I Hate Football Players 3 | 18+

Chapter 1: Ellie

Mom and Dad drove down with Jake from Santa Cruz to USC the next day, just like they did the next year, and the year after that. After my annual tear-soaked morning send off for Jake, I was distracted by a long work shift.

On this mid-August Saturday afternoon two days after my twentieth birthday, Pizza Palace was completely deserted. As my eyes traveled around the hot, stale-aired restaurant, a small smile played on my lips.

I might even miss this place if I get a real summer internship next year.

My eyes drifted downwards to my starchy, itchy black work pants and the world's most hideous, red and white striped work shirt. The accented blood red circles of pepperoni, strategically placed in the worst possible locations over my breasts like nipple pasties, stared back up at me.

No I won't. But maybe I'll burn my uniform ceremoniously before I go.

The thought stretched my smile wider, although I wouldn't have been surprised if my uniform clothes were fireproof. The only thing they were good for was absorbing greasy and various pizza smells.

I still need my library and tutoring jobs.

While the past two years had proven that UW was the perfect school for me, its tuition rate was less than ideal. As an out-of-state student, my scholarship reduced my tution to in-state and I'd applied for and gotten a few more.

Despite the fact my NDA about Ryder's assault included a million-dollar payout, I wanted nothing to do with a single cent of that hush money. Mr. Reynolds had Ryder's parents set up a trust fund account, from which I legally was able to withdraw from once I turned twenty-one.

Not even if I was homeless.

Since I still worked two jobs, between those and studying I hadn't had any time for dating. My Netflix binges and occasional dorm social events on weekends were sufficient entertainment for me.

Money-wise though, Ellie's Kitchen sure doesn't pay enough.

As one palm absently wiped down the already spotless counter, I smiled at how the only work-related thing that came with me was my food blog. Although I now had nearly ten thousand followers on my weekly updated site and a few advertiser sponsors, I needed more than the $100 revenue Ellie's Kitchen generated.

Fifty-six dollars after the financial dust settles.

Obviously my blog wasn't for financial gain. Cooking returned as a huge joy in my life, which was one reason I was thrilled to be in an apartment instead of the dorms my roommate Charlie and I shared our freshman year. I'd planned to continue Ellie's Kitchen's weekly updates and had already lined up the whole first semesters's topics. 'Anything but Ramen' was going to be my first junior-year themed post once we'd moved in.

Mom and Harper started the blog for me as a Christmas present two years ago, which morphed into more than an enjoyable hobby. What started as a fun way to share some recipes and pictures in a self-sufficient hobby grew into video tutorials and feedback forums with site visitors. While my blog wasn't the most popular one out there, I was shocked at the fact my content had gotten thousands of views and such positive reviews on the recipes.

If only my most popular videos weren't the ones with Logan in it.

As my thoughts led back to him, with his sun-kissed blonde hair and ocean-blue eyes, the hollow pit in my stomach and chest tightness returned. I'd nearly taken down all of my videos with him in them but their large number of views prompted me to keep them up, for now.

Yep, that's it. Only keeping them for the number of views.

Keep convincing yourself of that Ellie.