by L. J. Woods
Knowing Henry’s right behind him, I freeze. I don’t want my prof seeing the girl who wants to pitch him her manuscript get ravaged by the star hockey player. So I push against his chest. “Christian stop.”
“Say. It. Again,” he growls before his teeth sink into my lip. A pull sends flutters through me as he pushes the handle between my folds. I'm hoping he doesn't notice just how easy it is. I’m so wet it's fucking embarrassing. “Say it so he can hear it one more time. I don’t want any confusion.”
He teases the handle at my entrance and for some reason, that makes it easier to say, “I’m yours.”
He backs away, my knife in his hand and when I glance over at Henry, he’s gone. His desk cleared.
My cheeks heat, my hands in fists as cold, frigid air washes over me. He takes another step back, a grin on his face. He moves over to Henry’s desk, trailing the handle of my knife along the wood. The one wet with my juices and that makes it harder to deny how he’s making me feel.
“Bring that kind of enthusiasm to the game tonight,” he says, his eyes roaming my body. I’m staring at him like I’m trying to figure out who he’s become, my heart thudding in my chest. My body stiffens when he walks towards me. He trails the handle of my knife under my chin and I hate that it sends tingles firing to my core. “Seven o’clock. See you there, Loca."
And now I’m positive I’m not the crazy one between us.
Choosing to head to the game after my dad is best. I don’t want him catching me being the bitch to his star captain.
I hate that Christian's touch sticks with me. I’m not admitting to anyone that I came to the thought of him pushing his fingers inside me twice in the shower. I only did it so I can keep my head in check tonight.
August has been nothing but cold to me, when I’m the one getting harassed by his rivals. He’s pissed I’m “dating” someone from Eden after what we’ve been through. And again, I can’t blame him. He’s the one who says he’ll do whatever it takes so we don’t end up where we were before and if dad gets fired, well, that’ll be on me. So consider this my contribution.
I’m almost at the rink when I text August again. The whole way here I’ve had to watch my back. The sun setting makes everything that more ominous. Especially when you’re by yourself in the getup your fake-boyfriend demands you wear to his first game.
Dickface: Hope you like your gift, Loca.
Still don’t know how he got my number but seeing the change in name makes me smile way more than his stupid face does. Way more than wearing a pleated mini skirt in the school’s colours. Green and yellow. Way more than having my hair in pigtails. Well, he wanted pigtails with white gold ribbons but fishtail braids are what he gets instead.
Dickface: Wear those fishnets.
I’m over fighting back. Christian’s breaking me down bit by bit and all I want is for this semester to be over.
We should’ve never come back.
Since I took the train, I’m late for the game. Stole some cash from August to do it. Wasn’t risking walking again. My phone buzzes in my pocket.
August: fck off Ray. Im handlin it
Great response to get from my brother when his rival gang might damn near kill me.
The rink comes into view, shiny expensive cars all parked outside. My dad’s Camry stands out amongst them all.
“Hey, sweetheart.”
My entire body freezes. Reaching into my pocket for my knife, I remember who has it.
Christian.
My fake boyfriend is going to get me killed.
When I turn around. Jack stands behind me as suspected, the scar in his face healing.
“You must not know how to count," I say. "It hasn’t been five days.”
“Ace wants you to know we’re not fucking around.” He eyes me from head to toe as I pull my large denim jacket tighter around me. “Nice outfit, sweetheart.”
“Loca!” Christian’s voice comes from behind me, a weight lifting off my chest. “You’re late.” Dick. “You okay over there?”
“The fuck is that?” Another voice comes from behind me. A familiar one. When I turn around, Christian has a few of his hockey buddies behind him, including Isaac. A girl I don’t recognize stands with them too. She’s pretty and thin, long golden locks framing her long face. “And why the fuck is he around your girl?”
When I turn around, Jack laughs. “You got the Rich Boy Crew to watch your back for you, sweetheart? What happened? Traded up from your brother?”
