SAVAGE: Rosewood High #3

by Lorraine, Tracy

  “No, it’s okay. Go on,” I encourage.

  “All I’m saying is that, in my opinion, Ethan is in a similar place to Jake back then. He’s been hurt and he can’t deal with it, so he’s lashing out. He doesn’t really hate you, Rae.”

  “I’m not really sure about—” My argument is cut off before it really gets started.

  “Something’s happened between the two of you, right?” My cheeks heat, and it must be enough to confirm her suspicions. “Thought so. I’m not telling you to give him a break, to go easy on him. I’m actually telling you the opposite. Fight back, push him. Show him what you’re really made of and maybe this thing between you will turn around.”

  “I don’t want him.”

  “Never said you did. This might not turn out the same as things with Jake and me. But something’s got to give at some point, and he needs someone, Rae. He’s barely letting the guys in. The other night he turned up at Jake’s place in the middle of the night. He was a mess. I probably shouldn’t have been eavesdropping but…” She trails off with a shrug. “I should probably get back, Jake will be wondering where I am. I just wanted to reach out. He needs as many people in his corner as possible right now. I know it’s not going to be easy, but one day, you’ll get to see the real Ethan, and I promise you, it’ll be worth it. Beneath that hard exterior is a soft and cuddly teddy bear.” I snort a laugh as the image of the tattoo on his ass pops into my mind. “What?” she asks, a genuine smile forming on her lips.

  “It’s nothing. You’d better go before he sends out a search party.”

  “I wouldn’t put it past him. Just think about what I said.” She climbs from the booth and turns to leave but stops herself at the last minute. “You’re coming to the party tonight, right?”

  I shrug. “I’ll probably just hide in my room.”

  “No way. Don’t give him that power. Put on your sexiest… err…” She looks me up and down quickly, probably realizing that I’m not a dress kind of girl. “Fishnets,” she finishes with a wink. “And show him what you’ve got. Drink, dance, make some friends. This is your home now, Rae. And believe it or not, some of us want to make you feel welcome.”

  Something burns at the back of my throat at her words, but I refuse to acknowledge what it is. “Thank you,” I mouth.

  She stops at the door, glances at me before watching Cody as he makes his way over. “Thanks for the milkshake. You’re coming tonight as well, right?”

  “What’s tonight?” he asks, like he doesn’t already know what’s going on.

  “Party at Rae’s. If you’re free, you’re more than welcome. Any friend of Rae’s is a friend of ours.” With one more killer smile, she’s out the door and gone as if she never appeared.

  “What was all that about?”

  “Ugh… high school bullshit. Whatever,” I mutter, but I can’t deny that her words haven’t struck a chord with me. Especially her admitting that Ethan went to Jake’s the other night and that he was a mess after we were together. What the hell is that supposed to mean? I tell myself he was just pissed off that he didn’t stick around to get any and bury the little voice inside me that tells me it’s more than that.

  “So party at yours?” Cody digs.

  “Yeah, football party. They won, apparently. You up for it?”

  “I’ve not got any other plans. Plus, if it means it’ll stop you from hiding in your bedroom then I’m all in.”

  “You were listening?”

  The fucker doesn’t even have the audacity to look guilty. “You need to have some fun, Rae. Like Barbie said, put on your best fishnets and let’s party.”

  And so that is exactly what I do.

  The party is in full swing by the time we finish up for the night and make our way to the Savage mansion. There are cars everywhere, meaning that Cody has to practically park at the end of the street, and there are bodies everywhere celebrating tonight’s win. The atmosphere is electric, and it almost makes me glad I’m going to get to experience it. Almost.

  “You came,” a soft voice sings the second we step foot into the house as Barbie comes around the corner with Camila not far behind. I’m surprised she didn’t bring her to Aces, they seem to be joined at the hip.

  “This one deserves a night off.”

  “A-fucking-men,” Barbie calls, lifting her drink in the air. “Now, you need help choosing an outfit?” she asks, eyeing my current attire.

  “I’ve been dressing myself for more than a decade, I’m pretty sure I’m capable.”

