Chapter Twenty Six
It was Sunday afternoon and Victoria was on her second lap of running the almost abandoned track on the Harvard grounds, it was well lit up and safer than the streets, or at least that's what she felt like to her. Ever since seeing William at the flat party she wanted to make sure she was in a public places in case he decided to approach her. Music blaring through her ear phones Victoria didn't noticed someone running after her calling her name, instead she side stepped an irked slow paced girl and continued running. Victoria hadn't gone for a run in a while and she was starting to feel lazy, and with the amount of drink drank at the pre-party and then the binge of beers and burgers yesterday she knew she had to do something or it would catch up to her. She'd felt bad waking up late and missing mass, but decided that the weather this morning had been so bad that the drive across town may have been a little dangerous. It was storm weather after all. Victoria irritably stuffed her earphones back into her ears for the forth time, the heavy breeze kept knocking them out, deciding she had enough of the crazy weather Victoria searched for the closest track exit so she could go the student gym. With the exit as her focus point she sped up only to have someone catch her elbow and pull her back, spinning she kicked hard and yelled out but only caught the man's leg with her kick, she knew unfortunately it hadn't done much damage. But after swiftly scanning the person's face and she breathed out relieved before she yanked out her ear phones dramatically and throwing her hand out.
"Jesus Payne, if you want me to give a heart attack you're going about it the right way." Victoria laughed quickly tugging him to the side of the track, "Have you been running after me on purpose or did you just notice me on your afternoon stroll?" She asked cheekily the wind catching her stray curls and whipping them about her face.
"Sorry Miss Smith. I thought you were going to slow down," Payne chuckled uneasily, "you don't really have a stead pace, all random deceleration and acceleration with you."
"I find my pace eventually but the song I'm listening to dictates it usually." She explained with an easy shrug, the irked girl she had passed out early glanced over at the pair of them curiously, her tied back brown hair whipping in every direction.
"Nasty day for running," Payne pointed out, Victoria nodded.
"Yeah I had just decided to go into the gym," she admitted, pointing in the direction of the well lit up building.
"Maybe you should work on your kicking skills, your self-defence is terrible." Payne mused honestly, his eyes serious and stance steady.
Victoria pursed her lips at him. "Well, I don't usually have to worry about self defence."
"Look, I wanted to talk to you." Payne explained seriously, "Let's walk towards the gym." He added when the winds picked up again, Victoria nodded and followed his lead on the edge of the track. "The point is Teddy is starting to get popular on the East coast."
"Teddy's kinda popular everywhere he is" Victoria explained with a bright smile, thinking how Derek, Sam, Jason and Clarks made a reappearance yesterday to hang out with Teddy, Alex and Toby rang him too demanding excuses for not going to the Sport's Bar the night before. "He's kinda likeable." Victoria smirked staring at Payne.
"I mean with the press," Payne pointed out plainly, Victoria's mood dropped a couple levels, surely that wasn't something she needed to be aware of, did Teddy let Lucius in on this stuff too? "With getting accepted to Harvard, training with the Harvard Crimsons, his ongoing partying." Payne sighed rubbing the back of his neck before his eyes flickered across the track scanning the area. "And then your relationship hyping it up a couple levels recently"
"And now with the game coming up?" Victoria asked prompting Payne to not accuse her for Teddy's popularity, after all she was a nobody. "Teddy said that the press might get a little crazy no matter if he plays well or poorly." Victoria stated unconcerned, she wasn't worried. Her and Teddy went public about their relationship and nothing was all that much different around campus. Sure, girls still stared and flirted with Teddy, she still got glared at, but she'd been getting glares since before she started dating William. Nothing was new, apart from the fact less people called her 'Irish,' but rather her actual name.
"The thing is," Payne looked her straight in the eye, "west side, all of Teddy's friends were mainly family friends, or smart enough to know that posting bad photos of him online wasn't smart. At least they eventually figured out that if the Grey's don't… want the photo online we'd take them down. Over here it's harder to keep track of it all, he's been followed by a wider fan group. By people who don't seem to understand the privacy that the Grey's desire for their personal life."
