Oh shit.

Ethan's word 'firecracker' froze my feet wherever they stepped. I turned my chin over my shoulder and narrowed my eyes at him, but he only called out with a smug voice, "That's what he calls you, right?"

"He doesn't call me anything," I tossed back at him.

"Come here and tell me that to my face," Ethan challenged me with a smirk that flared my stubbornness like a match tossed into a gasoline can. With a few loudly stomped steps, my hands swung in fists at my sides and I marched back over until my nose stood an inch from his.

"There is nothing between me and Jake."

Ethan's lips parted, where his tongue flicked out and moistened them. With his hands on his hips, one of his eyebrows raised at me. "Trying to convince me, or yourself?"

"I don't care about convincing anyone." A scoff left my lips, more at myself of how I entertained this asshole's empty accusations.

The impassive look he shot me showed I definitely hadn't changed his opinion. In a flat, almost bored voice, his hands clenched his hips tighter. "So why was he at your dorm room, picking you up at your dorm room Thursday night, complete with flowers?"

My eyes closed for one extra second.

Fuck, Kieran told him.

Ethan's ridiculous smirk, so deep it popped a dimple into the bottom of each of his cheeks, was the first thing I saw when my eyes flipped open. Within quick movement, one of his hands lifted and he held my chin between his callous thumb and fisted fingers.

"Lie all you want but you're not convincing anyone." His brown eyes glinted as they stared into mine. "I came to check if you'd reconsider my suggestion to fuck him over but after what Meade here said, you really are a cold, heartless bitch, Harper."

He did not just... he did.

"Been called worse by better men..." Both my hands lifted to Ethan's broad shoulders, where I braced down and swung my right knee up in between his legs. Unfortunately, Ethan anticipated the move and blocked me with his other hand.

"Nice try but I meant it as a compliment." His thumb pinched my chin hard while his eyes roamed over what felt like every inch of my face. Tiny prickles raised up the back of my neck under the weight of his gaze, but I wasn't sure what he searched for. "Takes a special girl to win, then crush a guy's heart."

"If you have a problem with Jake, write it on a piece of paper and shove it up your ass." I snapped my head back out of his grasp and glared my best eye daggers at him when his hand squeezed my chin tighter. "And if you touch me again, I will personally -"

"You're beautiful and fuck, I want to shut that mouth up," he murmured quietly as his thumb traced the outline of my lower lip. His eyes flickered with annoyance as his jaw clenched. "I see why he likes you. I might almost feel sorry for him when you break his heart."

"Haven't you seen his track record," I spat out sarcastically. "Joke's on you, Jake doesn't have a heart."

"I'm well aware of his... track record." Ethan's jaw tightened while one of his hands reached into his pocket. "And jokes on you, you've already broken it."

"What -" I started when Ethan thrust a phone into my hands, then hit play on the video.

A very grainy, blurry view of what I recognized right away as one of Jake's house's brown, ratty sofas came into view. By the brown wall panel surroundings, it didn't look like the current house Jake lived in. My eyes closed momentarily when the large, muscular version of Jake came into a blurry view.

Oh shit.

Jake was curled up into the corner of the sofa, his feet under his ass and knees bent into his chest. Both his hands clutched a brown glass bottle tightly into chest. Once the camera focused on him, my heart oddly pinched itself inside my chest.

By the loud, obnoxious background noise, a party surrounded him but the look on his face showed he was absolutely miserable. His eyes were glassy with tears that beaded up and trailed over his chiseled cheeks. They flowed freely until they dripped over the edge of his jaw and chin.

Whoever took the video was an obvious asshole, since the male voice goaded, "Pull yourself together, Harrison."

"Fuck, I c-can't," the slur in his voice wasn't enough that it masked his broken words. "Fuck, this shit hurts, bro. Why doesn't she feel the same?"

The entire screen shook as the video taker sat down closer to Jake, then brought their phone right into his face. His nose ran with congestion, the edges of his eyes were red, and his lips dried and cracked. "Who?"

"Doesn't matter..." His eyes lifted to the camera and a small tremble shook his lower lip. His chest bounced with a ragged breath in, which he exhaled quietly. "She said I was the biggest mistake she's ever made."

The phone screen trembled in my hands.

Oh... shit. Shit shit shit.

