by Jen L. Grey
"Do you want me to come with you?" Bree began to stand, but I waved her off. "No, stay and watch your brother. I won't be long."
I rushed down the steps and headed to the bathroom stalls. I didn't want to linger where the team could come in. There was no telling what would happen.
I turned the corner and stopped in my tracks when my eyes hit the girl who had touched Liam.
What’s the rush?” Blondie said with a huge smirk. “Did you realize that I was almost to my seat and needed to vacate?”
“No.” I refused to let her get to me. “I’m here with Bree, Tripp, and Kai… wait, it’s none of your damn business.”
“Oh, are the two guys coming soon too so that maybe you could have a quickie in the bathroom?” The girl flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I mean, you have to figure out a way to stay at this school somehow.”
“You know that’s not true.” I had to take a deep breath. I couldn’t let her get into my mind. “But what else could I expect from a toy that the heirs like to pass around.”
Her jade eyes flared. “You better watch your back, slut.”
She pushed past me, trying to make me fall into the wall but I held firm.
“Pathetic.” She rolled her eyes as she climbed the stairs.
I rushed into the bathroom to attempt to calm myself down and relieved myself. After flushing, I walked out and turned on the water, relishing the cold water on my skin. As I washed my hands, I stared at myself in the mirror. I was turning into someone I didn't know, and I didn't like it.
Hiding and moping weren't going to fix anything. I needed to get back to my friends.
As I opened the door to exit the bathroom, a loud deep voice vibrated against the walls. "Do not walk away from me."
I stopped and froze in place. The door was cracked but open enough that I could see Evan was standing there with a man that looked just like him only older. Despite that, there was pure hate and rage on his face.
"Dad, I’ve got to get back out there. They need me." Evan's body stiffened, and fear showed in his eyes. He clutched his helmet in his hands.
He didn't look like the fierce, intimidating man that I’d always seen throughout the halls.
"He's fucking up. This is your chance... no ... our chance to show the Hales we're stronger than them." His dad clenched his hands into fists. "You get out there and play your hardest and run circles around him. You finally have a shot at taking his spot on the team after this disaster of a shit show."
"But he's my friend." Evan shook his head and frowned.
"Friends get killed." His dad shoved Evan so hard his unprotected head banged into the cement wall. "So get out there and make me proud or else." His dad then turned on his heel and walked the opposite way.
When he disappeared, Evan moaned. "Dammit!" He grabbed at the back of his head.
The metallic scent of blood hung in the air. "Let me get you some cold water." The words slipped from my mouth before I could clamp it shut.
His body tensed, and his grey eyes found mine. "Of course, you're here and saw that."
Ignoring him I went back to the sink and turned it on the coldest it could get. Leaving it to run while I pulled out several paper towels. No wonder the heirs are all a hot, uncaring mess. The thought of being raised like that made my stomach roil. I worked as fast as I could and headed back out there. "Here, let me see."
"I'm fine." He jerked away from me, but I grabbed his arm and stared him straight in the eye.
"You hit your head hard. Let me check it." If he thought I was going to let him get away that easily, he was going to learn otherwise and fast.
"Fine." He huffed but turned so I could look at it.
"You're bleeding a little." It wasn't as bad as I had expected, so with him being a shifter, in a matter of hours, he'd be fine. I took the cold paper towel and wiped some of the blood away.
He winced. "So what's this going to cost me?"
‘'What do you mean? I'm no nurse so I don't charge by the hour." I gently dabbed it again and felt the knot that was forming.
"You know what I mean. What am I going to have to do in order for you to keep your trap shut about what you saw?" His eyes turned a dark metallic grey.
Of course, he thought I operated like he did. "Nothing."
"So you're going to make it a huge one." He shook his head. "The other guys aren't going to go for you and Liam being a thing, you know?"