"My friends know not to post too many photos. I mean I'm not even on that many social networking sites." Victoria explained seriously, she was utterly confused. "Just a few to keep connected to Ireland."
"I told Teddy that things would be better if any public activities he happens to be in were PG," Payne explained sternly, Victoria just furrowed her eyebrows at him confused. "Or better yet stay in, because if Teddy image get's too high in the public interest it can be dangerous." Victoria decided that Payne was trying to tell or scold her perhaps for her pre-party.
"Right," Victoria nodded understandingly as they walked over the gym front doors, her eyes flickered over to the parking lot and found Damien's car, she breathed out calmly. "But keeping Teddy safe and out of the papers is your job. I'm his girlfriend, and I'm not changing who I am. I like to go out, I like to drink, I like to get a little wild. Teddy is in college, if he wants to have a calm, careful time in Harvard he's picked the wrong girl." Victoria moved towards the doors, already forming the bitching session for Damien about Payne, she seen cocktail with Damien and the girls in town as a very solid prediction for the evening.
"Victoria," Payne stated seriously calling her back. "If Teddy rises in the public interest, so will you. If he's in danger so are you." He explained slightly gravely, Victoria stared at him for a few long moments still upset that he was here scolding her for living her life.
"So be it," Victoria laughed carefree, "how about next time I'm throwing a party I get some cocaine and strippers," Payne sighed knowing he wasn't getting anywhere with her, just like he hadn't with Teddy. "Oh, having an Orgy was on my to do list for Harvard, I'll get on that pronto." Victoria winked sarcastic and forced a smile on her face.
"Miss Smith…" Payne muttered unhappily.
"Payne, I get it. Teddy's famous, he always going to be famous. What he does matters, everything he does is monitored and watched. But I'm just Victoria Smith, and I'm always going to be just me. I'm a small town girl who goes to mass, exercises as regularly as I can but prefers to pig out with take out, gets good if not great grades because I studies more than most. Oh and there is the bad too I drink but I'm Irish what you expect me to do? For me to join a nunnery?" Payne cracked a smile, and Victoria knew she'd won the battle. "I'm not perfect, but in my opinion most people haven't achieved perfection. And from my description I think you could have done far worst. After all, I haven't killed anyone, I'm not racist or crashed a car, been arrested, killed an endangered animal, streaked or skinny dipped?"
Payne sighed loudly and she stopped a lazy grin on her lips. "We just want to make sure that you aren't romanticising this whole celebrity thing," Payne explained, Victoria wondered briefly who this 'we' he referred to but quickly let it go, "it changes people, it changes your life and the public can hate hard if they want too."
"I dated one of the most loved Harvard Crimson players, before Teddy and I balls-ed up and got together, if anyone knows how some people can hate hard it's a girl who's in the way of an other girls prey." Payne laughed and Victoria smiled sincerely. "Don't worry about me, as long as you keep my family out of it while Teddy and I are having an actual college experience I think we're all winners." Victoria smiled sweetly as she could while being wind blown and rain spattered.
"You aren't afraid that something bad will get out?" Payne asked curiously his stance slightly deflated, Victoria wanted to tell him that if William's weird sexual bondage stuff didn't get out, her few substandard stories wouldn't either, but she couldn't. Payne mightn't know about the photos, and she wasn't close to him at all. Payne was just Teddy's body guard, physically and cyber-ly, if that is a thing, if anything he'd managed to find himself in her bad book this evening.
"What something bad about me?" Victoria asked innocently cocking her head to the side and batting her lashed twice before she simply grinned and walking backwards to the gyms door. "I'm the good-est god girl I know," Victoria laughed with a bright smile. "See you around Payne, try to loosen up, get a drink maybe lassie and calm to Gehenna down." Victoria laughed at her own wit as she pushed open the door and stepped into the almost clinical athletics building hoping to find Damien quickly to retail her encounter.
Teddy rubbed his face as he sat in the library alone, Lucius had abandoned him for dinner and Beverly was more than ten minutes late. Unfortunately he couldn't start the project without her, because they had to pick a topic together. To his annoyance he'd seen Victoria and Derek pass by half an hour ago while he studied, both whispering intently about something as Derek pointed out something in his notes, and he wasn't able to chase after them because of Beverly.
