Page 56 of Puck Block

“Do you know where Taytum is?” Claire asks.

She’s on her tiptoes, looking past the group of girls wanting my attention, but I can’t even pretend to be interested in them.

“Nope.”

Theo clears his throat, and I shoot him a lethal glare. Claire steps right in front of me, and I’m forced to shift my attention to her small frame. “Yes?” I ask, dragging the word out.

“What happened?” Her hand falls to her hip with the same amount of attitude her best friend possesses.

“Nothing happened.” It’s the truth, but it feels like a lie. “Emory is distracted, and she asked me to stay away, so I’m giving her freedom.”

“Is that so?” There’s a hint of skepticism behind Claire’s question, but all I do is nod and go back to watching the game. She sighs, shakes her head, and then strides over to Theo again. Before long, the game is over, and everyone is clearing out of the hall.

My cheek is raw from chewing on it, and I’ve checked my phone at least five times in the last minute. I turn it on silent for my own mental sake and shove it in my pocket. I force myself back to my room, ignoring the girls hoping to get my attention, and plan to stay there all night.

It wasn’t supposed to be this difficult to distance myself from Taytum. I’ve done it for years, pretending she wasn’t sleeping two doors down from me in high school and acting like she didn’t exist when we were in a crowded room when all I really wanted to do was look in her direction. I used to force myself to grab the girl off to the side instead of grabbing her, but right now, I feel tormented.

I open the door to my dorm with my head hung low.

As soon as I’m inside the threshold, I stop dead in my tracks.

She fucking didn’t.

It’s scary how well I know her.

Taytum’s shirt lays at my feet, and I kick it halfway across the room. I pull my eyes away from the bundled cotton and land on her half naked body on top of my bed.

The ground shakes.

Her flimsy bra strap is pulled down her shoulder, and the guy she ended up with is sucking on her neck like a fucking vampire.

Words are nonexistent. All I can do is stare.

I take in the scene with an alarming calmness. A lethal dose of anger flies though my blood stream that’s quickly followed by desire. A little moan falls off her lips, and it’s the sexiest thing I have ever heard.

I have never been so jealous in my life.

Taytum knows I’m standing here. I know she can feel it when I enter a room, just like I can when she does. She’s putting on a show for me because she’s still playing the game, but I want to call it quits.

My throat bobs when I watch her straddle him. She wraps her smooth legs around his waist, and his dirty hands fall to her hips like she’s his to touch. His face goes to her breasts, and I know what he’s going to do next, because it’s what every guy would do. He wants to taste her, suck on her nipples, and make them pucker against his tongue.

That’s it.

Now I’m going to have to set my dorm room on fire, get thrown out of Bexley U, and never make it to the pros. But at least I won’t have to stand here and die a slow death as some guy touches what’s mine.

The moment Taytum peeks at me through the thick strands of her hair, I glare. At first glance, she appears deceitful. She’s so proud of herself, and the sayingPayback is a bitchis ringing true at the moment. But then, something changes. She blinks those thick, dark lashes a few times, and her brow furrows. Her porn-star hip movements stop, and the guy—probably some stupid underclassman who fell for her lure—asks her why she stopped.

“Out!” I bark.

The guy practically throws Taytum, and I’m about to throw him. Fortunately, I’m too concerned with Taytum’s glazed daze to worry about if he lives or dies.

I rush over to my bed and run my hand down her face.

Her skin is clammy, and her breathing is erratic. I quickly scoop her into my arms and press my fingers to her pulse.Shit.

“Taytum, when was the last time you’ve eaten?” I’m on the edge of insanity. Fear grips me, and my pulse matches hers. I pull my phone out of my pocket, and nausea races toward me.

Her eyes drift, and I shake her. She blinks a few times, and I can tell she can’t focus.

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