  “Nope, no way. Here, it’s a fresh one,” she says, handing her Solo cup to Cody. “Mason?” she calls behind her, and seconds later the blonde guy appears.

  “You rang?”

  “Yeah. This is Cody, guy from Aces, Rae’s friend. Keep him company while we go and get Rae party ready.”

  “You really don’t need to do anything,” I mumble, but it falls on deaf ears because after passing her cup over, Barbie takes me by the shoulders and pushes me toward the stairs. When I look back, I find Sindy right behind her.

  Fuck my life. This is why I don’t have girlfriends.

  The sight of my bedroom door hanging where it should is a welcome one. I wasn’t expecting to come home last night to find it back, but I was seriously fucking relieved. Especially now, seeing how crazy this party is.

  I’m pushed through it, neither of the girls behind me appreciating its significance. I wonder how I would have explained that to them if it was still missing.

  “Sit,” Barbie demands, going straight for my closet and pulling the doors open. “Okay, what have we got here?”

  Sindy does something similar when she sits down at my dressing table. “You own any makeup that isn’t black?” she asks.

  “Yeah. There’s purple lipstick there somewhere,” I quip. It earns me an eye roll, but she doesn’t say anything more.

  Knowing I’m not getting out of this, I let the girls go to town, with one exception. My hair stays up.

  24

  Ethan

  I am fucking buzzing as I walk into my house with Jake beside me and the rest of the team hot on our heels. It was a fucking unbelievable game. We smashed the other team and proved that we deserve our place in the state playoffs. Rosewood fucking High is not a team to be messed with.

  The crowd erupts when they realize we’ve arrived. The volume almost takes the fucking roof off the place, and my chest swells with pride. I love this. I love being someone to the rest of the school. I love belonging to something. I fucking love the guys who are standing around me. They are my family, and fuck if they’ve not proved they’ve got my back more than my actual family these days.

  Drinks are handed to us and the cheer squad descends, mostly still in their uniforms.

  “You were on fire tonight,” Shelly breathes in my ear, pressing her body temptingly up against mine. I drop my arm around her waist and pull her tighter.

  “Fucking right. And it was only the beginning. I’ve got plenty more fire for the rest of the night.”

  She smiles at me, a twinkle in her eye that holds promises for what’s to come.

  I slam my lips down on hers. It’s what she—hell, it’s what everyone—expects, so I may as well play my part. Only, everything about the kiss is wrong. It’s nice, sure. But it doesn’t have desire stirring in any part of my body.

  “At least get through the door before you get her naked, Savage,” someone shouts from behind as they push past us to get into the house.

  “Let’s go and get more drinks.” Shelly slips her hand into mine and I walk us through to the kitchen.

  The music pounds and there are people covering every inch of the house. I couldn’t think of a better way to drown everything out. It’s almost like old times as I knock back shots with the team in the kitchen.

  “Sooo,” Zayn drawls. “Who’s it going to be tonight?” He looks out over the crowd. “You tagging ‘em?”

  Jesus, we’ve not done this since the night at dash.

&
nbsp; “Shelly,” I announce, earning me a few groans.

  “That’s not even a challenge. One look from you and her legs are open, Savage.”

  I shrug, lifting my shot to my lips.

  “No one said it had to be a challenge. Just that you had to name them.”

  “Dash night upped the ante, my friend. I’m calling your girl, and you’ve got until dawn.”

  Rolling my eyes, I pour myself another shot and knock it back. We just fucking won. No girl at this party is going to be a challenge for any of us tonight.

  “I’m out,” Shane pipes up from the other side of the group.

  “Oh no, Dunn. You wanna hang with the big boys all of a sudden, then you’ve got to walk the walk. So… who shall we give Dunn?” Zayn looks over the crowd, assessing the girls in his eyeline.

  Rich stands beside him, rubbing his palms together. “Victoria?” he asks.

  “Nah, a cheerleader is too easy. Even for Dunn.” Shane bristles, his lips pressing into a thin line. “That there, who’s she?”

  “No fucking way. Alyssa’s my friend,” Shane barks.

  “That should be easy for you then, you already know her.”

