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

by E. M. Moore

  Shit. River didn’t make the team.

  He’s good. He’s definitely good or else my father wouldn’t be inviting him to his camp, but he’s a showoff and doesn’t work well with others. I’m not saying all that because I don’t like him. I don’t like him, but I’m being as unbiased as possible when I say River O’Brien has a lot of growing up to do. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t think he would make the team. I did.

  Lake glares at me as my father sets me down, announcing once again that there’s going to be a party at his house—though this time, I’m sure he means his actual house and not the house he was pretending to still be living in when he told everyone that last year.

  Holding my jersey feels like the first time. Like this one piece of clothing holds the string to every single one of my dreams that I’ve always wanted. When I wear it, I’m not just Tessa Dale, girl who transferred to RHS. No, I’m Tessa fucking Dale, the girl who’ll stop at nothing to make sure I go to State next year and then the WNBA after that.

  While some of my teammates come over to congratulate me, I hear harsh words being spoken. “It’s bullshit.”

  It catches the attention of some of the other guys, too. When they look around, I see Lake’s profile. He’s confronting Coach.

  Well, that’s not smart.

  “She shouldn’t even be allowed on this team and now she’s taken my brother’s spot.”

  “If you want to discuss the decision, we can talk in my office,” Coach Bradley says. He starts to walk away, trying to end the conversation.

  My dad’s to my left. His chest heaves in front of him like he wants so badly to speak up.

  “What I want you to do,” Lake continues, “…is fix it. Tessa’s off. River’s on. Period. That’s how it should be.”

  Coach turns his head to the side. “I had no idea we had another coach on the team, but since you’re intent on airing this out in front of everybody, let’s do it, O’Brien.” He turns to River. “You’re good. Your skills are topnotch, but you lack most of the basic understanding of team basketball. You should be back in the little leagues for as how far along you are in that area.” He turns toward his brother. “As far as saying Tessa Dale took his place, Lake. Trust me, she didn’t. She earned hers. Even if Tessa hadn’t tried out, your brother wouldn’t have made it. I’ve been stressing team basketball all tryouts. If you hadn’t played so many good years for me, you would’ve been on the fence too.”

  Lake’s face explodes in a flurry of red. He grits his teeth, but then Hayes is in front of me, taking my shoulders and moving me away. “You don’t need to hear this.”

  Sloan calls Hayes’s name. My car keys coming flying through the air, which Hayes catches easily. Before I know it, we’re out in the bright sunshine, my jersey still clenched in my fist. I look up at Hayes’s clenched jaw, the tightness in his face. “You don’t have to save me all the time, Hayes,” I tell him.

  He turns. The look on his face screams confusion. “I’m not saving you, Tessa. You don’t need to lower yourself to be in the same presence as that asshole. He’s scum. He’s dirt. Words like that are poison, but I’m not saving you for the sake of saving you like I’m the knight in shining armor and you’re a princess. You’re a knight, too. I’m just not giving him the satisfaction of knowing you heard all that.”

  We head toward my Mustang while I take in his words. He has to put the driver’s seat back in order to fit behind the wheel, and I watch him until he starts the car. He’s right. We’re so high above Lake, his filth shouldn’t even have to reach my ears. If River wanted the spot so much, he should’ve done what Coach asked. Coach made his expectations extremely clear. Everyone can feel the difference in the team. Everyone.

  Before I know it, we’re pulling into the driveway of my house. The driveway that Hayes stood sentry at for those two weeks when summer started and camp hadn’t yet begun. So what if he is saving me? Even knights need help every once in a while. A place for comfort, for dreams to expand without walls or fences or other limitations. In all that, I have Hayes.

  The house is quiet as Hayes and I move through it. I thought my mom would be home, but she isn’t. I take him right to my room, drape my jersey over the dresser, and turn to face him. Hayes puts his right beside mine, and I watch as our numbers overlap. Nine and seventeen.

  My hands start to tremble because I know what I want. I know what I’ve been thinking about for so long with Hayes, who yes, has always been my savior. He’s stood by me longer than the others. He’s protected me. When I turn toward him, I see the same feelings mixed in his eyes. The Ice Man has officially melted for me. I see right through him. I see through to every vulnerable part of him. His face is an act he puts on for the world, but not for me. My throat sticks, but I get the three words out anyway. “I love you.”

