Page 78 of Dangerous Play

Or at least the pieces that were left of it.

“We showed up the Lions in the end, because even without a striker we came out on top,” I went on and the guys cheered. “And now we need to keep pushing and prove to everyone whowas doubting us that we are Titans, we may bend, but we can’t be broken.”

Cheers erupted around me, and I found myself in a middle of the group hug. My closest friends patting me on the back and Maddox grinned at me.

“Now, all you have to do is get the girl.”

“Yeah, that ship has sailed... I...” I started with my excuses, but then I stopped and laughed. “Fuck it, I have nothing else to lose. I can do whatever I want.”

“Operation Poison Ivy.” Aaron grinned, getting my head in a neck lock.

“Come on.” I pushed him off me and let out a relieved laugh. “You know her name is Blossom.”

Liam’s wide grin seemed to be contagious around the team as the guys nodded. “Operation Blossom is on.”

“We can do that... after the finals. First, we need to win the cup for Dex.”

I wanted nothing more than to drive over the Westpoint pick her up and kiss her until I ran out of breath. Maybe even longer.

But I had a duty to fulfill as team captain, and I already let everyone down. I wanted to make one good and sound decision this year by putting the team first. It wasn’t going to land me on the National Team. But it was going to help me with my own guilt. Because if we lost the finals after I got Ivy back, I would have never forgiven myself.

And I wasn’t going to enter a relationship just to doom it with my own guilt and self-depreciation. We both deserved more.

Even if that meant staying apart for a while longer.

I could just hope I wasn’t too late when I got around to finding her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

IVY

People didn’t getany creative with insulting nicknames over time.

“Whore.”

“Traitor.”

“Bitch.”

All of those echoed through the hallways as I passed through them, trying hard to prepare for my finals and work through the chaos.

I decided to stay at school instead of going home for Thanksgiving. I didn’t want to see Daisy and Ander, and the campus was finally empty, allowing me to enjoy my solo dorm room where I moved back after the fallout with Kaia.

It wasn’t ideal, and it felt like a huge step backward but it was necessary in order for me to take back control over my life.

I was doing my best to maintain my positive outlook on life and to prepare for my finals. The Soccer Cup Final was still a week away, taking place early December and I was anxious about how the team would perform.

My heart ached when I saw Max archived all our posts. I understood his pain and hurt and I didn’t expect him to reach out. Not after that text from my phone went viral and even made it to ESPN. I was embarrassed I put him in this position.

Yet, I couldn’t stop missing him.

I couldn’t stop thinking of him and wishing that we got more time together.

I missed him inside me; no matter how many times I touched myself, it never felt the same. Not without him. Never when it wasn’t him.

While Ander ruined my image of sex and made me believe it’s nothing special, Max fully destroyed sex for me. Nothing felt as good as when he was inside me, when he touched me, when he made me come.

I’d been chasing that feeling on my own and I always fell short.

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