King of Campus (43 page)

The words slide off my lips before I can even think about them.  “Of course not!”  I wouldn’t ever want Roan giving up anything for me.  Least of all his dreams.  The ones he’s worked so tirelessly for ever since he was a kid.

Tilting his head to the side, he asks quietly, “Then why don’t you talk to him and give him a chance to tell you what he thinks.  If he cares about you, Ivy, he won’t want you sacrificing everything you’ve spent your entire life working towards.”

The bitch of it is, I know Eric is right.  Which is why I’ve been keeping this from Roan.  Because I know exactly what he’ll tell me to do.

Straightening to his full height, Eric jerks his head towards the barre where the other dancers are still stretching.  “What you need is to get out of your head for a while.  And I can help with that.”  He gives me a small smile.

An evil smile.

I know all too well that Eric will work me over so I don’t have one single moment to think about Cincinnati or Roan or what I’m going to do.  And that’s exactly what I need right now.  I need to lose myself in dance.  In the rigor of the choreography.  I need to shut off my brain and just feel the movement as it flows through me, lighting me up from the inside out.

Clapping his hands together, everyone’s eyes instantly fall on Eric.  “Alright, everybody, time to get to work!”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Someone’s looking good out there on the football field…  All I have to say is that Ivy Kaster is one hell of a lucky girl.  KingOfCampus.com

Roan

We’re walking towards the locker room after a grueling two hour practice when Dylan unsnaps the strap of his helmet before lifting it from his head.  Then, like a goddamn dog, the asshole shakes out his wet hair.  Because I’ve already taken my helmet off, his sweat hits me like a spray of bullets.

Talk about fucking gross.

With a curled upper lip, I give him a good shove.  “Dude, that’s disgusting.  Get the fuck away from me!”

The asswipe actually starts chuckling.  “That’s man sweat.  You wouldn’t know anything about that.  You mostly just stand around looking pretty.”

I can’t help but snort.  “Yeah, that sounds exactly like me.  Once again, you’ve nailed it right on the head.”

Smirking, he looks me up and down.  “You sure you shouldn’t be playing quarterback?”

I give him the stink eye in return.  “Fuck you, dude.”

A wide smile spreads across his face.  “Sorry, you’re not really my type.  You’re a little too meaty for my tastes.  I like a slimmer build.”

Dropping my shoulder, I ram into him from the side.  The impact sends him stumbling a couple of paces.  Knowing he got to me, he starts laughing.  Dylan can be a real dick sometimes.  “No wonder Lexie cut you loose.”

I’m expecting retaliation because my verbal jab is seriously below the belt and I damn well know it.  Instead he just continues grinning like he’s not bothered in the least by what I’ve just said.  “Didn’t I tell you we’re back together?”

I glare before muttering, “She must be out of her fucking mind.”

“Yep, that’s exactly what she said- that she was out of her fucking mind without me.”  He adds a little more swagger to his step.

I can only roll my eyes.  Yeah… I’m sure that’s
exactly
how it went down.  More like Dylan was crawling on his hands and knees, begging her to take him back.  If anyone has been out of their mind, it’s that guy.  Talk about mopey...  “I’m glad you got your shit settled.”

Sobering, he agrees, “Yeah, being without her was driving me bat shit crazy.”

He’s not kidding either.  I snort.  “What are you talking about?  You’re always bat shit crazy.  Don’t blame it on Lexie breaking you’re heart.”

Dylan looks just about ready to retaliate when someone shouts my name.

“Roan King?”

It’s not difficult finding who the voice belongs to.  There are people dotting the stands watching practice but this guy is leaning against the cement wall of the tunnel that leads inside to the locker rooms.  As I hold his stare, it occurs to me that he looks vaguely familiar but I can’t place where I know him from.  Which honestly, isn’t all that unusual.  People are constantly talking to me or introducing themselves.  I meet hundreds of people a week.

