Tell Me Pretty Lies

“The last time we talked, we were fighting, and then he was just…gone. Do you know how much I wish that I could go back and change things?”

Before I can respond, his door flies open, startling us both.

“Shit, my bad,” a guy says, and I assume it’s his roommate. “I’ll give you some privacy.”

“Gross, bro. This is my sister. Shayne, that’s Jace. Jace, my sister.”

“Hey,” I say with a wave, barely sparing him a glance before turning back to my brother. “I have to get back. I have a game tonight. But you should call Mom. She misses you.”

I turn to leave, walking past his roommate on my way to the door. The void between my brother and me feels bigger than ever, but his voice stops me. I turn back around, waiting for him to continue.

“I didn’t do it.”

I nod, wanting so badly to believe him, but I know he’s not telling me something. I came here for answers. Instead, I’m leaving feeling even more confused than ever.

Thayer

I’m doing something I never thought I’d do again. All because of a little blonde girl who’s driving me fucking crazy. After last night, she left me sometime before I woke up. She left me. I’d be offended if I wasn’t so amused at her attempt to gain the upper hand. And a little turned on. I was prepared to back off, to let her come back to me, but then Holden mentioned she wasn’t at school today. Curiosity got the best of me, so I went by her house, but her car wasn’t there. Shayne hasn’t ditched a day in her life, so what was so important that she started today?

So here I am, in my old high school’s gym, practically stalking her like some lovesick puppy. The logo on the floor has changed to a tiger, but everything else is the same. The people

, the championship banners lining the walls, the smell.

“You expect me to believe she isn’t the reason for your delayed sense of school spirit?” Holden says, nodding toward the group of volleyball players huddled up in a circle around their coach with their arms wrapped around each other’s waists. I spot Shayne quickly thanks to the fact that she’s shorter than the rest of the team, unable to tear my eyes away from the way her ass looks in those shorts.

They break apart, taking their places on the court. Shayne goes for the middle, bending over to adjust her knee pads, and Holden inhales sharply. “All that cake and it’s not even my birthday.” His eyes are glued to Shayne’s ass and those toned, thick thighs that I had my face between last night.

I swallow hard, forcing myself not to react when all I want to do is knock his ass out for even looking at her. He’s testing me, watching me for a reaction, so I give him none. I didn’t ask why he wanted to come to a girls’ volleyball game, and he didn’t ask why I offered to come with him. As long as he’s not trying to shoot his shot with Shayne, I don’t give a fuck what his reason is.

“Come on.” I shove my hands into my front pockets, walking over to an empty row toward the back of the bleachers, avoiding the stares and whispers as we pass the group of cheerleaders sitting together at the front, probably passing time before the football game. Coming here was a bad idea for more than one reason. It’s not hard for someone to put two and two together, especially when I can’t peel my eyes off Shayne for more than two seconds at a time.

It’s loud as fuck, but I drown out the sound of whistles being blown, people cheering, the coach barking orders, and sneakers screeching against the gym floor as I watch Shayne do her thing. I always knew she must have been good for how much she played, but I’ve never seen her in action before now.

The chick from the other team serves the ball and it comes at Shayne fast. She sticks her arms out, palms together, but it’s too late. The ball hits her right in her collarbone, knocking her on her ass. The whistle blows and her teammates rush to help her to her feet. She waves them off, getting back into position with her hands braced on her bent knees. Her eyes narrow, as if challenging the girl from the other team, and she stretches her neck from side to side. The ball comes fast again, but this time, Shayne’s ready. She gets the ball up to the setter who pushes it to another girl who then spikes it for a point. Then Shayne’s back on it, covering in case of a block.

She smirks, a look that radiates superiority on her face as she high-fives her teammates.

My dick jumps in my pants. Fuck, that was hot. I’m not looking forward to sitting here with my dick half-hard.

Eventually, they win the game. The cheerleaders stand from their spot, gathering their pom-poms, and then Holden slaps a hand on my shoulder.

“Meet you back at the house,” he says, hopping up before jogging down the bleachers. He heads straight for the cheerleaders, all of whom are thrilled to see him. Except for one. Valen scrunches up her nose when he says something to her, and then she holds up her middle finger before walking away. Good luck with that one.

The volleyball team disperses to find their family or friends after talking to their coach. Shayne bites down on her lip, pressing up on her toes to scan the bleachers. I see the minute she realizes her mom isn’t here, her shoulders sagging. Some of the excitement drains from her eyes, but she masks her disappointment in record time. She glances around, as if to make sure no one catches the flash of vulnerability, but I’m the only one who sees her. I’m probably the only one who’s ever seen her. The version of her that matters, anyway. Something gnaws at my conscience seeing the whole thing play out, but I shove it away.

Shayne heads for the lobby so I follow suit, staying far enough away that she doesn’t notice my presence. When she goes into the girls’ locker room, I hang back, waiting for everyone to clear out. After a solid ten minutes pass without anyone going in or out, I survey my surroundings to make sure I’m alone before ducking inside.

I spot Shayne standing in front of a locker with her back to me, wrapped in a towel. Her hair is piled on top of her head, wet strands sticking to her neck, but the rest is dry. Tossing the towel inside her locker, she bends over to pull a pair of white underwear up her legs. My dick jumps at the sight as I eat up the distance between us without making a sound. Once she’s within arm’s length, I pull her into me, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind. She squeals, trying to jerk out of my hold, and I cover her mouth with my palm.

“Shh,” I whisper, and Shayne’s body loses some of its tension once she realizes it’s me. I bring my lips to her neck, sucking the tender skin into my mouth before licking away the sting. She shivers, leaning her head to the side to give me better access. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

She peels my hand away from her mouth. “You missed me,” she accuses.

I spin her around, reaching down to grab a handful of her ass cheek, gripping it hard. “I missed this.”

Her bare tits are pressed against my stomach as she looks up at me with suspicious eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“I watched you play,” I say, avoiding her question mostly because I don’t know how the fuck to respond. I don’t even know the answer myself.