All Chapters of The Rogue Next Door: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

ColeI can’t stop thinking about her saying she could fall for me.Not all night.Not the next morning.Not even halfway through film review while Coach is yelling about defensive coverage.Which is honestly a problem.Because normally football blocks everything else out.Always has.The field makes sense.Routes.Reads.Pressure.Execution.Simple.Maya Bennet?Not simple.At all.Jake elbows me during film review.“You’ve been staring at the same play for thirty seconds.”“I’m literally watching film.”“You’re literally thinking about Maya.”I don’t answer.Mostly because he’s right.Jake grins immediately.“Oh my God.”“Shut up.”“You’re gone.”I lean back in my chair rubbing a hand over my face.“She kissed me first.”That shuts him up for exactly two seconds.Then:“Oh you are DOWN BAD.”Several teammates nearby immediately turn around.Fantastic.“Who kissed who first?” Markus asks loudly.Jake points dramatically at me.“Maya kissed him first.”The room explodes.I close my eye

ColeI’m in trouble.That’s the first thought in my head as Maya looks up at me under the flickering neon diner sign like she’s trying to decide whether to trust me with something fragile.And the worst part?I want that trust more than I want oxygen right now.“You keep staring at me like that,” I murmur, “and I’m going to forget how to act normal.”A soft laugh escapes her.“You act normal?”“Rarely.”That smile again.Jesus Christ.Every time she smiles at me it feels like winning something I didn’t even know I wanted.I pull the diner door open for her and warmth immediately wraps around us as we step inside.The place smells like fries, coffee, and old vinyl booths.Country music plays quietly somewhere near the kitchen while only a handful of people sit scattered around the diner.No campus crowds.No football team.No whispers.Just us.Maya notices too.I can literally see her shoulders relax slightly.That alone makes bringing her here worth it.A waitress with gray hair and

MayaI am absolutely not okay.That’s the conclusion I come to somewhere around one in the morning while laying in bed staring at my ceiling replaying every single second of tonight over and over again.Cole kissing me against his truck.Cole stopping himself.Cole looking at me like I mattered.God.I press my pillow over my face dramatically.This man is destroying my emotional stability.Because here’s the thing—I’ve had guys want me before.Technically.But this?This feels different.Cole doesn’t just look at my body.He looks at me.Like he’s trying to figure me out.Like he notices things nobody else ever has.And honestly?That might be scarier than the physical stuff.My phone buzzes beside me.Immediately my stomach flips.Pathetic.I grab it too fast.Cole:You alive?A smile instantly pulls at my mouth before I can stop it.Me:Barely.Three dots appear immediately.Cole:Same.Oh no.No no no.We cannot be cute already.That feels dangerous.Me:I blame you.Cole:Fair.

MayaThe second Cole says something is wrong, my stomach drops.Hard.I look toward the blonde girl walking toward us and immediately know this is bad.Not because I recognize her.I don’t.But because of the look on her face.Angry.Emotional.Focused directly on Cole.And suddenly every insecurity Savannah shoved into my head earlier comes rushing back all at once.The girl stops directly beside our table.Cole is already standing before she even says a word.Protective instinct.Immediate.But his body is tense now.Really tense.The blonde crosses her arms.“We need to talk.”Cole’s jaw tightens.“Now’s not a good time, Kelsey.”Kelsey.The name punches straight into my chest for some reason.Kelsey looks past him directly at me.“Oh. So this is the new girl.”Heat immediately creeps up my neck.Cole steps slightly more in front of me.“Kelsey.”Warning.Sharp.She ignores it completely.“No seriously, Cole? Another one already?”My stomach twists harder.I hate this.I hate how f

MayaI’m failing.Okay maybe not failing-failing.But definitely academically unraveling.And somehow that feels even worse.I stare down at the philosophy quiz sitting on my desk while Professor Daniels continues lecturing at the front of the room.82%.Normally?An 82 wouldn’t even be bad.But for me?It feels catastrophic.Because I don’t get 82s.I get high A’s.Perfect papers.Scholarship-safe grades.I survive by staying ahead.And lately?I’m slipping.My stomach twists hard as I stare at the red number circled at the top of the page.The problem is I already know why.Cole.Not because he’s distracting on purpose.Honestly?He’s been unbelievably supportive.But still—I’m thinking about him constantly.The texts.The kisses.The emotional chaos.Campus rumors.Football games.Savannah.The pregnancy drama.Everything feels loud lately.And I hate loud.Professor Daniels keeps talking about existentialism while I quietly spiral into academic panic.Because this scholarship isn