Chapter Ten
A few weeks went past as normal, Teddy and Victoria finished the project in tim, got a good grade and were working on their next assignment together easily. Teddy still had a steady stream of girls coming in and out of his bedroom, and was known around campus for it, while William had been trying to make a point to Victoria by only sleeping with her, but she hadn't noticed his change and was still enjoying their casual sexual friendship.
Victoria was laying on her couch reading a research paper while Teddy typed rapidly on his Macbook. "Oh I found it," she laughed sitting up and highlighting the quote.
"I'm so glad Sam was boasting about this," Teddy grinned watching Victoria slid to the edge of the couch to show him the hidden treasure in the research paper, "he's a idiot" he chuckled.
"You're the moron" Victoria countered, "You still hang around with Derek and his followers"
"Hey, they're the first people I met here," Teddy defended, taking the paper from her hands eagerly reading the quote. "They would have been your friends too if you'd have came to any of the get-togethers instead of wasting you're time buying stuff"
"Oh yeah wasting my time" Victoria rolled her eyes looking at all her furniture. "What do I need a couch for anyway"
Teddy chuckled and started to type, there was a double knock on the door and Teddy eyed Victoria accusingly, it was only eight and this was the only night he could meet up this week. "You promised that this would be a girls free night"
"They've been exiled," Victoria swore pulling herself from the couch leaving her cardigan behind. "I don't know why my flat became the hangout spot, Charlotte's is much nicer" she mumbled pulling her black t-shirt over her grey jeggings.
Teddy knew her place became the hang out because she was the glue for her girl friends and Damien's friendship, that and Victoria always had strong wifi coverage, plenty of drinks and lots take-away menus at the ready.
Victoria pulled opened the door, William was standing there with a bright smile and thin, square, black box. "Oh hey," Victoria greeted puzzled eyeing his baggy hoody and black jeans.
"Hey you," William smirked bending down and kissing her softly.
"I thought you said you had plans with the lads?" she muttered, annoyed at him for interrupting her study time, William cocked an eyebrow at her before glancing behind her to see Teddy Grey, he cocked an eyebrow at her confused but she didn't give him a reason for Teddy being there.
"Zayne's girlfriend has him so whipped he bailed and then I thought maybe hanging with you would be more fun than just thinking about you." he charmed, holding out the thin box Victoria laughed and took it peeking inside to see skimpy lingerie and flushed pink at William's cheeky smile.
"I'll come up when we're finished here," she explained excitedly, "Be warned Teddy and I tend to keep at this for hours."
William bent and kissed her cheek before whispering "Just wear that and a coat babe," he murmured trailing a finger over her shoulder, smiling knowingly then walking down the hall to the lift whistling happily.
Closing over the door she dumped the box on the kitchen counter before returning to Teddy with a laugh. "What's the occasion?" he asked curiously eyeing the thin black box.
She just shrugged "William likes to dote."
"Flowers to 'everyman' for him?" Teddy asked amused handing over the Macbook so she could read over the new paragraph, eyeing the way her cheeks where pinker now thanks to William.
It was closing in on eleven when Victoria yawned "I'm calling it a night," she murmured rubbing her eyes while Teddy packed up his things laughing. "Get out of my flat Grey." she announced teasingly, nudging him as she passed him to go to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.
"Are you fucking serious?" Teddy echoed from behind, spinning she found him spying into the little black box.
"Hey!" she scolded yanking the present away from him, embarrassed and annoyed.
Teddy cocked an eyebrow at her "You not a flowers and chocolates type of girl?" he asked still a little overwhelmed from seeing the sexy red two piece in the box, images of Victoria floated threw his mind.
Victoria flushed "What do you care Teddy?" she asked flustered, he just stared at her from the other side of the kitchen table, his mind a million miles away. The mood got awkward fast and she huffed "So you and Luke coming to the my thanksgiving thing?" she asked hotly closing the boxes lid trying hard to change the subject.
"You're going through with it?" he asked softly, trying and failing to not get irritated with Victoria over her and William's ongoing fling, it had been weeks and they still hadn't showed any sing of slowing down.
Victoria rolled her water bottle in her palm, "Well I've never celebrated it, and it looks fun in the movies" she joked, Teddy chuckled running a hand through his hair.
