At the Buzzer: A High School Bully Romance (The Ballers of Rockport High Book 3)

by E. M. Moore

  He grits his teeth, and I swear I hear the crunch of them knocking together.

  “Just start small. How is Lake involved in this?” When he doesn’t talk at first, I reach up to touch his cheek. He leans into it, his eyes closing. When his eyelids shut, it’s like he shuts me out of his world for a second.

  “Lake knows something about my family,” he says softly. “He’s trying to use it to be my friend again. I don’t know what the fuck to do, Tessa. He’s dragging you into this, too. We’re completely fucked. Either I give in and be his friend again, and then you can’t stand me. Or he tells this secret, and you get hurt.”

  I shake my head. I have no idea what his family secret could possibly have to do with me. “Let’s just talk it through. I don’t want you to give in to Lake. He deserves to lose you and everything else after what he did. It didn’t have to be like that, Ryan. I told him we could ignore one another, but he refused.” I steel my shoulders and drop my hands to his, squeezing them. “So, what’s the secret? I can handle it.”

  Ryan licks his lips. His eyes are still closed. The rest of his face is flushed though. It goes all the way down his neck and into the collar of his shirt. He tries to take his hands away from me, but I hold on tighter.

  “No secrets,” I say. I was hoping there weren’t any more between us, but I guess I was wrong. “Not with us.”

  “I was just doing it to protect you.”

  “So, I’ve heard you say before.”

  His eyes open. The gray is swirling. “Tessa, my mom… She’s—” He growls. “My mom used to be a call girl, a personal escort, an expensive adornment for the rich to carry around on their arm to restaurants and dinners. Parties. Anything the guy needed, she’d do if they paid the price.”

  I can’t help the intake of breath as I get what he’s saying. “Okay…” I say. Then I think about my dad. The color drains from my face. Motherfucker. Did he hire Ryan’s mom?

  “No, no, not that,” Ryan says immediately. “I know where your mind just went. Your mom and my dad met like they told us. Your dad didn’t know. He does now, but he didn’t know then. I promise. He did not hire her.”

  I close my eyes tight. Relief floods through me. Not for me, not for my dad, but for my mom. I can’t imagine what that would feel like, knowing your husband not only strayed, but paid someone to do it. “Okay…” I say. I swallow again. “So, Lake knows…this information, and he’s using it to get to be friends with you again. You do see how fucked up that is, right?”

  Ryan blinks. “Did you hear what I said, Tessa? I just basically told you that my mom’s a prostitute. That’s your reaction?”

  “You didn’t tell me your mom was a prostitute,” I say, gauging his reaction. I feel like whatever I say is going to be wrong. “You told me she was an escort.”

  “An escort for rich guys,” he clarifies, his voice laced in anger. “I never asked her for particulars, but I’m pretty sure some of those nights ended up in the bedroom.”

  I tilt my head at him. “Are you mad at me for not being mad? I don’t get it.”

  “Do you realize what this information could do to us? To your dad, for fuck’s sake? I fucking told her not to go there. I told her to leave your family alone. Would she listen? No. And now one of the most important things in my life is involved in her shit. Imagine it, Tessa. If the press gets word that your dad’s dating a fuckin hooker, he’ll be all over the news, and I know how this shit affects the other people in their world. Look at Sloan.”

  I place my hands on his cheeks again. I lift up on my tiptoes and try to kiss him, but he pulls away. “Don’t do that,” I warn. I move forward again. This time, he lets me kiss him, but he doesn’t kiss back. “My dad knows, right? He knew the risks. He accepted the risks or else he wouldn’t have involved himself in them. No matter what happens, he can’t get mad. I can’t get mad either. I’m sure your mom has a good reason for doing what she did. I don’t fault her for it. I don’t know your family history, Ryan, but I know that you haven’t had your father around for a long time. I know my dad said you had a rough childhood, and I’m pretty sure I know why that is now. What our parents do is not a reflection on us.”

  Ryan’s fingers sink into my shoulders. He pulls me close, resting his forehead on mine. “You’re not going to leave?”

