Afterglow lakewood unive.., p.1
Afterglow (Lakewood University Book 1), page 1
Copyright © 2024 by Olivia Grace
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by The Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
Book Cover by Kimberly Sable
Edited by Morgan Walde
Contents
Dedication
Epigraph
Playlist
Content Warnings
Freshman Year
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Junior Year
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
For the night owls, you can still make your dreams come true.
And for those who are still healing from their scars:
I see you.
This ultraviolet morning light below, tells me this love is worth the fight.
Taylor Swift, Afterglow
Playlist
Afterglow by Taylor Swift
Afterglow by Ed Sheeran
Daylight by David Kushner
Fine Line by Harry Styles
Mirrorball by Taylor Swift
Pretty Please by Dua Lipa
Scrawny by Wallows
The Hills by The Weekend
This is Me Trying by Taylor Swift
What Was I Made For by Billie Eilish
Content Warnings
Alcohol Abuse (Off-Page)
Anxiety
Brief Mention of Non-Consensual Touching (On-Page, Not Between Main Characters)
Depression
Explicit Sexual Content (On-Page: Chapter 28 & 36)
Panic Attacks
Suicide (On-Page Description)
Freshman Year
Two Years Ago
Chapter 1
August
Theodore Knight
Ican breathe again.
Lakewood University in Arizona is a breath of fresh air compared to my home state. Though, eight hundred miles isn’t enough distance to combat the guilt pounding in my chest.
I was ecstatic when my father came up with some stupid excuse, so he didn’t have to help me move. Although it paints me as an awful son, I can’t bring myself to care.
My dad—Matthew Knight—reluctantly agreed to pay for my college degree and living expenses after I cleaned my image up over the summer break. My senior year of high school was disastrous to say the least with only two things on my mind: alcohol and girls. The aim was to drown my grief and demons.
To be honest, I couldn’t believe Lakewood still wanted me.
I was forced to overcome a new obstacle everyday, whether it was numbing my shattered heart or hiding each emotion that bubbled underneath my skin.
The pain of losing my favourite person was all-consuming and never ending, yet I’ve discovered, death and misery don’t discriminate. Even after a year, I’m still searching for a way to heal.
All I wanted was someone to see through me, but my father didn’t care until it affected his reputation. Now, he is overjoyed I can continue in his and my grandfather’s footsteps.
They both played in the NFL for our home state, Texas, but I plan on staying the hell away from that place. I want to play football out of Matthew Knight’s demanding shadow. So, choosing to attend a university away from my father was always the plan.
“Theodore Knight,”
My name echoes in the cosy cafe, shaking me from my thoughts. I smile at the barista as I collect my coffee. The plastic is freezing against my palm, while I grip my house keys in the opposite hand.
My apartment is located five miles away from campus, though it is still recognised as student accommodation. Yesterday was my official move-in date after two days of continuous driving.
I was planning to tour the campus today as I want to be prepared for all of my classes before the semester begins next week. The university administration, however, had other plans. Two guys are moving into my apartment so I figured it would be best to introduce myself.
Although, I’m annoyed my plans were disrupted, elation builds in my chest as I park my car. If I was to live on my own, I would go crazy.
The walls of my apartment are a blank canvas leaving no evidence of who lives here and I have no intention of changing it. When I first arrived, I thought it was strange people weren’t already living here as the place has three bedrooms. The place is modern, with up-to-date kitchen appliances and a loft space for one of the bedrooms.
I claimed that one.
Some boxes are stacked in the corner yet to be unpacked, while the only true personal items I own are hidden away, under my bed. The photos of my mother and I are stored in a brown cardboard box with barely legible handwriting on the top.
I flip the lid of the box off, placing it on the floor next to me. Every now and then, I relive the painful evidence of the past. My heart races as I clutch the photographs close to my chest.
My fingers brush over a photo. It depicts my favourite memory with Vivian Knight:
We are dancing around my childhood home, a fort in the background and ‘A Whole New World’ filling the living room. Aladdin was and still is my favourite movie. Mum and I would watch it every Friday night. The film has been unwatchable since she killed herself.
The upcoming date: November 29th will mark the second anniversary of her death.
Continuous knocks ricochet throughout the house, stopping me from remembering the moment I found her.
I open the front door, revealing two guys, one with blonde hair—similar to mine. The other has a buzz cut, only a small layer of cedar brown hair. I’m six foot, but that seems short compared to these boys, who are at least an inch or two taller.
“It’s Theo, right? I’m Austin and this is Colton,” The blonde says.