Not really in the mood to shoot the shit with some dude after the punishing two hour practice coach just put us through, I say, “Yeah, that’s me.”

As his eyes continue holding mine, I suddenly get the feeling that he’s not here because he’s a fan.  Nor has he shown up to yap at me about the Bulldogs or the outstanding season we’re in the midst of.  “You have a minute to talk?”

My gaze slides to Dylan, who promptly rolls his eyes before picking up his pace and disappearing inside the tunnel.  “Catch you later, man,” he hollers over his shoulder.

Running my fingers through my drenched hair, the guy lifts himself from the wall before moving towards me.  Finally he sticks out his hand.  I’m still sweaty and kind of dirty.  So I wipe my palm on my white pants before reaching to shake his.

“Eric Wexler, I’m one of Ivy’s professors.”

That’s when recognition hits me.  I give him just a bit of a chin nod.  “Yeah, right.  You teach dance.”  I shift my helmet from one hand to the other wondering what the hell this guy is doing here on the football field.

Even though he smiles, it’s tight as if he doesn’t really want to be here talking to me. Which makes two of us, I guess. I’m sweaty and tired.  I just want to hit the showers, shovel some food into my mouth, study for a couple of hours, and then curl up with Ivy for the night.  I need a little one on one time with my girl.  I almost snort because I seriously love the way that sounds.  Who would have ever thought I’d enjoy being tied down?

I know… totally crazy.

“Yes, I do.”  For just a moment he shifts uncomfortably under my stare.  Like he’s not quite sure how to broach what needs to be said.  Which is definitely weird…

Before he can say anything, I ask, “Is something wrong with Ivy?”  Even I can hear the threads of concern weaving their way through my words.  I mean, why the hell else would this guy be here?  “Is she in trouble or something?”  The thought leaves me stone cold and just a bit panicky.

After a long silent moment, he finally shakes his head. His shoulders sag just a bit before he sighs.  He looks even more uncomfortable.  “Look, she not going to be happy that I’m here talking to you.  But you need to know what’s going on-”

Again I shift before cutting him off.  “But Ivy’s okay, right?”

Almost instantly his face softens as the words spill from my lips.  “She’s fine but there’s something she hasn’t told you.”

I wish this guy would just spit out what he’s come here to say.  Because right now it feels like he’s messing with my head.  If there’s something wrong with Ivy, I want to know what it is.  I honestly can’t imagine what he’s come all the way over here to tell me.  Nor can I imagine what Ivy could possibly be keeping from me.  But it must be pretty big if he felt the need to seek me out at the stadium.

His eyes skitter away for a long moment before he finally mutters, “She’s going to be pissed that I said anything to you.”

Feeling suddenly aggravated that he won’t get to it, I snap, “Dude, just tell me what the hell is going on.”

Straightening to his full height, he finally says, “You know the Cincinnati audition?”

Why the hell is he bringing that up?  “Yeah, she was passed over for it.”

Silently Eric stares at me before slowly shaking his head. “No, she wasn’t.”

What the fuck is this guy saying?

Rearing back, I fold my arms across my chest.  My red and white helmet dangles from my fingers.  “Yeah, she told me she was…” as soon as I bite out the words, the implication of what he’s saying finally sinks in.  Feeling confused and caught off guard, I slowly shake my head.  “Are you telling me that Ivy lied about the audition?”  I can’t believe she would do that.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” he replies softly.

“But why?”  My brows pinch together.  She wanted this so badly.  “Why would she do that?  She’s been working her entire life for a shot like this.”  What he’s saying doesn’t make the least bit of sense.  Ivy wouldn’t lie about something like that.  It’s all she’s ever wanted.  It’s her dream to dance for a company.

Slowly he nods his head in agreement.  “Yeah, she has.”