"Tell you what, I'll come over early and help you cook, my mom and Gail always get frantic during any of the holidays" Teddy offered kindly. Thanksgiving was going to be a rare William free occasion and Teddy was excited ever since Daniel told him that Wilke told the Harvard Crimson's coach he was going out of town.
"Who's Gail? Your aunt?" Victoria asked curious, she often wondered if Teddy had a girl back in Seattle that was he was waiting till he was finished college to get back to; she couldn't figure out why he was so weird with girls and it was one of her theories.
Teddy laughed "Gail's our housekeeper, but we think of her as part of the family, same with Taylor her husband" Victoria nodded distractedly, biting her lip.
"Oh right cool, Charlotte said she'd make the desert" Victoria mutter, forgetting once again that Teddy was on a different scale of wealth with his housekeepers.
"so fruit salad then," Teddy joked, Victoria didn't get it "I haven't ever seen that girl eat anything remotely greasy or sugary"
Victoria shook his head at him amused "She's breaking out of her box for the holiday apparently," Teddy nodded chuckled, the weird vibe still lay between them. Teddy's phone lit up and he glanced at it, it was a text from his fling from Friday night. "You should go, I still have to get upstairs yet." Victoria pointed out "William's waiting"
"Cheat on him with your bed." Teddy announced with a cheeky smile hiding his annoyance with the girl "You're exhausted I can tell" Teddy advised walking towards her flats' door "See you around" he grabbed his rucksack, waved with a sigh and left.
Victoria thought about just going to bed but after inspecting the expensive lingerie she felt in the mood to play around with William. Dressed in the lingerie, kitten heels and her black coat she knocked on William's door with a racing heart beat. He practically ripped the door open "You came," he grinned down at her, Victoria's heart jumped into superdrive and with all the courage in the world she yanked open the coat as sexily as she could and watched as his eager eyes trailing her body, the adrenaline pumping threw her veins refused to allow her to be self-conscious.
She giggled as William grabbed her waist, picked her up before snapping the door close loudly and carried her through the house, bypassing the living room where his roommate sat watching the telly, to his tidy bed room. Dumping Victoria on his huge bed and he started to strip to match her underwear clad body "Someone's happy to see me," she taunted eyeing his pants as she slid off her coat and dumped it to the floor.
"Always babe" he grinned crawling over her body greedily taking in her body grabbing her hands he held them over her head "Always" he growled kissing her hard and fast, Victoria moaned into his mouth excitedly.
Teddy laughed loudly at Natalie's perfect impression of her twin, one of the starting football player for the Harvard crimsons that he actually liked. "No stop!" he begged hugging his aching side while Daniel chuckled at the red head's antics.
"I didn't know Benny had a twin" Daniel mused, he'd been a last minute addition to the group because Teddy didn't like the male to female ratio and it didn't sit well with him that his friend had planned to spend the holiday alone with his video games and beer.
"Well he is the successful one, people tend to look over the groupee" Natalie admitted moving to the stereo to check out Victoria's music collect with a wink, Teddy glanced over to Victoria who was back in the kitchen frantically checking things over. He chuckled and leaned on the other side of the kitchen bar.
"Afraid the turkey has disappeared?" he asked teasingly eyeing the frazzled girl as she opened the oven door, "Poof and the dinner was gone"
"Well you never know," she huffed sarcastically turning to face him a worried expression lacing her features as she forced a smile on her lips "Do you think it's alright?" she asked for the millionth time, Teddy cocked an eyebrow at her and she flushed. He had told her everything was fine since the moment he arrived hours earlier to help out.
"It's great, and when Charlotte gets here it'll be completely perfect" he explained pulling her away from the kitchen and the food. A while later while everyone was laughing about the last football game where Teddy had gotten to play the buzzer rang and Charlotte's muffle tone came through the speaker, Lucius quickly unlocked the buildings front door from Victoria's alarm.
"I'll go see if she needs any help," he offered placing his beer down on the coffee table then pulling open the door and leaving it open as he fled the apartment.
"Eager beaver there," Natalie commented as she joined Teddy at the breakfast bar "Do you think he has a thing for our Charlotte?"
"No!" Teddy and Victoria laughed out together then grinned at each other.