I smile, flashing my pearly whites. “Yeah, that’s me.” I guide them inside, showing them to the makeshift living—it has a two-seater couch and a glass coffee table. In the email the campus administration sent me, they said the boys were involved with football, so I asked:
“Are you both on the team?”
“I am,” Austin replies. “Colt isn’t but he used to play in high school. Lakewood offered him a spot on the team, but he turned it down.”
I raise my eyebrows. Although lesser known than other universities, Lakewood has been slowly growing over the past couple of years. Besides leaving my father, this is the other reason I decided to come here. The football department is growing as they attract well-known and distinguished coaches.
Colton shakes his head, a slight curve on his lips. “Austin is being dramatic. I study biochemistry so I don’t have the time to commit,”
“I understand,”
Football is demanding, with the amount of travel, training and effort that is involved. If you aren’t a hundred percent dedicated or passionate about the sport, you will burn out.
The two boys follow me around the apartment. The tour ends and I leave them to unpack their belongings. In my room, I do the same.
Two boxes are left in my room, one containing my football equipment and the other has all my school supplies. I organise my desk, laptop sitting in the middle and my excessive collection of pens and pencils are sorted into different jars.
My dad wants me to declare for the draft, not considering the possibility that I want to pursue a different career. Mum was a professor at the University of Texas so we both loved learning, our curiosity could never be satisfied. It’s part of the reason I decided to study clinical exercise science at Lakewood.
I’m still unsure if I will ever declare for the draft—not that my father knows this, but my back up plan is to become a physical therapist. Our relationship deteriorated after my mum passed away and now that I’m so far away, football is the only thing we talk about but even these conversations consist of very few words.
It turns out that striving to please someone for years without recognition leaves you empty with nothing else to give.
The colour melts from the sky, the vanishing sun replaced by a full moon. The street lights provide a path to Frankie’s, the local bar all university students drink at. Colton and Austin invited me for drinks and
Austin fills our short walk with casual conversation about his childhood and dreams of playing in the NFL. I wish I still contained the passion I had when I was a child. Although the field has been a constant part of my life, sometimes it doesn’t feel like the home it once was.
My eyebrows scrunched together when Austin mentions my father’s name. The boys went silent, forcing me to fully pay attention.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“Your last name is Knight, right? Just wanted to know if you were related to Matthew Knight. He was one of my idols growing up,”
Jealousy simmers in my chest, I swallow trying to push my emotion to the back of my brain. I wish my father was my idol. Our similar looks created a pit in my stomach before I moved to Arizona. The thought of someone realising who my father was and becoming my friend based on his merits is one of my biggest fears.
“Yeah,” I reply cautiously. “He’s my dad,”
Austin’s eyes widened. “Holy shit, that’s so—”
Colton elbows Austin in the ribs after spying my discomfort. Internally, I’m thanking him for trying to stop this conversation. My chest constricts but I force myself to breathe.
“We don’t have the best relationship at the moment. It’s a bit of a long story,”
Austin backtracks, his face softening with a combination of pity and understanding. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to be a dick. Just for you, his idol status is removed.”
The seriousness in his tone loosens the muscles in my chest, allowing a chuckle to escape. “It’s okay. But can we keep this between us? I don’t want everyone else to know,”
I’m under enough pressure as it is and I don’t want to give the Dean or my father a chance to take my freedom away. My new friends nod in agreement as we arrive. The flickering neon sign that reads, ‘Frankie’s Bar,’ illuminates the dimly lit street.
People fill every crevice of the establishment and the air is intoxicating, smelling of cheap beer. Colton, Austin and I buy some type of alcohol, its fruitiness swirling down my throat.
Everyone is buzzing with excitement. For the freshman, this is probably their first night celebrating the new chapter of their life.
I slide my fake ID back into my wallet, although, I’m sure the bartenders know most people here are underage. They just don’t give a shit because the establishment is earning money. The three of us make our way toward the pool table, which is being swarmed by people.
Briefly, my eyes catch onto a girl who is making small talk with the two girls beside her. I can’t stop my gaze travelling down her figure, her denim shorts highlighting her long legs and soft curve of her hips. God, she is beautiful. Her honey blonde hair is an untameable mane of curls as it falls past her shoulders.
My ogling session is interrupted when our eyes clash. Even from here, the girl’s emerald, green eyes are molten. I plaster a smirk on my face, winking at her as I sip my drink. A pink hue covers her cheeks but that doesn’t stop her rolling her eyes. My tongue darts across my lips at the thought of a new challenge.
