Page 54 of King

I delete the message without reading it over, not wanting anyone to see it. Not even me.

I can’t believe what Damien and I did in the boy's locker room. No one’s ever made me feel like that or ever treated me that way. Not while doing…that.

The images of the evening replay in my mind when I climb into bed. With a few deep breaths, I try to push it away and get to sleep.

Lying there, his words float around, the feeling still fresh on my skin. I toss and turn but I can’t fight it.

Damien King is in my head.

Sixteen

No one gets to see you like this but me.

Damien's words are the first things on my mind when my eyes open the next morning.

They won’t leave my head, along with the memories of last night. The tingles from his fingers stain my legs. Thoughts of his kisses still make me clench my bare thighs.

I’m in a daze when Willow meets me at the front of the school demanding to hear all about the homecoming game. I tell her about the lingerie. Tell her about Lea’s reaction. But I don’t tell her about Damien. He's spent too much time in my mind as it is.

We’re standing in front of the school and things seem all too quiet. Sure, there are still some whispers about me being a slut, poor or a whore. But it’s not as bad as it was last week.

“Looks like you’re finding new ways to fit in too!” Willow gives me a huge smile as a boy her height with slick black hair waves at her from the front door.

"Who's that?" This is the first time I've seen Willow with this kid.

She waves back. “I met some new people at Bella’s sleepover last night.”

“I didn’t know it was co-ed.” My eyes scan over the boy waving at my sister, what I can see anyway. He's shorter than most in their grade but his uniform is as crisp as the rest of them, glasses on his small nose.

“He's helping me with science," she hesitates, shoulders dropping. "Jordan Huang."

“Huang?”

“Yeah, he’s Lea’s brother." She glances his way. "Don't freak out, he's not like her."

“Lea has a brother?”

Willow nods as if this isn’t brand new information. He’s dressed smart, but not exactly as fashionable as the rest of Lea’s crew. But now that she’s mentioned it, I’m starting to see a resemblance.

“Mhm,” she says. “Gotta go!” She hugs me before running up the stairs.

“There she is!” I hear Nate’s voice and follow it to see him coming from the parking lot with Allie. “The slutty diva herself.”

“Wait, what?” I’m nervous as they approach.

Has word gotten out? Has Damien already told everyone that he fingered the new girl in the boys’ locker room?

“He’s still singing praises of the performance he missed yesterday,” Allie says. They link arms on either side of me as all three of us start heading for the steps.

“Speaking of which.” Nate leans in. “You missed a performance at Emilio's.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Kings showed up. I don't know if it was the loss but Damien and Christian got into it. Right in the middle of the restaurant. It was pretty epic.”

“He’s still turned on.” Allie sticks out her tongue like she's gagging.

We make our rounds to our lockers as they fill me in on the rest of the story. They say it got so bad Isaac had to pull Damien off Christian before they got kicked out.

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