Yes, all of them loved reminding me of that every second that they could. "Oh, I know." I gently patted his wound one more time before backing away. "But sometimes, kindness is stronger than bullying or fear." I turned to head back into the bathroom, but his voice stopped me in my tracks.
"There are no true acts of kindness." His voice was low, but not scary.
"Well, I guess you're about to learn otherwise." I didn't bother turning around and facing him. I wasn't quite sure what I would see, and my life was already complicated enough. "Be careful out there."
"I'm going to put my helmet on. Don't... worry." It was almost like he struggled to say those last words.
"I wasn't talking about the helmet." I walked into the bathroom and let the door slam behind me. I threw the towel in the trash and sighed. There was too much going on, and it was only the first Friday of the school session. There was no telling what else might happen before Monday.
Chapter Fourteen
As I stepped out of the bathroom again, Bree appeared from around the corner. "Are you okay? You've been gone for a while."
"Yeah, just a little off today." That was putting it mildly.
"Why don't we get the guys and maybe go grab some ice cream or something at the restaurant?" Bree linked her arm through mine and tugged me back toward Kai and Tripp.
"I hate to make you leave with your brother playing and all." It was easier to say brother than his name. I could at least try to pretend it was someone else.
"Nope. Honestly, I don't want to be here when the game is over. It's going to get nasty." She pointed at me. "Stay right here. I'll be right back. It's almost half-time anyway."
I wanted to argue, but she disappeared from sight. At least I was getting away from here. Liam would probably do better in the game because of it.
Footsteps pounded toward me as the football team charged down the hallway toward the locker room.
Before I could turn to head back into the bathroom, my eyes locked with Liam’s, and my stupid feet wouldn't move.
He pushed through the guys and sauntered up to me. Sweat dripped down his face as he removed his helmet and growled at me.
"Liam?" Simon's voice growled.
Yet, Liam didn't budge. "Why won't you get out of my damn head?"
"What?" He acted like I was doing it on purpose. Didn't he realize I wanted the same damn thing as him?
"You heard me." He stepped into my space, pushing his chest into mine. "You're letting him touch you all over. You're messing with my head."
Oh, hell no. "I'm on a date. You've made it clear we aren't going to happen." I met his eyes, refusing to stand down. "So, if anything, it's self-inflicted."
"A fucking date at my game?" The words were more growl than words. "Is this your way of getting even?"
"No, it's not." I stood my ground and pushed him off me. All the other players had run down the hall except for his buddies. They were already going to punish me anyway for Liam giving me attention, so standing my ground was a given. "You can't have it both ways. You made your decision."
"Maybe I haven't." His eyes homed in on my lips, and my body responded against my better judgment.
Stupid, traitorous body. My breathing increased. It was a struggle, but I had enough self-control to not move an inch. "I'm not some kind of shirt you can wear whenever you want to."
"We need to go now." Micah walked over and grabbed Liam’s arm to try to pull him away from me.
"Fuck off!" He roared and pushed his friend so hard he fell to the ground.
"Liam?" Bree's
concerned voice broke whatever spell that was going on between us. "What the hell are you doing?"
"You're not thinking straight. That's what they said would happen." Simon walked over and stared him down. Then his eyes glared at mine. "Bitch, I told you not to cause any problems."
Evan stood behind them, not doing anything.
Of course. He wouldn't help me out. "I didn't do anything but go to a football game. I haven't done jack shit."
"What's going on out here?" The coach stepped into the hallway and glared at each one of the heirs. "Why the hell aren't you in the locker room?"
No one responded.
"Get in there or I'll be making some phone calls." The coach hurried down the hall and pointed down at the locker room’s door. "I said now."
Liam huffed and took a step back from me. "This isn't over." He glared at Kai before turning and heading to the locker room.
The other three followed behind, but the coach stopped and stared at me. "I don't know what's going on, but this ends now. They aren't good for you."
"You mean I'm not worthy?" It was all about them. The school revolved around those four dickheads.