Teddy sighed and dropped his hand to the table defeated, he really did want to work with Victoria but he wasn't sure if it was a smart choice. He thought briefly at first that the lecturer would be bias against the students who decided to swap partners since he'd being so strict the last term, but mostly Teddy didn't have much of a back bone when it came to his friends. And Beverly wasn't keen on the idea of swapping partners. Chewing on the cap of his pen he wondered if he had of gotten a stranger would he have had such moral qualms about dropping them, it did after all fuel the fire for his and Victoria's first fight. But maybe he'd made the right decision, a good relationship couldn't be formed if they were in each other's pockets from the very beginning.
"Oh my Gosh!" Beverly greeted, Teddy glanced at her shocked at her too loud tone, "It said low chance of rain today on my weather app." She breathed out dramatically as she lowered herself into the chair opposite Teddy. Beverly hadn't a drop of rain on her cashmere cream coat and her brown hair hardly looked out of place to Teddy. "GiGi is always saying that stuff is all made up anyway." She laughed flicking her skinny wrist.
"What is?" Teddy asked confused, as he reached out and moved some of his things out of the way for her monstrous blue handbag and the clothes she suddenly started taking off, starting with gloves and scarf.
"The weather forecast," Beverly laughed peeling out of her coat revealing a low cut jumper, Teddy found it odd that people actually believed that the forecast was made up but let the topic go so they could start on the project. But a flash of curly hair caught his attention on the other side of the room. "I mean, sure I know they can predict so much but a week, a month? I doubt it." Beverly continued on with an easy smile as Teddy watched behind her were Victoria and Derek were returning from the book shelves.
"Have you looked at the topics yet?" Teddy asked, he longed for Victoria to look his way. The pair hadn't seen him early when they walked in, he doubted Victoria was looking for him since he hadn't told he'd be here when they texted early. But Beverly was suddenly free and Teddy decided he'd push through the stiffness from training to meet up with her. Since Teddy was being assess on the football field he didn't want to have the added stress from college work, he wanted to get the project out of the way as soon as possible, he always liked to get things out of the way.
Beverly groaned dramatically, "My laptop's been acting up, so I haven't. Mind if I see them on yours?" She asked. Teddy glanced at Beverly swiftly trying not to show how unimpressed he was, "I'll remember the one I liked from the lecture if I see the list." Beverly promised reaching and touching Teddy's closed Macbook.
"I have it printed," Teddy explained sliding the sheet across to her, the last thing he wanted was people snooping into his laptop. "If your laptops acting up you should get it checked out Bev." He chastised with a frown.
"Hey!" Teddy spun at the close calling, and found Victoria grinning down at him, her eyes happy and surprised, "I wasn't expecting to see you here." Victoria declared reaching up to fix her hair subconsciously. "Hi Beverly." She added glancing over at her.
"My manicure appointment got canceled," Beverly supplied, "and Teddy being a dear made time for me."
Teddy watched as Victoria gazed across the narrow bench to Beverly as she asked her where she had planned to get her nails done. "Hey man," Derek greeted patting his shoulder, "Victoria said she likes to be at the window so I'm going to check and see if there is any free." Teddy nodded understandingly, glad that his girlfriend got a considerate partner like Derek to work with.
"I thought you said you were wrecked from practice this morning" Victoria mused turning her attention back to him, Teddy sighed and rolled his shoulders.
"Yeah I'm stiff and sore, but you know, the sooner this gets done the better." Victoria sent him a quick familiar smile before glancing back at Beverly for a moment, and he knew she was thinking about his constant desire to always get schoolwork completed swiftly. "Don't look at me like that Vicky" He ordered playfully.
"Like what?" Victoria asked amused her green eyes back on Teddy, Beverly rattled the paper in her hand impatiently. Teddy glanced at her irritated, she had been about fifteen minutes late, never apologised and now she was bing rude. "Oh sorry, I better leave you to your work." Victoria laughed shifting her footing so that her bag shifted its weight on her shoulders.
