The three giant football players stared at Audrey.
Their eyes darted from her small frame to the glowing phone screen plastered against Mason’s chest. For a second, the only sound was the heavy crunch of cleats on the concrete walkway.
Then the tallest teammate let out a loud, obnoxious gasp.
"Bro," the guy said. He pointed a massive finger at Audrey. "Is this her? Is this the hoodie girl?"
"I am not a hoodie girl," Audrey snapped. She stepped back and pulled her phone away from Mason. "I am a victim of terrible photography."
The teammate ignored her completely. He grabbed Mason by the shoulder and shook him. "You did not tell us she was tiny. And angry. I like her. She is terrifying."
"I am right here," Audrey said.
"I am Leo," the giant said. He offered her a cheerful, sweaty grin. "That idiot with the water bottle is Jackson. We are the groomsmen for the wedding."
Audrey felt a vein throb in her forehead. "There is no wedding. There is no relationship. He handed me a dropped wallet yesterday. That was it."
Jackson unscrewed his water bottle and took a slow drink. He looked at Mason. "She talks really fast when she is mad."
"She really does," Mason agreed. His brown eyes danced with amusement. He looked completely relaxed for a guy who just survived three hours of brutal drills. His broad chest rose and fell evenly, but sweat dripped from his dark hair onto the collar of his training shirt.
Audrey gripped the straps of her backpack. The heat of the afternoon sun felt suffocating. Or maybe it was just the overwhelming presence of four towering athletes boxing her in. She needed space. She needed to breathe.
"Tell them," Audrey demanded. She glared up at Mason. "Tell your friends this is a joke."
Mason wiped his face with the hem of his sweaty shirt. "Leo. Jackson. Give us a minute."
"But I want to know the lore," Leo complained.
"Laps," Mason said gently. It was a single word, but his tone completely shifted. The playful captain vanished. The warning was absolute.
Leo held his hands up in surrender. "Walking away right now. Nice meeting you, Captain’s girlfriend."
"Do not call me that!" Audrey yelled after him.
Leo and Jackson jogged down the path, laughing loudly. They bumped shoulders, completely unbothered.
Audrey let out a ragged breath. She closed her eyes. Her heart beat way too fast. She hated this. She hated the noise, the attention, and the feeling of losing control all over again. The phantom smell of Logan’s sterile peppermint cologne briefly haunted her memory before the heavy scent of fresh turf chased it away.
"Hey."
The voice was quiet.
Audrey opened her eyes.
Mason stepped closer. He was not smiling anymore. He looked down at her with a sharp, observant gaze. He noticed the white-knuckle grip she had on her backpack. He noticed how she kept her face hidden under the brim of her cap.
"Breathe," Mason said.
"I am breathing," Audrey said defensively.
"You look like you are about to pass out." Mason leaned back against the brick wall of the locker room. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Let me guess. You hate the spotlight."
"I hate rumors," Audrey corrected. She stared at the grass. "I spent all of last year being a joke to this entire school. I am not doing it again."
Mason tilted his head. He watched her carefully. "Who made you a joke?"
"None of your business." Audrey looked back up at him. "Just fix the post, Calloway. Tell everyone I am a stranger."
Mason let out a slow sigh. The exhaustion of practice was catching up to him. His broad shoulders slumped just a fraction against the brick. The heavy scent of turf and sweat rolled off him.
"I can post a denial," Mason said slowly. He tilted his head. "I can go online right now and tell my thousands of followers that I do not even know your name."
Audrey gripped her backpack straps tighter. "Audrey," she snapped. "My name is Audrey. Now go online and tell them Audrey is a total stranger."
Mason smiled faintly. He tested the name on his tongue, making it sound irritatingly smooth. "Audrey. Right. I can do that."
"Thank you," Audrey said. She felt a massive wave of relief.
"But you need to think about what happens next."
Audrey frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The internet hates a boring answer," Mason said. He pushed off the wall and stood at his full height. "If I reject you loudly, people will not just move on. They will start digging. They will want to know who Audrey is. They will find your last name. They will find your classes."
Audrey felt the air rush out of her lungs.
"Is that what you want?" Mason asked quietly.
It was exactly what happened last year. Logan pulled away, Zoey showed up, and the whole campus started digging. They twisted the story. They made Audrey the desperate, crazy ex. Logan stood by and let it happen just to protect his own image.
"No," Audrey whispered. Her voice cracked. She hated how weak she sounded.
Mason took half a step toward her. The sharp smell of turf was surprisingly grounding. It was real. It was honest.
"So here is what we do," Mason said. His voice was calm and steady. "We do absolutely nothing."
Audrey looked up at him. "Nothing?"
"Give it three days," Mason promised. "The campus gossip page has a short attention span. If we do not react, there is no story. By Friday, someone will do something stupid, and everyone will forget about the blurry photo."
