Beautiful Legend: An Angsty College Romance Read online

  Contents

  Author's Note

  Beautiful Legend Playlist

  Synopsis

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  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

  Epilogue

  Untitled

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2020

  Waverly Alexander

  * * *

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Resemblance to actual persons, things, living or dead, locales or events is entirely coincidental.

  * * *

  This book contains mature themes and is only suitable for 18+ readers.

  * * *

  Editor: Kate DellaVecchia, KDV Editing

  Cover Designer: Devoursheabooks

  Playlist Compilation: Elysha Brooks

  Beta Readers: Daisy Sauceda, Hope Lowery, and Anastasia Meimeteas

  Author's Note

  A little while before I started writing Beautiful Legend, I adopted an old dog named Remi. I didn’t want to confuse her by renaming her, so I gave her the middle name Sue in hopes that the addition might help her forget her past and allow her to make some new memories. She was a black pit-bull who had come from a devastating situation and was pulled from the euthanasia list just in time.

  Because she had terminal intestinal issues, I knew I wouldn’t have as much time with her as I would’ve liked. But I also knew that whatever time we did have together would be special because she was special. Despite everything, she learned how to play for the first time, slept in a bed for the first time, and I discovered that it’s compassion, not time, that creates an unconditional bond. Remi loved riding on the tractor, chasing my cat Fairydust, and going for car rides with my mom.

  Unfortunately Remi passed away while I was writing this book, and it only feels right to include her in the story. While this is a work of fiction, and the people, events, and scenarios are products of my imagination, all of the animals mentioned throughout are very much real and hold significant places in my heart. I hope you enjoy the bond between Remi and Addison, it was my favorite part to write.

  Dedication

  For my friend, Adrina Miller.

  I hope Josh is as skilled at rugby as you imagined. :)

  Beautiful Legend Playlist

  Compiled by: Elysha Brooks

  “I Fall Apart”— Fletcher

  “Half Light”— Banners

  “Find U Again”— Mark Ronson (feat. Camila Cabello)

  “Me & UR Ghost”— Blackbear

  “Consequences”— Camila Cabello

  “Real Friends”— Camila Cabello

  “Carry You”— Ruelle (feat. Fleurie)

  “What A Time”— Julia Michaels (feat. Niall Horan)

  “Hurt Somebody”— Noah Kahan (feat. Julia Michaels)

  “Heartless”— Diplo (with Julia Michaels & Morgan Wallen)

  “Better Love”— Hozier

  “About Love”— Marina

  “Strangers”— Fletcher

  “Invisible Things”— Lauv

  “To Die For”— Sam Smith

  “Rockstar”— Post Malone (feat. 21 Savage)

  “Eastside”— Benny Blanco (with Halsey & Khalid)

  “Heaven”— Julia Michaels

  “Say You Won’t Let Go”— James Arthur

  “Someone You Loved”— Lewis Capaldi

  “Little Do You Know”— Alex & Sierra

  “Exchange”— Bryson Tiller

  “Bitter Love”— Pia Mia

  “Better Not”— Louis The Child (with Wafia)

  “Religion”— Lana Del Rey

  “Die For You”— The Weeknd

  “Kiss”— The Vamps

  “Wrong Direction”— Hailee Steinfeld

  “All of Me”— John Legend

  “If You Need Me”— Julia Michaels

  “Don’t Let It Break Your Heart”— Louis Tomlinson

  “Hold On”— Chord Overstreet

  “Perfect”— Ed Sheeran

  Synopsis

  He barged into my life my junior year of college. Brooding, mysterious, and barely talks to anyone—Joshua Travin is allegedly as skilled in the bedroom as he is on the rugby field. He’s everywhere I go, always watching. Despite his obvious distaste for me, I find a familiar comfort in his green eyes.

  * * *

  I’ve spent every day since I was seven hiding my past, trying to forget the attack that killed my mother and my sister. The attack I barely survived. Now, I never let anyone in. Even the people who would consider me a friend? They don't know the real me.

  * * *

  But this time, Joshua won't let me hide.

  Chapter One

  “Addison, PLEASE,” Laney, my roommate for the last two years, yelled from the bathroom where she was plastering baby blue glitter on her eyelids. Even though she feigned like she wouldn’t get her way, we both knew she would. But sometimes it made me feel better pretending I had a choice to say no if I wanted. It was hard to believe this was the same shy, quiet girl I had met as a freshman—she’d really come into her own over the last year and now wanted to do all things social.

  Personally, I’d been praying I’d make it through my junior year at Kensington University without being dragged to any frat parties, sporting events, or the dreaded ladies’ nights at The Blue Bird Tavern—the only bar in walking distance of the college. In fact, I picked Kensington because it was small, private, and in the middle of nowhere, which made me feel like I had the added protection—concealment—that I was looking for.