"Yes, well, I doubt Derek likes to be kept waiting." Beverly argued lightly with a tight smile as she slid her clothes down the bench.
"He'll live," Teddy mused reaching out to grasp Victoria hand briefly before she ran off, she glanced down at him inquisitively but Teddy just smiled and released her hand.
Victoria leaned down and whispered, "If you're not too tired after this, come over to my apartment, I'd massage out all them tense muscles for you." Teddy chuckled at her husky tone then Victoria kissed the corner of his mouth before she sprang away from him. Teddy watched her walk away with a wide grin, pondering if maybe she had meant to kiss his cheek and missed, either way he was blissfuly surprised.
"Its number seven," Beverly declared bringing Teddy back to earth, her eyes were hard as she watched Victoria leave too. "That's the one I'm most familiar with."
"Awesome, we'll start splitting up what we can now. So that we can start separately and then the next time we meet we can actually do some research together." Teddy smiled happily.
"Yeah and maybe we can do that somewhere else, it's kinda distracting in here." Beverly pointed out seriously, Teddy nodded easily and turned back to face Beverly.
"We'll just leave the introduction out for now and get started on these recommended papers." Teddy explained jumping into his project zone. Beverly admired the way Teddy was able to switch studious in moments, but instead of listening to him chatter on about the project she watched mesmerized at the way his body shifted and muscles bunched as he worked.
Victoria had managed to find photos of her pre-party on the Harvard online student page, while she was looking up the campus happenings for the Martin Luther King, Jr. day-holiday the following Monday. And she snapped, figuratively and her laptop shut disgruntled agitated by all the hype about a stupid last minute party. Overall sure it had been a good party, but there were always good parties on the weekend, why did people have to care so much about this one?
She couldn't go anywhere on campus without being approached by someone from the party, or someone who knew someone who was at the party, or even just people who wished they had gone to the party. People she'd never meet before badgered her for information on her next big bash or at least where she'd been partying next.
Grabbing her phone vexed from her coat pocket she planned to text her friends for some mid-week drinks, but her anger simmered when she found a message from Teddy instead, she got it fifteen minutes ago.
'I know you're in the library, but I thought I'd ask if you'd like to meet up for coffee? Take a break! I really want to see you before I'm pounded in practiced later'
Victoria tugged on her coat and collected her things away as quietly as she could, but she still got the stink eye from a pretty girl two tables down. With a mouthed 'sorry,' Victoria escaped. While she was walking to the exit she sent Teddy back a text asking if he was still around, a kind man held open the door for her as she stepped out. Smiling her thanks Victoria pulled up her coat's hood and swiftly buttoned it up to battle the wind and rain. The weather was still terrible, it was casting a bad mood across campus and it was slowly seeping into Victoria too.
Her phone rang and Victoria answered without checking the name, "Hey!" She greeted happily as she made her way to Starbucks, the person on the other end didn't say anything for a long moment, instead left Victoria to listen to the noisy background instead.
"Oh hello?" Charlotte called with a laugh, Victoria release the long breath she hadn't realised she was holding in. William had involuntarily flashed into her thoughts, it was like something he would do. It always confused her, why did he send her texts when he knew he'd get no reply when he could just ring her and hear her voice instead, even if it was just for a second.
"Charlotte?" Victoria asked confused as she walked down the busy pedestrian streets on campus.
"Yeah, I bounced into Teddy in Starbucks, he said you hadn't replied to his text." Charlotte laughed, "So I said I'd ring to see if you were still studying."
"I just texted Teddy" Victoria pointed out, "Maybe it didn't send from the library, it get shitty phone coverage for me."
"Yeah same," Charlotte mused, "I'm meeting up with Damien for a coffee to tell him…"
"Charlotte" Victoria mused with a giggle, "I'll see you in like three minutes, think you could hold this in till I get there?"
Charlotte sighed out forlorn through the phone, "I suppose, but know your sacrificing your boyfriend for my silence right?"
"Do you worst." Victoria laughed hanging up, after all Starbucks was in her sights now.
