The Sophomore (College Years #2) - Monica Murphy Page 0,104

want to hash it all out with my best friend. Get out my frustration. “Sometimes, yeah.”

“You’re just mad because it’s not always the Jackson Rivers show either. I think it pissed you off that all those girls weren’t just there for you Thursday night. They were also screaming over that boy band. Is that what set you off? Made you act like such a grump? You’re finally getting Ellie’s pussy and look at you. You’re still not happy,” he throws at me.

Anger suffuses me over his comment about Ellie. “Don’t say that about my girl.”

“Why? Does it bother you? Sick of it being the Eli Bennett show? Wish it was the Jackson Rivers show instead?” He stands, his body vibrating from barely restrained anger.

I stand too, my hands clutched into fists.

As the silence continues, the tension mounts between us. I’m tall, but he’s taller. The glower on his face says he means business, and damn it, I mean it, too. He can’t just say those kinds of things about Ellie. And he sure as shit can’t try and get me all riled up over something so fucking stupid.

Yet here I am, all riled up over something really fucking stupid. Worse? I’m the cause of this in the first place.

“Hey!” Ava calls from where she’s sitting.

We both swivel our heads in her direction, matching shitty expressions on our faces.

Ava frowns. So does Ellie.

“Everything okay over there, boys?” Ava calls.

“Sure,” Eli says, cutting a glare in my direction before he returns his attention to his girlfriend. “We’re fucking great, babe. Oops, sorry, Coach.”

“Watch your mouth, Bennett,” Drew Callahan says from where he’s manning the barbecue, his wife Fable right beside him, carefully watching us both.

Great. We’re causing drama and that is the last thing I want.

“Bro,” I tell Eli, giving him a nudge. He glares, not giving an inch. “This is stupid. I don’t want to fight with you.”

“I don’t either. But you’re kind of acting like a dick.”

“And you’re tense as shit over your girlfriend when, like I said, you should be over there sitting with her right now, clutching her tight.” I tilt my head in Ava’s direction. “Go to her. Tell her you love her. Tell her you’ll miss her when she’s gone.”

“I already have,” he says, sounding miserable, the tension slowly leaving him. “I’m a needy little fuck.”

“She likes your sorry ass, so don’t even worry about it. Go.” I gently shove his shoulders, pushing him forward. “And I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to start shit.”

“I’m sorry too. But you need to get out of your funk. Stat,” he says, shooting me a smile before he strides over to where Ava’s sitting. He literally picks her up, making her shriek, before settling on the couch and pulling her onto his lap. She wraps her arms around his neck, delivering a smacking kiss on his lips, and they’re immediately lost in each other.

No one else matters.

That’s all the girls’—including Ellie’s—cue to leave them alone. They all get up from where they were sitting, leaving Eli and Ava alone. I wait, watching Ellie as she approaches me, and I pull her into my arms when she gets close, giving her my own version of a smacking kiss.

Not as much smacking. And with a little tongue.

“You two seemed mad at each other,” she says when the kiss ends.

“We were. I thought we were going to come to blows,” I admit.

Ellie frowns. “What in the world? Why?”

“He’s tense over Ava having to leave tomorrow. And I’m tense about…other stuff,” I say, knowing she won’t let me get away with a vague answer.

“Like what?” Her frown deepens.

“I don’t want to talk about it here.” I drop another kiss on her lips. “We can discuss it later.”

“It’s not anything about us or—me, is it?” She sounds so concerned. I hate that.

“No. Not at all. I’m dealing with my own stupid shit.” I thought I’d be over it by now, but I’m way too much in my head over this Evergreen Records’ thing. I feel like I fucked up my entire musical career, and I have no one to blame but myself.

That sucks. Hard.

“Your stupid shit is mine too, you know.” She rests her hand on my chest, her fingers curling into my T-shirt. “I want to help you.”

The sincerity in her voice tells me she means every word she says. This girl has always wanted to help me. Support me.

“I know you do.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “I appreciate it. I