  His hands clench at his sides. “I love you, too.” We step toward each other at the same time. Our palms come up to press against one another. We both stare at the difference in our hand size until his fingers curl around mine, and we hold hands. His other hand comes up to smooth over the back of my neck. “When I was little,” Hayes tells me. “I wished for an escape. I wanted a world where I didn’t get sucked into drug deals and coming down and worrying about whether my mom would be coherent enough to fix me dinner or at the very least, call in a pizza. I know you don’t need to be saved, Tessa, but you’re my escape, so I’ll do anything and everything to protect you. I want the fire to stay in your eyes. The determination to free your spirit. In you, I’ve found what I used to tell myself I deserved even though deep down I never really thought I did.” He swallows. “I’m not letting anything happen to you, so I’m sorry you don’t want me to save you, but I won’t stop. I can’t stop. I know what it’s like to have nothing. I know what it’s like to have the fire die out inside you. Where do you think my nickname came from? I won’t see that happen to you. It’ll break me.”

  I take in a deep breath, searching his face. How is this guy so completely perfect for me? A guy who’s quick to anger, but quick to love. A guy who would go against his own friends to do what’s right. Fiercely protective, yet abundantly careful all at the same time.

  I lick my lips. Hayes hasn’t let a girl touch him before. I get to be the first.

  I lift to my tiptoes, but even then, I can’t reach him. He has to bend over and pull me up, my legs going around his waist instinctively. He cups my ass, pulling me toward him until I can feel the evidence of his love pressing against me.

  My fingers dive into his hair, then around the back of his head where I deepen the kiss. He moans low in his throat until he sits on the bed with my legs on either side of him. My hand reaches for the hem of his shirt, and I pull up until he takes it from me and pulls it the rest of the way off. My fingertips press into his chest and then his sides. He breaks the kiss to place his lips on the pulse at my neck. Then he kisses me softly, slowly, until I bite my lip.

  His hands feather up my body, sinking underneath my shirt until he cups my breast. I roll forward, his dick resting between my thighs. We both part on panted breaths.

  His hands come down to the hem of my shirt. He looks me in the eye. “Will you let me have you?”

  Oh my God. I nod, before saying, “Yes,” and then nodding some more like I’m the one who hasn’t had sex before. My throat is dry, my pulse is pounding.

  He lifts my shirt up over my head. His gaze immediately drops to my breasts. I reach around to my back and unclasp my bra. Then, I slowly slide the straps down my arms while still keeping the bulk of me covered. He hooks a finger around the center of my bra and pulls, releasing my breasts from the cups. He discards the bra on the bed, still staring at me. Goosebumps spread over my skin, and my nipples harden at his intense stare. His hand comes up, his thumb brushing over my nipple, making me roll my hips into him again. “Perfect,” he murmurs. All traces of the guy who punched Chase are gone. This man here was sent to love me, worship me, fight my battles, and soothe my aches. And I couldn�
��t love him more.

  I slide off him, standing in front of him. “Lie down.”

  He blinks up at me but does what I say. I tug on his pants, pulling his boxers down until his cock springs free. My breath catches at his length, and even girth for that matter. I crawl in next to him, his hands sliding down my body as I do so, taking my bottoms with it. He tosses the clothing away until we’re lying side-by-side, staring into one another’s eyes.

  I reach down, sliding my hand down his length. “Oh, God,” he says, his jaw clenching.

  I swallow, suddenly nervous about this in a way I wasn’t with the others. I continue stroking him, his hips coming off the bed to meet me. “Do you want to be on top?” I know it’s not sexy to ask questions like that in bed, but I want this to be what he wants. I want it to be everything for him.

  He rolls on top of me, spreading my legs in one go until he’s nestled at my entrance. I inhale sharply. Panicked eyes meet mine. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

  I shake my head. “No. God no.”

  He moves forward slowly, the head of his cock nudging me. “You’re so wet for me,” he says.