The rain started to fall heavier so she sped up, inside she seen how busy it was and groaned in annoyance. Pushing open the coffee house's door she was greeted with warmth and the delicious smell of coffee. Stepping into the line she glanced around for Teddy and Charlotte and found them at the pick-up area.
"I think he bought you a coffee" The girl in front of her explained, shocked Victoria turned to face her. She was older, taller and seemed like the timid sort. "Teddy, I think he got you a latte."
"Sorry?" Victoria asked confused, "Do I.," the girl blushed pink and shook her head no.
"Vicky!" Teddy called, Victoria turned to face him perplexed, "I got your order," he explained, and Victoria noticed the second cup in his large strong hands.
The girl in front of Victoria shifted forward as the line moved, "Thanks I guess" Victoria said dumbfounded as she moved from the line to where Teddy and Charlotte sat. It was an overly large table for three.
"Damien's coming, and I just sent a message to Natalie, she said she was getting off work around now." Charlotte explained stirring her coffee, "And Leah's in the queue already."
"Oh" Victoria smiled sliding into the chair beside Teddy, "I was disappointed last night" Victoria teased. Reminding him of her promised to massage out his sore muscles.
"No more that me, trust me" Teddy chuckled lifting his arm to wrap her into his side, Victoria shifted to be in his warmth, "You look pale," he pointed out concerned reaching up to check her forehead.
"Its bloody freezing outside," Victoria explained pushing his hand away before she reached for her Latte happily. "The strangest thing just happened" She told them, Charlotte cocked her head curious. "See that black haired girl at the end of the line?"
"Yeah," Teddy nodded intrigued, "what about her?"
"Well, she told me you had bought me a latte before you called me over." Victoria explained dipping her pinkie into the foam of her coffee, "That's weird right?" she asked sucking the foam from her finger, "I mean, no it's weird."
"Yeah it's weird" Charlotte agreed easily, "but really Vicky what were you doing in the line, you'd just told us you were on your way, of course we'd buy you a coffee."
"You don't think I'd keep your favourite drug from you do you?" Teddy asked tauntingly, Victoria laughed and nudged his side.
"Oh what ever" She laughed, "when is Damien getting here?"
"My company not good enough?" Teddy teased, Victoria nudged him again.
"In about five minutes." Charlotte shrugged, "How was study going?"
"Terrible" Victoria muttered, Teddy squeezed her shoulder concerned, "procrastinator should be down instead of student on my ID."
"Oh?" Charlotte laughed flicking her hair over her shoulder, "You're not going back this evening?"
"No" Victoria scoffed and Teddy chuckled at her, "I was actually going to ask you if you wanted to go for drinks."
Charlotte's face lit up, "We can go to that cocktail bar" she agreed, "Damien will be up for it."
"Yeah," Victoria smiled and leaned back on the chair and into Teddy's arm, "and thankfully we can go as we are. So Damien wont need to attack my closet."
Charlotte laughed sipping her coffee as she flickered through her phone, "Oh Natalie is going to be an hour late, work needs her."
"Maybe you can go get a bite to eat" Teddy mused.
"The bar has food" Victoria explained with a grin, "You think I'd give up one of my meals?"
Teddy chuckled and drank his americano, "Hiya!" Leah greeted sliding in beside Charlotte, "If Social Psychology doesn't kill me off this year, then Cross-Cultural Psychology will get me next year."
"That's if you get there" Charlotte pointed out bluntly, Victoria noticed that Leah looked very normal, nerdy even out of a party scene, she even wore black framed glasses. "You've been slacking recently."
"Yeah, I know." Leah mused with a loud sigh as she blew on her coffee. "Hey Victoria I really should thank you for that party you threw on the weekend" She smiled, her .
Victoria sighed, "Yeah I've been getting that a lot."
"No seriously," Leah grinned, "I meet Cody because of you, he's amazing"
"Who's Cody?" Charlotte snapped into action, Victoria waited for some serious reprimand, but it didn't come.
"He's a guitarist, he's Victor's band mate," She explained warily, Charlotte cross her arms and glared at her coffee.
"Could you try not to girl talk while I'm here?" Teddy pointed out with a frown.