"He's got a girlfriend back home in Seattle, Tessa." Teddy explained grabbing some almonds "She's all wrong for him but it works for them." he shrugged munching on the snacks.
"Besides Charlotte thinks Luke is some sort of sloppy hippy." Victoria mused dropping empty beer bottles into her recycling bin, "Her type of man is still a mystery to me but I doubt it's him."
"Opposites so attract!" Damien countered as he grabbed another chilled beer from her fridge, "They could be meant for each other"
There was a lightly knock on the opened door and William popped his head into the flat, Victoria smiled over at him any stress about the holiday disappeared as she got distracted in him. "Hey!" she smiled.
"Hey you," he grinned walking over to the kitchen. "You shouldn't just leave your door open like that" he murmured.
"Charlotte was MIA and when she arrived Lucius went down to get her, it's only been open for like two minutes" Victoria explained lightly and to prove her point Charlotte made her grand entrance with Lucius.
"I'm here, calm down" Charlotte laughed as the pair dropped several boxes onto the counter before flicking her perfectly styled, mousy-brown hair over her slim shoulder with a laugh "And so are the pies and cakes" she grinned eagerly grabbing the bottle of beer from Damien's hands for a refreshing gulp.
"Theres only half a dozen of us," Natalie reminded Charlotte as she eyed the several white food boxes "You've got more boxes than people."
William chuckled while the girls started arguing and Damien sighed grabbing a new beer "I've got to catch my flight," he drawled curling one of Victoria's blond curls behind her ear. "I just stepped in to say goodbye." he murmured, Victoria took his hand and tugged him into her bedroom to give him a real kiss goodbye.
Flushed the pair returned and William pecked her softly before leaving for the airport. "That was cute." Natalie grinned twirling her empty wine glass in her hand.
"It's only because we live in the same building. I doubt he'd have said goodbye if we didn't live so close," Victoria pointed out off handily trying to fan her hot cheeks, "Now that everyone's here take a seat and Teddy and I'll get started severing up our food."
The gang of them had praised Teddy and Victoria for their tasty meal and then they started throwing compliments Charlotte's way for her range delicious deserts.
"You couldn't have picked one type and stuck to it?" Daniel teased her as he tasted Natalie's pumpkin cheesecake and she tried his pecan pie.
"I hate making big cakes" Charlotte explained sipping her red white, her beer long forgotten in the kitchen. "Besides I made enough for everyone to have a party favour"
Daniel and Luke cheered appreciatively at the news while Natalie nudged Victoria with her boot, the blond cast a look over to the red head confused. "Yeah?" Victoria asked picking up her glass of white wine licking her lips.
"You and Willie seem to be moving into new grounds," Natalie commented casually using the tone she always did when she was prying into Victoria's business, Damien butted in with a wide grin.
"Only because I've finally gotten her out of her god awful clothes" he grinned at Victoria's and she countered with a hard stare still upset that he had made her throw out a lot of clothes she loved then brought her shopping and put her money into use. "What those ratty old converse were hurting my eyes"
"I liked my ratty old converse and my baggy jumpers and my ripped skinny jeans and there is nothing wrong with my messy bun!"
"You look far better in dresses and skirts, you know it, I know it and William knows it" Damien pointed out lightly with a wave of his hand. Lucius and Daniel zoned out of the conversation and started chattering about the football match again.
"Comfort before fashion," Victoria declared playfully, Teddy assumed this was an everyday debate with the pair that still hadn't been put to bed. "Natalie help me out here!"
Charlotte arched an immaculate eyebrow and gazed over at the rocker styled girl, with her died red hair and expensive black blazer "You think I wear heels to the radio station for comfort?" Natalie laughed fixing her hair "I'm siding with Damien on this, fashion first"
"I'm on the fence," Charlotte admitted when Victoria glanced at her friend hopefully "I've my own style and I sometimes I try to get comfortable things to go with it."
"I've my own style but Damien won't butt out of it" Victoria declared hotly, the wine hitting her system.
"You don't have a style" Damien countered with a laugh.
"Sure I do" Victoria countered, gazing off to a moment to find words to describe her sense of style, "I call it sporty casual"
"You look like you're in-between you're bed and the gym most of the time" Natalie laughed popping a spoonful of ice-cream into her mouth with a smirk.