One of Jake's large hands lifted off the beer bottle and pounded a fist into his chest. "Fuck it hurts. Right here. I know I'm an asshole but fuck, this hurts."

This is what Jake's teammates teased him about. How fucking cruel.

My eyes closed because none of me wanted to see a single fucking second longer.

How the fuck did Ethan get it though? And why would he care?

Unfortunately, given the shock that ran through my body, I stood completely still. My lips parted slightly and a dry breeze hit my tongue. Warmth flowed through me at the sigh of Jake so... broken. My sympathy which was quickly consumed with flames of anger that Ethan exploited this just for some stupid football rivalry.

What a grade-A asshole.

"That's enough, Ethan," Kieran spoke up, who I'd suspected was in this herd of mouth-breathers. I shot him a dirty look and mentally cursed him with gangrene balls. At EJ's gaped open mouth, I shot him similar silent treatment in case he was related to whatever this staged confrontation was.

Despite my heated glares, Kieran's green eyes stayed focused on Ethan until he released my chin. "You got what you wanted, now leave her alone Burke."

Both my palms slammed as hard as my arms moved into Ethan's chest. Since he looked at Kieran, his head snapped back in my direction. Thankfully for my dignity and sense of smell, he stepped back, but not before he pointed one finger at his phone screen and got in one last dig.

A pain struck into my chest at how Jake sat hunched over, his head hung in his hands and shoulders violently shook. "Poetic justice if you do it before our game against USC, Harper."

Fuck this cock-sucking ass clown!

"The only thing I'm doing is -" I started when Ethan clamped his free hand over my mouth and the other that held his phone behind my head. With one step ahead, his rock-hard chest slammed into mine.

Anger surged like electricity through my veins as his warm breath fanned over my nose and cheeks. "Pity I couldn't have shoved my cock into that dirty mouth of yours but save your energy for leading on Harrison."

Right when Ethan's hands relaxed off me, I gnashed my teeth and bit down on his index finger. He barely flinched, just pulled his hand back and winked at me. The casual way he sauntered away, down the sidewalk in what now became the opposite direction I headed, stoked the fire of anger that now blazed inside me.

My breath came out in raspy, uneven pants, heat and goosebumps flushed over my skin and tiny black dots edged my line of vision. Tiny bursts of pain erupted in both my palms from how tightly I dug in my nails.

Jake doesn't deserve this, not just for a stupid fucking football rivalry.

I fucking hate those football players.

After whatever the fuck my encounter with Ethan was, I marched back to my dorm room and rattled Li out of her seat with how hard I slammed the door. Her wide eyes stared at me, probably because my whole face felt flushed with heat, my fingers trembled, and my chest heaved with short, sharp pants.

"Harper? Are you..." Her eyes traveled away from the overnight bag she packed, down my appearance, then back up to mine most likely enraged expression. My mouth was twisted so far into the side of my cheek, I was surprised I hadn't pushed my cheek over to the side of my head.

"You have questionable taste in boyfriends," I snapped at her, dropped my backpack onto the floor, and glared at Li's newest Kieran poster addition to her walls. "He just inspired UCLA's quarterback to..."

My voice faded as I dragged both hands up my forehead, then smoothed over my hair with my palms. By the time they cupped the back of my neck, I squeezed my head between my elbows and admitted quietly, "I don't even know what the fuck he was thinking."

While Ethan wasn't at all subtle with his opinions of Jake, he couldn't have been further from the truth about my relationship with him. The fact that any action I'd taken that gave the impression that I followed Ethan's insane stupidity had left me even more enraged than any of Jake's stupidity.

That lack of an apparently necessary chromosome isn't working in either guy's favor.

Or maybe it's just who I attract. Swear it's not a conscious effort... most of the time.

After I shoved two middle fingers in Ethan's ugly face, my hands clenched the straps of my backpack tightly at my shoulders, my elbows jutted forwards, and I stomped the entire way back. My resting bitch face must have been activated to boss-level because the normally crowded sidewalks from the School of Law back to Reiber parted faster than my legs after a two-month abstinence.

Wonder what happened to poor Officer Davis... No, no I don't.

"Ethan Burke?" Li's nose wrinkled. "I don't know him very well but he... does not seem like a very nice boy."

