I’m given the cold shoulder the following week, a reminder of the power Sabrina wields because with her bitchy demeanor, the rest fall in line. Even Hailey refuses to speak to me, although she shoots me an apologetic look.
It’s maddening, but the least of my worries. I obsessed about the Gabby incident until I couldn’t stand the roiling thoughts and set them aside. If word gets back to Crush, I’ll deal with it. There’s nothing more I can do. I can’t exactly disappearagain.
Instead, I content myself with visions of Ramsay’s pale blue eyes staring into mine while he showed me his arousal. Yep, as far as fantasies go, it’s one that kept me up all night.
Friday morning before the game, after a week of silently following around my group, I run into Ramsay on my way to class—literally. I’m rushing because Sabrina enjoys keeping us on our toes and dallied long enough the rest of us would be late if we didn’t hurry. Which is why when I round the corner, I’m not looking and hit a brick wall.
Falling back, I startle when strong arms catch me and pull me in, before glancing up into the icy eyes of Ramsay to which I fall again. Except this time into his arctic stare, which promises misdeeds only a sick person like me would enjoy.
Immediately I shiver, recognizing his predator to my prey. His eyes take on a preternatural glow as though he can sense my broken, but within the next second, it’s gone, and I wonder if I imagined it all.
Unfortunately, this is when Sabrina decides to follow. Her eyes are immediately drawn to where Ramsay’s arms are wrapped around my waist, and they narrow before lighting with fire.
Is she reminded of her attempts to seduce Ramsay and his cruel rebuff?
It’s completely innocent until Ramsay’s eyes take on a vicious gleam, and he pulls me in, cradling me against his chest. His warm body sends prickles down my spine and when he clutches my ass, smoothing his hand beneath my skirt, he sears me with his hot touch.
Instant tingles break out in my core, and I shiver under the heat of his palm, now stroking the globes of my ass.
If we were alone, I would grind against him like a little whore and beg but thank fuck we’re not because I would walk away with zero dignity, frozen solid by his glacial stare.
“Mm, love. Not now, hm. But maybe later,” he says in his silky-smooth voice, the implication causing goosebumps to rise on my skin.
He doesn’t know, or maybe he does and doesn’t care, but he’s signed my doom with Sabrina. Her eyes flash, her lips pulling back into a snarl before she spins on her heel and walks away.
Ramsay lets me loose as soon as she does, and I stumble in the wake of the sudden change, caught between dread at Sabrina’s ire and desire because he was so close, I could smell his spicy scent, and feel his hard length against my stomach. All of which makes my insides churn uncomfortably.
“Mm, you should watch where you’re going, Preston. You never know what you might bump into.”
With that warning, he strolls away, and I stare after him, my body buzzing with need, while doom circles my spine.
∞∞∞
Sabrina corners me after the game, which was excruciating because every girl on the team went out of their way to accidentally hit, kick, or otherwise injure me during our lineup. A grim thing considering the moves we pull off require absolute trust and one misstep could bring the entire group down.
“Meet me outside the boy's locker room in half an hour,” she hisses before stomping into our own.
Following slowly behind, I contemplate defying her directive, but this will only make things worse, and as cowardly as it may seem, I’m still hoping to skate through the remainder of the year without conflict.
So, after showering and cleaning up, I don my jeans and shirt to the sounds of the chattering girls around me, all of whom refuse to look in my direction like the good little lemmings they are.
Sabrina gives me a meaningful stare as I escape out the door. I nod to acknowledge her demands before grimly making my way over to the boy's locker room and slouching around the corner beside the door.
I’d rather have a pap smear than listen to Sabrina’s abuse, but I’m not prepared for the alternative—yet.
It’s quiet but for a few guys who exit, laughing and joking as they walk away. The majority must have left because, in the silence, I hear nothing but my own breathing while I stare at the sky and hope to keep my cool. Sabrina doesn’t know it, but she’s a threadbare step away from having the shit beaten out of her.
“I know what I’m supposed to be doing, so back off.”
The gruff tone brings me around and I look up before stepping to the edge of the building and peeking around the corner.
To my surprise, I find the Sinners loitering under a broken light. What are they up to?
“Enough. We can’t afford for this to get out,” Ramsay says and Diem huffs.
From this distance I can’t see much but I take in the glory of Ramsay anyway, from his shadowed eyes to his glorious biceps, straining the seams of his perfectly pressed shirt.
“So let Diem shut him up,” Oliver says, kicking a stone beneath his feet.