Bradford Brawler (Bradford Bastard 2)

Riley shakes his head. “That’s just the thing,” he murmurs. “You shouldn’t have to be your own rock. You need him just as much as he needs you.”

The heaviness of his words has me falling back a step, fear and unease weighing down on my chest, making it hard to breathe. I glance away, unable to handle the intensity of his stare as the bell sounds through the school, telling me to get my ass to homeroom. “I don’t think you understand how much you’re asking of me, Riley,” I murmur, my gaze shifting over his shoulder to find Tanner moving in through the front entrance and striding down the corridor, his eyes already locked on mine. “If I allow myself to fall back into his arms, I will fall in love with him, and he will hold the power to destroy everything I am.”

And with that, I turn on my heel and walk away, the fear of the unknown working its way into my body and sending my heart into overdrive.

Chapter 5

TANNER

Fuck this school and fuck Riley Sullivan. The bastard can go to hell.

It’s been a long-ass day, watching Brielle get named and shamed for some fucked-up shit she had nothing to do with, but the moment the whispers hit me about what Riley said to her this morning … I could have strangled him. He’s such a meddling bastard. I get his heart was in the right place and that he was looking out for a friend, but the asshole needs to keep his nose out of my business.

It’s bad enough hearing what people are saying about her today but hearing them discuss Addison’s attack so casually has me spiraling out of control. I’m going to break, and I’m trying to hold on to that sliver of consciousness, reminding me that if I lose control again, I’ll lose Bri for good.

Don’t get me wrong. All it took was one warning from me and the whispers about Brielle and Addie faded away, but the damage has already been done. The last thing I needed today was to hear that Riley has been trying to meddle in my relationship … or what’s left of it.

Damn fucker. If he doesn’t mind his own business, I’ll have no other choice but to ram a goal post up his ass. Though something tells me, if he keeps getting in Brielle’s face like he did this morning, she might beat me to it.

The thought of Killjoy has my gaze sailing across the school to the student parking lot, watching as she walks with Ilaria and Arizona toward her mom’s beat-up, piece of shit car. Her head is down and I hate it. She rarely walks with her head down—she’s the type to stand tall and proud, but today has kicked her ass. Hell, the past few days have kicked her ass and some of that blame rests on my shoulders.

I need to make this right with her. I need her to know what she means to me, and if she decides I’m all out of chances, then I have to find a way to change her mind. I’ll never stop fighting for her.

Needing my head in the game for training, I force my stare to the football field before me. Hudson, Riley, and the twins are huddled in a tight group, and I’ve known these fuckers long enough to recognize when they’re up to something. “Yo,” Logan says, eyeing me over his brother’s shoulder, a clear warning for the others to shut their mouths. “Where have you been?”

I shrug my shoulders and move closer to the guys, knowing damn well I’m not about to be let in on their conversation. “Whatever the fuck you’re planning, forget about it. It ain’t happening.”

Jax scoffs, a smirk playing on his lips. “Right,” he says before pulling away from the guys and moving toward the rest of our teammates. We all follow suit, and I can’t help but glance up toward the student parking lot one more time. She hovers at her mom’s car with the driver’s door open as she talks to her friends, only her attention is on the field.

The moment she catches my stare, her gaze falls away and a pang of guilt and pain bursts through my chest. I’m an asshole.

I never should have said that shit to her. Never should have lost control.

Bri’s expression hardens, and I watch as Ilaria and Arizona glance back over their shoulders, eyeing me with an odd reluctance. They have no idea what went down between us, though I know it won’t be long. Those girls have a way of finding out the impossible. Hell, I should have put them in charge of finding Addie’s rapist. They would have had the case closed before lunch and still had time to get their nails done.