“What do you mean?”

“Well, your overzealous behavior may have kept the guys at bay,” she said, “but the girls are a whole other story. Or are you planning on beating them up, too?”

“Do any of them need it?”

“For goodness’ sake, Thomas…”

“Just kidding,” I said with a smile and a half-grin.

“They all want you,” she said quietly, “and by default, none of them want anything to do with me now.”

“I told you I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you,” I reminded her. “I meant that. If any of them bother you, you let me know. It won’t happen again.”

Nicole looked into my eyes for a moment and seemed as though she was going to say something before the coach’s voice interrupted us.

“Malone! Would you mind getting into position?”

I ignored the coach and leaned against the fence a little harder.

“We’ll be done in about a half hour,” I said. “We can talk about it then, okay?”

“I guess,” she said. She glanced quickly over her shoulder to the group of girls, who were now watching us intently.

She turned toward me again with a defeated look on her face. I reached out and touched her cheek with the back of my knuckles—just skimming her skin quickly from her cheekbone to her chin and leaving a tiny, muddy mark on her face.

“Soon,” I said softly, and then I turned and jogged back to the goal.

Shakespeare might have wondered, “For why should others' false adulterate eyes give salutation to my sportive blood?” Somehow, she had to eventually understand that what I did was for her and her alone, and that I didn’t care what anyone else said about it.

Now, how do I convince Rumple of that?

CHAPTER 11

RELEGATED

The scrimmage had to be cut short because of a fight.

Not on the field—in the stands.

I had the ball in my hands and was just about to kick it downfield when I heard the yelling. I glanced up and saw Rumple and some of the other girls up on the bleachers, screaming at each other. I threw the ball out of bounds, ran up, and jumped over the fence, ignoring the coach’s words to get back on the field. I had to scale two rows of bleachers before I could reach Rumple.

She had gone all “lioness” on Crystal Lloyd.

Meow.

“Maybe he just prefers someone who isn’t quite so skanky!” Nicole was yelling as I got there. She had her fingers curled into claws, and her jaw was clenched. I was pretty sure there was a little sparkle of a tear in the corner of her eye, too. I didn’t know what to think of that.

“One reason and one reason only,” Crystal was saying as her head bobbed around on her neck. She jutted her chin out at Nicole and put her hands on her hips. “Is it still sore, or were you already used to it?”

“You little bitch!” Nicole suddenly screeched, and she started scrambling over the bench to get to where Crystal was sitting with Lisa and Heather.

Thankfully, I got to her first and wrapped my arm around her middle, effectively capturing her and pulling her back against my chest.

“Let me go!” she screamed. Claws out, she grabbed at my arm around her waist. I wound my other arm across her arms and chest, holding her tighter and keeping her from being able to use her arms effectively. I took a step backwards and over one of the benches, pulling her with me. “Dammit, Thomas! Let go of me right now!”

“Not just yet, kitten,” I told her.

“Is that about the right position?” Crystal yelled.

Tags: Shay Savage
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