"No." I chuckled with her G-rated choice of words, since mine definitely weren't. "Apparently Kieran mentioned my date with Jake to him and Ethan went apeshit over the idea I was playing Jake."

"But, he's your boyfriend, right? Why would Ethan do that?" Li's innocence normally was adorable, but I sighed.

"Because he thinks I'm..." I stopped myself as the words 'just screwing around with Jake' dissolved on my tongue and squeezed my eyes closed. "Going along with what he suggested at their party."

Li sat silently for a moment and I saw the question formed in her eyes before she asked, "If I can ask, what are you and Jake?"

"Messy." I exhaled sharply and briefly shifted my eyes to the suitcase open on the floor of her desk area. "You heading out soon?"

"Yeah, my parents have some charity fundraiser dinner we're going to tonight." Her dark brown eyes rolled, then she shook her head a few times. "I'll be back early Sunday morning."

"You should bring Kieran," I offered since, at least in my biased opinion, Meade deserved a night in front of an Asian firing squad.

"Nah, he's got the Oregon State game tomorrow." Li smiled briefly and pointed above her bed. "He brought me another poster."

"I see that." My hands rested on my hips as I studied Kieran's extremely large picture blown up on a UCLA Bruins poster and mentally desecrated it.

An unnatural amount of perspiration dripped down the sides of his face, even down the centerline of his nose and upper lip. Dressed in a light blue away UCLA jersey, his mouth was parted and green eyes blazed brightly.

"He's sweet most of the time," she assured me like I'd asked to be convinced otherwise.

"As long as he treats you well, otherwise he's going to miss his testicles," I replied dryly and coughed back the laugh that bubbled up the back of my throat. "I have to get to the airport soon, to pick up Ellie and Logan."

"Appreciate your... concern." Her thin lips closed into a shy smile. With her arms adorably hugged around her stomach and cheeks as pink as her shag rug carpet, she quietly added, "And... If you see Logan Hightower, can you tell him he's the best? No offense to your... umm, Jake. But Logan plays like he's next-level."

"He probably is," I murmured quietly and just nodded because, as Jake and I planned, we definitely talked to him when we saw Ellie.

Fuck, none of me is looking forward to this conversation.

A normal visit from Ellie and Logan meant sappy heart-eyed looks, loving physical contacts, and cheesy, lovesick lines.

And that's just Logan.

Adonis proved my point even just within the low dropped ceiling, sterile white walls and floors, and gleaming silver claim belt for their LAX baggage terminal. With their laughable height difference since her head came up to his shoulder, his hand covered hers and he looked down at her like she was his oxygen supply.

"Ellie!" I drew the attention of a few people around me with how loudly I called out her name.

Jake was still at practice, so I'd made one of the most painful drives of my life from UCLA to LAX down Highway 405. Five lanes of traffic stood still like a parking lot and crawled so slowly that the thirty-five minute drive stretched into more than an hour.

I could've walked here faster.

Finally, I pulled into visitor parking. With as long steps as my legs took, I made my way to the baggage terminal number six, where Ellie had texted me they waited for their luggage.

Ellie turned at the sound of my voice, which swished her dark brown hair through the air. It looked even longer from where it hung straight down to the middle of her back. Her dark brown, doe-shaped eyes widened and a huge smile took over her face as we closed the gap between us.

Her tiny frame smashed into mine and a surprisingly leak sprung in my eyes as I clutched her tightly. "Hey, shortie."

"Harper!" Her arms squeezed around my waist tightly, then she pulled back and visually inspected me in almost the same way her mom had done almost two weeks ago.

"You look... relaxed," she finally said and squeezed her hands around my elbows.

Really? If enraged at stupid football players relaxed, then how do I look when I'm not pissed off?

"Hmm," was all I responded, looked over Ellie's soft-haired head, and greeted Logan, "Did you get bigger Adonis?"

"No Harper." He grinned and crossed his ridiculously toned arms, with biceps probably bigger than Ellie's thighs, over his broad chest. "Ellie's just taking good care of me."

"Adorable," I muttered into her ear. "Five seconds and I already have cavities."

"Don't be jealous," Ellie teased me with one last side squeeze, then turned up. "And yes, Logan's gained a little weight. Not my fault, he's apparently piling muscles on muscles."

