Audrey stared at the polished concrete steps. Her heart slammed against her ribs so hard she thought it might actually crack a bone.
Logan wore his perfect student council smile. It was the same smile he used when he was winning a debate or accepting an award. It was completely fake.
Beside him stood Mrs. Higgins. She was the gatekeeper to the sports journalism program. She held a thick leather folder against her chest and looked at Audrey with a mixture of professional curiosity and deep concern.
"Audrey," Logan said again. His voice was dripping with fake sympathy. "I am so glad we ran into you. Mrs. Higgins and I were just discussing the final recommendations for the spring internships."
"Were you?" Audrey asked. She forced her hands to unclench. She shoved them deep into her jacket pockets so nobody could see them shaking.
"Yes," Mrs. Higgins said. She adjusted her glasses. "Logan brought some troubling information to my attention this morning. I must admit, Audrey, I am a bit disappointed."
Audrey felt a cold knot tighten in her stomach. "Disappointed in what, Mrs. Higgins?"
"Your extracurricular focus," Mrs. Higgins explained flatly. "The sports journalism internship is incredibly demanding. We require our interns to be invisible observers. They report the news; they do not become the news."
Logan sighed heavily. He looked at Audrey like she was a tragic mistake he was trying to fix.
"The campus confession page is completely flooded with your name, Audrey," Logan pointed out gently. "You are constantly involved in public drama with the football team. First the cafeteria stunt, then the bonfire incident, and now..."
Logan pulled out his phone and tapped the screen. He held it up.
It was the photo of Audrey and Mason sleeping on the bus.
"This kind of public display is unprofessional," Logan said. "Mrs. Higgins and I both agree that giving department funding to someone who is actively seeking out campus scandals is a massive liability."
Audrey stared at the phone. She felt completely cornered. Logan was not just attacking her reputation anymore. He was actively destroying her future just because she refused to beg him to stay.
"With all due respect, Mrs. Higgins," Audrey said. Her voice shook, but she forced herself to keep eye contact. "Rumors do not write articles. I do. My GPA is perfect. I have never missed a single deadline for the campus paper."
"Grades are not everything," Logan interrupted smoothly. "It is about character, Audrey. You are erratic right now. You are making bad choices."
"The only bad choice she ever made was dating you."
The voice was loud, deep, and completely relaxed.
Logan instantly stiffened.
Audrey spun around.
Mason Calloway was casually walking up the steps of the administration building. His heavy black duffel bag was slung over his broad shoulder. He looked tired, messy, and entirely unbothered.
He walked right past Logan, completely ignoring his existence, and stood directly next to Audrey.
The heavy, comforting scent of mint and clean laundry instantly washed over her.
"Mrs. Higgins," Mason said. He flashed his brilliant, effortless golden retriever smile. It was the exact smile that charmed every professor on campus. "It is great to see you. How is your husband doing? Did his knee surgery go well?"
Mrs. Higgins blinked. The stern, professional look completely melted off her face. "Oh! Mason. Yes, his knee is much better, thank you for asking. You had a good game last week."
"Thank you," Mason said smoothly.
Logan cleared his throat loudly. His face was starting to turn a blotchy red. "Calloway, this is a private academic discussion."
"I am a student," Mason pointed out lazily. "This is a campus. Everything is public."
"We were just discussing Audrey’s fit for the sports journalism internship," Mrs. Higgins explained. She looked between Mason and Audrey. "Logan was expressing some concerns about her... public image."
Mason raised a dark eyebrow. He looked down at Audrey. Then he looked at Logan.
"Concerns?" Mason repeated. He let out a rich, genuine laugh. "Mrs. Higgins, Audrey is the smartest sports analyst on this entire campus. She literally spent her entire weekend at our team bonding cabin studying offensive formations."
Audrey stared at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but Mason casually dropped his large hand onto the top of her head. He ruffled her messy hair slightly, exactly like someone would pet a very grumpy cat.
"She is completely obsessed with football," Mason lied flawlessly. "Coach Miller even had her help break down the game film yesterday."
"Really?" Mrs. Higgins asked. Her eyes lit up with genuine interest.
"Absolutely," Mason said. "She knows more about our defensive line than half my roster does. Having the football captain’s girlfriend working as an intern for the sports department? That is not a scandal, Mrs. Higgins. That is exclusive access."
Mrs. Higgins slowly nodded. She looked at Audrey with a completely new level of respect. "Exclusive access. I had not thought of it that way."
