Unlike their last ‘talk’, Beckett was just as mystified as his dad about what was going on. He gave a little shake of his head. David studied him and then turned his attention back to his meal.
Evan had been right. What could have happened to make Greer jittery? From the increasing talk around school it was obvious he was connected to Greer. Who the hell would mess with her? His gut churned and the need to figure it out burned through him.
The crease lines between his dad’s eyebrows was another reason to figure out why Greer seemed off-balance. David had not bluffed about making his life difficult. Which meant he was going to have to keep a closer eye on her. Then he remembered the news that had been delivered at practice. He kept eating but kept an eye on Greer.
“Greer, starting tomorrow we have to leave at 6:15 for school.”
She looked up. “Why?”
Her reaction was puzzled, but not alarmed. His tense muscles relaxed. He let go of the niggle of worry that it had been something he had done. Greer wasn’t scared of him. He refused to analyze why that was important to him.
“Our first game is a week away and Coach wants us to start practicing in the morning as well as after school. You can sit in the bleachers.”
She shrugged. “Okay.”
His eyebrows slammed together. What the hell? That had been entirely too easy. He had expected her to try and use it as an excuse not to ride with him anymore. Had she protested for show before or was she just distracted from whatever had happened at school? Once again, she was doing the opposite of what he would have thought.
««« »»»
Greer was buried under blankets on her bed with her phone to her ear. She had just got done telling Pepper what had happened in the bathroom.
“Greer, that is scary. Did you tell anyone?”
Greer swallowed the lump. “No. Who would I tell?”
“Ah, the principal?” Was Pepper’s smart comeback.
Greer thought about it for about two seconds. “No. What am I supposed to report? That some girl with black boots told me to stay away from Beckett?”
There was a pause and then Pepper reluctantly agreed. “When you put it that way it doesn’t sound like a big deal.”
“Did you recognize the voice?” Pepper asked hopefully.
“No.”
“Do you think she’d actually do anything?”
Greer heard the concern in Pepper’s voice. It was the same question that had been going around and around in her head. These were rich, preppy, spoiled girls. What could an unspoken threat be? Ignoring her? Making fun of her? Ostracizing her?
“I don’t know. I was hoping you could tell me. You’ve been here longer than me.”
Pepper snorted. “Like I’m one of them.” She thought for a minute. “All I know is they are mean to each other. Their insults can get pretty nasty, so if they think a new nobody is taking over their prime property, known as Beckett, then I’m not sure what they would do.”
“I’m not trying to get Beckett!” Greer yelled, curling further under the blankets as a bundle of fear swirled around her body.
“I know that. But look at it from their point of view. You arrive at school in Beckett’s truck. Which, as far as I know, he has never brought another girl to school in. Then people find out you are living together, and Beckett is always studying you. “
“He is not!”
Pepper continued on ignoring Greer’s outburst. “Which caused a lot of talk, but then the rest of his posse starts taking an interest.”
“His posse?”
Pepper sighed. “The football team, Greer. Not only do you have the attention of Beckett, but the entire football team. Especially Mark and Jason. Now the girls who live to be in the spotlight have even less of it.”
“But IT IS NOT MY FAULT!” Greer wanted to pull her hair out.
Pepper ignored her shrill voice and continued.
“Oh honey, it’s like you’ve never been around girls. If they take you out, then the field is theirs again.”
Greer sighed heavily, letting go of her irritation, “Then hopefully the goon squad won’t find out what is happening starting tomorrow.”
“What?”
She plowed ahead. “I was informed, not asked, that I was going to be riding with Beckett to early morning football practice. Oh, and I was told I would be watching from the stands.” She was still irritated that Beckett had simply informed her of what would be happening instead of asking her. She didn’t bother arguing because she hadn’t thought of another way to get to school.
She had been wracking her brain for another solution but hadn’t come up with anything, so far. The school didn’t open the door to students until 7:30, and she could no longer get away with riding the bus.
“What?” This time Pepper’s question was breathless and filled with disbelief. “Holy shit, Greer, you are one lucky chick!”
“Why? Because I get to get up early and sit around for an hour before I can get in the school?”
“No Greer because you get to get up, ride with a hot guy to school, and then watch Oak High’s hottest group of guys on a football field up close and personal!” Pepper’s voice increased in volume until she was practically yelling.
Beckett’s sculpted body drifted into her head and then his cocky smirk broke her bubble. She was back to grumbling. “Too bad the hottest guy in school doesn’t like me.”
“Who cares about Beckett, Greer. There are, what, like fifty other guys to watch? Pick one of the other hotties and maybe bathroom bitch will leave you alone. Capeesh?”
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Chapter 12
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Greer was surprised she had enjoyed the early morning football practice and had reluctantly admitted it, Pepper. When they met up on the way to the Dining Hall, it was the first thing Pepper had asked. Now she was gloating.
“I can’t believe you doubted me, Greer. What’s not to like?”
All of the guys in shorts ran through her head and she grinned. “Too bad they were all wearing shoulder pads and helmets.”