  “No.” The fact that he thought I would do that steals my breath for a second.

  He leans over, pressing his lips to mine. He moans into the initial contact, then bends over, placing his hands under my thighs, before hauling me to him. I wrap my legs around his waist. He holds me like I’m nothing, suspended in air, kissing me like he needs my very essence to breathe. He spins toward the bed. I hold onto him tighter as he leans over until my back hits the soft sheets. I scoot back, and he crawls over me, arching his hips into mine as soon as we’re lined up. I bite down on my lip to keep from making much noise. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

  Suddenly, some of Ryan’s hang-ups make sense. He wants to be the best at everything, like he’s always trying to make up for something else in his life. I know what that is now. He’s supremely embarrassed about his mother’s past job. Ryan told me that people were in and out of his life before. Hell, for all I know, a few of the guys who hired her could’ve tried to play his dad for a while and then left her and him. Maybe he’s been through this whole scenario in the past. My dad’s moved them into a house, bought him a car. He’s a rich guy trying to insert himself into their family. He’s probably been through this same exact thing before and had it not work out. For a moment, Ryan and his mom have everything they’ve ever wanted until it gets taken away again.

  Ryan angles his hips toward me. “Can I have you, Tessa? Right here. Right now.”

  My eyes flick toward the door. My mom doesn’t usually bother me at night. Her bedroom is downstairs, too, so the chances of her coming up here are slim. “We have to be quiet,” I tell him.

  “I will. I just want to bury myself inside you and forget any of this happened.”

  “I wasn’t worried about you,” I tease. “I was worried about me.”

  A smirk pulls his lips apart for the first time tonight. “You were pretty loud the last time.”

  “You’ll have to help me,” I tease. My hands run down his shirt. I can feel his cut abs through the thin fabric. When I get to the waistband of his shorts, I slip underneath and grab hold of his cock, squeezing it toward me. He closes his eyes and sighs. I look up at him. “Can you do that?”

  In answer, he pumps into my fist, then works my shirt off. I’m lying there in a sports bra that zips up the front. He pulls the zipper down halfway, admiring my cleavage, before tugging on my shorts. There’s one thing to be said about wearing athletic shorts all the time: easy access. He pulls just my shorts down until I’m in front of him in just my half-zipped bra and underwear. I can’t even call them panties because they’re mesh to allow for breathability while I’m playing, but Ryan doesn’t seem to mind. He kisses around the trim until I’m squirming under him. I tug at the waistband of his shorts until he maneuvers out of them. I start lifting up his shirt now, too, but he takes care of that until we’re staring at one another wild-eyed.

  The first time we had sex, it was in a frenzy. He slowed it down for the second half, but I didn’t get to really enjoy the undressing part, the part where we tease and get our eyefuls. I move my hands up his abs. He’s got a tremendous body. All my Ballers do in different ways, but this is the sports physique every guy wants. He’s cut in all the right ways. Ryan leans on one arm until he’s zipped my bra all the way down. The material separates as my breasts fall naturally. They’re only half-covered by the material now.

  He reaches his hand up, grabbing a handful before moving the bra out of the way. Then, he kisses down my body until he gets to my underwear again. This time, he pulls them down and over my knees before snaking then around my feet and dropping them on the floor. After that, he works his own boxers off before lying over me agai
n. He kisses my neck as he inches closer to my center. He rests there, tiny pumps that have me moving my hips against him in hopes this will be the time he’ll fill me. After doing that for what seems like forever, I say, “Please, Ryan.”

  He acquiesces, stroking his full length until he’s seated inside me. We both moan at the contact. “Fuck, Tessa,” Ryan groans. “You feel so fucking good.”

  I groan hard.

  He smirks, leaning over to capture my lips in his while he drives into me repeatedly. All I can do is ride the Ryan wave until my body starts to clench and shake. I meet him stroke for stroke. I keep my lips pressed together. I want this with him, but I also don’t need my mom hearing us. That would be bad.

