Off Campus Series Novels & Stories

CHAPTER 14: ELLIOT The regular season was finally behind us, leaving the team riding high on a four-game winning streak. To celebrate, the Boston Vipers front office granted us a three-day retreat in the mountains—a rare off-grid trip completely free of press, cameras, or Coach’s relentless whistle. The guys were practically bouncing off the locker room walls with excitement. Since Coach wasn't coming, the itinerary was entirely in our hands, starting with the drive up. We agreed to take personal vehicles, three players to a car.

Kelsey’s POV If I could delete one thing from the universe, it wouldn’t be spiders or pineapple on pizza. It would be Monday mornings in the second semester. The campus was a literal zoo. You had the freshmen wandering around like lost puppies, the seniors acting like they discovered fire, and the professors already giving us enough homework to sink a ship. I was power-walking to Hall C for my combined engineering lecture, trying to protect my sanity and—more importantly—my brand-new white sneakers.

“I meant what I said. I’ll wait as long as you need. But I need you to know something.” He reached into the center console and pulled out a small, plain envelope, different from the first letter. “This isn’t another long apology. It’s just… proof that I’m staying. My schedule for the next six months. No overseas trips. No long absences. I’ve moved everything here. To Toronto.” Elena took the paper with slightly shaking fingers. It was exactly what he said, a printed calendar, every single week blocked out with local meetings only. No flights. No hotels in other countries.

¨ he introduced his son to both of them. ¨Nice to meet you Nick!¨ Mitch said with a smile while Jessica nodded with a soft smile as well. ¨Well the reason i came back up here is to ask if it's okay with you that i start from tomorrow officially so i can spend the day with Jessica since she will soon start at Bedrock university and will move to campus!¨ ¨Oh that is where Nick also starts this semester!Well then you already know one student Nick!¨ his father smirked at his son who nodded in agreement.

She turned and left without a second thought, closing the door firmly behind her. “Over here, Mr. Fred!” a voice came from the other side of the building from one of the event organizers. Fred waved quickly as he turned towards them. He murmured, "Yeah, I'm coming," and rushed in their direction. Laura, in her office, sat looking blankly at the unfinished work on her laptop screen while curling up in her chair and wrapping her arms about herself in her office. The last few days had drained her with little left for her emotions, and her head was brimming with the tide of unresolved feelings and unsolved problems.

"What? She asked." My face is on fire. I take a sip of water and try to compose myself, but my mind is racing. A sex club. Caleb and Callum go to a sex club. Of course they do. They're NFL players, rich and famous and surrounded by women who throw themselves at them. Why wouldn't they? And Caleb is taking some yoga instructor named Jade tonight. The fork in my hand trembles. I set it down before I drop it. "You should come," Caleb says, and for a second I think he's talking to me. But he's looking at Callum now, casual, leaning back on his stool. "You and whoever you're seeing. Make it a double."

I covered the four-mile distance to the university campus in exactly three minutes and forty-two seconds. When I surged up to the primary curb of Larsen College, the McLaren’s carbon-ceramic brakes biting hard as the vehicle slid to a halt behind the armored Escalade, the campus was still operating in its peaceful, ignorant bubble. Students were laughing on the manicured lawns, clutching iced coffees and textbooks, entirely oblivious to the predatory dark-web entity operating in their shadow.

It was windy on the terrace of the convention center. Towering over me, Patrick lit a cigarette. “How have you been lately?” I leaned against the railing, my tone flat as if I was talking about the weather. “Pretty swell. Brimble Network offered me triple what I had been paid before, and I got my own office. They even throw in Christmas bonuses. It’s a massive upgrade from getting a cleaning lady’s pay at Suede Corporation.” Patrick turned pale. He let out a wry smile, his fingers shaking as he held a cigarette.

And Jace looked, briefly, like the argument hadn’t happened at all. At 6:00, Drew returned. His posture was still tight, but his eyes looked less sharp, the look of someone who’d made a decision he didn’t love but knew he needed. “Schedule change,” he announced. Micah straightened. Rory immediately stopped wiping. Jace froze mid dish dry. Drew looked directly at the three of them. “Tomorrow is off.” Rory blinked. “Off… like… OFF off?” “Yes,” Drew said. “No cameras. No interviews. No appearances. No meetings.”

I stood, collecting my dishes. "Class?" Andrew looked confused. "I thought you said she wasn't in school?" "Oh no, dear," Mom patted his hand. "It's a karate class. Isn't that right, Robbi?" Actually, Thursday nights were Mixed Martial Arts, but explaining the difference would only confuse her, so I nodded. Between moving disruptions, I'd missed three classes and desperately needed to return to my four-nights-a-week routine. "No problem, Robbi. I should be home by five-thirty."