“You’ll be looking at guys asses all day, to try and figure out who they were.”
Several gazes turned their way as they laughed liked loons. For once, Greer didn’t care, it felt good to laugh and be carefree. Ever since she had come to this school, she felt guarded and judged, but for this moment in time, she felt like a normal seventeen-year-old girl.
They talked and giggled some more while getting their food, gathering more side-long looks. Greer noticed but decided not to care. It didn’t matter how quiet she was or how in the background she stayed, people were still going to stare, so she might as well just be herself.
Once again, when they entered the seating area, Mark waved them over, “Pepper, Greer, over here.”
Pepper let out a squeal without moving her lips and Greer bit her grin back. “I think we should sit over there, Pepper.” Greer gestured at a two-person table.
Pepper’s face dropped as she looked longingly at Mark. Greer burst out laughing. “Got ya!”
Mark was sitting at the long, rectangular football table, by himself. Greer started toward Mark. It took Pepper a couple of seconds to catch up, but when he did, he warned, “That wasn’t very nice, Greer. I’ll get you back!”
Pepper passed a laughing Greer up and took the seat next to Mark and started flirting. Greer envied how easily Pepper volleyed comments back and forth with Mark. As more guys came and sat around them, they drew her into the conversation. At first, she still felt self-conscious. As the table filled up, it began to feel like a comforting shield surrounding her from the glares directed her way from the other tables.
When the hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention, she knew Beckett was coming to the table. Sure enough, he appeared in her peripheral vision and took a seat on the opposite side of the table from her, but thankfully further down. Greer felt the burn o
f his gaze, and she concentrated fiercely on the food in front of her.
“What did you think of your first practice, Greer?” Jason yelled a few spots down from the table, causing her to jump.
She felt the table’s inquisitive eyes on her. Beckett’s accessing gaze was the only one that weighed on her. She struggled against her instinct to glare at him.
“I’m glad I’m not out there,” she said, truthfully. “I think I would have passed out in the first fifteen minutes.”
Another player, who she recognized, but didn’t know his name, chimed in. “So, you were in awe of us?”
Greer laughed with the rest of them. “Definitely”.
Pepper choose to put her two cents in. “She was definitely in awe!” And then winked. Greer’s eyes widened and she glared at Pepper
“We are an impressive bunch, Greer, whose ass impressed you the most?” Jason hollered down the table.
Instinctively Greer glanced over at Beckett and caught her breath. He was looking at her and laughing. His eyebrow raised and the whiskey eyes swirled with amusement.
Jason yelled down with a disappointed tone. “Dawson? That’s who has the best ass? I know he has a spotlight position, Greer, but could you put some more effort into it tomorrow? I’m number 55, take some extra time and study.”
Immediately the rest of the team began shouting numbers at her. With each number, she got redder and redder in the face. A quick glance of the room confirmed everyone was looking at them trying to figure out what was going on. The glares coming from the cheerleader table were strong enough to make her forget her embarrassment.
They were close enough to know what was going on and more than one looked like they wanted to claw her eyes out. It was an eerily familiar ice-blue gaze radiating with hostility that made her inhale and still. Greer blocked out the ice dagger and turned her attention back to the table.
“I can see how important this competition is to all of you, so I will endeavor to give it some attention.”
“Just to be clear are you looking at our asses or our body in its entirety?” She didn’t know the player who yelled the question.
Beckett’s golden, chiseled body with zero fat appeared at the forefront of her mind. As if compelled her eyes searched him out. It was as if he knew what she was thinking.
The heat burning in his eyes had her transfixed. She lost her train of thought with the heat of his gaze swirling around her. Beckett seemed to have no problem. Maintaining their connection, he drawled to the table.
“I’ll have to make sure and wear fewer clothes at home, just so she can see the whole package.”
The groans and complaints around the table drowned out her gasp. Her heart pounded impossibly harder in her chest and she could feel her cheeks burning. When Beckett smirked and looked away, she was released from her daze.
Luckily, the conversation moved on, taking the focus off of her. She felt the heat leaving her and her muscles relax. What was wrong with her? Why was she drawn to Beckett? He didn’t like her and she didn’t trust him. So, why did she get sucked into his magnetism every time he was in her vicinity? Apparently, she wasn’t any different than every other girl here, and that thought depressed her. Even while she was berating herself Greer found her traitorous eyes drawn back to him.
««« »»»
A week later, the halls of Oak High were buzzing with the anticipation of the first football game of the season. Greer was actually looking forward to the game. Ever since the lunch that made her the judge of ‘the best ass contest’, the guys had included her in their morning pre-practice banter, and after-practice complaining.
School actually became fun. There were still girls glaring, but they were easier to ignore when she had fifty big brothers. At Public, she’d hung with Lexi and Jenn. She’d missed out on the innocent flirting she had with the Oak High football team. They all wanted to know where they stood in the ass ranking, but only because it made her cheeks go cherry red every time someone brought it up. Beckett, on the other hand, was not one of her football friends.
