Page 110 of Honey Pot

“This is none of your business.” Julien didn’t look away from me. “Is it, Clementine?” He snapped loudly at me and bared his teeth as his grip tightened.

“Andre Davey,” Cael said, breaking Julien’s vicious stare by confusing him, but, for me, it clicked instantly.

I knew that name and knew what Cael was about to do as I ripped my arm away and took two steps back, leaving the space between them empty. Cael’s knee came up as his hands wrapped around Julien’s face pulling him into what looked like a hug but Julien groaned loudly as Cael’s knee connected with his nuts.

“Andre. Davey,” Cael repeated himself, holding Julien up as he tried to catch his breath from having his genitals shoved up in his stomach. “Middle school winter formal, he pinched Clem in line for the punch. I remember the sad little sound she made but what I remember more is the horrific sound of his ballsack turning into dust when she kneed him for it.”

“Cael,” Mrs. Shore warned him with a soft, authoritative voice but Cael had tunnel vision and ignored her.

“She got a two-week suspension.” Cael laughed and he looked over to me with a proud smile. “She kneed himsohard Andre walked funny after. I warned you to take your hand off her and now that I have your attention.”

“You’re a piece of work,” Julien choked up.

“Yeah, I know. Are you even listening?” Cael’s Cheshire cat grin remained wide as he raised his eyebrows at Julien’s comment like it was something Cael took pride in. “This is an assumption, but you were a hockey guy, weren’t you?”

“What the hell does that have to do with you being a possessive asshole, she’s not even yours, man,” Julien huffed and put his arm out in my direction, suddenly causing me to flinch.

Embarrassed, I shrunk into myself and backed up a step.Worse, Cael noticed. His eyes darkened as he looked me over with concern before stifling down the emotions that sparked and turned back to Julien.

“I’m just trying to get to know you. I want to understand what she saw in you, but I think I figured it out,” Cael quipped.They were polar opposites, in every way. There wasn’t a trace of Cael in Julien.

Cael’s bottom lip jutted out in thought. “You know all the rules of baseball. So you clearly know howoutswork?” He asked him, and Julien nodded sluggishly.

No one seemed to want to intervene, Silas and Arlo had moved closer but Ryan had stayed in the outfield and far away from the interaction.

I stared between the two of them as Cael backed off, brushing fake dirt from Julien's shoulders and making sure he could stand. I held my breath as the tension came to a boiling point, and the impression Julien left on my arm stopped stinging.

“Now I let the whistle slide, that was strike one,” Cael explained. “We don’t catcall women at Harbor.”

I wanted to speak up but couldn’t find my voice, so I shamefully enjoyed this version of Cael that had shown up. Possessive and confident, he was radiating in the same way he had the day I realized I loved him—brighter than the sun.

“And the ass comment. Ialmostflipped a switch because that made her uncomfortable, and if I know anything about Clem, which,” he smiled and tipped his head side to side, “I know everything about her. Making her uncomfortable is a hard task.Thatwas strike two. So you were already in hot water.”

“Do you ever shut up?” Julien groaned and tried to get out of Cael’s hold, but it didn’t work. His grip was too tight, and he wasn’t finished yet.

“You could have walked off the field like a man, taken your out with grace, but instead you decided to act like a coward. Strike three, Jamie.”

“You know my fucking name.” Julien shoved again. His anger was bubbling to the surface and he was ready to lash out, but Cael dug his fingers into his shoulder muscle.

The Cael in front of everyone was someone he kept shoved down deep inside of him, that angry little kid I hadn’t seen in seven years and hadn’t seen until that day, and it seemed he only came out when I really needed him to.

I stood up a little straighter, rolling out the shame and shook off the sticky feeling of Julien’s fingerprints on my skin. I wasn’t that seventeen year old girl anymore, and Cael wasn’t that boy. It was suddenly clear.

“If youevertouch her like that again,” Cael lowered his voice and made sure Julien was listening. “If you evenlookat her with those dopey shit-brown eyes maliciously… you’ll wish the only thing I did was knock the wind out of you for thirty seconds. Do you understand me?” His tone shifted again broaching sing-song territory as a smile formed on his face.

“Answer me, Jeff,” Cael ordered him with a laugh.

“Yeah, I heard you.” Julien shoved him off and took a few steps back before he looked at me. Disgust, anger, and maliciousness surged from every inch of him.

Cael reached out and slapped his palm against Julien’s face who had finally caught his breath and found his footing. Julien put his hand up but thought better than to retaliate as Cael spoke again.

“See, that’s the look I’m talking about,” he tsked. “Pop flies are impossible to catch in the sun even for experienced players, you should be praising her.” Cael smirked. “Like this.”

“You did amazing, Plum. You did exactly what I told you to do.” He turned to me, lowering his voice into a husky purr that curled my toes in my sneakers.“Such a .”

Julien practically hissed, but Cael shushed him without looking away from me. I turned red under his bright blue eyes and filled my lungs with cold air to satiate the burning in my chest. Julien’s stare had scared me, but Cael’s… it made me feel invincible.

“Cael.” I shook my head. “Everyone is listening.”

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