I’m sure the masses have all heard about Slade’s acceptance into Lakeside and I’m sure a shitload of the guys on his team are stinging with jealousy.
Slade deserves it and watching him run up and down the court is proof of that.
As we walk deeper into the gymnasium I notice something; for the first time in my life, there are no eyes on me. There are no whispers or snide comments, and no bitches trying to bring me down. There are no questions about where I’ve been for the past two weeks or someone calling me a slut. I have no doubt my wedding photo would have been blasted on every television across the globe, and Maria would have been the one to leak it. Marcus Mahony was one of the world’s most eligible bachelors, yet no one here seems to be even the slightest bit curious.
My gut tells me Slade and Damian had something to do with that yet something has me turning to Nessa with my brows drawn. “Why the hell aren’t they all bugging me about it?”
She raises a cocky brow and gives me a smug grin. “Because you, my skank ass friend, have finally earned their respect. They all know where you were and that somehow, you got yourself out of an impossible situation. From now on, they’re going to leave you the hell alone. Before, you fought to have that respect, but now you don’t need to. Every last person in the gymnasium knows who you are and what you’re capable of and they’ve finally learned that you’re not someone to be fucked with.”
Nessa glances up and nods across the gymnasium at Kathleen who now stands tall before the rest of the cheerleaders as their new captain. “Their arch-nemesis has just walked through the door and not even they are going to say anything. There are only a few weeks left of school and you’ve finally conquered as queen.”
My lips press into a tight line. “I was queen the second I walked in here.”
“True,” she says. “But a lot of people only saw you in that position because of your fucked-up relationship with Slade and then you got together so they just kept you on the pedestal, but now they see it as your rightful throne.”
I shake my head. “Why is it that you always want what you can’t have but when you get it, it’s never what you think it’s going to be?”
“That’s just the way the world works,” she tells me. “Now, sit your ass down. We have a game to watch.”
We find some seats and within thirty seconds of getting comfortable, the boys come running out onto the court.
Slade stops in the middle, the ball in his hand bouncing up and down and it’s as if he doesn’t even know he’s doing it.
I can’t believe this is going to be one of his last high school games. I’m really going to miss this uniform and the way his shorts hang dangerously low on his hips, threatening to fall down the second he launches himself up into the sky.
I wonder if he’ll let me keep his jersey. That shit would be comfortable as hell to sleep in and I bet he’d get a kick out of seeing me in it. Actually, I wonder if he’ll bring it home tonight…a clean version though. I’m sure he has a spare. I’m so down for putting it on and doing whatever the fuck he wants to do in it, but not if it’s dripping with sweat and smells like a dirty asshole.
I’ve never understood those women who are attracted to sweaty men. Don’t get me wrong, I love the way it looks….but the smell? Fuck, I just can’t handle it. Blake would purposefully come and smother me after one of his games growing up just so he could wipe his sweat and smell off on me and watch me squirm as I screamed for freedom. Growing up with Blake certainly had its good times.
Slade’s eyes come to mine from the court and within the blink of an eye, he abandons the ball, leaving it slowly bouncing in the center of the court. He races toward me.
My lips pull up into a wide grin as his coach hollers out his name. Slade takes the stairs of the bleachers two at a time before squishing past all the people in my row.
“Dramatic much?” Nessa grumbles beside me, watching his performance with a shake of her head as though it’s embarrassing just to be associated with the guy.
I laugh and not a second later, he’s here, wrapping me in his warm arms. “You had me worried, Virago.’
“Did you really destroy my bedroom window?”
“Destroy is a strong word. I’d say temporarily out of action.” He leans into my neck and brushes his lips over my skin. His voice lowers, for only me to hear. “I’ll destroy that sweet pussy though.”
My knees go weak and for a slight moment, Slade has to hold me up.
I’m about to give him specific instructions on how I’d like my pussy destroyed when a commotion down on the court has my attention pulling away from Slade. I glance down past Slade’s shoulder to see Damian pushing his way up through the bleachers on his way to Nessa, but he’s not taking the stairs like Slade had, he’s going straight through the crowd and being as irritatingly obnoxious and infuriatingly painful as possible.
Nessa groans and sinks down into her seat, ducking her head in embarrassment. “Please tell me he tripped and fell?”
I shake my head, watching Damian get closer and closer. “Nope. He’s still coming.”
“Shit. Sometimes I really hate that guy.”
“Yeah, but you can’t help but love him.”
“Shut up. He doesn’t need to know that.”
Damian drops down from the seat in front of us, landing right in front of Nessa. “Too fucking bad, Hera,” he grins wide, reaching down and scooping her into his arms. “I’ve known since day one that you were in love with me.”
Nessa’s eyes bug out of her head. “You did not.”
“Are you denying it?” he grins, way too smug for his own good.
Her eyes drop away. “I mean…no…”
“Good, because I fucking love you too, now hurry up and kiss me so I can remind all these fuckers that you’re mine.”
Nessa rolls her eyes. “You’re such an arrogant assho-”
Damian’s lips crush down on hers and I laugh watching them together. They only got together the night Lucien showed up and watching them as a couple is something I’ve been craving since I first wanted them to get together. They’re the sweetest but absolutely lethal. One of their fights would have the world burning to ashes around them.
Damian pulls back from her with wide eyes. “I almost forgot,” he says, digging into his pocket with an excited grin. “I got you something.”
He pulls his hand out and dangling from his fingers is the diamond necklace he stole from Maria’s great hall. I laugh as Nessa’s eyes go wide. I’d forgotten that Damian had taken that.
“What the hell?” Nessa shrieks, grabbing the necklace and studying it closely, instantly able to tell this thing is the real deal and realizing that a high school senior from Aston Creek would never be able to afford something like this. “Where did you get this?”
Damian bounces his brows and lowers his voice, still so very proud of himself. “I kind of took it from Maria Valentine’s personal little stash before we burned the place down.” Nessa’s face drops as she shoves the necklace into Damian’s chest. “What? It was going to be destroyed in the fire anyway. Technically, I saved it, not stole it.”