  Holy shit. “Yes,” I tell him, arching up. The tip of his cock slides inside me, and we both still.

  Then, his resolve, if he had any, breaks. He pushes inside in one long thrust until he moves me on the bed. “Oh fuck,” he grits. “Holy shit.”

  I hold him to me until the feeling like he impaled me subsides. “Jesus, Hayes. You’re so big.” He’s stretched me, my body accommodating his size, and it feels so good.

  He drops a kiss to my forehead, then props his hands on either side of me, and starts pumping his hips straight inside me.

  All I can do is cling to him. I don’t know why I thought I’d have to take charge for his first time. He seems to know exactly what he’s doing. “God yes, Hayes,” I cry out. “More.”

  His gaze darkens. His movements quicken until we’re rocking the bed, and he’s hitting a spot inside me I didn’t know was possible. “Tight,” he says, his voice like gravel. “So tight.”

  I lift my hips to his, and his mouth opens in a silent scream. I keep doing it since it’s sending both of us into a frenzy. Staying propped up with one hand, he brings his other over to rake across my clit. “Hayes!”

  He starts to tremble, and it’s going to be a race to see who crosses the finish line first. “Please, Tessa,” he says, and just the way he says it, I know he wants me to come too. He has nothing to worry about. His thumb swirls over my clit, and I come apart, my body arcing into the air, meeting his in a solid stroke that only heightens the sensations swirling through me.

  His hand comes around me, keeping me there until I feel him jerk inside me. He cries out, his fingers almost painfully digging into my side until we both collapse on the bed. I sigh, reveling in his size inside me even after he’s come. “Oh my God.”

  He kisses my cheek, then my neck, then my bare shoulder before lying there, keeping most of his weight off me. After a moment, he says, “I may never leave this spot.”

  I place my hand on his cheek and turn my head to look at him. He looks so completely spent and satisfied that I don’t need to ask if he enjoyed himself, that much is clear. I move toward him. “You’re so hard, I feel like you could go again.”

  His eyes flash. “If my baby wants that.”

  I turn on my side, rolling my hips into his. He returns the favor until we’re going at it again. We spend the next however many minutes while our phones vibrate and music rings through the air trying whatever positions Hayes wants until we find one both of us can’t hold out on. He flips me onto my knees and poises himself behind me. Without warning, he thrusts inside, and my fingers curl into my sheets. “Fuck, Hayes. Yes, that’s so good.”

  He only grunts in response, like he’s on a mission he’s not about to back away from. His fingers find my clit until he gives me not one, but two orgasms before he comes inside me again, holding me to him like a life jacket.

  He kisses the back of my neck. “My dream…”

  29

  By the time Hayes and I make it over to Dad’s house, the celebration party is in full swing. The only people who noticed we weren’t there were Ryan, Sloan, and Alec, and when we walk in plastered to one another’s side, they know exactly what was going on.

  “Shut up,” I say to Sloan after he waggles his eyebrows at me.

  “I hope you gave it to him good, Daddy’s Girl.”

  I have to laugh at that because I’m pretty sure Hayes is the one who gave it to me good. I was just there for the ride.

  And what a ride it was.

  I peel off my shirt until I’m standing there in my sporty bikini, then I dive into the pool. It feels so good to swim again. That was one of the worst things about having that cast on for so long, no swimming. Since it’s been off, I’ve added laps to my exercise routine just to make up for lost time.

  The guys and I talk, discussing the season ahead. Dad and Leslie have made themselves scarce, which I appreciate. The patio table is filled with fruits, crackers, and cheese. I’m sure by the end of the day, my father will be barbecuing some chicken or something else to feed the entire RHS team.

  Hours go by, and I talk with as many teammates as I can. This year already feels different. I don’t feel like a novelty, I feel like one of them. I’m not the girl who’s on the team, I’m their teammate. We can talk and joke about stats, tell stories, and no one makes any back-handed compliments.

  I’m minding my business in the pool talking to Matt, who once again made the team, when the sliding glass door crashes open. I turn to find Lake scanning the pool. “Where the fuck is she?”

