My door flew open, and a blur tackled me to the bed. My bag landed on the floor somewhere as I fought off August.
“Get off me, man,” I said, shoving him to the side.
He laughed until he was red in the face. I lay there staring first at the ceiling, then out the large windows that faced the street and then out the other two on the side.
“Can you fucking believe it?” he asked. “We are on our own.”
I covered my face with my hands and said, “Not exactly. If you hadn’t acted like an asshole, you would have noticed Finn. You know, the guy who owns the place.”
“Shit!” He sat up. “I was trying to beat Bea.”
Finley’s legal name was Beatrice Finley Farrow. She was the second born of the triplets. Their father, in a moment of genius according to him, named his firstborn son August after himself and decided to name his second born Beatrice to follow the alphabet and his third Cooper. Their mother hadn’t liked Beatrice and had argued for Finley. She won the battle but lost the war. Finley had become her middle name.
“You know she doesn’t like it when you call her Bea.”
He shrugged. “What are big brothers for?”
I didn’t argue that they were only minutes apart. I couldn’t say anything that would make him suspicious about my intentions toward the only female Farrow sibling.
“You should go introduce yourself to Finn.”
“I will, and then we’re going to the cookout at the Omega house.”
Omega Psi Beta or Theta, I wasn’t sure of its full Greek name, was the only Omega on campus. It was called Omega and was the fraternity most football players joined.
I closed my eyes. “Dude, we just got here, and practice starts tomorrow.”
The three-hour-plus ride had been long enough. I just wanted to chill.
“Exactly, which is why we should party today. We can rest when we’re dead. Sawyer said we could be gods. Now’s our time.”
August looked up to Sawyer like a god. Apparently, he’d ruled the university the last four years.
“You just have pussy on the brain.”
He knocked me on the chest. “Don’t you?”
I had his sister on the brain and finally getting my mouth on hers.
He shoved me, and I laughed. “Fine. I do.”
“So this is our chance to have our pick,” he said.
“Is Finley going?” The question just popped out.
His face scrunched up, and he glanced at his hand. “I hope not. My knuckles still haven’t healed from that party last weekend.”
That was common practice for us, kicking someone’s ass for talking to his sister. But if he hadn’t, I would have hit the guy who’d been staring at Finley’s ass as she danced lost in the music. But looking alone hadn’t been what’d done it. It had been when he wildly pointed at her and mimed pumping his hips that earned him a broken jaw.
“Yeah, but maybe taking her would be good. We could get the word out early that she’s off-limits,” I suggested.
Really, I just wanted to be with her.
August chuckled. “She’ll kill us if she finds out.” He shook his head. “I don’t know, man. I don’t feel like babysitting her today.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on her.”
When his eyes narrowed, I wondered if I’d sounded too interested, but his jaw finally relaxed, and he shrugged.
“Your loss. There are sure to be plenty of babes there.”
“What about Cooper?”
I thought about it. “He’s going. He needs to get out. I’m pretty sure he’s still a virgin.”
Since he brought it up, I seized on the opportunity.
“Do you think Finley is?”
He laid back. “If she isn’t, I don’t want to know who the unlucky bastard is. I’d end up with a murder charge.”
I tried to laugh it off as I held in a grimace. “You can’t expect her to stay that way the rest of her life.”
His eyes narrowed. “I don’t expect, I know for god damn sure until she marries some asshole, no one better touch her that way.”
He sat up and got to his feet. “Let’s not talk about that. I’m going to speak to Finn.”
“And Finley?”
His stare was cool. “What’s this sudden interest in my sister?”
Shit, I’d taken it too far.
I folded my hands behind my head. “Nothing. I didn’t know if you were going to tell her or if you wanted me too.”
He studied me for a second too long. He was going to call me on my bullshit. I felt sweat form around my collar.
“Yeah, okay. I’ll tell her on my way down.”
I shrugged, and he finally turned and left my room. I closed my eyes. That had been close. Maybe the party was a good idea. That conversation was further confirmation that Finley was and would forever be off-limits. If I could hook up with someone else, it might take my mind off the only girl I’d ever truly wanted.
Just as I started to unpack my duffle, my phone rang.
“Shepard,” the soft feminine voice said.
“Mom,” I answered and sat on the edge of my bed.
“You made it.”
I immediately felt guilty about not calling her when I arrived.
“We just got here not too long ago,” I said.
She sighed wistfully into the phone. “I’m so proud of you. I always wanted to go to college.”
Mom grew up dirt poor as the saying goes. She’d been working as a waitress when she met my dad. He’d promised her the world and gave her ashes instead.
“And you’ll go one day. I promise.”
Playing football wasn’t my dream job. It paid my tuition. But if the league was the only door open to me at the end of my four years, I’d sign my name in blood to pay my mother back for all she had done for me.
“You know I love you for that. But this is your life, not mine. I want
