I Hate Football Players 3 | 18+

Chapter 123: Ellie

Like the remainder of our ski trip, our reversed bus trip and flight back to SeaTac, where Logan and I stopped and Harper and Jake parted their separate ways, the four of us were quiet. At the risk I was petty, I threw disappointed looks at both of them, Harper in particular.

Realize I'm an old soul but those two need to grow the fuck up.

My irritation melted away the moment Logan shut our apartment door behind us and wrapped his arms around me. After a slow, shared breath, I squeezed him tight and choked out, "Glad to be home."

"Cramped apartment and all," he replied, kissed me briefly, then dragged our suitcases into the bedroom.

The corners of my lips curled up as I just watched as he left.

Wasn't talking about the apartment.

Over the days that led up to the PAC-12 game, the hype and attention exploded exponentially, and unfortunately only half of it was centered around the actual game. Instead, ESPN aired our entire interview which somehow launched a rivalry between Jake and Logan that simply wasn't there. With the exception of game-related posts, Logan locked his social media pages from the onslaught of pro-USC messages and meme's.

"Do they not know Jake is my brother?" I asked Logan at one point. He only shook his head at the nonstop QB-rival conspiracy theories that Jake and Logan were enemies and mass-deleted a few posts that snuck in after he'd linked to Mike Sorrell's game day preview article.

Once Logan set down his phone and inhaled dinner, he only offered a wry smile and no further insight into the obvious thoughts that ran through his head. Instead, he shifted the topic, "So, classes next semester. Just you let you know, I double-up on my Bio labs during the non-football season terms, so -"

"So you'll be busy in the afternoons," I finished with a smile. "No problem, my jobs don't change. If anything, tutoring gets worse from students wanting to raise their GPA enough to pass into the next year."

By far the worst, and most desperate, students were seniors that needed a minimum GPA to graduate. Their patience was thin, stress levels elevated, and willingness to achieve the bare minimum ranged from admirable last-ditch effort levels to deplorably embarrassing.

With the exception of meals, I barely saw Logan before the PAC-12 championship game. Since we were thankfully still on winter break, I used the free time and got my spring quarter books, cleaned the apartment, cooked up a storm of leftovers and frozen-ahead meals, even updated my blog for a few recipes. For the first time since Dad's funeral, I felt closer to my normal functioning, productive state.

After I posted some healthy Christmas dessert recipes, my eyes and fingers paused when I saw a particular private message in my blog site's inbox:

wheresLT: We need more videos!! Pls post one of u and ur mancandy asap!

"Maybe after the season," I mumbled, although Logan's football schedule wasn't the reason I hadn't posted any videos this semester, I was.

Or, not wanting to draw attention to myself is the reason.

Although Mr. Reynolds assured me more than once that he'd declined Ryder's for-show-only apology invitation, my suspicions were raised after my, Jake, and Logan's interview was aired again. While I appreciated my small circle of close friends, UW was an open, welcoming campus that anyone easily walked onto.

That's crazy though, right?

Ryder wouldn't do anything that makes him look bad before his court date.

Instead of my scheduled court appearance in a few weeks, I turned my attention towards our Nevada trip. Within a blink, Logan left with the entire team, although I breathed a sigh of relief when he told me he roomed with Wes and Darrius.