  His hand snakes between us and finds my clit. I yell out then, and when he times it perfectly, I clench around him and grip his back while he rides my orgasm out and right into his own. Afterward, he drops his head to my chest, then kisses my bare skin on the swell of my breast. After we regain our breath, he pulls out and lies beside me. I roll onto my side, facing him, and place a hand on his chest. I can feel his heart flutter underneath my touch.

  Once we’re both calmed down, I ask, “So, what are we going to do about this, Ryan Linc?”

  He was right when he said Lake would try something stupid. I just never thought it would be aimed at one of his friends, I thought it would be aimed at me.

  16

  All the Ballers ended up sneaking into my room last night as soon as my mom went to bed. I watched as each of them scaled up the pool enclosure, then held my breath until they stepped one foot inside. After Ryan told them what was going on, we were all pretty much on the same page about not letting Lake win, but at the same time, because having Ryan’s secret get out would affect him the most, we ultimately left it up to him to decide what he wanted to do. I don’t want him hanging out with Lake, but knowing he was doing it for a good reason was enough to keep me telling him that the decision was completely up to him. In my eyes, he should also be warning his mom about what’s going on, but Ryan told me he didn’t want to bring this to her, and he already knew what she would say anyway. She’s not ashamed of her background. Nor should she be. She did what was best to support her son, and that’s all I need to know. If anything, I have a little more respect for Leslie now than I did before.

  My heart is in my throat as I get ready for school the next morning though. It’s not for me. It’s not for my dad. It’s for Ryan.

  I pray Lake doesn’t do anything. I have a feeling Ryan only made the decision he did for me. I know he’d give in. He’d want to protect his mother and his family at all costs, but he also knows that what Lake did to me was unforgivable. I could see it in his eyes the whole time. He was worried that if he gave in to Lake, I’d never be able to look at him the same way again.

  I eat breakfast with my mom. We eat in silence until she clears the dishes and then comes back over to the table. “So…what would you say if I told you I had a date tonight?”

  My eyes bulge out of my head. “A date? Mom, really?”

  She nods, her lips curling up into a half smile. “I met him when I was out with a friend the other day. We got to talking, and I think we have a lot in common.”

  This is such good news compared to what else I’m facing today. “Do I know him?”

  She shakes her head. “No, I don’t think so. We were in the city, and he lives and works there. His name is Ron.”

  “Okay,” I say. I can tell she’s happy about this. She’s acting like a parent, but there’s pent up energy inside her that’s threatening to burst through her calm facade. “This is great, Mom. So, how are we going to play this? Does he know about me? Should I make myself scarce?” I don’t know about any of this stuff. I never thought I would have to deal with this, so I’m a little lost. But having teenage kids can’t be sexy, right?

  “He knows about you,” Mom says, rolling her eyes. “He’s picking me up for dinner, so if you’re here, you can meet him.”

  “So, is he super cute?” I ask. I feel a little weird talking about this with my mom, but it’s what I would ask Dawn if something happened between her and David and she got a new boyfriend.

  She blushes as she sits back in her chair. “I think he’s very handsome.”

  “He’s a babe then,” I say, smiling from ear-to-ear.

  My phone buzzes on the table, and I see that it’s a text from Ryan. He’s probably outside waiting for me. Mom frowns down at it. “How come he never comes inside anymore?”

  I tug on my lip. “I think he’s embarrassed. You know, because his mom—”

  She waves me away. “I know, but it’s not his fault. I thought we were past that.”

  I think about what she’s said. I had thought they were past that, too, but then they moved in a few doors down, and ever since then, Ryan hasn’t come to the house like the others unless he knows my mom isn’t home or he comes through my window.

  “What is it?” Mom asks.

  She’s mistaking my blush for something else. Thinking about last night made me think about Ryan and me in my bed, but I can’t tell her that. “I think it has to do with the fact that they moved in practically next door.”

  Mom sits upright in her chair as I gather my bookbag. “I was a little…” She moves her head back and forth. “…weirded out about that for a second, but I understand your father’s reasoning. I’m glad he wants to be close to you, and I’ve noticed that since he moved here, you’ve been seeing him more often. That’s a good thing, Tessa. Tell Ryan not to worry about it. You know what? Never mind, I’m going to walk you out.”

