Page 45 of Rivals

“What’s wrong?” I narrow my gaze, assessing her.

“Nothing.” She shimmies out of my grasp and tugs at the end of her sweater.

“Did that hurt?” I reach for her again, wanting to see the area I grabbed, praying I didn’t seriously injure her.

Riley steps out of reach of my hold. “No. I’m fine. Let’s just get back.”

She moves to walk around me, but this time I stop her by grasping the upper part of her arm. “Babe, you screamed bloody murder. Now you look uncomfortable. Let me see where I touched you.”

“It’s fine. It’s just a little tender from the game.” She shakes her head and tries to paint on a fake ass smile. Instinctually I reach forward and grasp her throat. Riley’s eyes widen when my finger presses on her pulse point behind her hair and I find it racing.

“You’re lying.”

“Reign, it’s not a big deal, okay. I got a little banged up, but I’m fine.” Her hand lands on mine, calmingly like I’m going to lose my shit at any moment.

I think back to that night and try to remember. After being taken down and leaving the ice, I spent time with the trainers and a medic, assessing the injury and talking about a plan. On the bus ride home, there was chaos and everyone asking me questions and checking on me, fielding calls from my parents that I was okay, that I barely paid attention. I do remember one of the guys having his phone with a video and talking about how brutal the girls’ game had been.

“Show me.”

Her face pales and I feel a hot coil of anger tightening in my chest. Riley is tough. It’s one of the things I’ve always admired about her. Her ability to challenge me and give back as good as she gets. I’m an idiot for not realizing sooner how much her attitude turned me on and made me like her. Except I wasn’t supposed to like her and all my actions came out backward.

“I promise, it doesn’t hurt bad.” Her voice is soothing while my rage quietly stokes inside me.

She startles when my hands fist the bottom of her sweater, intent on seeing the damage myself. Her hands land on mine and fear plays over her features as I yank the material up.

“Reign!”

“Show me. Or I’ll strip you right here in the library and look myself.” I get in her face, backing her up against the row of books.

I feel when her resistance slips. Riley turns her head to the side and her hands let go of mine. With her permission, I raise the material so it sits below her bra line. The angry purple marks and welts still look fresh, even after multiple days. Riley has been walking around and taking care of me while she herself was injured and should have been resting.

“Who?” I demand to know, my hand cupping her jaw and forcing her to look at me.

“Reign, please.”

“Who do I need to destroy? Tell me.” I let her sweater fall back down, slowly caging her in against the stacks.

“You can’t even remember the names of the girls whose hearts you toyed with?” She glares at me, her hands sliding between us and pushing me back. “One of your admirers was on the team and they all took it very personally that you said I was yours.”

The fuck. I don’t even know who it would be. “Which girl?”

“Are you serious? How many are there, Reign? Do I have to endure this at every game because all these girls are so hung up on you?” She almost yells and steps into me.

I want to shield her from bumping into me too hard so she doesn’t aggravate her side any more. “They mean nothing to me. You think I honestly care what any of those girls say or think? I’ve never given them the impression that there would be more.” She scoffs and wraps her arms around herself.

“You expect me to believe that? I’ve always heard the rumors. And don’t forget, because I certainly haven’t been able to with all these sheep at All Saints reminding me that you don’t do girlfriends.”

My lips twitch. She might be pissed, but she’s also slightly jealous. “Since I was nine there has never been another girl for me.” This time when I reach out to her, she willingly steps into my arms. My hands land on her waist, keeping her close. “Do you want to be my girlfriend, Riles?”

Her head tips back with a ruthless smile. “Fuck. No.”

My heart slams in my rib cage and my fingers tighten on her. She’s mine. “Why not?”

“Because there’s already an X on me. And I do not want to only be known as Reign Thorn’s girlfriend.”

“Fine.” I shrug. “Then I’ll be known as Riley Conrad’s boyfriend.”

“Ridiculous,” she mutters and moves around me, heading back toward our table.

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