Logan's eyes sparkled in a darker shade of blue than mine and his thin lips curled up into a smirk. Ellie practically melted into my side when his two dark-blonde eyebrows wiggled at her. "Don't act like you're not reaping the benefits."

"This guy," Ellie cursed under her breath, but her heart eyes and full-toothed smile were on full display.

Yes, I'm happy for her, but still... I might be sick.

My eyes drifted over for a much-needed diversion and landed on a solo black suitcase that circled around the belt. "Hope that's yours."

"Yep." Logan stepped over and grabbed the knee-high, well Ellie's knees, and picked it up like it was empty.

"Are you guys hungry?" I glanced at the two-thirty clock time on my watch and two heads shook in response, so I steered them to the exit doors. Once we reached them, I smirked at Logan over my shoulder. "Sure you don't need a protein power-up, Muscles McGee?"

"I'm good." Logan's chuckle hit the back of my head. My eyes darted back and found his free hand's fingers intertwined with Ellie's.

By the time we reached my car, I realized I had no idea what we were supposed to do for the next two hours, before Jake's practice ended. While I knew the ride back took up at least an hour, I absently scratched at my chin and looked at the hulk-like form that loomed in my back seat. "Uhh... Are you guys staying with me, or..."

"I booked a hotel room at..." Ellie pulled her phone out of her black leather purse. "The Godfrey."

My eyes flicked to Logan's in the rearview mirror. "So, do you need a nap?"

"Nah." Logan draped his long arm around Ellie and she rested the side of her head on his chest. "Even with the game at seven, we're flying back afterwards with the Huskies tomorrow."

"Well..." I groaned at the equally annoying traffic jam for the drive north. "This shit traffic will take awhile but what do you want to do?"

"My legs are a little stiff, so maybe we could walk around?" Ellie offered. "Or just hang out in your room until we meet up with Jake, if that's okay."

"Campus tour it is," I muttered.

I was predictably right, the drive back took an hour. Logan took a backseat to Ellie and I's mindless chatter but his eyes lifted to mine at each suggestive comment I had. In particular, I was curious if Ellie's small yellow dildo had finally got ungraded to at least the unwrapped status.

Finally I pulled up into my parking lot. Before we took two steps away from my car, a familiar female voice cried out, "Harper!"

I spun around until my lips broke out into a huge smile at Li's small form. Her short legs moved hilariously fast across the lot, even though she covered little ground. Once she approached closer, I raised my eyebrows at her. "Li? I thought you went home?"

"I... oh..." she panted out breathlessly. Like they moved in slow motion, her eyes slowly lifted up, up, up at Logan until her head looked like it sat back on her shoulders. "Oh my... fuckballs!"

As her cheeks flushed from pale to red, Poor Li squeaked out inaudible Mandarin words. Right when she clamped one of her hands over her mouth, Logan leaned over and murmured into Ellie's ear, "Did she just call me fuckballs?"

I'm a horrible influence.

I barked out a loud laugh, then dragged a finger between the three of them. "Li, Logan and Ellie. Logan and Ellie, my roommate Li. Li is a... uhh... football fan."

"The posters... Oh, sorry I mean - Umm, hi." Ellie stepped forwards, picked up Li's hand, and shook it. "It's nice to meet you. Harper's said nothing but sweet things about you."

Li still looked like she lost her voice because she just gaped at Logan. Finally, I nudged her shoulder with my elbow, "He's not that attractive Li."

"True, Kieran is... Kieran!" Li blinked rapidly at her own words, like they shook her back into awareness.

Both Ellie and Logan's eyebrows raised at the guy I wasn't particularly happy with at this moment. After a few silent moments, Ellie coughed quietly. "Kieran? As in..."

"Friendzone Meade is dating this one." I rotated my thumb and pointed it at Li.

"I'm very happy for you," Ellie gushed out with a smile. Logan, however, had a slightly different reaction.

"Good," he blurted out, then shifted his eyes between us. "I uhh... I mean, good for both of you."

"My gosh," Li practically swooned and clasped her hands. Brightness flashed in her eyes as she looked up at Logan. "You're just so... so..."

"Cocky?" I offered.

"Talented?" Ellie smiled brightly.

"Tall," Li responded. "So tall. Much bigger in person."

