Page 9 of His Brave Girl

Because you’re pretty, smart, and you’re nice. She probably saw you as a threat back then, and ever since, she’s been trying to make sure you never outshine her.But she’s not going to do that anymore. I’m not going to let her.

The teacher calls on Chase, and we quickly hide the evidence of our note passing and look up. Chase is struggling to find the answer to the problem he’s been asked to solve. His face is turning a little red as he scribbles on his sheet. Ruby whispers a number under her breath and Chase calls it out.

“Correct, Mr. Warren. Good work.”

Our teacher moves onto the next problem, and Chase whispers a thank you, causing Ruby’s rosy cheeks to tip up into a shy little smile. It warms my heart to see it. I hope that soon enough, that girl will be radiating with smiles and no longer feel like she needs to hide herself away from the world. I hope that by the time she graduates, she’ll be brave enough to tackle the world.

The teacher finishes his lecture then assigns some problems for us to solve within our groups. Ruby has them solved within record time, so for the remainder of class, we get to chat.

“You’re really good at this stuff,” Chase says. There’s a hint of awe in his voice, and the way he’s looking at her now, it’s like he’s finally seeing her.

“Thanks.” Ruby bites back her smile, her cheeks now flushed by his compliment. “It’s my favorite subject. If you ever need me to help tutor you or anything, just let me know.”

Wow. She just put herself out there. It looks like her confidence is already starting to build.

“Thanks, but I don’t need any help.” Chase shakes his head, his tone having just turned ice cold and rude. “I’m not a fucking idiot. He just caught me off guard.”

Ruby’s cheek instantly flame with embarrassment. “Sorry, I was just offering. I wasn’t… Never mind.” Her eyes shoot down to her paper, and she looks like she wants to run and hide, but she can’t. I don’t know why he had to be such a jerk whenshe was just trying to be nice. Two seconds ago, he was just complimenting her.

I give Chase a glare before I turn to her. “Can you help me, Ruby? I’m struggling on these. Can you show me what I’m doing wrong?”

She nods and quickly begins explaining everything. Chase is pretending not to be paying attention, but I know he’s listening to every word and taking mental notes. I don’t understand why guys’ egos always have to get in the way. Who cares if you’re not strong in a subject; it doesn’t mean you’re stupid. And he certainly doesn’t need to attack the sweet girl who already has enough insecurities of her own.

When the bell rings, I quickly thank Ruby for her help before she darts from the room. I’m tempted to call Chase out on his shit, but I have to get to athletics, which is all the way on the opposite side of the building, so our talk will have to wait for later. Which is probably a good thing because I don’t want there to be any prying ears around, and Cassie is definitely tuned into everything happening in our direction. I don’t think she took her eyes off us the entire class.

CHAPTER 7

Presley

Today, Coach tells us that we’ll be completing the second half of our physical assessment test, and that it’s boys’ pick for partners. And by no surprise, Kyler gets to pick first. I avoided making eye contact with him, but could feel the heat of his stare from the moment I entered the gym. “Presley,” he chooses, and I have no choice but to finally look up.

As soon as our eyes connect, my stomach flutters. The pull between us is even stronger today. And it certainly doesn’t help that he looks so sexy in his tight black T-shirt which is hugging his muscles perfectly, giving me a glimpse of his thick biceps. My eyes drop lower, seeing how his gray jogging pants are molded to his hard thighs. They’re also molded to his package, which is beginning to grow more pronounced under my stare. I look up, realizing my mistake, cringing when I see the smirk on his face. Now, he knows exactly what’s running through my mind.

Begrudgingly, I walk over to stand by my partner. He shifts and strategically places me in front of his body. It’s obvious he doesn’t want the rest of the class to see the bulge that’s nowtenting the front of his pants. I don’t want them to, either, honestly. The possessive feeling sinking in rattles me. And there go the warning bells sounding. I turn my attention to my partner from yesterday, needing the distraction.

It’s John’s turn to make his selection. He doesn’t even take a second to linger over his choice. He states a girl’s name with so much confidence that it has me smiling. Yesterday, he was cowering in the corner, too afraid to make eye contact with his peers. And today, he’s holding his shoulders up high and looking ready to take on the world. The girl he’s chosen gives him a shy smile as she steps to his side.Aw, that’s cute.

John must sense me staring because his eyes shift in my direction, giving me a friendly smile as he tips his head at me. It’s amazing how little it takes to help someone feel good about themselves. It’s what my grandmother always used to say: “A little bit of kindness goes a long way.” I give him a discreet thumbs-up and a wink, feeling like I’ve made another friend.

Suddenly, Kyler’s hands are braced on my hips, and I’m yanked back against his body. There’s possession in his hold, but there’s no way he could be jealous of John.

“You’re a damn sweetheart, babe. You know that? So damn beautiful inside and out.”

Kyler’s whisper slides over me, wrapping its way around my willpower and trying to rip my resistance to shreds. I can feel his hard bulge pressing into my lower back and it’s a battle to keep myself from rubbing against it. But I intend to stay strong today. What happened between us yesterday won’t be happening again.

“So, you’re still trying to avoid me?”

His grumbly voice takes another strike at my defenses, sending a shiver through my shoulders. I shake my head, pulling out of his grip, thankful the coach has just told us to move to our first stations. “No,” I state, making my way toward the dumbbellrack. “I just got to school early and went to class.” The lie rolls off my tongue and is a little too believable for my own ears.

“Well, good. Now, I know where to find you then.” Kyler’s hands reach for me again, but I sidestep him before he can get ahold of me.

“So, what have you been up to since I moved away, Kye?” I’m determined to keep all of our conversation strictly platonic.

“Mostly football.” He shrugs. “Got a scholarship to State next year.”

Shit. That’s where I’m going. I wanted to stay close to my dad so I decided to stay in state. But that means I’ll now be in school with Kyler. At least the campus is huge, so maybe I won’t even run into him. Though, I’d be lying if I said the excitement of knowing we’ll be at the same school wasn’t creeping in. I force the thought away and force my smile.

“Congrats! A scholarship? Wow, you must be really good.” Kyler always said he wanted to play football when we were kids, but we moved before I ever got the chance to see him play.

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