Will have to because they’re here protecting me while he isn’t. So I use that to my advantage. “I have no idea who this guy is!” I call over my shoulder.
“Well he’s got ten seconds to get off campus property or we’re calling the cops!” Christian calls. “And they owe us a few favours.”
Jack laughs but I know he knows better than fucking with cops in a rich neighbourhood. He’s bold enough for coming here but what Ace wants, Ace gets. “Catch up with you later, sweetheart.”
“Sucks.” A girl’s voice comes from behind, a small smirk on my face as I watch Ace’s thug shy away. “He was kinda hot.”
“The fuck you mean he was kinda hot?” Isaac’s voice is next. “You’re such a slut.”
“You’re a whore,” she spits back.
“Friend of yours?” Christian looks over my shoulder when I get to where they're standing, by the front entrance. One of the guys lights up a cigarette. Isaac and the girl argue back and forth.
“Nope,” I respond. Christian waits for an explanation but I don’t give him one.
“You’re late," he says instead.
“Why aren’t you inside?” I ask, pushing the thoughts of our earlier interaction out of my head. Kinda hard when his scent takes over, or when he towers over me with those gorgeous fucking eyes.
“We start at eight.”
I frown. “Then why am I here at seven?”
“‘Cause I knew you’d be late.” His eyes drop to my outfit before he moves my hand away, opening up my denim jacket. His eyes roam the little cheerleader outfit he’s picked out. Perez is on the back but his eyes land on my tits. Pig. “Nice outfit though. Too bad Henry can’t see you in it.”
Isaac whistles, peering over so he can take a look. My hands go to my hips, lips flattening. “I’m not here to ogle.”
“Yeah, you pig.” The girl says.
Unlike me, she’s not in a cheerleader's outfit but hers isn’t any less revealing. Her white jumpsuit is cut out at the side, thighs, and back. She doesn’t look the least bit bothered by it though. Doesn't look bothered by her colourful green and yellow makeup either. It's unlike the perfection I usually see in Eden. Artsy but pretty.
I can get behind her confidence.
Isaac pushes her off. “Well since you’re here, you can keep this wild child company.” She sneers at him but I swear I can feel the sexual tension from here and it’s heavy. He pushes her towards me. “We gotta get ready.”
A force pushes me forward, Christian’s hand coming to my ass with a firm grip. “Cheer as loud as you moan for me, Ray.” His voice lands in my ear before Isaac and the guys follow him inside.
“I’d trade Isaac for Perez any day,” the girl says as she joins me by my side. Both of us watch the guys walk away while we shake our heads.
“You’re Isaac’s girl?” I ask.
She laughs like I’ve said the funniest thing, her wide mouth spreading across her face. Her hand comes to her heart. “Noo, hun. I’m his stepsister. Well, about to be. There’s no way my mom is saying no to Lionel Johnson.” Taking my hand, she leads me inside. “Come on, we’ll find a spot where we can sneak a drink.”
We make our way through the lobby already filled with people before we find a spot on shiny wooden bleachers on the ERU Hawks’ side.
“I’m Lexi, by the way.” She scoots in beside a group of students, shooing them aside. They eye our outfits, whispering to each other and I don’t have to hear what they’re saying to know it’s snarky and me
an.
“So what’s it like dating Perez?” She beams, pulling a shiny silver flask out of her small white purse. She doesn’t seem bothered by the shitty attention at all. “I know some girls in town that’ve been trying to lock him down forever. We all thought he was a hockey player if you catch my drift.”
“It’s …” Make it convincing, Rayne. “New.”
Her sparkly eyes and green eyeliner make her look like a slutty faerie. In the best way. It’s not my style but I’m not mad at a girl that likes to show off her assets. Especially here with people quick to judge. That takes guts.
“Ah huh,” she nods, already bored with my report. “And the sex?”
I swallow hard on the booze in my mouth. Not because of the taste, it’s smooth, but now I have Christian’s raging boner in my head. The memory of his fingers between my folds comes to the front of my head. My knife, his lips on mine.