He took her to school every morning and the rides were no longer hell on earth, now they were just uncomfortable. Instead of wanting to throw herself out of the truck, she just had to stop herself from squirming in discomfort. He seemed to enjoy throwing her off-balance with odd questions. The first morning after the lunch, Beckett’s first comment when she shut the truck door was.
“Don’t stare at the guys’ asses during practice.”
Then he promptly turned the radio on and started driving like what he had said was completely mundane. After she replayed the comment in her head, she couldn’t let it go.
“Why would you even think I would be doing that?”
Beckett turned to her with narrowed eyes. “They will be hounding you about it until you declare a winner. If they catch you staring at their asses, they will be focused on you instead of practice.”
“What?! They were just giving me crap, they weren’t serious.”
His stupid eyebrow raised in answer. In return, she rolled her eyes.
“Whatever.” She muttered.
“Feel free to continue to look at my ass,” Beckett continued with cutting casualness. “With your eyes on me, I know you won’t be causing trouble with the team.”
Seriously, now she was causing trouble? Greer could feel her blood pumping a little faster. “You don’t get to tell me what to do. We don’t even like each other. Why would I want to look at you?” She was so tired of Beckett bossing her around. “If I want to look at the guys, I will. If they want to look at me, even better.”
The air became electrified and Greer sensed she had gone too far, but she wasn’t going to back down. Her eyes slid to him and she tensed at his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel and his compressed face.
When they pulled into the parking lot, she quickly gathered her stuff while congratulating herself for standing up for herself. As soon as she shut her door, the beep came indicating he had locked the doors. As usual, Beckett was walking ahead of her and she followed him toward the stadium. When he stopped at the gate and held it open, her body slowed and went on alert.
He always walked ahead of her, but he never looked back. Greer’s instincts were screaming at her to be cautious. She looked around to see if other players were arriving, hoping to use them as a diversion. There was no one around except her and Beckett. The morning air was still and suddenly ominous.
Beckett was looking down at his phone seemingly oblivious to her sudden stand still. She steeled herself and cautiously approached. Just as she got to the gate, Beckett put his phone in his pocket and grasped her elbow. Before she could blink Greer found her back against the wall under the bleachers, with Beckett blanketing her.
His legs were in a wide stance, and his arms were braced on either side of her head. He was staring at her with the same intensity she usually saw when he was on the football field. Greer wasn’t sure what was going on, but she refused to speak first. She wasn’t even sure she could speak through her thundering heart and accelerated breathing.
Beckett’s deep, hypnotic voice caught her unaware and she was unable to stop the shiver that raced through her body, “I’m disappointed in you Greer.”
Greer didn’t respond.
“All these weeks I’ve waited to catch you in a lie and been unsuccessful, until now.”
She felt her eyebrows pull together and Beckett nodded before continuing.
“Do you feel this between us, Greer?”
When his pointer finger ran down the side of her face, a surprised gasp flew from her even as her eyes stayed connected to his. He felt this, too? He was actually acknowledging it? Why now? What was his game?
His finger trailed down her neck and he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck. Her body hummed and was begging for him to move closer. She closed her eyes to escape the knowing, smug look Beckett shot at her. She bit her lip to stop the ‘please’ crawling up her throat.
; It was like he was daring her to react and it took all of her concentration to lean into the wall, not him, and keep her hands down. His thumb started moving on her jaw and she felt it unlock, following the unspoken command.
“It’s like there is a magnet in me. Every time you are near, I know it. I fucking hate that analogy, but I know every god damn time you are looking at me.”
“Open your eyes, Greer.”
Her eyes slid open as Beckett’s other hand came to the back of her neck, holding her immobile. His voice was still husky, but harder. “I don’t like it when you look at other guys, Greer. It makes me wonder what you are after. No more flirting with the team.”
With one last hard look to punctuate his point Beckett dropped his hands and walked away. She sagged against the wall and tried to calm her breathing and process everything that had happened in the span of one short minute.
It should be a relief that Beckett felt this attraction between them, but it made her nervous. Was he actually attracted to her or was it a game? Even if the attraction was real, it made him mad. A mad Beckett was not good news for her. With what felt like the very last piece of energy she had, Greer pushed herself off of the wall and walked to her spot in the stadium.
After an internal debate, Greer put her earbuds in. As soon as she did, she closed her eyes and blocked out every shout out to her. She didn’t do it because of his last demand, but because she needed time to build up her wobbly wall. The last thing she needed was another Beckett confrontation. She was still unnerved and needed to regather herself before she moved on.
Luckily, the rest of the day was normal. Normal, meaning she was still the recipient of glares and whispers as she passed, but it was getting easier to ignore them. Especially when the looks turned envious when she sat down at lunch with the football team. Pepper was there before she and Greer thankfully took the seat open to her.
As soon as she sat down, she could feel the weight of Beckett’s stare, but she refused to give in and look. She didn’t even engage with the rest of the guys, which made her mad at herself. But she didn’t have any remaining nerves, that weren’t already fried, so she gave in to Beckett. For today. Tomorrow was a new day.
Battling Beckett Page 8