A Gorgeous Villain (St. Mary's Rebels 2)

I can’t deny that my veins feel full and bursting.

They feel full of music, of the notes of a violin, and my feet are restless. So restless to just… dance.

“That’s my brother.”

Tempest’s voice pierces through and I jerk my eyes away from Reed, who’s getting thumped on the back by the Mustang camp of the team while the Thorn camp is simply going about their business of getting back into their positions, including number twenty-three, Ledger.

“Um, sorry. Who’s your brother again?” I ask because I completely missed who she was pointing at.

She throws me a sly smile. “The one you’ve been watching.”

“What?”

She bumps her shoulder with mine. “The one who scored the goal just now and you got so excited that I thought your eyes would pop out of your head.”

“I didn’t.”

Did I?

She laughs. “You so totally did. Even I don’t get as excited as you did.”

My heart is a drumbeat in my chest. “I –”

“It’s fine. I won’t tell.” She mimics a zipping motion on her lips before pointing to the back of her jersey. “But anyway, Jackson. I’m Tempest Jackson. Reed’s my brother.”

She’s Reed’s sister.

Sister.

“That’s why you look familiar,” I breathe out before I get a hold of myself. “I’m sorry. I just thought you looked familiar.”

She wiggles her eyebrows. “You also thought I was his girlfriend, didn’t you?”

“What? No.” I shake my head, squirming in my seat. “I… It’s none of my business.”

“It’s okay. He has a lot of girlfriends. Oops. Not girlfriends. Girls. My brother doesn’t do girlfriends.”

“Oh yeah, I know.”

Tempest stares at me for a few seconds. It’s not long but it’s enough to make me slightly uncomfortable and self-conscious. “But that doesn’t mean that he won’t ever have a girlfriend. You know, when the right girl comes along. He’s just being an idiot right now.”

“O-kay.” I nod. “That’s good to know.”

“Is it?”

“What?”

Tempest completely turns to me then. “I like you. I think you’re cool. And I think…” She lowers her voice. “You have a major crush on my brother. And –”

“Oh my God. Stop.”

I look around to make sure no one’s listening in on our conversation.

Although the stadium is so loud and people are so engrossed in the game, I highly doubt anyone could eavesdrop even if they wanted to.

But still.

I can’t take any chances. If someone so much as got a whiff of the fact that I was talking about him, that Ledger and Conrad’s sister was talking about having a crush on the enemy, I don’t even know what would happen.

Ledger would definitely kill Reed. Definitely.

And then he’d lock me up somewhere for who knows how long for betraying him, and I wouldn’t even blame him.

Because it is a betrayal, isn’t it?

“What?” Tempest asks confused.

“Don’t even talk about it.”

“Why not?”

“Because you can’t. And because I can’t.”

“You can’t what?”

I look around again. I even go so far as to lean in toward her and lower my voice. “I can’t like your brother.”

She leans in as well. “What? Why can’t you?”

“Because I can’t.”

“Yeah, you said that. But what does that mean?”

“It means that I can’t. I’m not…” I look for a suitable word. “Allowed.”

“You’re not allowed?”

“Nope.”

“Well, who is it that’s not allowing you?”

I stare at her a beat before saying, “Look, you don’t live here so you don’t know.”

“What don’t I know?”

“There’s bad blood between my brother and yours.” She frowns and I explain, “My brother hates your brother and the feeling is mutual, okay? So don’t even talk about these things.”

Her confusion has only grown. “What? Why?”

I go to explain the whole thing to her but turns out I don’t have to.

When I can show her.

Because what happens at every game is already happening on the field. The two star players of Bardstown High are facing off against each other.

You’d think that ever since Ledger became the captain, he would try to steer clear of all kinds of fights and arguments. At least on the field. But no.

Because Reed doesn’t let him.

Ever since Ledger became the captain, Reed’s aggressiveness on the field has only grown.

I’m not sure what brought on the current argument but they’re standing toe to toe.

I can’t see their expressions from here so all I have to go on is their body language and it is not looking good.

There are tense shoulders, rigid backs. Wide, battle-ready stances and folded arms.

I can read my brother like a book and I know he’s angry. I know that the vein on his temple must be pulsing as he says something, or rather, snaps it at Reed.

Who, on the other hand, appears completely relaxed.

Reed looks like he doesn’t care that Ledger is almost up in his face. He doesn’t care that Ledger looks like he might hit Reed at any point.

But I think it’s all for show.

It’s all to provoke Ledger, to show him that he can’t get to Reed, to mess with his head.