Again I ask, “Why?”  My lips slide down at the corners.  Because I finally understand the look in his eyes.  It’s as if he’s silently accusing me of sabotaging her budding career before it ever has a chance to take off.  Shifting my hips, I point to my chest right before narrowing my eyes.  “You think this has something to do with
me
?”

Looking decidedly unhappy, Eric sighs.  “I think it has
everything
to do with you.  A few months ago, Ivy never would have turned down an opportunity like this.  She was with that other guy for far longer than she’s been with you and she didn’t think twice about studying in Paris for almost a year and a half.”

He cocks his head to the side as if he’s trying to take my measure.  It has me unconsciously drawing up to my full height.  Which is, by the way, considerably taller than this guy.

Professor or not.

It’s as if he’s trying to figure out exactly what Ivy sees in me.  Even though I’m pissed off she kept this from me, my chest swells with love for her.  Because this dude can’t possibly see what Ivy does.  She’s one of the few people who has ever taken the time to get to know the real me.

“Look, Roan,” he finally says, “you can’t just let her walk away from this.”

Like I want her to do that?  Of course I don’t.  Feeling surly, I suddenly ask, “What am I supposed to do?”

“Don’t stand in her way.  You’ve seen her dance, she belongs on a stage performing.  She may not regret her decision right away, but she will.  Eventually.  Especially if she’s not able to get in anywhere else.  Or, god forbid, she injures herself and isn’t able to dance at a professional level.”

The salvia in my mouth dries even thinking about it.  I only want the best for Ivy.  She deserves it.  The last thing I want is to stand in the way of her achieving everything she possibly can.  I don’t ever want to be the reason she doesn’t chase down a dream.  And I sure as hell don’t want her resenting me for holding her back.

I like Ivy… hell, I love her… but who knows what’s going to happen in the future.  We haven’t been together all that long.  It almost defies logic that she would give up this kind of opportunity… for me.

Me
.

Again something surges in my chest to the point of cracking wide open right here on the football field.

“Roan.”

His voice snaps me back to the conversation we’re in the middle of having.  “If you truly care about Ivy, you won’t stand in her way.  She needs to do this and time is running out.  She hasn’t officially turned it down yet.  If she does, she’ll never get another chance to dance with Cincinnati again.  They won’t look at her.  It’s as simple as that.”

Slowly I mutter, “But I told her if she got this, we’d make it work.  What more do you want me to do?”  What else
can
I do?  I don’t want to hold her back but I don’t want to lose her either.  It took me way too fucking long to find her.  To find someone who sees me for who I am.

He eyes me for just a moment and what I see there instantly puts me on edge.  “Look, it’s obvious your future is just getting ready to unfold as well.  Do you even know where you’ll be after this year?”

It’s slowly that I shake my head.  I don’t think I like where this conversation is going.  “No.  I won’t know anything until April.”

“I think Ivy realizes that if she leaves Barnett, the chances of your relationship surviving are slim.  She’ll be busting her ass in Cincinnati and won’t have much in the way of free time and you’ll be god knows where, also busting your ass without much free time.”  He allows those words to sink in for just a moment before continuing, “Do you realize just how difficult that’ll be?  You’ll both be starting high pressure, intensely physical careers in different cities.  Trying to make a name for yourselves…”

My heart actually constricts at his words.  Because, damn him, he’s right.

There’s only one thing to do.

And we both fucking know it.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Do you hear that?  It’s the sound of thousands of Barnett women rejoicing that Roan King is once again single…  Guess Ivy Kaster’s loss is our gain. KingOfCampus.com

Roan

“Hey, I didn’t expect to see you tonight.  I thought you had- and I quote,” she holds her fingers up to make little bunny ears, “a
shit ton
of work to plow through.” Smiling just a bit, Ivy gives me a quick kiss.  Now that Eric has filled me in, I see the heaviness of her decision weighing her down.  I’d thought it was simply the pain of being rejected.  But it’s not.  Even she knows what she’s set on doing is wrong.  It only reinforces what I need to do to make this right again.