  Everyone knows who he’s talking about. Matt moves me behind him until I’m against the side of the pool. None of the Ballers are anywhere near me, in fact, I don’t see Ryan at all.

  “Where the fuck is she?” he roars again.

  “Dude,” Sloan says. “Calm down. Tessa’s not the problem.”

  “Don’t you tell me to fucking calm down, Ivy. Don’t.”

  His hands are shaking. Sweat pours from his forehead. The anger in his voice coupled with his physical reactions is what makes me scared. I think he’s high. His eyes are glazed over with fury, but in another way too. Like he’s looking without seeing.

  Sloan tries to approach him. “Don’t,” I call out, trying to stop him. I don’t want anyone I care about near him right now.

  Lake’s head whips toward me. My whole body shakes as adrenaline shoots through me. “You fucking bitch.”

  He’s unhinged. He lunges for the pool in all of his clothes, but Sloan catches him, trying to wrestle him away. He takes an elbow to the jaw for it, and I inhale when Sloan falls to the ground. Hayes has just pulled himself out of the pool to try to help, but now free, Lake dives right toward me. “Fuck,” Matt says.

  He doesn’t move from his place. A couple seconds later, before Lake has even resurfaced, Hayes has dived in right after him. Most of the guys are coming forward as well until there’s a group of us on one side of the pool just waiting to see what Lake’s going to do.

  When he resurfaces, he looks far scarier up close. He swims toward me. “I fucking hate you. Hate you!”

  “Back off,” Matt says, his voice firm.

  Lake’s fist pulls back once he’s within range. Matt holds his hand up to block it, but it connects anyway with a crunch. Matt’s head goes underwater, so I pull him back up. He struggles, gasping in air. Lake’s right in front of me, but Hayes has him now. He has a grip like steel, pulling him away from me as he continues to spit angry words my way. “You ruin fucking everything. You cunt. Son of a fucking bitch.”

  Ryan shows up in the entry of the sliding glass door. After quickly assessing the situation, he launches into action. He goes to the edge of the pool where Hayes has dragged Lake and pulls him out. Sloan’s up to help too, sporting a solid lump on his cheek and a red jaw.

  Lake’s harsh words quickly turn to hysterics. �
�I fucking hate her. I hate her.” He claws at Ryan’s swim trunks as they bring him to a rest on the concrete. “She’s taken everything from me and now my brother. My brother!” he yells with the same amount of fierceness he had when he walked in, but then he crumples again, barely able to lift himself off the cement. The guys step back, Alec now just joining them. We all watch as Lake falls apart. Since recovering, Matt has me pinned against the side of the pool as I watch Lake crumble like the toppling of the Acropolis. This is what it looks like to see kings and legends lose it. It’s as if he’s spent so much energy being king of the world that he falls the hardest. He’s sobbing now. “She has everything that should be mine.”

  Ryan crouches next to him, putting his hand on his arm.

  “Everything,” he says again. “Everything that’s mine.”

  All of us are too stunned to talk, but Ryan squeezes his arm. “She doesn’t, dude. She’s just another person. She’s worked hard for what she has.”

  “You don’t get it,” Lake spits back, trying to pull himself up. “She really has everything that should be mine. Literally. I should be her. I should have the Hall of Fame Dad and the nice house and the car.” He blinks, tears dripping from his lashes while he looks up at his former best friend. “Dale’s my dad.”

  I careen back, but there’s nowhere to go. Ryan shakes his head. “Dude, you’re fucking high. Come on. Let’s get you home.”

  Ryan tries to pull him up, but Lake slaps at his arm. “No! I fucking mean it. Timothy Dale is my dad, except he kept her and not me.”

  The world falls out from around me, and if Matt wasn’t holding me up, I’d drown. “W-what?”

  No one hears me though because Lake is off on a tirade calling me every dirty name in the book again. “He’s fucking high,” Ryan says again, looking out over the pool at all of his guests, but I can tell from his voice it’s just an excuse. Ryan’s gaze is far away like puzzle pieces are finally fitting together as Sloan helps him lift Lake to his feet. Just before they drag him into the house, Ryan finds my eyes, and I know without even exchanging words that he believes him.