Victoria flushed "It's comfy" she snapped.
"So William ask you yet?" Natalie grinned knowing that Victoria was good and frustrated now, and would answer honestly to anything since she was too distracted with her argument with Damien "to be his girlfriend?"
"Why would he do that?" Victoria replied confused her eyebrow's furrowed as she glanced over at her friend "We're having fun the way it is, we don't need it to change anything"
"He's only seeing you," Natalie pointed out seriously "he gets you kinky gifts" Teddy glanced over at Natalie intrigued and noting that the lingerie wasn't a one time thing, "and he makes a point to kiss you goodbye before his flight to Texas"
Charlotte clicked her fingers agreeing "Now that I think of it he sure has upped his game recently" she mused, Victoria didn't want to admit it out loud but she had started noticing that their relationship was growing into new grounds.
"I never thought I'd see the day William would have himself a little girlfriend," Damien laughed as Victoria sipped her wine thoughtfully, she had heard from others about William previous attitude to girls but never really witnessed it first hand, "even if you don't have the titles everyone knows you're the reason he hasn't been playing the field."
Teddy eye'd Victoria irritated; it had been frustrating to watch her mess around with William but listening to the possibility of the pair of them becoming a couple was torture, Lucius and Natalie spotted the scowl on Teddy's face. Natalie was confused, Teddy hadn't showed any interest in the Irish girl in any way other than a friend and Lucius sighed deciding that his friend was an idiot for sticking to his stupid rule while he could have been happy with Victoria instead of William.
"Whatever happens happens I suppose," Victoria laughed, turning to face Teddy who she noticed was quiet and staring at his beer, "Remember I found that great little band online? The one I showed you last week," she asked trying to change the subject from her relationship status.
Teddy smiled "You show me a lot of bands," he stated with a cheeky smile.
"Well since we got that project done and the last project is small, I thought we could go to their gig in Boston" She explained excitedly, she'd been waiting patiently for a concert to turn up in the Boston area that she and Teddy could go to together. "We're always talking about going to concerts" she pointed out.
"Sounds like fun" Teddy agreed looking forwards to hanging out with her in a new setting away from Harvard work and a coffee house.
"I could score us all tickets from the radio station," Natalie declared excitedly and didn't notice the irritation on Victoria's face, she wanted to spend time with Teddy alone. But with a sigh she remembered she had no right to be selfish and steal his time from his other friends. "What do you say?"
"Sounds like the next family get together" Charlotte laughed and Damien grimaced since he hated concerts.
Shortly after Thanksgiving William and Victoria had become a proper exclusive couple. Victoria took her time thinking things over and chatted to her mother and friends before she gave herself fully to William in their relationship. Although William had promised to be 'all in' their relationship Victoria made it very clear to the older man that if they were going to do this it was a serious relationship with no get out of jail free cards. William had been ecstatic and was still treating her like a princess weeks after they became an item while keeping also keeping their casual best friends attitude. Victoria tried to be more girlfriend-like around William and his friends with the help of Natalie and Damien for advise.
"Babe" William called as he stepped into her bedroom dressed in a pair of boxers, Victoria dropped her book and eyed her greek god of a boyfriend, always sleeping over was a new thing that she found she really enjoyed about their new relationship. "There's no coffee left." He declared softly running a hand through his hair.
Victoria froze "No" she moaned rolling into her pillows moodily, always running out of things early wasn't something she was so fond of.
William chuckled and slid back onto the bed, pulling her tangled hair from face to kiss her cheek, "Want to come upstairs and have some of my coffee?"
Victoria spoke unclearly into her pillows William chuckled and glanced over his girlfriend, dressed in baggy shorts and a old irish jersey she looked carefree, comfortable and sexy like always. "What?" he chuckled trailing a hand along her bare side.
Victoria pulled her head from the pillows his touch sending heat through her body "If I go upstairs you'll be late for you're workout with the team and I'll be late for my class" William grinned cheekily at his girl.
"I don't see a problem with that," he replied running his fingers down her arm, tugging her hand with a smirk.
She laughed dragging herself out of bed away from the taunting man "Well I do, I'm caffeine deprived, dirty and hungry"
William watched her pull a towel from a drawer before she headed towards her bathroom "Can I join you in the shower?" he asked hopefully, she glanced over at him her eyes amused.
