Page 13 of Study Games

I laughed at that. “All right,” I conceded. “I'll go. One match, but I'm not doing frat parties.”

Dad looked horrified. “Good God.” He crossed himself.

A peal of giggles erupted from me. I clapped a hand over my mouth but that didn’t stop anything. “Love you, Dad.”

“Love you too, Waverly.” He signed off, still looking slightly blindsided by that last comment.

I blew him kisses as I made my way across the room and let Celia back in, already berating her. “What have you done?”

“Give you a social life?” She fluffed blonde curls around her face and headed into my bedroom where she started tossing clothes on the bed. All I got was an eyeful of her rear end as she dug out a pair of denim overalls and rainbow T-shirt from my drawers.

I grabbed the clothes and stuffed them back where they came from. “No,” I snapped, ignoring her raised, manicured eyebrows. “Stay out of my things.”

“Have it your way.” She dragged me out the door in what I was wearing before I could object further, closing and locking the ratty, scarred door behind us.

I shoved my hand into my pockets as the door clicked shut, feeling for my keys there and grabbing my phone with my other hand. Nothing came up as Celia strutted alone, apparently oblivious to my growing discomfort as the dingy streets near campus passed by until we reached Rippton’s grounds. There, students streamed towards the giant stadium dead in the center like rats racing towards a coveted treat.

The closer we got to the stadium, the louder the crowd became and the less breathing room there was. I wrapped my arms around myself, patting my hands on my upper arms in an attempt at knocking the nearest people away.

“Okay, you gotta stop that,” Celia said in an undertone, giving me a one armed hug and attempting to detangle me under cover of affection.

“I can’t.” My shoulders itched at the memory of being trapped, and I overheated on the spot, scratching at them.

“Stop that.” She slapped at my hands.

“I’m still itchy,” I mumbled. I refuse to forgive Jax for what he did, though at least Crush offered some mercy to get me out of that damn jacket.

I wrapped my arms tighter around myself, sweating slightly under my layers.

“That’s it,” Celia warned far too cheerfully as she smiled at everyone around us, though desperation tinged her voice, even if I was the only one who heard it. “Come on, Waverly. And we're done.” She emphasized this last by pulling my hands away and throwing them to my sides. “Waverly. Can’t you try to be–” Her mouth snapped shut, and she didn’t finish that thought.

She didn’t need to.

“No, I can’t just be normal,” I said, quietly.

Just like everyone else.

She shook her head but wouldn't make contact with me. “That's not what I meant.”

The rest of the walk to the stadium we remained in silence, a good dozen feet separating us. I finally had the chance to breathe as the crowd gave me the grace of breathing room. Heck, I might even have been able to put up with people, and the sporting event and the Allstars, and seeing the team play who bullied me that awful night with Jax and the itching jacket.

I even talked myself into believing I had it all under control when Celia disappeared into the stadium without me.

Right as I ran smack into a leather jacket haunted my dreams for the last week since I was stuck in its confines.

But that wasn’t the worst thought that crossed my mind as I stared up into dark, fathomless eyes I knew hadn’t forgiven me since that night and were never likely to.

No, the biggest problem was that even though he tortured me and bullied me and restricted me in that stupid itchy leather jacket–

Jax Palmer was still sexy as hell.

6

JAX

My lip curled as I plucked Waverly away from my body. “Don’t touch me,” I forced the words out behind clenched teeth, uncertain if I wanted to throw her as far away from me as I possibly could, or pull her closer and kiss her senseless.

Naturally, the oxymoron of a creature before me didn’t move.

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