1
Drake’s POV
A buzzing sound made me hiss in annoyance. I needed sleep and whoever the f**k was calling me needed to stop. It was probably too early. Just the first day of me resting from college stress for summer break, this happens.
With a groan, I opened my eyes and glared at the beam of light coming from my bedside table. The room was fairly dark and the sun had risen a bit. I grunted and sat up then tossed my legs off the edge of the bed. I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed then grabbed the buzzing phone. I squinted my eyes at the bright light then rolled my eyes when I saw it was Paul calling.
I wanted to ignore the call, but I had missed him, even though we go to the same college. Our schedules as athletes kept us away from our places and in school. I swiped my finger on the screen and placed the phone to my ear.
“What is it?” I asked and he chuckled.
“Is that a way to speak to your big brother?”
“You woke me up from my sleep, you idiot.”
“Oh. What type of sleep were you having? I just got out of practice-type- sleep or I had a one-night stand type of sleep?” He laughed right after asking.
I gritted my teeth. He was always acting this way. I loved him but he was always joking and looking for a way to piss me off.
“Why did you call?” I asked and yawned.
“Oh, yeah. I wanted to tell you that mom needs us at home for the summer break we’re having.”
I groaned and he chuckled. I preferred to stay at my apartment than to go back home. Mom was always making us come home and I was getting tired of it. I needed a break where I stayed at my own apartment. I could beg dad to change her mind, but mom would somehow change his mind. It was weird seeing mom and dad act like teenagers in love. Yuck.
“Why?” I asked.
“I think it’s for Zoey’s fifteenth birthday.”
“Oh, right. I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me, man. I need to pick up a present today then,” I said, and he chuckled.
“This is going to be good. I am telling Zoey about this. You forgot her birthday?” He laughed maniacally on the other side of the phone.
I sprang up from my bed and glared at the floor, hoping that he wouldn't dare. Zoey was scary. She was quiet but scary. She always got anyone who did wrong, back and I wasn’t about to have this fucker rat me out.
“You better f*****g not, Paul,” I warned through my teeth, and he continued to laugh then ended the call. “f**k!”
I was doomed. Zoey was going to kill me. It wasn’t as if I forgot her birthday, it just slipped my mind. Zoey was capable of pranks that affected anyone’s real life business. It made me remember one time when Paul forgot to take her shopping and he brought over one of his many flings. She embarrassed the hell out of Paul with a prank about him being impotent and how he couldn't get it up. It was funny and each time I remembered, I always laughed but now, it was not looking funny.
I needed to get her a huge present to bribe her. I needed to start thinking fast and hard.
I sighed and flinched when I heard a crashing noise coming from outside my room. I rushed to the door and opened it then left the room. I silently, on light steps, walked toward the living room, hoping I wasn’t getting robbed. Once I got to the living room, I tiptoed toward the kitchen where I heard shuffling.
I froze when I saw the back of a woman in one of my shirts and I remembered that I brought a member from my opponent’s team from yesterday’s tennis match home. I smirked and eyed her long-toned legs. I entered the kitchen and wrapped my arms around her waist, making her flinch.
“What are you doing awake?” I asked and kissed her cheek.
She giggled. “I was hungry and it’s almost nine and–”
I stiffened at her words. I moved away from her as I got anxious. I quickly turned around, ready to leave only for her–I had forgotten her name– to stop me by holding my wrist. I faced her, eyes narrowed on her pretty face.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
“Look, you need to leave. I have to leave. I just remembered that I have important homework to submit to my professor and if I don't, it will affect my grades. You can go home and eat breakfast. I don’t want to see you when I am done getting ready.”
“Who cares about grades. You sound like a f*****g nerd. Pfft, such a turn off.”
She huffed and dropped my hand aggressively. She glared at me then brushed past me, leaving the kitchen. I sighed and rushed after her. Today was the last day of school and I needed to get everything done before I went home.
+++
I parked my car in a free parking space facing my faculty, switched off the engine and got out with my file which contained my homework which I had rushed to do until dying hours. I knew I was going to f*****g fail this course and dad and mom would kill me. Getting me into the University was easy but keeping up with my grades wasn’t. Especially when I had parents who were obsessed with putting their kids in expensive schools and making sure their kids got higher grades. With all the money we had, I would think they would pay our way into certain things, but they had a non-nepotism mentality.
I jogged through the hallway, heading toward my department building, which was a two to three minutes' walk. I was already late and needed to get to his office before he left for the summer break.
After the said time, I climbed the steps of the building and pushed the door open. The hall was quiet and empty as I stepped in. I could barely hear anyone. My footsteps echoed as I walked toward my professor’s office and as I got to it after some minutes, I knocked once before pushing the door open. The office was empty, which was perfect. All I had to do was drop the file off and run.
I walked into the office and when I got to the desk where a half empty cup of tea sat, I dropped the file on his desk and turned around, only to visibly shake when I saw a girl around my age standing at the door. She had to be the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Her platinum blonde hair was long and straight, framing her small face. Her eyes behind her big glasses were wide, probably from the sight of me. Her lips, which were plump and pink, were parted. She looked good in the pink short skirt and sweater vest she was wearing— She was like a doll. I was suddenly more interested in her than my professor seeing me.
“Hi?” She said in the most angelic voice I have ever heard.
I blinked. “Hi.”
She walked into the office and made her way over to where I was standing. Her proximity made me see she was shorter than me, only reaching my neck. Her flowery scent filled my nose, making me want to sniff more of it. I felt like a creep, but she was a beauty that I needed. Maybe she would be my next one-night stand before I went home.
I watched as she dropped a file similar to mine. On it was her name and her student number on it, as well as her department which was in the same department Paul was in— Business Administration.
“Did you come here to drop off your homework?” She asked and pointed at my file. “You should write your name, department and student number on top of the file. Professor Harrold told us to.”
Oh. I felt like an i***t all of a sudden. I barely paid attention in the man’s class as he always sounded boring.
I nodded at her and grabbed a pen from the desk then scribbled the information on the file. As I wrote, the girl started to leave. I swore under my breath and wrote fast. When the door closed, I sped up and when I was done, I placed the file under five files, including hers and rushed out of the office. I staggered to a stop in the middle of the hallway and looked ahead of me for her. I looked over my shoulder and sighed in relief when I saw her making a turn.
I jogged after her and when I slid sideways at the turn, I saw her hugging someone— a guy. The person backed me, and my heart stung, seeing that she had someone already. I tilted my head backward with a heavy sigh, letting the disappointment I was feeling wash over me. I faced forward and started making my way toward them since the doors to the building were in their direction.
As I neared them, she saw me and smiled.
“Did you write them down?” She asked as if we were close, her tone light and chirpy.
I forced a smile on my face and nodded then the guy looked over in my direction, making me freeze in shock. Same blue eyes, dark hair and build I was familiar with.
“Paul?”
“Drake?”
No f*****g way. There was no way the girl I was momentarily attracted to, was my f*****g brother's woman.
Not again.