"I think you need to get out of my flat William" she teased blowing a kiss over to him as he stretched out in her bed "I'll see you later" and she snapped her bathroom door closed.
Yawning Victoria stood in line for a coffee before her morning lectures, her phone buzzed in her pocket as she followed the crawling line. It was her Dad, texting her that he and her mum where travelling to Lanzarote for christmas this year. Sighing she rubbed her eyes, well that meant she would be staying in Cambridge for her winter break, she wondered how she was going to trick her friends to give up their holidays to stay with her on campus with a sigh. Someone tapped her shoulder and glancing over she found Derek grinning at her.
"Hey Irish!" he grinned moving to stand with her. Victoria never really warmed to Derek, he was a popularity hunting, rich kid who enjoyed cruelly gossiping about people and knowing everyones business. "Heard William was smashed last night" she smelt the ever present faint smell of marijuana of the boy and laughed.
"Yeah?" Victoria indulged in his taunting, William had been in her flat all night laughing at Kevin Harts antics on her flat screen before they had an energetic kinky-filled night in her bed.
Derek eyes brightened, "Yeah Sam told me he seen Zayne and William hitting the night club downtown. Suppose he didn't bring you cause you don't have a fake I.D?" he asked eyeing her black designer sweater dress and boots, Derek had noticed a few ago that the short girls' fashion sense was defiantly better ever since she had Damien as a friend.
"I'm almost sure he wasn't downtown last night Derek" Victoria laughed, stepping forward as the que moved.
"Oh hold on not last night" Derek chuckled rubbing his forehead, the smell of stale beer wavered over to Victoria as he yawned loudly. "Sorry hungover talk, Friday night he hit the new nightclub" Victoria hid her confusion well while Derek chuckled at his mistake.
"Well I can't hold back the party animal side can I?" she laughed telling Starbuck Sara she wanted a Latte, paid then moved to the pickup area trying to get away from Derek wondering if he was confusing the sports bar with a nightclub somehow.
"Guess you can't" Derek laughed following her after he ordered "I just thought you two were a exclusive couple is all." he explained accepting his quickly made tea from Sara, "Thanks" he grinned then turned to face Victoria "See you around" he nodded and left her alone with that mental bomb.
"Victoria?" the women called, turning away from Derek shirking form she grabbed her coffee without saying thank you and left the coffeehouse fuming.
The gibberish text she'd received on Friday night wasn't from the several beers William had consumed at the sports bar like he told her but the shots he was guzzling in some slut filled club. Stomping toward the Athletics centre where the Harvard Crimson football team were having a conditioning training session. Victoria never visited the building after she showed it to Mathew ages ago but William told her several of the players girlfriend stopped by to watch them train. Finding one of the girls she'd bumped into on several nights out she ask her where William might be, the girl eagerly helped her through the building to the weights room.
"Usually we watch them on the field but coach doesn't mind us in here either he says it motivates the players to show off and work harder." she giggled rambling and fixing her hair before pushing open the door, showing off an impressively stocked and massive weights room. "This isn't as entertaining as watching them train on the pitch. Oh there he is over there." She grinned pointing to William who was pushing huge weights over his chest while three other players watched and chatted around him, Zayne included.
"Thanks Stacy," Victoria explained marching over to where the men were all three eye'd her cautiously and stopped their chatter as she stood a bit away from them eyeing William the hate in her stance and face was obvious, Zayne kicked the bench William was using worried.
William stopped his bench press when the atmosphere around him chilled, glancing up he noticed Victoria watching him. Smiling bright he sat up "Hey you," he greeted standing up and stepping over to her expecting a kiss hello. "Miss me already?" he asked with a teasing smile.
Victoria raised her hand and slapped William hard and fast across the cheek, not giving him any reason and her glare just increased. There was a loud 'Ooooo' from the men before quiet chatter broke out through the room as the pair stared at each other for a long moment neither doing anything, Teddy who was in the next room heard Victoria was with William and peered in to see the commotion.