  I hurried down the hall and into the living room of our little three-bedroom ranch in search of moral support. Taylor, our third roommate, was cocooned on the bright red couch Laney picked out this past summer.

  “She’s not gonna shut up unless we go,” she deadpanned, without even looking up from the textbook resting on her thighs.

  Taylor’s blue hair was curled beautifully around her pale cheeks, and her expertly applied makeup was eye-catching. The whole look suited her. She was good enough to be a professional makeup artist, which was her plan for after graduation next year. Despite our differences in style, Taylor and I had quickly bonded over our childhoods. They were completely different, yet weirdly similar. Taylor's family was loaded. When she was in elementary school, her mother's crochet shop had become an overnight viral sensation—one of those weird crazes nobody could explain, like Beanie Babies or Twilight. Regardless, her mother became a multi-millionaire overnight by crocheting anything and everything you could think of. Taylor's parents ditched her in boarding school and have been traveling the world ever since. So while I came from nothing—not a penny to my name�
�neither of us grew up with parents, even though it was for very different reasons. Reasons I wouldn’t even share with Taylor. Because while makeup was her thing, bottling things up was mine.

  Laney’s parents were different than Taylor’s. They were extremely caring, yet Laney found it difficult to deal with them most days. Her mom was a petite blonde who looked like she belonged on the cover of a sweet second chance romance novel. Her father wasn’t as warm as her mother, but he still seemed to care deeply for his daughter. He was an engineer and loved to talk about the intricacies of his job. Her parents stopped by nearly every month, and Laney would complain that they were annoying and always checking up on her, but I found it comforting to know that they cared.

  I sighed and flopped down on the oversized red and navy floral chair. Taylor was right, Laney was like a rabid coyote when she had her mind set on something—lockjaw and all.

  “Where did you want to go?” I called out, loud enough to reach Laney down the hall. She didn’t answer, but I heard her padding down the hallway toward us. She stopped at the entrance to the living room. “Does this dress make me look fabulous?” She spun around, demanding that we look at her.

  “It looks great,” I said, probably a little too quickly. Laney and I had completely different styles. I would have worn jeans and a t-shirt every day if she and Taylor didn’t get on my case. But Laney possessed a confidence that seemed to come out of nowhere last year, and now she liked everything to be tight, short, and low cut. Tonight, she wore a royal blue bodycon dress that plunged and clung to her ample hips and thighs. She looked like a complete boss, and she knew it.

  “It's October, and you’re going to be whining that you’re cold 15 minutes after we get there.” Taylor rolled her full-lashed sapphire eyes.

  “I don’t whine,” Laney whined.

  “Where are we going this time?” I breathed in slowly through my nose in an attempt to control my attitude. I really just wanted to stay home and watch some cheesy made for TV movie and pick out all of the things that would never happen in real life.

  Laney used the arm of the couch to steady herself while she slipped on a pair of black heeled booties.

  “Addison,” she said in a condescending tone, like a mom disciplining a toddler. “Tonight is the first rugby game of the semester. Don’t you want to see all the hot new additions to the team?”

  “You do realize they’re not even a school-sanctioned team, right?” Taylor snickered, and Laney purposely ignored her. That’s why the rugby boys, the ones skilled enough to be inducted into the underground rugby club, were the most sought after boys on campus. They were dangerous, not only because of the sport they played but because they blatantly ignored school rules. They went as far as having jerseys made with Kensington University’s logo on them as an official fuck you to the school for banning the sport on campus property.

  “Is this going to be like last year when we just had to go to a basketball game to ogle the basketball player you were flirting with…” I started, but Taylor cut me off, guffawing at the memory.

  “And he was the towel guy! He didn’t even play; he was legit wiping sweat off the floor so the players didn’t slip!” Taylor couldn’t control her laughter, even when Laney chucked a couch pillow at her, and then hurled another one at me.

  “Remember the Kappa Alpha fiasco?” I snickered, hiding behind the pillow I caught. “He’s sooooo hot.” I raised the pitch of my voice, imitating Laney.

  “And he turned out to be a bloated frat boy in salmon-colored shorts and a polo with a popped collar.” Taylor leaned away from Laney as she reached out to smack her on the leg.

  “Oh, right, you guys have such high standards. Especially you being the girl who turns down anything male who breathes near her.” Laney narrowed her brown eyes at me first, and really, I couldn’t argue with her. I did do that. She spun to point a pink-tipped nail at Taylor. “And you get bored so easily that you can barely make it through the first date without calling Addison to fake an emergency so you can bail.”

