##Chapter 54: CarterAs I lay on the bench in the gym and raise the bar before lowering it to my chest again, everything Daisy said the other day circles through my head. There's a part of me that's relieved by her acceptance of the situation. And then there's a part that fucking hates it and doesn't want to let her walk away.But what can I do?This is the way it needs to be. And yet, I can't get her out of my head. She's persistent as fuck. That's always been the problem when it comes to Daisy. At some point, I have to reconcile myself to the fact that the emotions she stirs in me aren't going to disappear overnight, no matter how much I might wish otherwise. She's always meant more which is precisely why I need to proceed with caution.I can't take one step back and expect it to be enough.I need to take ten.Maybe twenty.Irritated with myself for getting sucked into another Daisy loop, I refocus my attention and slowly lift the weights above my chest. When I hit the twenti
##Chapter 55: CarterFor the past few weeks, I've been camped out at the football house and living on the couch in the living room. And yeah, it's gross as hell. I spend a lot of time trying not to think about the body fluids embedded in the material.If I'm lucky, I can catch a solid four hours of sleep at night. I didn't admit it to Noah, but this shit is getting old. I miss my bed. I miss having Daisy wrapped in my arms. It's the best damn feeling in the world.This place is worse than a frat house. There are six guys who live here, but I swear there's at least quadruple that, coming and going at all hours. We're in the middle of the season and these guys are cracking open cold ones every damn night of the week.Sure, I'll have a few on the weekends but I'm not one to get shitfaced. Being out of control leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If I need to blow off steam, I'd much rather find a willing female to fuck.At least, that was my MO in the past.Daisy and I might not be t
##Chapter 56: DaisyHow does that old saying go?Getting back on the horse again is never easy?Well, it's true.I glance behind me and smile at...crap, I'm blanking on his name.I'm pretty sure it starts with the letter-Adam!There we go.We met in line at the coffee house on campus and got to talking. By the time we had our javas in hand, he asked if I was interested in grabbing dinner some time. Before Carter, I wouldn't have given his invitation a second thought. He's cute with messy chestnut-colored curls and has a few tattoos on his arms.What's not to like?And yet I went back and forth about meeting up with him. Believe it or not, it was Olivia who pushed me into going on this date. And she was right. There's no reason for me to sit home alone pining for someone who doesn't want me.It's time for me to move on.And Adam is the perfect one to do that with.I think.He made a few odd comments while we were out, but I brushed them aside. If nothing else, he's a good reboun
##Chapter 1: DaisyLogan brushes a stray lock of hair away from my face."I had fun tonight," he says.His husky voice sends a shiver of desire careening down my spine. I love that feeling. The one you get when you're out with someone new, and you're really clicking. And you think, Yeah, this could actually go somewhere.That's exactly what I'm feeling right now. That little voice inside my head is screaming, Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner."Me, too," I murmur before shoving the key into the lock of the apartment door. This is going to sound corny as hell, but time stands still as we gaze into each other's eyes. Have I mentioned that Logan has the dreamiest eyes? They're deep and soulful. I can practically feel myself getting lost in them.His eyes were the first thing I noticed.The second?That he's cute.Cute boys have always been a weakness of mine. He's handsome in a frat boy kind of way, with perfectly styled blond hair and an athletic build that's not overly muscul
##Chapter 2: DaisyLogan stiffens beside me. And not in the way I was hoping for, either.Before I have a chance to blast Carter into next week, he saunters into the room and plops himself down on the ugly, oversized recliner situated across from us. I hate that eyesore and opposed it being moved into the apartment.I was overruled.Unaware, or-more accurately-uncaring that I'm about to blow a gasket, Carter lifts his chin in Logan's direction. "Hey, what's up?"I sputter in anger. Carter's all nonchalant, as if he's not strutting around practically naked and interrupting my date.Poor Logan doesn't know what to make of the situation."Ahhh..." he falters and stares wide-eyed as if Carter is a horrific traffic accident that he's unable to rip his eyes away from.I feel much the same way.We're talking bodies strewn across the pavement and several fatalities.You can bet that once I get my hands on Carter, he's going to be one of them.Carter sits with his legs spread wide. Unfortu
##Chapter 3: CarterBrinmore University-or BU, as it's fondly referred to-is renowned across the country for three things.The first is football. BU gives the University of Alabama a run for its money in the sheer number of conference championships and players drafted to the NFL each year. If you don't play, then you damn well better be a fan, because you're inundated with football twenty-four seven. Even when we're not in season, everyone talks about next year's prospects, which high school players are getting recruited, who's turning pro, who ended up on the injury list, and who's coming back. The second is academics. BU is a top-notch university. One of the best in the country. If you're able to earn a degree from this school, you have a promising future ahead of you. It's a well-known fact that BU alumni take care of their own.And the third is the parties. BU consistently ranks as one of the top five party schools in the country with a huge Greek system. Trust me, the st
##Chapter 4: Daisy"Hi, Aunt Marnie!" I call out while coming through the front door with Noah and Carter hot on my heels.Noah's mother, Aunt Marnie, stands at the huge black granite island in the center of the kitchen. She's wearing a pretty sundress, with her long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. It's her go-to hairstyle. Easy and low maintenance, just like her.A warm smile lights up her face as she glances up. "Hey, sweetheart!" With a big wooden spoon in hand, she mixes together a macaroni salad for the Labor Day barbecue she and my uncle are hosting. Everyone in the neighborhood is invited, as well as all of Noah and Carter's teammates, who turn up en masse.Since they have a kick-ass in-ground pool, there's always an abundance of man candy to gawk at. It's probably one of the only perks to having a cousin who plays in a Division I football program. These guys work out all year long like it's their job and have the buff bodies to prove it.Carter bumps into me, mu
##Chapter 5: DaisyAunt Marnie knows that Carter and I don't get along. I've groused about him on several occasions. Multiplied by infinity.Noah and Carter met during football camp before freshman year and have been tight ever since. Even though Noah has skills when it comes to football, he's not good enough to turn pro. He loves it but doesn't live and breathe it the way some of the other guys on the team do. Noah has already taken the LSAT and is working on completing his applications for law school.Carter, on the other hand, lives and breathes football. It's his passion. His focus. He and I don't talk about his future, but I hear the gossip floating around campus. Most guys are more than happy to boast about their prospects if they're heading to the NFL. But Carter isn't one of them. He's guarded and private. He doesn't discuss his family or brag about his post-college plans. I may live with the guy, but I know next to nothing about him. Which is just fine by me.Tha