylar let out a sigh of relief, grateful to be free from her persistent matchmaking attempts. She knew April meant well. She walked over to her own room, her mind wandering back to the party and her encounter with Liam. Despite her initial impression of him, she couldn’t deny the spark she’d felt. She pushed the thought aside, focusing on getting ready for bed. Changing into comfortable pajamas, she brushed her teeth, and climbed into bed.

Settling under the covers, she looked up at the glow in the dark stars she had hung last summer that partly illuminated her room. Unable to drift off, she flicked on the light and padded softly to the kitchen. Taking out a box of chocolate and strawberries from the fridge, she lit the stove, melted the chocolate in a pan, and chopped the berries, pouring them into a ceramic bowl.

Gripping a glass of lemonade and her dessert, she sat down at her desk to catch up on some coursework, pausing occasionally while she read to savor a spoonful of the dessert. As the night wore on, and her eyelids grew heavy. She knew it was time to call it a night. She closed her book, finished the last of the chocolate and strawberry mixture, and headed to bed. The calm she expected didn’t come. All she could think about was him.

He found her three days later in the library, sitting at a table, laptop open, books lying around. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, highlighting her gorgeous features, a furrow in her brows as she focused, undoubtedly in her comfort zone.

Tracking her down had been easy, “accidentally” bumping into Chris, a hockey goalie, at their athletic center. Who had surprisingly been eager to help, and through him, he got April Brown, her roommate's contact. Since then, he’d been chatting her up; she had let him know exactly when and where she would be.

He had no business stalking her. He had his own priorities: a training session in eight minutes, films to watch, but his feet moved anyway. He slid into the seat across from her, a smug expression on his face.

“You're stalking me now, Westbrook?” she asked, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms.

“That is such a strong word,” he said with fake innocence. “I prefer ‘admiring from afar.’”

She fixed him with a look that translated to liar in any language. “I’d apologize, but we both know I’m not sorry,” he added.

“What do you want? or should I go ahead and file the restraining order?” she asked, closing her laptop and picking up a pen to scribble some notes.