The Girl Next Door
The Boy Next Door Chapter 6

October of sophomore year...

Mia and I push our way through the crowded student section at the stadium, searching for a place to park our asses. It's game day and I'm here to root on my man. Even though it's mid-October, the temperature is still seasonable and I'm able to wear Colton's red and black jersey over a turtleneck. He gave it to me a couple of weeks ago. It's a big deal. Only girlfriends get to wear player jerseys to the games or around campus. After he left my dorm room, I screamed at the top of my lungs. While wearing his jersey, of course.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that this isn't a dream I'll wake from. It's my reality. I'm dating Colton Montgomery. Every time I think it, a little bubble of joy explodes inside me.

This relationship has come out of nowhere and taken me completely by surprise. Sure, I'd always hoped we'd get together, but did I really think it was going to happen? No way in hell. How could I when Colton went to such great lengths to avoid me? First in high school, then at college. If we were paired up together for a class project, he found a way out. If I arrived at a party, he slipped away. If he spotted me on campus, he'd take off in the opposite direction.

It might have taken me a while, but it's not like I can't take a hint. Just when I'd decided to put Colton Montgomery behind me and move on with my life, he came out of nowhere and swept me off my feet.

Me!

I'm still in a state of shock.

Colton can have any girl he wants. And he has. But he's never been one to get serious. He likes to play the field.

And yet...here we are.

We're, for lack of a better term, getting serious.

Although, trust me when I say that I'm taking it slow. It's all about baby steps with this guy. Even though Colton came after me, he's like a skittish animal I need to approach with both caution and patience. So far, I've let him set the pace and that seems to be working. I'm taking it day by day and letting our relationship unfold naturally. If I get too serious, too quick, he'll bolt. I can see it in his eyes.

"You're getting an awful lot of looks," Mia murmurs from beside me. "I wouldn't be surprised if one of these bitches shanks you in the bathroom just to wrestle that jersey from your cold dead body."

I snort. She's not wrong about that. I can practically feel the coveted stares and hear the whispers as we move up the stadium stairs in search of seats. There are a lot of thirsty bitches around here waiting for an opportunity to steal my man. Especially now that he's done the unthinkable and committed to one specific female.

Me!

Yeah, I still can't get over it.

Any moment, I'm going to break out into a little happy dance. Although, I think Mia would slap me upside the head if I did.

Even though Colton is only a sophomore at Wesley, he's been a hot commodity since stepping foot on campus freshman year. Not only is he good looking, he's a first-string wide receiver for the Wildcats. The idea of dating a guy like him is much akin to capturing a mythical unicorn. The girls who don't want to strangle me, come to me for advice. As if there's a secret formula to my success. If only they knew the truth.

I have no idea what happened to make him change his mind.

For the first couple of weeks, I was overly cautious, waiting for the bottom to fall out. Waiting for him to wake up and say that he's not interested in being with one girl when there are a ton of them willing to spread their legs. I was almost afraid to sleep with him, figuring that's when he would break things off.

Instead, six weeks have slipped by and we're still together. Gradually I'm figuring him out. I used to think that he was just a guy who enjoyed screwing as many girls as he could. After getting to know him-the real Colton Montgomery-I think there's more to it than that. He's surprisingly more guarded than I realized. It's almost as if Colton puts up a facade for everyone around him. Only now am I starting to peel back the layers to the man lurking beneath. It makes me wonder what happened in his past to make him erect so many walls. I'm afraid to ask. So, I don't. I remain silent in hopes that he'll open up on his own when he's ready.

For the time being, I'm content to take this relationship one day at a time. I'm enjoying getting to know Colton on a deeper level. He's not the guy I assumed he was. There's so much more to him. It only makes me want to dig deeper and strengthen the tentative connection we've forged.

For the time being, I'm content to take this relationship one day at a time. I'm enjoying getting to know Colton on a deeper level. He's not the guy I assumed he was. There's so much more to him. It only makes me want to dig deeper and strengthen the tentative connection we've forged.

Mia points to two open spots in the middle of the row. We slide past a dozen people before settling on our seats with our drinks and popcorn. We wave to a few friends before the band performs their rendition of our school song and the players jog onto the field in a wave of red and black. Even though there's ninety guys on the team, my gaze cuts through them, locking on number twenty-five. My heart flips over in my chest as I watch him. The pads only accentuate the broad set of his shoulders. My gaze drops to his a*s. I'm not going to lie, the red stretchy pants do wonders for it.

Mia knocks my shoulder with her own. I tear my gaze away from Colton and glance toward her.

A knowing grin simmers around the corners of her lips. "I know what you're looking at."