Logan looked like he was going to literally explode. "Mrs. Higgins! Look at the confession page! They are causing a massive distraction!"
"Foster," Mason interrupted. His voice dropped an octave. The playful smile vanished instantly. He stared Logan down with cold, hard eyes. "The only person causing a distraction right now is you. You are harassing my girlfriend over a blurry photo on a gossip page because you have a bruised ego. It is embarrassing."
Logan’s mouth opened, but no words came out. He looked at Mrs. Higgins for help.
But Mrs. Higgins was already adjusting her leather folder.
"Well," Mrs. Higgins said briskly. "I think I have heard enough. Audrey, your application is extremely strong. I will personally review it this afternoon. Ignore the campus noise and keep up the good work."
Audrey felt a massive, rushing wave of relief crash over her. "Thank you, Mrs. Higgins. I promise you will not regret it."
Mrs. Higgins smiled at Mason, completely ignoring Logan, and walked up the stairs into the administration building.
The heavy glass doors clicked shut.
Silence fell over the concrete steps.
Logan stood there. His perfectly styled hair seemed slightly out of place. His pristine coat looked stupid. His grand master plan to ruin Audrey’s life had been completely dismantled in exactly two minutes.
Mason shifted his heavy bag higher on his shoulder. He looked at Logan.
"Audit’s over, Logan," Mason said flatly. "Go away."
Logan glared at them both. He looked at Mason’s massive frame, then at Audrey’s calm face. He realized he had completely lost.
He turned around and marched away, his polished shoes clicking aggressively against the pavement until he disappeared around the corner.
Audrey let out a long, ragged breath. Her knees suddenly felt like water. She slumped slightly, leaning her weight against the cold stone railing of the stairs.
"He is awful," Audrey whispered to the concrete. "He is actually the worst person on the planet."
Mason stood next to her. He did not laugh. He did not tease her.
"Are you okay?" Mason asked quietly.
"Yes," Audrey said. She rubbed her eyes. "Thank you. Seriously. He was going to convince her to drop my application."
She finally looked up at him.
"Wait," Audrey frowned. "Why are you even here? You walked toward the athletic center ten minutes ago. Did you follow me?"
"No," Mason said. He let out a loud, frustrated sigh. He swung his heavy black duffel bag off his shoulder and dropped it onto the concrete with a loud thud. "I did not follow you."
"Then why did you come back?"
Mason stared at the black bag. He kicked it lightly with his sneaker.
"Because," Mason muttered, looking incredibly annoyed with himself. "I opened it to get my headphones, and I realized it is full of protein powder and size fourteen cleats."
Audrey blinked. "What?"
"Jackson took my bag," Mason said. "We have the exact same bag. He took mine, and I took his."
Audrey stared at him. She pictured the terrifying, untouchable campus heartbreaker walking all the way across campus, only to open a bag of someone else’s sweaty shoes.
She could not help it.
She laughed.
It started as a small giggle, but the pure adrenaline and relief from surviving Logan made it bubble up into a real, genuine laugh.
Mason looked at her. His annoyed expression completely melted away. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the railing, watching her laugh. A slow, easy smile spread across his handsome face.
"It is not funny," Mason teased. "I have to walk all the way back to the athletic center now."
"It is highly funny," Audrey argued. She picked up her own faded duffel bag. "Skill issue, Captain."
Mason laughed out loud. He reached out and lightly tapped the brim of her baseball cap.
"Come on," Mason said. "Walk with me. Jackson owes me a free lunch for this."
Audrey did not argue. She fell into step beside him.
They walked down the campus path together. The sun was shining through the trees. Audrey felt lighter than she had in over a year. The constant fear of Logan ruining her life was finally gone.
As they walked, a group of freshmen squeezed past them on the narrow sidewalk.
Mason shifted closer automatically, resting a light hand against Audrey’s lower back to guide her around the crowd before they bumped into her.
The freshmen passed.
Mason’s hand stayed there.
Audrey walked in silence for a few seconds. She stared straight ahead.
"Calloway," Audrey said quietly.
"Hm?"
Audrey glanced pointedly at the hand still resting comfortably against her back.
Mason followed her gaze.
He blinked once.
"..."
He removed it immediately.
"My bad."
Then, without the slightest hint of embarrassment, he continued talking.
"Anyway... Jackson somehow put three protein shakers in my locker."
Audrey rubbed the spot absently after he let go. The heat of his palm seemed to linger right through her jacket.
Does he treat everyone like this?
Somehow...
She hoped the answer was no.