Chapter 18: Sawyer

I keep Bryn in my bed all night, but just like she had to have a meeting with her professor I’m due for a conversation with my advisor. He’s been drawling on about this being my second chance to really get my life in order, and the importance of having a back-up degree in case sports don’t work out. I’m barely listening and instead am thinking about what I’m going to do to Bryn when I get back home. This whole sex agreement between us is hot, but I still have some work to do in the wooing department.

The fact that I don’t know a damn thing about trying to make a girl fall in love with me isn’t helping. Plus, Bryn thinks I’m being playful and horny all the time, so that will make the transition from sex buddy to potential boyfriend fucking impossible.

*“…I think it was smart of you to choose business as your major. It can provide you with beneficial skills for all sorts of professional avenues. However, it can be demanding so be sure you prioritize things evenly…”*

Blah blah blah…

I know all this because my last advisor drilled it into my head plus my coach. Everyone keeps saying I need a Plan B, but I don’t see why. Yeah, I had a hard go of it, but I’m meant to play hockey. I’m not sure how I could do anything else. Even if I don’t make it in the NHL, fat chance of that, I would choose to coach. This business degree is not going to help me in the future, but I need a major and it seemed the most practical and has the least number of courses. Unlike Bryn’s! I’ve seen the number of books she has collected to get ready for the semester. Most of them can be bought in digital form but she’s old school. She always did like having an actual book in her hands, and that’s still true now.

I’ve watched her at her desk in nothing more than a crop top and tiny shorts with her head buried in books. She’s already started taking notes on stuff and we still have another three days until classes start. I respect her work ethic but mostly because it means she will be studying me. Oh yeah! My girl will get to know all of me intimately. The guys have heard my speech about her being off limits and after the reaming they got from her on her first day they have a healthy fear of bothering her and me. What a pair we make, scaring huge hockey players is all in a day’s work for us.

*“…I’m glad you are willing to take things more seriously this semester. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”* My advisor says finally ending his monologue.

“Sure do. We done here?”

He gives me a tight smile. “Here’s my card. Please don’t hesitate to contact me.”

I grab the card he’s holding out to me and stand. This has been a waste of my time when I could be curled around a naked Bryn right now! I walk out of his office and head down the hall only to be stopped by some girl with long blonde hair and a low-cut crop top that barely covers her tits.

“Hey Sawyer. I missed you at the party last night. It was epic.” She purrs and blinks her fake eyelashes at me.

Why do all these puck bunnies look the same? It becomes a blur when they come up to me like this. I guess the guys don’t care as long as they can have sex. Well, I’m done with that. I’m a one-woman guy now, even if that woman thinks we’re only going to be friends with benefits. Oh, Bryn you silly girl.

“I didn’t think I would be invited because of what happened last time.” I say walking around her, but she steps up beside me and continues walking with me.

“Of course, you’re still welcome! That asshole had it coming to him, but no one is brave enough to go up against him. He’s got a rep of being a heavy hitter, literally. He gets in more fights than a drunk fighting over a spilled drink.” She laughs at her own joke, but I don’t bother. “Anyway, it was that girls fault anyway. If she hadn’t stepped in it would have ended and be water under the bridge. She is seriously wacko! Did you see the video of her kneeing that footballer in the junk? Who does that?”

I smirk at the image of little Bryn taking on that roided guy and bringing him to his knees. Yeah, I saw the video, it was spread around the instant it happened. The idiot never stood a chance. The best part was the way Bryn turned on her heels and walked away like she was a bad ass bitch, which of course she is. It was hot as fuck.

“So will we see you Friday?” The girl next to me asks as we push through the doors and out onto the path.

“Nah, not interested. I have somewhere else to be.” I tell her.

Bryn and I plan on staying in and having a movie night. I’ve planned it all out! We are going to have a Scream movie marathon while we chow down on some cauliflower crust vegan pizza, her favorite. I will be picking it up so that no asshole delivery guy tries to hit on my girl again. I can’t go beating up the guys that bring her food. Hungry and angry Bryn is fucking terrifying.

Speaking of Bryn…I spot her walking up the path toward us with Tabitha. She laughs at something Tabitha says and I smile at the sight. I’m so gone for her, and she doesn’t even notice. Or maybe she does and just doesn’t want to believe it.

“Sawyer?” The girl next to me whines but I don’t acknowledge her.

Instead, I walk toward Bryn and Tabitha and when I reach them I run right into Bryn and wrap my arms around her waist making her laugh.

“What is with you picking me up off my feet?” she asks playfully.

“How else can I drag you home?” I say making her laugh more.

“I’ll call you Tab!” She yells over my shoulder.

She wraps her legs around my waist, and I move my hand down to her ass to hold her more securely. It feels amazing having her wrapped around me. It probably looks like we’re a couple to everyone else but Bryn seems to think this is all friendly messing around. She wraps her arms around my neck and leans back to look at me.

“You know you can’t kidnap me once classes start.” She reminds me.

I smirk at her. “Like hell I can’t. When you’re not studying, I’m going to keep you all to myself.”

She shakes her head. “That doesn’t give me much time for a social life. I wanted to try and meet more people. You know make friends to hang out with, go to dinner with…that sort of thing.”

I scoff at the idea. “Why do you need that when you have me? I’m your friend!”

“I need more than one friend. You know when the season starts you are going to get busy, and who will I hang out with then?”

She makes a valid point. I don’t want her to be sitting home alone waiting for me. She should get out and enjoy her life here, as long as it doesn’t involve any guys making a move on her. I wonder if I can convince her to get ‘Sawyer’s girl’ tattooed on her. That would make things so much easier.

“Fine. You can socialize, but only because I don’t want you to be a sad loner who only reads and watches Jane Austen films.”

She gasps. “How dare you! Those films are a joy to watch! Jane sure knew how to write a real love story.” She sighs. “Mr. Darcy is the ultimate book boyfriend. All the deep pain and brooding that hides a true romantic.”

I scowl. “Yeah, well he was still an asshole.”

Yeah, she made me watch that movie a couple times over the last week. It’s her favorite, and not just the one with Kiera Knightly. There was the one that was in black and white from the forties, there is the one that has the guy Colin something, then there was one with zombies. It was a hell of a lot, and apparently there are even more films based off the same book. Then she went on to list all the other films based on Jane Austen books and I got lost. Needless to say, she’s obsessed. I watch them just for the reason of hanging out with her.

Seeing her eyes light up while she watches and the way she holds a pillow against her chest and pulls her legs up so she’s as small as possible. There’s also the fuzzy socks she wears even though it isn’t winter yet. Everything about her is just…her.