  “Yeah, and I also know that she’s after the basketball team. There’s no fucking way any of you have got a chance with her.”

  “Zayn will give it a pop,” I announce, pissed off that he started this game once again and wanting to give him a challenge.

  “Fuck off, not if she’s a hoop hooker.”

  “You called the game, but you don’t get to call the shots. Shane can have Victoria, she’ll have her sights set higher anyway, and you can have Alyssa.”

  “Fine. Whatever. I’ll break her.”

  “But…” Shane argues, looking at the three of us.

  “Sorry, but Zayn’s right. You want to be one of us then you’ve got to act like it. Now, we’ve made it easy. So even a virgin like you should get the girl tonight.” He pales, making me wonder how true that virgin title is, but I don’t dwell on it. If he is, then it’s high time he lost it.

  “So if Savage is taking control, it’s only fair he gets a challenge too.”

  Silence falls over our group as people start thinking about my target for the night. No single woman in this house is a threat right now. I so much as mention getting on their knees and they’ll be down before they’ve even heard the words.

  “Her,” Zayn says, lifting his arm to point someone out.

  As I look up, the world around me, along with the guys’ excitement, fades into nothing because descending the stairs and following Amalie and Camila is Rae. She’s wearing the shortest fucking skirt I’ve ever seen with a simple black tank, but fuck if it doesn’t make my cock swell on sight. Her tits are pushed up and are perfectly framed by the low cut of her top. Her hair, like usual, is piled on top of her head, but it’s way more intricate than I’ve ever seen and her makeup, although still heavy and dark, is flawless.

  As if she can feel my stare, she turns toward me. Our eyes connect and something crackles between us. The slightest of smiles curls at her lip before her normal scowl falls into place as she continues to descend and gets swallowed by the crowd.

  I swallow harshly, knowing that after the shit I gave Shane and Zayn, I can hardly turn her down. Plus, like fuck am I allowing them to tag her for someone else. No other motherfucker touches what’s mine.

  Thankfully, I’ve had enough shots now that the fact I just claimed her doesn’t really register in my head.

  I turn to the excited stares of my teammates and take another shot when it’s handed to me. “Fine. I’ll have her on her knees in minutes.”

  “By that, I’m assuming you mean with a knife in her hand so she can cut it off,” Rich adds, much to the others’ delight.

  “Ha ha. She’s a pussycat, really. Stroke her right and she’ll be putty in my hands.” Zayn laughs before he turns his attention to the other guys, giving me the opportunity to slip away.

  It takes me forever to get through the house. The place is packed, and with every turn I make someone wants to talk about some part of tonight’s game. It’s not that I don’t want to relive our epic win, but I need her gone. Amalie and Camila might think that she’s welcome, but she’s really fucking not. I want to celebrate with my friends like old times, not have my reality rubbed in my face.

  When I come to a stop in the doorway to the living room, I scan the dancing crowd in front of me.

  I find Mason first, his blond hair standing out over the rest, and head over.

  “Where is she?” I bark at Camila, interrupting their moment as they move together.

  “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Right, like fuck you don’t. Where is she?”

  “Chill the fuck out, man.” I glance at Mason and narrow my eyes. “If your girl tells me where she is, then I’ll gladly fuck off.”

  I’m just looking back to Camila when I spot someone who really doesn’t fucking belong here. Her little friend from Aces. He’s a college kid. Why the fuck does he want to be at a high school party? Movement to the side of him catches my eye before I get my answer.

  He reaches out and pulls her into his body. Their hips grind with the music, and he leans down to whisper something in her ear, or worse, to ki—no. Not fucking happening.

  Anger swells in my belly and mixes with the one too many shots I’ve already had tonight. I push my way between Mason and Camila to get to them.

  Mason’s hand lands on my shoulder. “Think about this, man,” he shouts over the music, but I barely register the words. I need to get his fucking hands off her hips. I need to get his eyes off her fucking body.

  I barge through the people between us before lifting my hands and forcefully removing the motherfucker from what belongs to me. He stumbles back, the people surrounding us backing up a little to give us some space.

  “Get your motherfucking hands off her.”

  “Or what?” the douchebag says, taking a huge step until he’s standing before me.

