If I’m completely honest, the connection I’ve built with them rivals the friendship I’ve had with Erica for the past million years, and a part of me feels guilty for letting them in so much. If Erica knew how high I held these new friendships, she’d be hurt, but on the other hand, Erica has been distant.
Chanel takes off to do whatever it is she needs to do with the rest of the cheerleaders, and without skipping a beat, Ilaria, Arizona, and I make our way back toward the student parking lot, cutting through the center of the field.
The crowd lingers, celebrating with the team, and as we cut through the thickest part of it, a soft brush against my hand has my head whipping back over my shoulder. I see the big number 14 on the front of his jersey first and flick my stare up to meet Tanner’s hungry gaze. He’s walking the opposite way but is turned backward with a cocky grin resting on his lips. He doesn’t say a word, but he doesn’t have to.
His message is loud and clear—you’re mine.
A shiver sails down my spine as butterflies erupt in my stomach. Things really have shifted since our talk in the empty classroom and while it terrifies me, and the ghost of all that hurt still lingers, I can’t help but notice how that hesitation seems to have disappeared from Tanner’s gaze. It’s as though he no longer fears what this could be and instead, he embraces it. Either way, I’m nervous as all shit. One moment alone with him could change it all.
He knows I watched him the whole game, and he knows just how hot and heavy he made me, and the way he’s watching me now, he plans to ease that animalistic hunger that’s burning deep inside of me. But there will be no easing of anything, not if I get my way.
This stupid crush on the most dangerous guy in school needs to be smothered for the sake of my sanity.
“Keep dreaming, 14,” I tell him, smirking right back at him, all too aware that he’s going to take my words as nothing but a challenge. “It’s never going to happen.”
And with that, I turn back and keep walking, terrified of just how deep I’m getting.
Chapter 26
TANNER
There’s nothing better than a Friday night game but winning it while Brielle’s eyes were on me was even better. Fuck, I could barely concentrate, but I promised my boys that my head was in the game, and I made sure of it. There’s no way we’re ending our season without that championship trophy. Not after the work we’ve put in. Broken Hill was good, but they were no match for us.
She watched me like a hawk, every step, every throw, every tackle, her eyes were only for me, and it pushed me harder. I wanted to perform for her, I wanted her to understand exactly why I’m the king of this fucking school. It was only the first game of the season and I’m already addicted.
The boys party around me as the girls are already going wild, grinding against anything they can get their hands on. The whole team showed up tonight, and because of how many people are already here, we’re only accepting a few races. Too many races means too many opportunities for people to get hurt, and we’re not about that, especially now that the majority of the people here are already wasted.
A beer rests in my hand, the condensation dripping down the side as I walk around the track. I’ve been looking out for Killjoy all fucking night but haven’t found her, and I know that after that game and the look she gave me, there’s no way she would have skipped out.
“Come on, bro,” I hear Jax holler from behind me as he watches me bat away another chick who tries to cling to me. I spent twenty minutes just trying to get Jules off me. Letting her suck my dick was a mistake, and now she thinks there’s something between us. She couldn’t be more wrong, but Riley took her off my hands, not wanting a willing participant to go to waste. “Just pick one. They’re all throwing themselves at you. Forget about Brielle.”
“Worry about your own dick, man.”
A booming laugh tears through him, and I shake my head, already knowing what’s coming out of his mouth before he even bothers to say it. “Don’t need to. Karleigh already has it under control.”
A feminine laugh sounds, and I don’t even bother looking back. I know what I’ll find, and it’s not exactly something I wanna watch my cousin doing. After all, I’ve already been there with Karleigh, and so has the rest of the team. At least she’s a fast worker. She’ll get him off in no time and he’ll be back to celebrating with the boys.