"I get that a lot." Logan replied with a smirk.

"Not that I'm trying to get rid of you, but I thought you left." I frowned at Li, who blinked at me like she'd forgotten I was there.

Asian parental expectations aside, guess she's got a thing for blondes.

"I forgot my laptop and when I saw you..." her voice faded off.

"You're not holding a laptop," I pointed out the obvious.

"Yeah, on my way to get it," she answered, then flicked her eyes in an upward-downward direction between Ellie and Logan's faces. "You're here for the game? Of course you are, so silly. Good luck. I should... go..."

"We're going for a campus tour, wanna join us?" I offered.

Her black hair swished over her cheeks from how hard she shook her head. "No, my parents already texted asking where I am. The fundraiser thing."

"Right." I nodded slowly, then looked at Ellie and Logan. "Li's parents are doctors in Santa Barbara."

"Have a nice trip home." Ellie offered a small wave and gentle smile.

"Can I... Never mind, this is stupid." Li shook her head, then looked at me.

"Spit it out or swallow, remember?" I teased, which earned me a familiar string of Mandarin curse words.

"Can I..." She looked up at Logan. "Get a picture?"

"Of course." He smiled politely. Li practically threw her phone at me, Ellie stepped over near my side, and my thumb moved as fast as it could.

I'm cutting off Li's feet or Logan's head in half of these.

"This is going to make his ego so big, he won't fit on the flight home," Ellie murmured to me.

"That's about what your height difference looks like," I shot back with a half-smile.

After Li thanked Logan, I handed her phone back. She smiled at Ellie, "You do look like his sister."

Ellie's eyes widened not at Li, but me. Before I responded, Li swept a hand around her own face, "Only your eyes."

"Yeah, well we've seen fourteen too many of those," I grumbled quietly at her. "If you ever think of redecorating, I'll drop whatever or whoever I'm doing and help you."

"Whoever..." Li echoed my word. My heart stopped for a beat when her eyes flicked to Ellie, but thankfully she just said, "Nice to meet you both. Thank you for the picture, Logan."

"You're welcome," he replied in a kind voice, but the question marks that now hung in his and Ellie's eyes clenched my stomach.

"Tour first." As Li walked away, I held up a now shaky hand toward the sidewalk. "Embarrassment later, please."

Ellie and Logan's suitcase sat wedged inside my trunk with the rest of my shit in there while I parked back at Reiber. We bypassed the dorm room and, over the next sixty minutes, I proved that Li was a much better tour guide. Since both of them said they just wanted a leg stretch, we followed the long sidewalks while I showed them the library, passed a few academic buildings, and, not that any of us were artsy, the Murphy Sculpture Garden.

At almost eighty degrees and a bright afternoon sun overhead, today was pretty nice for mid-October. A slight breeze blew across the open sidewalks, lined with grass and shaded by overhead trees with droopy branches. Ellie and Logan trailed behind me as we walked past welded metal modern forms, Greek-inspired bronze nudes that put my curves to shame, and some wire-framed horse.

After Ellie shared how she had in fact applied for UW's Nutrition program's Masters degree program, my head swiveled around to Logan. "Where's that fit in your plans?"

His eyebrows drew together and his hand tightened around Ellie's. "Not sure, but we'll figure it out. If I don't get drafted then guess I'll be back at UW another year too."

"Not the worst outcome," Ellie teased him with fucking sparkles in her eyes.

"Nope." He grinned, then leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

Fuck, they're worse than Li and Friendzone.

My head snapped quickly away and I looked away anywhere my eyes focused. Thankfully, Rieber Hall came into view. Twenty yards out, my own phone buzzed in my pocket. With my chin tucked down, my lips pulled into a smile at the message.

dickhead: Look up, firecracker.

With one shift of my eyes upwards, I took in the view of Jake's large frame leaned against the hood of his parked car. His toned arms were crossed over his chest and one ankled hooked over the other like he waited for us. In black jeans and a gray cable knit shirt, he looked overdressed compared to the rest of us. With my casual choice of a sweatshirt and leggings, I looked like I'd used the same closet as Ellie. Logan had trotted around in a light gray T-shirt and black athletic shorts.

