Page 25 of Dangerous Pursuit

“I split for first. It was late, and we were evenly stacked. Ready for the crazy part?”

“Shoot.” He climbs on the bed beside me, eager for the story.

“Jackson was there.” I pause for effect.

“No fucking way. What the hell? How?”

“I don’t know, it was random. He was as surprised to see me as I was him.”

“So, how was it?”

“Condescending, as usual. Then he dragged me upstairs away from the others and said I was too young to be there and blah, blah, blah. He finished fourth, stayed to watch, and insisted on giving me a ride. He drives me crazy.”

“Hedraggedyou? Was he rough with you, Mia?” Protective Walker is in the house. I love that he cares and would probably do anything for me, making me wish more than ever that I could confide in him about my shitty situation.

“No, he wasn’t rough. He… God, Walker… I shouldn’t feel this way, but dang it, I was so turned on by him. He caged me up against the wall, and when he pressed his body into me, I almost combusted. I practically eye fucked him, begging him to kiss me. He’s a total dick, Walker. How am I attracted to him?” I drop my head and cover my face with my hands in embarrassment.

“Because he’s hot as shit. I have a boyfriend, and I’m attracted to the man. So, he didn’t kiss you, then?”

“No. He pushed away, stuck on the fact that I’m still seventeen. He won’t touch me with a ten-foot pole.” I close my eyes and blow out a breath of frustration at myself for being upset. “For a minute, when we pulled up to the house, it looked like he was going to. He was staring at my mouth and rubbed my lip with his thumb, but then he just dropped his hand and turned forward again.” Ugh! I remember the feel of his hand on my face, the soft caress of his thumb, and how I wanted nothing more than his lips on mine.

“He’s a lot older than you, so you can’t blame him for holding back. But look at the bright side.” I open my eyes and see the smile plastered on his face as he wags his eyebrows. “You’reeighteen in a couple of weeks, and then what is there to stop him?”

“My dislike for him, that’s what. I don’t even want him to kiss me,” I huff, hoping I sound believable.

“Riiiight. You’re saying you would’ve stopped him if he tried last night?” He looks at me knowingly.

“Shut up. It was a moment of weakness. Now that I’ve experienced it once, I can control myself next time.”

“Sure you can, honey. I can’t wait to hear how that goes. In the meantime, what about Mason? Did he ever text back?”

Another crappy situation I don’t need reminding of. “He definitely ghosted me. I texted him again, like you said, and got nothing. I don’t like this dating thing,” I say disparagingly.

“Don’t give up yet. At least not until we get you some action.” He winks.

“Ugh, whatever. I need to get home. Want to be my chauffeur?” I say, giving him my best puppy dog eyes.

“Your chariot awaits.” He hops to his feet and holds his hand out to help me up.

During the drive, I recap what it was like playing against Jackson and meeting his friend Eli, finishing as he pulls up to the curb outside my house. Opening the front door, I spot my mom in the kitchen preparing dinner. She loves cooking but is usually too tired during the week after a full day of cleaning. Her meals are my favorite, and my stomach growls from the smell.

“Mmmm. What are you making?” I ask as I kiss her cheek in greeting.

“Hi, sweetie. We’re havingasopao de pollofor dinner. Did you have fun last night? You look tired.”

“I did, and yeah, I’m exhausted.”

“Why don’t you go rest, and I’ll wake you up in a bit.”

“Thanks, Mom, I think I will.”

Alone in my room, I can finally check for a response to the text I sent from Walker’s last night. I didn’t want to look in front of anyone in case my reaction gave something away, raising questions that are best avoided. Sure enough, there’s a message waiting.

Unknown: Looks like Daddy was right about you. That’s too bad. I was looking forward to a different form of payment. See you soon, sweet cheeks. And don’t forget about the savings. Unless you want to work some off, we’ll expect more than the winnings.

That’s all there is. Nothing about when or where. They’re just fucking with me. Are they going to be waiting inside one night after work again? The last thing I want is for them to show up when my mom is here.

I hate this. I’m so mad at my dad. How could he put us in this position if he cared about us? Obviously, he doesn’t, and the hope I’ve been holding on to the last few years has truly died. It’s best to just get this debt paid off and move on.

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