  “Or I’ll fucking make you,” I spit. I’m not aware that the music in the room has been turned down to almost non-existent or that every single set of eyes has turned on me. All I can focus on is him. Him and the images in my head of his hands on her. His fingers running over her curves, dipping into places only I should be allowed to experience.

  “Looks like you’re going to have to, because as far as I see it, I’m doing nothing wrong.” He holds out his hand, and I follow its movements to find Rae slip hers into it.

  I see fucking red.

  My arm rears back, my fist clenched, but just as I’m about to throw the punch, hands wrap around my upper arm.

  “Don’t even fucking think about it, Savage,” Jake seethes in my ear, his voice low and menacing.

  My chest heaves as he continues to hold me back. If I wanted to, I could break free, and he knows it. But I don’t, I just stand there staring at him, warning him that he needs to back the fuck off and get out of my fucking house.

  “What the fuck is your problem?” Rae stands between the two of us, her head tipped back so she can look me in the eye from her low position.

  “You. You’re my fucking problem, haven’t you figured that out already?” Her teeth grind and her jaw pops in frustration. “Didn’t you get the message last weekend? You’re. Not. Invited. Now take this fucking pussy, and get out of my fucking house.”

  There’s a collective gasp from the people behind me, but I don’t pay it any attention, my eyes still drilling into hers.

  “That’s the thing though, Savage. This isn’t your house. It’s your dad’s, and because of his wandering penis, you get the delight of having to live with me. So suck it up, asshole. This is my house too. You think you’re king? Well, meet your motherfucking queen.” She steps forward, closing the space between us. Her breasts brush my chest, and I don’t miss the lowering of her eyelids at the connection. “So what are you going to do about it?” she taunts, her hand on her hips
like the defiant trash she is.

  Tension crackles between us as silence falls around the room. “Stay out of my fucking way.”

  I shake off Jake and storm from the room, needing some fucking fresh air.

  This time, when I make my way through the house, everyone moves out of my way. Even those not in the room sense that now wouldn’t be the time to step up to me. I’m unsure if that’s because gossip really does spread that fast around here, or it’s just the vibe I’m giving off as I make my way out to the pool area.

  Even out here is packed, but as I make my way over to the loungers on the far corner of the pool, the kids who were sitting there scamper.

  I fall down, rest my head back, and squeeze my eyes shut, but the only thing I see is them. I see them dancing, their bodies moving together, his lips pressing— “Argh,” I shout into the night.

  I don’t bother to look up to see if I’m center of attention right now. I don’t give a fuck. All I need is her out of my fucking head.

  “Here,” a familiar voice says. I crack an eye open to find Jake and Mason looming over me, holding beer and shots.

  Sitting, I take a shot and a beer and down them in quick succession.

  “You’ve got it bad, huh?” Jake asks, amusement filling his voice.

  “Don’t fucking start. I didn’t get in the middle of shit with you and Amalie, so keep your nose out of mine.”

  He puts his hands up in surrender. “Maybe not. But he did” —he nods toward Mason— “and I’m fucking glad he did. I may not have wanted to hear a fucking word of it at the time, but fuck, if I didn’t need it. So, get comfortable, we’re going to have a little chat.”

  “Sorry, but my dick is still firmly between my legs. You want to have a little girly chat, then I suggest you go and find some girls.”

  “Suck it up, Savage. You’re going fucking nowhere until I’ve said what I’ve come to say.”

  I cast my eyes away from him, not interested in a single word of it.

  “You hate her. Fine. You think she’s ruined your life. Fine, you think that. But know that the only one fucking up your life right now is you. So get your head out of your fucking ass and act like a normal human being. We’re only seeing bits of how you’re behaving when it comes to her, and I dread to fucking think how you’re treating her behind closed doors. She didn’t choose to be here, Ethan. She was dragged, probably kicking and screaming if she had any idea of who she was going to live with. Now for the love of God, will you either go and apologize and make peace, ignore her, or fuck her.” I blanch at his final option. “Oh, don’t look so shocked. We all know you’re hard for her. You’ve not touched anyone else since she arrived.”