"No, I mean they aren't good for you." The coach glanced back at Bree and shook his head, lowering his voice. "Those four are nothing but trouble. Stay away from them before you get sucked in like I did with their parents." He shook his head and followed the four to the locker room with the rest of the team.
"Are you okay?" Kai rushed over to me and touched my arm. "What the hell happened?"
"Nothing." I didn't know what to say to him. The fewer people who knew, the better, but I had a feeling it was all going to come out sooner or later.
"I should've known better than to leave you down here that close to half-time." Bree ran her fingers through her hair. "But honestly, I thought I'd get back before they came through. I don't know what's going on with Liam."
"Maybe he has some demons that he's having to face." Tripp pursed his lips as he stared me down.
I wasn't going to be sharing that information with either one of them. "I think we all are."
"Girl, you aren't wrong there." Bree waved us toward the exit. "Let's get out of here before he decides to come back and brood some more."
That was a very good idea. "Are you sure you two are okay leaving the game?"
"Yeah, we're getting spanked anyway." Tripp rolled his eyes and sighed. "My first college game as a college kid, and we’re going to lose."
"Well, after what I witnessed, it's best if we do go." Kai intertwined his fingers with mine, which felt safe but wrong at the same time.
"If you're sure then let's go." I turned, more than ready to leave this place behind.
Our group of four headed back to Bree’s and my dorm after eating some dessert at the restaurant. It was strange. The place hadn't been packed at all since everyone was at the game. Though it was nice having the place to ourselves.
As we reached the main door, Bree's phone went off. She pulled it out, and a huge grin spread across her face. "I hate to do this, but I've got to go."
"Everything okay?" Liam couldn't have gotten injured. My heart began to race.
"Chill." She bit on her bottom lip and sighed. "I hate to pick up and leave, but I haven't seen Nate in months. He just let me know he's in town." She smiled and shrugged. "And he's staying overnight, so I'm going to go spend some quality time with him if that's okay with you three. The game just finished, and the humans are leaving campus. It's my chance to blend in."
"You're leaving me here with those two who are supposed to be on a date?" Tripp lifted both hands in the air and shook his head. "Aw, hell no. I'm leaving too, then."
No, wait. That can't happen. "You don't have to."
Tripp chuckled, and a wide, evil smirk spread across his face. "Oh, I do. I'll see you tomorrow at some point." He turned toward Bree and wagged a finger. "Don't get pregnant."
"Oh my God ..." Bree's mouth dropped open, and then she snorted. "I'm not doing that. I'm going to get the car keys and a change of clothes, and then I'm out of here." She buzzed us in the door and saluted Tripp. "Don't get too drunk tonight."
"Yes, Mom … I have to at least have one good college experience. Get drunk and find a good lay." He pointed at Bree and then me. "It's not going to be happening with you two, so I'll go find third place." He patted Kai on the shoulder. "See you." He turned back, heading in the direction of the stadium.
Not knowing what else to do, I followed Bree inside with Kai right behind me. I liked Kai, but I couldn't help feeling nervous about him and me being alone in the dorm together. Shifters had needs, and most were pretty uninhibited by them. Although with Liam's smell still in my nose, there was no way I could do something with him.
We passed through the lobby and went straight to the elevators.
"Who's Nate?" Kai's forehead lined.
"He's my..." Her eyes widened, and she stopped talking.
"A close friend of hers if you know what I mean." I hated making sexual innuendos, but if she didn't want to let him know that he was her mate, there wasn't really any other option I could go with. Kai knew her family, for Christ’s sake.
"Yeah, we like to hook up every once in a while. He's the best I've ever had." A small smile spread across her face.
She’d meant that.
"Oh, okay. So he goes to another school?" Kai wrapped an arm around me as we entered the elevator.
"Yup. Anyway, I'll be back first thing in the morning so don't worry about me." Bree bounced on the tips of her toes. Soon, the elevator door opened, and she flew out of it.