  “Mom…” I hedge. I don’t know how Ryan will react to that considering he has something else on his mind with the whole Lake being an asshole thing again. But I also know that once she gets it in her head, she’s not going to give in.

  She walks me right out to the car. I can see Ryan tense when he notices who’s behind me. She goes right to his side of the jeep. “Hi, Mrs. Dale,” he says. His cheeks are pink, but he’s got a smile on his face even though I can tell it’s stressed.

  “Hi, Ryan. I just wanted to tell you not to feel weird about anything, okay? You can come over here. You can come in when you pick Tessa up. I promise I won’t bite. Things may have been a bit bumpy in the beginning, but…well….”

  She’s talked herself into a corner. I get in the seat and put my seatbelt on. “Love you, Mom.”

  She smiles at the distraction. “Love you, too. Have a good day at school, you guys. Both of you.” She looks at Ryan specifically, then walks around the Jeep to head back to the house.

  “What was that about?” Ryan asks as we watch her walk away.

  “She just wanted to let you know that you shouldn’t feel weird about being here. She doesn’t blame you for anything.”

  He wipes a hand down his face but doesn’t say anything else. He’s probably worried what she’ll think if we walk into school today and everyone finds out that Ryan’s mom used to be a high-priced call girl with rich clients. She might be changing her tune then. But she won’t. I know my mom. She might be off at first, when, or if, she hears about it, but she won’t be upset with Ryan. That much I know.

  “She has a date tonight,” I say on a sigh. I’m happy for her, but I can’t pretend that it’s not a little weird.

  “Really?” Ryan asks. “That’s good.”

  He’s a little subdued this morning, but who can blame him? I know he texted Lake last night and told him everything he felt about him pulling this shit, including what he did to me. “Did you hear from him?” I ask.

  Ryan shakes his head. “Nope. I guess what’s in store for us will be a surprise.”

  I take a deep breath and prep myself. The only person I’m really worried about is Ryan. If the students at RHS get a hold of this, I’m sure it’ll be everywhere that Ryan’s mom is a freaking prostitute. A slut. Whatever other name they can come up with to describe her to help tear Ryan down. That’s the thing about being up on the mou
ntain for so long. Sometimes people love you. Sometimes people’s jealousy will take you down so quick your head will fucking spin.

  I have my own plan though. Lake may not have written Ryan back, but I texted Lake this morning and asked him to meet. This is all about me anyway. I know Lake doesn’t want to do this to his friend. I know the Ballers mean everything to him, and even this is just a last-ditch attempt to try to get them back. He may be going about it the wrong way, but this is complete and utter desperation. I can feel it.

  So, when Ryan and I get to school and he drops me off at my first period class, I ditch right before the last bell rings and head toward the side door near the cafeteria. I push the door open and step outside into the bright sunlight. Lake is sitting on top of the picnic table a few feet away. Earlier, I could see Ryan’s face visibly relax when we got to school and there weren’t full-out banners waving from the roof with a picture of his mom and the word slut scrawled across it.

  We eye each other as I approach. I don’t even know what I’m going to say other than the fact that I’m going to try to talk some sense into him. My stomach flips as I get closer. The venom of how much he hates me is still clear in his eyes. When his gaze lowers to my cast, that’s when I talk. “You need to stop this,” I say.

  The corners of Lake’s lips tip up in a sneer. He looks behind me. “It is just you, isn’t it?”

  I shrug. “They don’t even know I asked you to meet me.”

  “Kinda ballsy, isn’t it?” he asks. “What if I break your other wrist?”

  “Then you can kiss any idea of reconciliation with them goodbye.”

  His gaze narrows to slits. He knows I’m right.

  “I know you don’t like my relationship with them, and you don’t fucking have to. I’m good for your friends, Lake. They want me, and I want them. That should be enough for you. You’re the one who had to take it too far, and you’re pissed because you’re dealing with the fallout.”

  “No. I’m pissed because we were never supposed to let a girl get between us. Then, the second you’re around, all bets are off. All the promises we ever made to one another? Gone.”