  Taylor huffed, throwing her head back against the couch. She looked up at me and then at Laney, offering a compromise. “Rugby game and then breakfast for dinner?”

  I looked between Taylor and Laney, the only two people I would consider real friends. They made me feel like I wasn’t completely alone when that's what I’d been since I could remember. They really had been a support system and taught me that it was okay to trust, though my guard wasn’t ever entirely down, even with them.

  “Deal,” I said, getting up from the couch and walking over to Laney, who was struggling to hook her silver necklace clasp.

  “And you can’t wear sweats.” Laney smiled brightly, clapping her hands excitedly, and I groaned. It was going to be a long night.

  Chapter Two

  Taylor and I waited in the gravel parking lot next to the field after the game was over, looking like we were some sort of groupies. Because rugby was banned on campus, the locations for the games were sent out in text messages hours before the start time. Tonight they’d played (or rather, slaughtered) a group of townies. I’d lost count of how many potential concussions there had been halfway through the game.

  Laney let out a squeal, then her telltale fake laugh as she flirted with two guys on the team. It was the laugh that she seemed to save only for her intrusive mother and boys she found attractive. I was pretty sure only Taylor and I knew Laney’s real laugh, and honestly, I wasn’t sure if I’d even heard the real version in the past year.

  Taylor was over to the side, talking to someone on the phone. Judging by her exasperated expression, I could only assume it was that guy she’d recently gone out with. He wouldn’t take the hint that there wouldn’t be a second date, and Taylor had zero patience when it came to pushy guys. She gave an exaggerated eye roll at whatever the guy was saying.

  I leaned against the cool chain link fence and shivered. Glancing down at my phone, I smiled at the selfie I’d saved as the lock screen of my dog Remi and me. She was a sweet, elderly black lab that I adopted from the shelter over the summer. In the picture, she had her head tipped up, nose buried in my long, nearly black hair, and the most contented expression in her eyes. I’d only adopted her a few months ago, but I already loved her so much, and the knowledge of how good the rest of her life would be brought me so much joy. Even now, I couldn’t wait to get back home to see her.

  “Do you know him?” Taylor brought me out of my thoughts, nudging me with a pointy elbow before bringing her hands up to her lips to blow warm air on them. She wore her bright blue hair styled in french braids, and her winged eyeliner framed her matching blue eyes perfectly.

  “Who?” I glanced around, but she didn’t have to point him out. I saw him immediately. I didn’t know him—but the way he was staring at me, so intently, it seemed as though he knew me. My stomach dipped when I saw recognition flash in his green eyes before they narrowed darkly, still trained on me.

  “N… No. I don’t,” I said to Taylor, but my eyes stayed locked on his. He stood stock-still, gripping a jersey in one dirty, sparsely tattooed hand. His thick dark hair was wet with sweat, but I could still tell it would be wavy when it dried. His eyes were heavily lidded with dark, full lashes. I couldn’t discern the emotion that had his full lips pulled into a tight scowl. Disappointment? His defined jaw clenched, pulling the tanned skin tight with… anger? I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. At that moment, it didn’t cross my mind that having a staring contest with a literal stranger who seemed to have a severe issue with my existence probably wasn’t the best idea.

  Even still, I couldn’t look away from him, and my stomach coiled in some unknown reaction. He was looking at me like he knew me, knew everything about me. It was silly because even my roommates didn’t know any of my secrets. No one did. It wasn’t possible that this guy had any of the information I’d been striving to keep hidden for most of my life, but the certainty that he did know washed over me in a way I couldn’t ignore. And I rec
ognized him in a way I couldn’t understand, but I felt it in my bones.

  “Addison?” Taylor touched my arm, causing me to break eye contact with the broody rugby player and turn to her. “Who is that? I don’t like the way he’s looking at you.” Taylor wasn’t one to put up with any sort of nonsense, heck she elbowed her chem lab partner in the nose for trying to look down her shirt last year hard enough to draw blood. She wasn’t afraid to call people on their bullshit, and while I admired that about her, I didn’t want to draw more attention from this stranger who didn’t feel at all like a stranger.

  I lowered my voice to a whisper, even though there was no way he would have been able to hear us over all of the chatter in the lot. “I have no idea, but I want to go. Can you grab Laney? I don’t want to go over there.” As I spoke, I shifted my body and turned all the way to face her, so that my back was to the rugby players. I could still feel his eyes on me, staring.

  A look of confusion and concern passed over Taylor’s features. Quirking an eyebrow, she tipped her head toward him and then back to me, causing one of her long braids to cascade over her shoulder. “Are we just gonna pretend he’s not acting like a creeper?” She glanced at him and then whispered, “I can make him cry if you want.” She grinned because we both knew she could.