Page 18 of Rivals

His eyes darken and his hand slides around the back of my neck. “If that was all I wanted you wouldn’t be here, Riley. Us hooking up is inevitable. I know you like my cock and I enjoy when you come undone around me. Therefore, sex is eventually going to happen. But so are a lot of other things.”

“What other things?” I ask him, ignoring the rest of his crazy ass statements.

“A date,” he answers, a mischievous smile on his lips.

“I’m not going on a date with you. Are you planning to dunk my car in the bay?”

Reign laughs and grabs my hand, pulling me toward the building with a large number three on the top, and hands me my schedule. “Your first class is in there. And yeah, we are going on a date. We’ll need to celebrate after you make the team.”

My feet falter and I scowl at him. “After I make the team? Did your daddy rig that too?”

Reign turns to me, his hands moving to cradle my face. “You don’t need anyone to rig you making the team, Riles. You have talent and heart for the game.”

I can’t look at him when he gets all nice on me. My stomach flutters in response. I just wish I could figure this out. I need to know what his endgame is while my head is still above water. “Why are you doing all of this?”

Reign’s eyes soften as he looks into mine before he lowers his lips to mine, kissing me for the whole school to see. His lips move over mine, heated, possessive, then he parts them and slides his tongue inside. It’s an obscene kiss, too much everything in the front of a school building, but maybe no one cares here, looking the other way when their golden boy is doing it.

Reign breaks the kiss and leans his forehead against mine for a second. I’m breathing heavily as well. “I’m doing it because I want to. Because I like you.”

My body freezes, my heart swelling in my chest. I don’t know how to process his statement or what to say or think. I just have to get away. Turning, I run into the looming building in front of me, desperate to put some distance between Reign and myself. I need time. I need to figure out how I feel.

“I’ve been watching you for a while, Riley. I’m surprised you’re here, but I’m also not one to turn down a talented player.” Coach Olivia Stone hands me a black jersey.

I hesitate when my fingers touch the material knowing it’s sealing my fate. “Thanks, Coach Stone,” I manage to say, my fingers gripping the jersey in my hands.

“I’m sorry you had to lose your captain patch, but I think there is a lot of room for you to grow. Welcome to the team, Conrad,” she replies.

I sit on the bench, changed after the last day of tryouts, and fight the urge to cry. I’m a ball of mixed emotions: anger, resentment, pride, hope. It all rolls through me. Three days ago, I was hesitant when I walked into that arena. Every girl on the team knew me and even the few trying out for the two open spots stared daggers at me. I was a Pirate and now trying out to make the Saints’ team. I breezed through the ice drills and the dryland skills. During the scrimmages, I played better than even some of the seniors that I’d been playing against for years. I played the best I ever had because I had something to prove. I also was terrified of Coach Stone finding out about what I did to her car, even though Reign already took the rap for me.

I’m pulling on my sweatshirt when my phone lights up in my bag. Heat tingles down my back because I know who it is. Reign has been relentless. I dodged him the past few days after practice, claiming to need time to adjust, to get caught up on school work, or that I was just too sore. He hasn’t pushed taking me out on a date since the first day, and he’s had plenty of opportunities. Somehow my schedule is almost identical to Reign’s minus one change. He has biology that I absolutely refuse to be in. I never want to cut into any animals and I have zero interest in the medical field. Instead, I ended up in a cinematography class, learning how to make movies.

Now it’s Friday. Usually Reign would make an appearance off campus at a party or something or go to a football game. Instead, I’ve been fielding questions all day about what I’m hungry for, for dinner. I feel like time is running out and I’m still no closer to understanding my own feelings as I was at the beginning of the week. I shove the jersey in my bag then zip it up before grabbing my phone.

THORN-IN-MY-SIDE: Practice ended half an hour ago. Are you at your dorm? I’ll meet you there.

ME: Don’t bother. I’m going to meet up with Emma and Sam. You should go out. Have some drinks and hook up with someone.

My pulse throbs in my neck as I hit send, reminding me of one of the ways Reign says he knows me. Thank god he’s not here right now to run his fingers over my neck. My stomach dips just thinking about it. I watch my phone and he doesn’t respond. After a couple of minutes, I exhale. My heart aches thinking that maybe he is going to take my advice, that maybe I’ve just become not worth the chase.

My hair is still wet from the showers and I sweep it up in a ponytail on top of my head. With my head down and my earbuds in, I make the trek from the arena back to my dorm. The campus is dark and quiet. A few groups of students move together, as they head off in various directions for activities. In the distance I can see the football stadium lit up and every now and then I can hear the cheers from the crowd over my music. When I get to the main door, I use my scan card to get in and take the elevator up the four floors to where my room is. My hand clenches around the key when I turn the corner and come face to face with a very pissed off Reign.

Riley

Reign holds his phone up, and as I get closer, I can see it’s our conversation open. “Go hook up with someone?”

I falter, pulling my lip between my teeth. My emotions bleed out and all I can manage to do is shrug. “Maybe the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.”

Reign’s face pales and then flushes. His jaw clenches and when his eyes drop to mine, they’re dark. Very dark. He reaches out and grabs my key from me, ignoring my protests when he slides it in and then opens my door. Instinctually I step back, but Reign anticipates it, grabbing my arm and almost pushing me through the door.

“Reign.”

His back is to me as he flicks the lock on the door and then throws my key to the side. I jump, hearing the metal ting off the floor by the coffee table. “Let me see it.”

“See what?” I cross my arms over my chest, confusion seeping into my words.

“Your new jersey,” he seethes, reaching for my bag.

I jump over him, working to get to it before he can. I don’t get why he needs it but I’m also terrified of him doing something to it that could get me in trouble. I hold it to my chest but Reign is quicker and stronger than I am. I let go easily in order not to rip the fabric.

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