The details of Jake's clothes and old beater Mazda blurred as I focused on his face. A few dark brown strands flicked across his forehead but his eyes stayed focused on me. The lines of stubble I liked were on full display, along with a playful smirk on his lips. The closer I stepped, the harder my heart thumped in my chest.

"Jake!" Ellie's normally soft voice screeched out and I froze when her short legs rushed past me. With a slight hop, she flung herself onto Jake and lurched his car an inch back.

"Ellie," he greeted her quietly but I caught the burst of joy that filled his eyes before he squeezed them shut and hugged her back. When his eyes opened, they focused over her head at me. In a voice full of smugness, he offered, "Reynolds."

"Hey Jake," Logan stepped over, one of his hands outstretched in a shake position.

Jake's arm muscles popped, not that I ogled them, as he squeezed Logan's hand tightly. "Hightower."

At the sound, Ellie detached her leech hold on her brother and koala-hugged Logan's side. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and he rested his chin against her forehead.

With one raised eyebrow at me, I pulled my lips to one side and nodded at Jake. For a tension cut, I reached over and slugged his shoulder with my fist, but he just chuckled.

"So..." Ellie's eyes peeked up at us. "Where are we eating for dinner?"

My eyes lifted up to Jake's, where I matched his smile with one of mine. "We have a place in mind."

"Can't believe we're eating here," Logan grumbled while we stood in line at, of all places, a grease-infused, obnoxious yellow and red decorated fast-food restaurant that offered a very limited option of hamburgers, hamburgers, and... hamburgers.

If any doubt remained over where we were, like the place wasn't obvious from the giant sign outside, then the three-foot tall 'In-N-Out' block letters that hung between the ceiling and top of a row of red lobby booths was more than enough of a reminder.

"My ear still hurts from how loudly she squealed when I pulled up here," Jake grumbled playfully. His eyes crinkled at the corners while he studied how Ellie's hands clasped at her chest.

Despite Jake's faked grumpiness, the ride over here was relaxed and casual. After he'd grabbed their suitcase from my trunk and promised he dropped Ellie and Logan off at the hotel after we ate, our conversation flowed easily from one random topic to another. Like she hadn't seen the sun in a while, Ellie rolled her window down and held her hand outside. Even the fact Jake and Logan's large frames cramped Jake's car space hadn't dampened the good mood that dissolved the closer we'd gotten to our destination. 

The smell of grease ingrained in my brain at this point, I winked at Jake from under my lashes. "At least she's a cheap date."

"Tease all you want but we don't have this in Seattle!" Ellie looked over her shoulder from where she stood at the register and ordered a double cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate milkshake. "They really are the best burgers."

By the time Jake and I dragged out greasy bagged meals to the table, Logan and Ellie's gooey display of affection continued. As soon as their butts hit their seats, Logan wrapped his arm over the back of her shoulders as soon as we sat down at our table.

A sharp elbow met my left shoulder. It was followed by a few warm breaths in my ear and Jake's deep voice, "They make me nauseous sometimes."

I got about three words out before laughs took over. "Aww, don't tell me you want all that squishy, romancey stuff in your life."

Jake needed no other response other than an impassive look down at me. His only movement was one slightly arched eyebrow and I laughed harder. "Point made."

My dinner sat untouched because Logan and Ellie's visit tonight, unfortunately, meant confession time. While I dreaded this conversation, more than the one we'd had with Mrs. Harrison, I wanted it over and dealt with sooner than later. A slight tremble ran through my fingers, so I crossed them over my lap and hugged my elbows.

So, with a slowly drawn breath that expanded my chest, I blurted out, "We need to tell you something."

"People generally talk at dinner," Ellie teased with a sparkle in her eyes that killed me to see because I knew it died as soon as I told her exactly what Jake had told her mom.

What she deserves to hear, the truth.

"Yeah, but this is... Jake and I are..." I paused and looked up at Jake.

Once he nodded, an awful feeling came over me as I looked back at Ellie's relaxed expression and body language. My stomach rolled with nausea, a tightening sensation squeezed my throat tighter, and my breath shortened. Jake's hand clenched onto my closest thigh and I drew my strength from the warmth that radiated from his contact point.

"Jake and I are... are..." I swallowed tightly and dropped my eyes down to the death grip my hands held onto my elbows. "Sleeping together again."