"Someone is eager." Kai chuckled as we made it to the wide-open door.
"Yeah, she is." I wanted to ask her to stay but couldn't. That would be selfish. She rarely got time with him as it was.
In the next second, she breezed back through the living room with a small overnight bag. "All right. See you in the morning." She hugged me and hurried out the door, slamming it shut.
The next few seconds were the most awkward ones of my entire life.
Kai took my hand and pulled me over to the couch. "You smell anxious."
Great, so now I smelled bad. "I'm being stupid." I took a deep breath as I sat and turned my body in his direction. "It's just you and me alone ..." Gah, I always rambled in awkward situations. "In a dorm by ourselves."
"We don't have to do anything if you don't want to." He turned his body toward me and smiled. "I'm really into you. If you don't want to rush into anything, I can wait."
God. I was really being stupid. Here, sitting before me, was one of the most attractive and nicest guys I'd ever met. Why didn't I want to do anything with him? It wasn’t like Liam would ever be this for me. "No, I'm sorry. I really am being stupid."
"You had four assholes staring you down during half-time. I'd say it's okay to be a little anxious." He reached out and brushed his fingertips along my cheek. "I've got all the time in the world for you."
All right, I couldn't mess this up. I licked my bottom lip and took a deep breath. It wouldn't hurt to see what a kiss would be like. I closed the distance between us, and my lips touched his. They were warm and soft, and he tasted like the chocolate ice cream he'd just eaten.
He groaned as he scooted closer to me and deepened the kiss. His tongue gently ran across my lips, asking for entrance.
The kiss was nice, but not earth-shattering like the one with Liam. Ugh! There was his name once again seared into my brain. I'd never have him. Somehow, I needed to move beyond it.
Kai wrapped his arms around my waist, and the musky scent of his arousal filled the air.
No, I had to stop. I couldn't do this. I wasn't ready. Right when I was about to pull back, the door to the room burst open.
Kai pulled back and startled. "What the hell?"
Liam rushed into the room, his eyes locked on Kai and then me.
"Your sister isn't here." Kai didn't move away from me but stayed plastered to my side. "She's staying with a fri
end."
"Good. Now you won't be either." Liam came closer and glared at Kai. "Get the fuck out … Now!"
"That's not how this works." Kai stood and stepped in front of me. "Where are your goons anyway?"
"That isn't any of your business." He growled and grabbed Kai's arm, yanking him away from me. "You're going to leave right now or I'll make you." Liam's voice was laced with his alpha will.
"No." Kai's eyes diverted as he tried not to succumb to the pressure.
"It’ll be all right." Though I tried not to show it, my heart was pounding, and it had everything to do with the angry, sexy man standing in front of me. "You can go."
Kai turned around. "But I don't..."
"Go." Pure command laced Liam’s words, and his nostrils flared. "Now."
"If you need me..." Kai turned to me.
"It's fine." I forced a smile. Kai needed to leave before he got hurt. "Please, go."
Kai slowly walked out the door and shut it behind him.
Liam stayed where he’d been when Kai was still here. Rage, torment, and the musky scent of arousal filled the air between us.
This wasn't going to end well, not for either one of us.
"You kissed him." His words were full of accusation as he kept breathing heavily. "Your lips touched his."
"Why shouldn't I have?" If he wasn't going to claim me, to make me his, there was absolutely no reason why I shouldn't try moving on. "You told me that we wouldn't happen ever."
"And we can't." Those three words weren't nearly as strong or convincing this time.
"Then why are you here? You should leave." I held his gaze and lifted my chin.
In a flash, he lifted me up and slammed me against one of the walls. His lips crashed down on mine, and my skin lit on fire.
He pulled back. "One night. We both get this out of our systems."
The stagnant taste of his lie filled the air between us. He knew it didn't work that way, but he was wanting to pretend, and dammit so did I. I wanted this so badly even though my head told me to reject him. All rational thought had gone out the window. "Deal."