William stared down at his girlfriend, her green eyes alit with rage. He realised slowly that somehow she'd found out about Friday night, "Babe it was a mista…" She slapped his other cheek harder this time, no one in the room said anything that time round, most of the players knew that William was quiet serious about the little Irish girl "Victoria, I'm sorry!" he shouted at her furious, she was humiliating her in front of the team and he had a horrible feeling in the back of his mind that he wasn't going to be able to fix this.
She didn't say anything for a long moment while no one did or said anything, "I'm sorry I met you," Victoria explained eerily calm "Have a good life, fucker" she stated as she turned away from him and left the workout room, passing a gobsmacked Stacy who held the door open for her.
She'd had just made it outside when William caught up with her panting. "Babe," he growled turning her around roughly catching her off guard, "I was drunk and she was blond like you and.."
"I don't care for your excuses William" She stated eyeing his sweaty body with disgust "You're the one who wanted exclusivity, you're the one who wanted the relationship, you're the one who wanted to tell everyone we were together. And somehow I'm the one who got fucked over."
William panicked and pulled her closer to him, but she hadn't the response to his touch he was expecting instead she stiffened in his arms. "Vicky, please I only want you" he murmured into her hair desperately as he shook.
"If you think I'm going to go back to you after you have cheated on me, you've actually lost your mind" Victoria scoffed her face fixed into disgust as she kept eye contact with William, the older man's heart jumped in his chest jaggedly as his mind raced searching for a solution.
"No babe" he moaned his eyes flickering over her face rapidly before he bent down suddenly and smashed his guilty lips to hers. The salty sweat from his workout left a bitter taste on Victoria's lips as she pushed him away with everything she got but William was a wall of muscle and he only broke their kiss when he thought she was calmed down, his fingers tightening on her arms when he spotted the growing rage in her eyes.
"HEY!" someone called, Victoria glanced over to find Teddy and Daniel leaving the Althletic's centre "Back off Wilke" Teddy demanded, Daniel crossing his arms intimidatingly over his chest and as the pair got closer William dropped his arms and stepped away slowly ignoring the pair as he only had eyes for Victoria still looking for a way to make them right.
"Don't do this," William murmured to Victoria hopelessly "My folks want to meet you over the winter break" he explained quickly "Babe I think I'm in lov.."
Victoria spun on her heel and walked away refusing to hear the end of that sentence, Daniel walked along side her quickly taking her heavy bag from her shoulder and eyeing her cautiously expecting tears and screaming at any moment. Teddy gazed at Wilke for a long moment and in them few seconds he pitied the man, he'd just lost Victoria for good then he remembered why William had lost her and followed his friends in a quick jog shaking his head.
They walked all the way to Harvard park before Victoria spoke, Teddy and Daniel eyed her concerned. "Derek, fucking Derek told me" she snapped falling into a wooden bench deflated her loose hair whipping around her face in the wind.
Teddy watched the girl cautiously as he sat down beside her and wrap an over over her shoulders. "It wasn't common knowledge," Daniel explained placing her bag down on the bench beside her "I doubt many people knew."
"Everyone will know now." Victoria argued with a sigh as she yanked her long hair into her signature messy bun. Teddy glanced at it she hadn't worn it that way for a while now.
"They'll know about the way you bitched slapped him and not even care about your reason for breaking up with him" Daniel pointed out, Teddy stayed silent unsure what was the right thing to say.
"He was going to say he fucking lov.." she didn't say it, sucking in a deep breath. Teddy glanced at Daniel confused to what to do. "Want to skip with me?" she asked Teddy hopefully, he nodded once an easy smile appearing on his lips. "Can we go to your place, he'll look for me at mine."
"Yeah come on, I'll finally be able to teach you how to play the playstation and you can make me some of that pasta you're brilliant at cooking" Teddy grinned standing up smiling at Daniel, "I'll catch you later Daniel," breaking their plans to go to the cinema,
"Sure thing," Daniel awkwardly patted Victoria's shoulder before leaving for his own flat.
Teddy squeezed Victoria's shoulder when the pair fell into silence then grabbed her bag and her hand to pulled her from the bench and started to lead them to his and Luke's flat "Thanks for this Teddy" Victoria admitted huffing out a breath and rubbing away a angry stray tear.
"Anytime" He murmured wrapping his arm over her shoulder again and pulling her into his side as she tried to stop her tears.
Reviews are welcome :)