My lips curl around the edges. "Can you blame me?"

She straightens in her seat and c***s her head as if giving serious consideration to the question. "Nope. The guy has a mighty fine a*s."

Yes, he certainly does.

The ref flips a coin, and Alabama takes possession of the ball. I munch on my popcorn and watch the first play of the game. My father is a die-hard football fan. It doesn't matter if it's the NFL, college, or high school. In our house, it's a religion. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are days of worship in the Williams household. That meant loads of BBQ chicken wings, pigs in a blanket, chips, and bottles of cold beer. Not exactly dancer-friendly food. But Mom always made sure to have a veggie platter with hummus and lots of fresh fruit.

After about five minutes, a ref blows a whistle, throws up a flag, and stops the action.

"What happened?" Mia asks, brows drawing together as she watches at the field. "There's a penalty for holding," I tell her.

When she continues to stare in confusion, my lips twitch. "It means that one of our offensive guys grabbed hold of the other team's defensive player while trying to block him. You can't do that. Now there's a penalty and we lose ten yards."

Her brows pinch together. "It's like you're talking English, but I still can't understand a word you're saying." She touches her face. "Am I having a stroke? Am I able to smile? Wait a minute...aren't I the one who shouldn't be making sense if I'm stroking out?" I burst out laughing. "Neither of us are stroking out. Although, if these refs don't get their heads out of their asses, I just might." I point to the field and explain, "Now we're further from the end zone which makes it more difficult to score a touchdown." She nods but continues to look baffled by what's happening. "Why does football have to be so confusing?"

I pat her shoulder. "It's a good thing your pretty."

Mia snorts. "Shut up. You know I've never been a fan of the game. Too slow and boring."

"Yup. Which is exactly why I appreciate you tagging along with me today."

"You'll owe me," she shrugs, "that's all."

"I'm almost afraid of what you'll extract as payment."

She sends me a chilling grin. "Don't worry, I'll come up with something that you'll hate."

I don't doubt it. She'll probably force me to stay in one weekend and binge watch Gilmore Girls. She knows I can't stand that damn show. Usually, I'm the one dragging her a*s to parties when she would much rather stay home.

An hour and a half later, the buzzer sounds, ending the second quarter of the game and signaling halftime. My gaze settles on Colton as he jogs off the field. His gaze coasts over the student section before zeroing in on me and I feel the connection down to my toes. He grins before tapping his fist against his chest and pointing toward me.

A sigh escapes from my lips before I can stifle it.

Are there little red and pink hearts dancing above my head? Because I think there might be. If I'm not careful, I'll fall head over heels in-

"You're falling for him, aren't you?"

It's not a question. More like a statement. And not a happy one either.

As tempted as I am to downplay my growing feelings, I don't want to do that. Mia has been my best friend for nearly a decade. We've always been straightforward with one another. Even though she won't like the answer, I can't bring myself to lie. "Yeah," I track his movements until he disappears inside the tunnel, "I am."

Mia worries her lower lip before gnawing on it. Concern flickers across her expressive features.

When she remains silent, I blurt, "He's not the guy you think he is."

"So what you're telling me is that he's only been pretending to be a player out for one thing all these years?"

I wince as my shoulders slump and some of my happiness dims. It's a complicated question. One I don't have an answer for. "I don't know." That's what I'm trying to figure out.

I focus on the band now marching in formation on the field. It's so much easier to focus on the halftime show than meet Mia's searching gaze.

Her arm snakes around me as she leans her head on my shoulder. "The last thing I want is for you to get hurt."

I huff out a breath as some of my defensiveness melts away. It's not like I don't understand her concern. We both attended high school with Colton. He's always been the king of hookups. The guy is nineteen years old and this is the first time he's been in a relationship. I would be an i***t not to be cautious where he's concerned. But that doesn't mean I can hold back my feelings or pretend they don't exist.

"I won't get hurt." I know that Mia has my best interest at heart. When it comes down to it, all she's trying to do it look out for me. "We're taking it slow."

"Girl, please," she says with a snort, "you don't know the meaning of the word slow."

My lips tremble at the corners. She's right. Where Mia carefully weighs each move that she makes, I've always been more of a leap before looking kind of girl.

Has it gotten me into trouble?

Yup. But that's the way I live life.

"I think you're already in love with the guy." There's a beat of silence before she adds with in a serious tone, "You've always been in love with him."

Instead of acknowledging the truth of her words, I press my lips together and remain silent.

She's right. I'm in love with Colton.

This is the problem with having a best friend who knows you so damn well. She's able to figure out all your dirty little secrets. Even the ones you try to hide from yourself.