“Oh you know …” I shrug, taking another swig.
“You have had sex right?” she asks before she laughs. “Is that what this is? Are you playing the player? Holding out until he gives you his all?” She takes the flask back before I can even find my words. “Dangerous game. You should know that, you're the coach’s daughter.”
“We’re good,” I reassure her.
She watches me with a raised brow. “Oookay,” she says in this annoying way that makes me want to slap her. “I’m just saying. Be sure you know what you’re doing. Because the second you give it up, he’ll leave.” She seems sure of herself but it’s a good thing I’m not giving anything up.
This relationship is as fake as this town. But seeing how Christian handled Jack outside the rink, he might be as helpful to me as I am to him.
I could use some protection. August isn't enough.
By the time the guys hit the ice, the vodka’s mellowed Lexi out. Same for me but these boys are on fire. It’s no wonder Christian’s the captain. He’s the one that stands out the most, playing Forward like a pro.
The crowd cheers when he lands his first goal a minute into the game. He controls the puck with power. Force. Just like he’s controlling me.
He drives the puck the entire period with energy on the ice I haven't seen since my dad. When he slaps in the last puck of the period, it brings them up by three.
The crowd goes wild.
During the break, my phone buzzes, Lexi chatting away about how annoying Isaac is. Her mom’s selling her condo in New York to move to Eden Gardens and she’s dreading sharing a house with Isaac. I don’t blame her.
Dickface: Take the jacket off.
Fuck.
Looking around the arena, the place is more packed than I remember. Everyone’s come out for the first game of the season.
Rayne: Havent humiliated me enough?
Dickface: Don’t fuck around, Loca.
He sends that photo again as if I already don't have it before my eyes scan the crowd. His face peeks out of the door behind the penalty box and when he catches my eye, he smirks.
It’s like he’s enjoying his little game. I'm going to be at his mercy until I figure this shit out.
Slipping out of my jacket, I can see his lip disappearing behind his teeth from here. But when a large man and a skinny woman stumble into the row in front of us, his smirk disappears.
I don’t know who the pretty redhead is under the man's arm, but I know that face anywhere.
Hugo Perez.
They take a seat near the front row and when the game picks up, I realize why Christian’s smile is gone.
“Lean into it, Christian! Use your core!” Hugo yells from the stands but we can all hear him. So can Christian. You can tell with the way his shoulders hit his ears and the ease he was playing with before has disappeared.
It's not long before he gets a penalty.
“This fucking kid!” Hugo yells to the young model next to him. At least she looks like a model. What happened to his mom? “Don’t leave your brain on the ice, idiot!”
“Geez,” Lexi mutters, and I’m thinking the same.
We’re no better but you can smell the booze coming off him from here.
“Ref! Hey, Ref!” Hugo calls, the model trying to calm him down. “If you still want a job here next year, stop fucking with my kid!”
A woman with a clipboard gets up from down his row, shaking her head before she leaves and I hope that wasn’t a scout. His dad is more brutal than I remember.
Security tries to get him to simmer down but he throws his name around. Demanding and entitled. A lot like his son but at least we know who’s to blame. His dad.
“Get the fuck off me! I’ll go on my own!” He throws his bag of popcorn down before the redhead follows him out the room, her heels clopping behind him.
The horn goes off, the other team scoring another goal to tie the game. Christian breaks his stick over his knee.
“Just because you’re wearing his name doesn’t make you one of us.” The voice comes from beside me. When I turn to my right, pulling my eyes off the shitshow that is Hugo, a girl in a dress way too tight for a hockey game purses her lips at me. She looks familiar, a designer bag hanging off her arm.
When I rise from my seat, she takes a step back. I take a step forward and she takes another step back. I smirk. Like all the girls in this town, this bitch is all talk. “Just because you’re in ERU doesn’t mean I won’t kick your ass back to where those diamonds really came from.” I flick the jewel in her ear.
Lexi lets out a choked laugh like I’ve surprised her before this girl snarls. "I'll show you," she says, collecting her crew of bimbos and heading down the steps.
