Page 66 of Rivals

“Hell, yes I do.” I pretend to fist pump the air, which earns me one of her smiles. My chest feels warm when I take her hand in mine and we exit the arena.

We hop in my car and I drive us through town to the diner. Carter and Leif are also there with a few more of our teammates and kids from school. Quinn nods at Riley who gives her a friendly wave. I grab us a booth on the edge of the action, mostly because I just want to be close to her. I’m dying to tell her about her impending acceptance, but I know I can’t. Not yet. Plus, part of me wants her to share it with me first when she does get her letter later. After our trip I’m starting to realize that I have to push her slowly. Riley knows what’s best for her, sometimes she just needs a little nudge, and in small increments.

I hide my smirk when she orders her usual chicken tenders. I order my strawberry shake and a burger and fries. Extra fries, for when Riley starts eyeing the ones on my plate because she didn’t order her own.

I watch her while we eat, and notice the faraway look in her eyes. “What’s wrong? Did that shit Mavis say something before I got there?”

Riley’s eyes widen and she bursts out laughing. “Chill there, caveman. All the poor kid did was say hi and asked if I enjoyed the game. He made it perfectly clear he was waiting to see you.”

“He made you laugh,” I argue the main point.

“I sometimes do that Reign, even when you aren’t around.” She rolls her eyes before popping one of my fries in her mouth.

I study her. I wonder if there is a way to get into her film class too. If I am with her all day then every time she laughs, smiles, or fucking hiccups, I’ll be there for it. “I don’t like it.”

“Tough. You have to live with it.” She nudges me with her foot under the table and I can read the humor in her eyes. She thinks I’m joking. I’m not joking. I take her hand in mine, my fingers running over her knuckles. I don’t let go for the rest of the meal and she lets me.

When we get back to her dorm, I follow her in and to the elevator up to her floor. She glances at me out of the corner of her eye. I can feel her anxiousness ramping up. We still haven’t fucked since all the shit went down. We’ve kissed, and I’ve made her come in other ways, but I’ve been holding out, not wanting to push her for more until I knew we were okay again. After things in Michigan and with her finally telling me she loves me, I can’t wait anymore.

“Are you coming in?” she asks, shyly meeting my eyes, while we stand outside her door.

I bend and press my lips to hers, moving over them slowly, tasting her, teasing her. “I miss you, Riles. I need to be inside you again. I want to know if you trust me first.”

She inhales and our gazes meet. Her hands find my waist. “I do trust you. Just never shut me out again.”

“I won’t,” I promise her before sliding my hands down her waist and grabbing under her ass, lifting her against me. Riley’s legs circle my waist and her arms go around my neck. Her lips descend on mine, our kisses turn consuming. Somehow we manage to unlock her door and I carry her through the small space and back where her bedroom is. My hands never leave her body, running over her curves and under the jersey she’s wearing, along the soft skin on her back. She moans into my mouth at my caresses, her body grinding against mine. I need more of her.

Setting her on her feet, my hands reach for my sweater and she helps pull it up and over my head. I reluctantly help her out of her jersey and take her leggings down in one swoop. My t-shirt goes next, and she starts kissing along my neck and abdomen, anywhere she can reach the bare skin. Having her lips back on my body gets me instantly hard. My hand grips her hair, and I fist it like a ponytail, holding her to me. My worst fear after months of being practically celibate is coming too soon. I need her to have at least three orgasms first. My eyes fly around her room, looking for anything else to concentrate on for a few seconds while I get my body under control. Tonight should be about her. I glance down at her desk, looking for boring things, books, pencils, her laptop and then I see them. The writing at the top, black and white, maroon and gold.

“Riley.” I grip her hair and pull lightly. She leans back and for a split second I let her flushed cheeks and puffy lips distract me. “Why the fuck are there applications to Boston and Minnesota on your desk.”

She pulls away and her face pales slightly. “Reign, I can explain.”

I let go of her and pick up the applications on her desk. I also notice one to Colorado that I had missed. “Are you applying to these places?”

She massages her fingers against her forehead, her eyes pleading with me to understand. “It was something that the dean said. He mentioned that other schools would want me to, and I just think I have to test that theory or else I feel like Michigan is being handed to me because of you.”

“So you’re applying to see if you get in, and then when they accept you, what? You turn them down?” My hand trembles with the papers in my grasp.

“I don’t know,” she answers, and the truth of her words hit me straight in the gut.

“So all the plans we’re making will mean nothing?” I drop the papers on her desk before running my hands through my hair. I have to come up with a way to keep her with me. To make sure she chooses me and the future I have planned. I need Riley every day in order to breathe, to live. “Don’t turn them in.”

“What?” Her lips part and her brow rises.

“Don’t do it. You don’t need to send these in to prove that you’re good enough. You are, Riley. You told me that Pete thought you were worthy. Me, your dad, we’ve all been telling you that you’re worthy. Riley, it’s all at the tips of your fingers. Your grades, your tenacity, your hockey talent alone, would draw a crowd for their girls’ team. Doing this proves nothing, unless you accept the fact that you are amazing, first. You could receive a dozen acceptance letters and unless you believe it was meant for you, you are going to look at them and wonder.” I reach for her, cradling her face in my hands. “Don’t turn them in. Wait with me, believe in me.”

“I do, I do, Reign. I believe in your dream but I just want to know if it’s because of me or you.” Her eyes fill with tears, her hands grip my waist.

I shake my head. “It’s you. All I did was ask my dad to see if the dean could at least meet you. That is all. I promise. I intervened a lot more with All Saints, I admit it. There was no way I was leaving you alone though, babe.”

Her lips form a small smile. “Yes, I know how the end of that story played out.”

I grunt in response. My words might not be enough right now; I’ll have to show her. “All right, this ends now.”

I scoop her up, her face changing from confused to surprise, as her legs hitch on my hips and hold on to my shoulders. I throw her on the bed and my body follows her down, caging her in and pinning her under me. Our eyes lock and the air around us becomes charged, tense, each of us waiting to see how this is going to go. I don’t want her to think about anything else but me and us. I claim her lips with mine in a fierce and hungry kiss. I kiss her like my next breath depends on it. Like she is oxygen and if I take my lips away from hers, I’ll wither and die right here. The feelings that I have are all-consuming and I force her body to feel it, to feel me and my deep, aching need for her. Her hands grip my shoulders, her breathing becoming jagged, while we share air between us. I grind into her until she’s making adorable gasping noises, her hands moving along my jaw, my cheeks, gripping my face and yet I still don’t let her come up for air. We’re both going to drown in this feeling.

Riley pushes me back with all her might, gasping, her eyes looking frantic. “Reign, your cheek. The cut opened; you’re bleeding.”

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