Audrey stared into his warm brown eyes. He navigated campus popularity like it was a game he had already mastered. He was offering her a shield, not pity.
"Three days," Audrey repeated.
"Three days of complete silence," Mason agreed. "We walk past each other, we do not make eye contact. We act like the other person does not exist."
It was exactly what Audrey wanted. Complete invisibility.
"Fine," Audrey said. She let go of her backpack straps. "Three days. Do not talk to me."
Mason smiled. It was a slow, lazy smile. "It is going to be really hard for you to resist my charm for that long, but I believe in you."
"I would rather eat a textbook."
Mason laughed. The sound was bright and loud against the quiet training grounds. "Have a good evening, Audrey."
He turned around and walked toward the locker rooms. His cleats clacked rhythmically against the pavement.
Audrey stood there for a second. She watched his broad back disappear through the heavy metal doors.
Three days. She could survive three days.
The next morning.
Audrey felt a deep sense of peace as she walked onto campus. Her phone had not buzzed once. No one pointed at her. No one whispered. Mason was right. The silence was working.
She walked into the Humanities building and headed straight for her 9 AM English Literature lecture. The room smelled like old paper, dust, and morning coffee. The air was cool and heavy with sleepy silence.
This was her safe space. No drama. No football players.
She walked up the carpeted steps to her usual spot. The back row, corner seat. Next to the window. She slipped off her backpack and sat down. She pulled out her notebook, her black pen, and a worn-out copy of Pride and Prejudice. She let out a soft sigh of absolute contentment.
A heavy, incredibly loud thud shook the wooden desk next to hers.
Audrey jumped.
Someone dropped a massive black athletic bag onto the floor.
The sharp scent of shower gel, mint, and morning dew suddenly overwhelmed the smell of old paper.
A tall figure dropped into the tiny plastic chair beside her. The chair creaked loudly under the sudden weight. Long legs stretched out, invading her personal space. A broad shoulder brushed against hers.
Audrey slowly turned her head.
Mason Calloway was sitting next to her.
He wore a grey Westbridge hoodie and black sweatpants. His dark brown hair was perfectly messy. He looked completely out of place in a room full of second-year literature majors holding tote bags.
He rested his elbow on the desk, leaned his chin in his palm, and smiled at her.
"Morning, girlfriend," Mason said loudly.
Half the lecture hall turned around to look at them.
Audrey stared at him in absolute horror. "What are you doing here?"
Mason casually reached over and picked up her copy of Pride and Prejudice. He flipped it open to a random page.
"I decided to expand my academic horizons," Mason said easily.
"You are a sports science major," Audrey hissed. She snatched the book out of his hand. "This is a 200-level literature course. You do not even know what this class is about."
"I hear Mr. Darcy has excellent defensive tactics."
"Get out before the professor takes attendance."
"Make me."
Audrey gripped her pen so tightly her knuckles turned white. Every single girl in her row was staring at them. The whispers were already starting. The horrible, familiar feeling of being watched crept up her spine.
The heavy wooden door at the front swung open. Professor Harrison walked in carrying a stack of papers.
"Calloway," Audrey whispered frantically. She kept her eyes on the professor but leaned toward the massive guy sitting next to her. "You promised. You said three days of complete silence."
Mason leaned slightly closer. The teasing smile softened into something much more dangerous.
"I know what I said," Mason murmured. His voice was low enough that only she could hear it. "But then I realized something."
"Realized what?"
"Ignoring you is incredibly boring," Mason said. "And I hate being bored."
Audrey stared at him. Her brain completely flatlined. She wanted to shove him out of the chair. She wanted to run.
Professor Harrison tapped his clipboard against the podium. "Welcome back to English Literature 204. Let us start with roll call. Adams, Sarah."
"Here," a girl answered near the front.
Audrey felt a cold drop of sweat slide down her neck. She looked at Mason. "Please. Just leave. People are going to start talking."
Mason stopped smiling. He noticed the genuine panic flickering in her brown eyes. He saw the way she physically shrank in her seat, trying to make herself as small as possible. The playful energy completely drained out of his posture.
He leaned forward. The sharp scent of mint and clean laundry wrapped around her.
"Nobody is looking at you, Audrey," Mason said quietly. His voice was steady and grounding. "They are looking at me."
"Calloway, Mason."
The professor looked up from his clipboard. He pushed his glasses up his nose. He scanned the room, clearly confused as to why the star striker of the university football team was on his roster.
The entire lecture hall went dead silent.
Mason casually raised his hand.
"Right here, Professor."
Audrey felt her jaw drop. She turned her head and stared at him in absolute shock.
Professor Harrison frowned. "Mr. Calloway. Are you sure you are in the right room? This is a 200-level English requirement."
"Absolutely," Mason said smoothly. He did not look embarrassed at all. "I am officially registered."
Audrey stopped breathing. He was not visiting. He was staying.