Page 57 of Cruel Steps

“You ready for the game tomorrow?” she asked.

“Yeah.” I lifted a brow, not sure what she was getting at. I didn’t do useless chit-chat. I wasn’t one to check in with girls and ask them how they were feeling, how their classes were going, or if they thought the Calc test was hard. I didn’t know any details about the girls I slept with outside of their names and ages.

Except for her.

“Cool.” She nodded, smiling, and stepped closer. A cloying, sweet scent invaded my bubble, and I wrinkled my nose. She didn’t notice since she focused more on my chest and running her hands up it. My distraction with her perfume had let her get further than I wanted.

I gripped her hands in mine, stopping her perusal. “What are you doing?” My body broke out in awareness a second later, and I shut my eyes. Her voice infiltrated my ears next, and then a laugh. I snapped my eyes back open and gritted my teeth. Nostrils flaring, I waited in anticipation and dread for her to pass, completely forgetting about the girl in front of me.

I knew instantly when she passed and saw me. Electricity thrummed between us, and I focused on muting it. The struggle had become more challenging each day to deny what my body wanted. Her eyes flicked over to me, the heat replaced with hurt as she took in my stance with the girl plastered to my front. Emerson turned her head quickly and picked up her steps. Cody jogged to catch up, throwing his arm around her shoulders, and my blood boiled.

The kid had gotten on my nerves all week. First, there were the not-so-subtle implications from the coach. He could pull me for Cody at any sign of weakness. Then seeing him all over my Wildcat made me want to commit murder. I hadn’t touched him… yet. But he was nearing the line where I’d snap; consequences be damned.

I’d already had him doing extra drills, hoping to exhaust him so much he wouldn’t be able to walk, much less get it up to stick it in Wildcat.

Once she was out of sight, I could breathe again, and I stepped back, dropping Gina’s arms. I glared at her, waiting for her to explain. She rubbed her wrists, and I felt marginally bad that I’d gripped her so hard, but she shouldn’t have touched me.

“So, I guess the rumor is true.”

“Rumor?” I asked, despite knowing better. I hated girls who spoke in word riddles. Wildcat doesn’t.

“That you met someone. That’s why you haven’t been with anyone yet.”

“I don’t fuck around during the season. There’s not anyone.”

She nodded. “True. But you usually pick a girl during training and have your fun with her until the first game. Word is you haven’t. Or at least no one anyone knows about.”

“What the fuck? I don’t…” I stopped, thinking back to the previous years. I could see how, from her perspective, it might seem that way, but it had never been intentional. Was this all these girls did? Sit and gossip about who I took into my bed?

Gina shrugged, biting her lip, and twisted her hair. She was trying to be coy, but it came off as desperate. “So, does that mean the position is open tonight?”

The asshole in me wanted to say yes. I could lose myself in this girl for an hour and then wait for the gossip to get to Emerson.

But I didn’t want to. Wasn’t that just the kick in the gut I needed?

“No.” I didn’t elaborate or care if I was too blunt. Gina turned to go, and I suddenly remembered something Emerson had said. “Wait.” She turned, a hopeful smile on her face. “Are you friends with Hope?”

Gina’s face changed instantly, the delight disappearing, and if I wasn’t mistaken, some fear entered her eyes. “No. I’m not in the right tax bracket,” she said, her words bitter.

“Excuse me?” She laughed, only making me angrier. “Explain.”

She stopped abruptly and watched me. “You really don’t know?”

My jaw tensed, my molars crunching under the force, and I shook my head no.

“Hope only befriends the girls from her sorority, the ones whose daddies make millions. I’m unsure how she got in, but nothing about Hope surprises me, honestly. The girl has a bigger ring of cronies than mob bosses.” She crossed her arms and braced herself like she thought I might attack her.

The news shocked me, but part of me wasn’t surprised. I swallowed, relaxing my jaw. I didn’t want to scare Gina now that I was finally getting info.

“Has Hope ever bullied anyone?”

Gina snorted. “The better question is, ‘who hasn’t she bullied?’”

“You?”

She nodded, her eyes dropping and then lifting back to mine. “Once. I learned to steer clear of her after that.” Gina assessed me, biting her lip in thought this time. “Haven’t you ever wondered why more girls don’t try their shot with you?”

I rolled my eyes. “My sister has nothing to do with that. I’m an asshole, and my reputation for no strings is well known.”

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