"Don't worry it's not contagious," Victoria teased, wanting to change the topic too. "You won't start randomly asking Alex and Toby deep personal questions at practice."
"Imagine" Charlotte grinned, "Hey dude, do you think these thigh pads make me look fat?"
"Watch yourself Thompson" Teddy chuckled. "Speaking of practice I should head over, with the weather the way it is I think I'll drive to the closer lot."
Victoria smiled, "Text me how it goes, you're playing with the big boys tonight right?" she asked concerned.
"Yeah McCarthy and Affleck" Teddy confirmed lowly.
"Oh wow, Teddy!" Leah breathed excitedly, "It's totally great and all that you're getting to play this weekend!"
"She's not a football fan" Charlotte explained with a flick of her wrist, "ignore her."
"Oh shut up" Leah laughed pushing Charlotte, "I knew enough to know it's a big deal. It's what everyone's been talking about!"
"It is?" Victoria asked sarcastically, "And here I thought people were only thinking about that stupid party from last weekend, it's nice to know there are muggles out there looking forwards." Teddy chuckled and took his arm back, Victoria turned her gaze to him and seen the hesitancy in his gaze, "I'll walk you to the car" she decided.
"It's usually the guy that does the walking." Teddy mused amused, Charlotte scoffed at the notion.
"Well, tough shit." Victoria mused standing sharply and buttoning her coat closed, "I'll be back in two minutes" she told the girls as they left.
Teddy sighed at her actions but took her hand in his and led the way out of the coffee house. "You don't need to come, it's horrible out here." He reminded her as they pulled their hood up and started on a swift pace across the grounds.
"I want to kiss you," Victoria explained softly, Teddy stalled in his stepped shocked, she glanced at him with a grim smile. "But I'm not kissing you with everyone and that weirdo from earlier watching."
"So in Lucius's car?" Teddy asked chuckled, clearly amused "In there we're safe from their gawks?"
"No," Victoria laughed squeezing his palm as they walked into the parking lot, "here's fine."
Teddy laughed and used his free hand to trace her cheek, gently "It's freezing, windy and pouring rain" Teddy stated, "And you want me to kiss you out here?"
"Right here," Victoria explained with a cheeky smile.
Teddy chuckled lowly, but still lowed to her level his eyes ranking over her pretty features and bright green eyes until he kissed her. Victoria's cool fingers found their way beneath his hoody and into Teddy's soft hair as they kissed, their lips moulding together, testing each other. Teddy was being cautious he didn't want to push for too much out in the open knowing her fearfulness of being gaped at. While Victoria was holding back not wanting to stir up something they couldn't finish. Teddy pulled back fractionally but Victoria responded by stepping forward which left their body's flushed together. Victoria nibbled on Teddy's lowly lip before kissing it sweetly, he sighed and let his arms hold her tight against him, letting her kiss him what ever and however long she wished.
The spell was broken when they heard jovial laughing in the distance, Teddy pulled back first, his arms still tight around Victoria as she retrieved her fingers from his hair with a heavy breath and small smile. The heavy rain had finally lightened up to a drizzle, Teddy smiled at the droplets of water littering Victoria's face.
"You said anytime, anywhere right?" Victoria pointed out with a growing smile
Teddy grinned down at her as he loosened his hold on her, "Sure did."
"You may regret that someday." Victoria mused as she clutched at his coats pockets.
"I'll never regret you Victoria." Teddy whispered lowering to kiss her cheek once, before he stepped out of her reach. "I'll text you later Okay?"
Victoria beamed at him, and watched his fantastic form stroll over to Lucius's car. "If you're up for cocktails you could..."
"Enjoy your girl-time Vicky" Teddy instructed, "Luke and I are having a movie marathon later."
"Kick Ben Affleck's ass night," Victoria declared with a laugh, "we'll work on strategy for McCarthy after you rock Saturday's game."
Teddy laughed loudly and pulled open the cars door, "Get your sexy ass back in side before you catch a cold."
"On it!" Victoria laughed spinning on her heel and heading back to the coffee house with a bright smile and slightly bruised lips.
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