Page 96 of Ruthless Legacy

“I don’t care one way or the other.” He laughs again. “What’s so funny, Number Three?”

“The two of you. You’re like the same person.”

“I’m nothing like him.”

“Stubborn. Bossy. Afraid to let people get close. Sure. Sounds nothing like him.”

He’s joking, but his words sting. I know I’m keeping him at a distance, but after what happened, I can’t afford to drop my guard again. Especially now that I’m joining their little boy’s club.

Pax doesn’t think women belong. I’m sure he’s just voicing what everyone else thinks, too. So I need to keep my distance from everyone who would have a reason to sabotage me.

Chapter42

Pax

I’m sitting in a beach chair pretending to sleep, so nobody talks to me. Finn dragged us to the beach, when all I wanted to do was go to the gym and watch some television. Our parents are gone for the weekend and no league activities are scheduled this weekend. Come Monday morning, our challenges resume. Plus, this is the first time we won’t be the lowest ranked people in the room. As soon as selectee indoctrination is over, we’ll be ascending to second-year prospects.

I feel like a third wheel watching my friends interact with Thea and her group. It was tense when we got here, but Austin and his football buddies are busy dunking the girls in the ocean, and Finn joined right in. Holden’s sitting in a chair, reading. But he’s closer to where they are than I am.

I know they’re not excluding me. I’m excluding myself. I can’t even say for certain why. I’m not sure of anything concerning my feelings and my actions when it comes to Thea. Not anymore. She hasn’t spoken to me and hasn’t brought up what happened last night. Fuck, last night was a mistake.

I told her it happened because I wanted to prove a point, but the only thing I proved was Finn correct about how good her pussy feels. Today would be a perfect time to throw what happened in my face. Finn asked why I have it out for her, and the answer is, I have no idea.

All my previous excuses don’t hold up anymore. I can’t even say she’s trying to use us or cause a rift between us, because she hasn’t done anything to make me question her intentions towards Finn or Holden. She’s honoring our deal. In public. When we’re alone or in the gym, she’s as mouthy as always. I don’t mind that. I can deal with that.

Thea throws her head back and laughs at whatever Austin’s saying, then leans into him. I hope she’s not trying to add him to her little sex group. That’s the fastest way to get her feelings hurt. Holden and Finn can barely tolerate knowing she’s hooking up with Deacon Wolfe. I doubt they’d be welcoming to the football player.

I glance over at my friends. I need to come clean about what happened. I don’t want to give them another reason to be mad at me.

Finn jogs over to where I’m standing. “We need you.”

“For what?”

“We’re about to get a game of ultimate frisbee going.”

“Us against the football players?”

“Yes, but we have to split the girls among our teams. We’ve got Leslie and Stephanie. They’ve got Thea and LJ.”

It doesn’t matter how they divide up the girls. They can keep them all. The competition gets brutal whenever we face off against Austin and the football team. It’s only a matter of time before we’re excluding the girls, anyway.

“Maybe they should just sit this one out. I’d hate for them to break a nail.”

“Cooper already tried to warn them, but they say they can handle it.”

One look at Leslie and Stephanie peeling off their shorts and hiking up their tits tells me all I need to know about why they insist on playing.

Thea’s wearing a bikini with cutoff shorts, and LJ’s in a bathing suit with cutout sides. Neither of them spare me a glance as I walk over to where the end zone markers are being placed.

I fall into my huddle as Austin’s crew gets into theirs. Finn’s trying to explain to Leslie what he wants her to do. It’s simple. Run and keep running, because nobody expects her to catch the frisbee and make it to the end zone. But she can be a decoy. Which is what I’m sure Austin’s going to tell the girls on his team, too.

Our huddle breaks, and I match up against Cooper. Finn and Holden have the people they’re covering. I count the time in my head, down from five seconds. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Thea dart by. Just like I thought, Thea’s a decoy. I look back at Austin, who sends the frisbee flying with a sharp flick of his wrist. It goes sailing over our heads.

Finn and Holden are still locked up with their players. Thea barrels over Leslie, not at all afraid of scraping a knee or elbow, and somehow manages to stay on her feet. It’s a split second decision for me to chase after her.

She looks over her shoulder, eyeing the frisbee and sees me charging after her. She picks up speed and leaps into the air to grab it. Her feet hit the ground, and she’s running again. I catch up to her quickly. My choice is really no choice at all. I grab for her, but she sidesteps me. Cackling when I grab air.

She’s feet away from the end zone. I can either let her win or I can stop her. Like I said, we’re competitive. I throw on an extra burst of speed and grab her around the waist, sending us crashing to the ground. We roll a few times, limbs tangled together. When we come to a stop, she’s on top of me, her head cradled in my arms. My shoulder smarts from where I’ve taken the brunt of the fall.

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