“Natasha DelGatto,” Lexi nods but hearing that name sends a punch to my guts. We used to be pretty good friends. “You play a weird game, girl. From what Isaac tells me, that girl can hold a grudge.”
“Good,” I say, taking another swig. “So can I.”
She glances back at us the entire game. Snarling and whispering to her friends. Even in a getup with a King’s name on it, they still treat me like I don’t belong here. So I do something that I know will rile ‘em up the minute Christian’s back on the ice.
“Wooh! Go, baby!” I yell, bouncing up and down in the stands, shimmying my tits and flipping my hair like a fucking bimbo. “You got this!” His dad is no support and to see the look on Natasha DelGatto's face, I’m gonna be the biggest support in here. “Show ‘em the king you are and kick their fucking ass!”
“You are definitely on one,” Lexi lets out a drunken giggle before she’s on her feet too. “Yeah! Go Hawks! Kick their fucking asses!”
I catch a smirk growing on Christian’s tired face. The grip on his stick tightens and when the whistle blows, he flies. It takes him only a few seconds to slam another goal.
The louder I cheer, the harder he plays and the adrenaline on the ice is contagious because after some time, I’m not sure my cheers are fake.
The other team ties the game and by the third and final period, my heart is beating as loud as my voice when I cheer him on.
SNAP!
The puck flies clean into the net with ten seconds to spare, putting them ahead by one. The crowd goes wild and I’ll admit this is a hell of an opening game. Drunken dad and all.
When the final horn sounds, our side of the rink goes wild. The boys cheering on the ice. Christian’s dazzling greens lock with mine before he pulls off his glove, and curls his finger towards him.
Pointing at my chest, I want to make sure I have the right memo. Natasha turns around, her face scrunching and that confirms it. He's calling me to the ice.
My heart thuds harder.
Fuck.
What does he have planned for me now?
Is he gonna humiliate me again? Put me on the spot?
My dad’s watching as the crowd chants, “Hawks rule! Hawks rule!”
“Go on, girl!” Lexi ushers me towards the stairs. "Get your man!"
If I hesitate, Christian will make this worse.
My s
tomach twists as I make my way towards the ice, Christian coming towards the entrance.
Before I can ask what he wants, a hand comes behind me. In one swoop, a foot lifts off the floor and his lips crash into mine.
Ten
Christian
The chants muffle, my heart thudding in my ears.
I don’t know what came over me. The adrenaline. The praise. The need to heighten this feeling. But the minute the puck hit the back of the net, I wanted Rayne on my lips.
She tastes sweet and refreshing. Like strawberry and mint, that soft, supple feel on my lips. She kisses like her attitude. Hot and fiery and that’s exactly how it feels when she’s in my arms.
Something cold splashes on me, spinning me out of my daze. Rayne pushes back from my hold.
When my eyes open, the room comes back in one whoosh and Rayne stands covered in black.
Shiiit.
Natasha stands in front of Ray with her squad. Former high school cool kids. Supremes who followed our high school queen bee everywhere. Her hands on her hips, she has a smile as big as a Cheshire, her gold dress clinging to her body like we’re at a club. The crowd around us goes silent, my jaw tight as my eyes bore into her.
“Looks like the whore is trying to marry up,” Natasha says. “But I thought motor oil would be more fitting.”
Laughter erupts from the crowd before my gaze flicks up and they turn into whispers and murmurs.
Seeing Rayne with a glob of oil falling from her slicked-down hair boils me more than her lips on mine.
A fire rolls through me but before I can say anything, Rayne takes a step forward and that makes Natasha’s eyes widen. "Well, since you’re fucking asking for it," Rayne says as she lifts an oily fist. Coach blows his whistle before I catch her wrist. She fights back. “Let me go, Perez.”
Pulling her back, I glance around at the stand. There's security but there’s also faculty. If they see the girl from The Grove beating down one of Eden’s princesses, Rayne’s getting the blame. Not Natasha.