I Hate Football Players 3 | 18+

Chapter 27: Ellie

"Fuck that, Ellie," Harper's version of encouraging words flowed into my ear.

Charlie was my closest friend by proximity but Harper was my only friend who knew everything about me, truly everything, and despite our physical and emotional distance, I already missed her. Freshman year, she'd assured me that we'd have made terrible college roommates, namely I'd eventually hated her for the number of guys she'd have brought back to the apartment. I knew she only kidded because despite her revolving door of guys, she had strict rules in place. I couldn't keep track of all of them but knew that one rule was how no one came back to her bed.

Given everything else that's within the rules though, her opinion on relationships is a bit ridiculous.

"I highly doubt that'll solve anything." I smiled as my thumb slid four quarters into a washer and punched the tray inside. I sidestepped and started another washer, then watched for a few moments while they started up.

Normally, I worked at the library at one pm on a Friday. In between my morning classes, James had sent me an inter-library message that asked if he could take my one to three hours today in exchange for two hours Sunday morning. I hadn't cared and used the extra time for laundry.

"Technically not what I meant," her sarcasm practically dripped out of my speaker phone. "But I love that's where your mind went."

"Not going to happen," I scoffed and sat down on the top of the counter opposite the wall of washers. Our apartment complex had twelve washing machines and the same number of dryers, but unfortunately they were all coin-operated and in the bowels of the older building's basement.

Chipped and peeling white paint covered the walls and an overhead fluorescent light buzzed almost as loudly as the dryers. I wasn't brave enough that I left my laundry here by myself, so I'd brought my Statistics textbook. I'd only gotten a few pages into the assigned reading when Harper had called and given me a much appreciated disruption.

Prior to her insinuation that I was in denial, I tried explaining our setup, "We started out fine, put some rules in place."

"Rules," she repeated. "Rules are good, rules are structure, rules... can be broken."

She wasn't wrong and between the two of me and Logan, with Charlie's dare I'd already toed closest to the line between... I wasn't sure.

I went over what Logan and I discussed when we first moved in, about being respectful and not having dates over, to which she just scoffed. The sound buzzed static into the laundry room, so I prompted, "What?"

"Ellie, I love you but you're so dense," Harper replied impatiently. "He totally vagina-blocked you with no other guys over. I'm surprised he hasn't popped that fucking air mattress you're sleeping on yet."

"Harper, the last thing I want is to see him be with another girl." Just the admission churned a discomfort in my stomach, like I'd eaten a food that disagreed with me.

My phone buzzed with more static from her second loud scoff. "Like he's ever going to look at another girl with you there."

"Of course he will." I frowned at the idea he wouldn't because her suggestion was silly. At the least, he was a guy, but just the large size and attractiveness level in his presence attracted attention.

I'd definitely noticed reactions to Logan, so I added, "Girls in class, even on the sidewalks, already check him out. He's competing for the starting quarterback position, so all sleaze girl hell will break loose if he gets it. That's what I was more worried about, I've had enough of dealing with those kinds of girls living with Jake."

While we'd had some charged moments, I had no idea until Charlie's challenge if Logan had any feelings for me past his usual cocky, button-pushing front that got a rise out of whenever I was flustered around him.