“Got your eye on someone, already?” Austin teases.
“When she looks like that,” I say, nodding my head towards the girl. “I definitely do.”
Last year, I found comfort in different girls’ beds, not caring who they were. Call me a dick or a playboy—both are true, but it was the best way to avoid my problems.
Austin smirks as he takes in one of the three girls. I hit him on the shoulder lightly. “Don’t worry, I’ll put in a good word with her friends.”
Nothing is stopping me talking to the mysterious girl, it’s as if a string is tugging me towards her. I stride over the group, confidence written across my body.
I pause in front of them before interrupting.
“Hey pretty ladies, mind if I steal your friend for a while?”
One of the girls blushes and remains silent, turning her head away slightly. The other beams at me with a devious smile.
“Of course,” the black-haired girl says, before checking over my shoulder. “One condition though,”
I raise my eyebrows, silently asking for her rule. She could ask me to do anything, illegal or not and I’d do it no questions asked, if the blonde would be mine for the night. “Name it,”
“Sofia,” the blonde hisses, as if she doesn’t want to be near me.
I won’t take it to heart, Princess.
Princess.
The nickname appears in the forefront of my mind. My first interaction with girls begins with lust. But, something else about this particular blonde is drawing my attention. I don’t like it. One-night stands are the best way to keep me protected from heartbreak.
I shake these thoughts away bringing my attention back to one of the other girls in the group—Sofia, if I heard correctly,
“We get to steal your friends. I saw you come in with them,” Sofia points to Colt and Austin.
My hand shot up from beside my body for her to shake. “You have yourself a deal, Sofia.”
Sofia’s hand clamped mine, squeezing the life out of it. Jesus. If this is my warning not to hurt her friend, consider me warned. Sofia releases my hand and wriggles her eyebrows at the blonde. She is baring her teeth, add in an intense gaze and you’ve got a girl who wants nothing to do with me.
She ticks every box.
The other two girls leave us alone, a charismatic smile pulls at my lips. But she rolls her eyes. Again.
“If you think your charming smile is going to work on me, you’ve picked the wrong girl.”
Ouch, Princess.
“I stopped listening when you said I was charming. I’m Theodore Knight,”
She is hard to read, but that makes her even more alluring. And not falling for my charms, well that makes her an anomaly.
The brief silence between us isn’t awkward as her eyebrows pull toward each other. Every second that passes between us makes me want to do something to stop her brain from overthinking. It’s as if she can’t turn it off.
Finally, she sighs.
“Jazmine Allen,”
I cough up my drink, patting my chest to clear my throat. What are the fucking chances? Memories of my mum and I flash across my mind in small bursts.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I finish my drink and focus on the girl in front of me. “How about a bet?”
A grin tugs on her mouth, replacing her previously forced smile. I don’t know what’s more attractive, that or her competitive spirit.
“What do you have in mind?” she asks, emptying her cup down her throat.
Fucking hell. This girl will be the death of me. “A game of pool. If I win, you have to give me your number,”
“What do I get if I win?”
“Whatever you want, Princess.”
Shit. That accidentally slipped out.
Jazmine’s shoulders tense and a scowl forms on her lips. “Don’t call me that,”
She pauses for a moment; her green eyes find mine once more. The cunning thought behind them is evident as Jazmine’s mouth curves into a smirk.
Oh no.
“We play, but if I win, you have to sing a song of my choosing on stage when karaoke starts.”
She wants me to sing in front of everyone. This bet has the possibility of being the most embarrassing moment of my life, but it’s only fair the stakes are high for the both of us. Based on her immediate rejection of my flirting, Jazmine doesn’t seem like the type of girl that gives her number out to random guys.
“You don’t want my number?” I tease.
Irritation flashes across Jazmine’s eyes, as she holds my gaze. I’ll take that as a no.
I set up the table, while Jazmine finds the pool cues. She smiles and hands me one.
“Do you want to break?” she asks.
So, she does know how to play. “Isn’t it ladies first?”
Jazmine scoffs and walks to the end of the pool table, lining up her cue with the white ball, she hits it. Hard.
The balls smash into each other, one of the solids falls into the left pocket. Shit. Jazmine catches my surprised gaze and smugness spreads across her face.
Beginner’s luck, right?
“Did I forget to mention I have a twin brother?” she says, living up her next shot. “And he taught me everything I needed to know, regarding both pool and—” Jazmine hits another solid into a pocket, this time into the one closest to me. “—What the true intentions of arrogant boys are,”
