Page 137 of I Blame the Rival

“What? I was going to say for not being afraid to get broken and bruised but that felt too soon.”

I tap his glass and throw back the shot. Nico lets out a hoot and Lacey shakes her head with a smile.

The three of us sit together, watching the Silverwood students dance and mingle around the dance floor. The tequila helps to take the edge off, but the pain radiating through mybody has me ready to find the cleanest spot on the ground and pass out.

“I think it’s time we got you home.” Lacey’s hand wraps around mine, squeezing it gently. I smile at her, grateful for the executive decision when Nico lets out an excited shriek.

“Maurice, this is our song!”

“This is not our song.”

“Babe, it totally is.”

Mo crosses his arms, “Pony fromMagic Mikeis not our song.”

Lacey lets out a laugh while I watch the interaction with wide eyes. Nico jumps up from the bench and shimmies over to his partner.

“Remember what happened the last time this song played?”

Mo’s lips twitch, “I don’t think this place has private rooms, Montez.”

“See? It is our song.” Nico glances back at me, “How conservative would you say this crowd is?”

I blink, “I’m not sure.”

“Fuck it.”

Nico grabs Mo’s hand and drags him over to the dance floor. The handsome Latino immediately starts moving his hips in time to the music and after a moment, Taber’s lacrosse legend joins him. It takes less than ten seconds for the two men to start grinding on each other, their sensual movements drawing envious stares from every other couple in the vicinity.

Clearing my throat, I turn back and look at Lacey.

“I wasn’t expecting that.”

She bursts out laughing, “They can be a lot sometimes.”

“So… Mighty Mo is gay?”

“That’s a story for another time. Come on, let’s get you home.”

Looping her arms around me, Lacey helps me stand up and hobble out of Silverwood’s one and only nightclub.

By the time we crawl into bed, I’m covered in bandages and Lacey is wearing one of my t-shirts. Her long legs tangle with mine as we curl up together, our broken bodies and tattered souls welding together like two sides of the same coin.

As my eyes drift closed with my arms wrapped around the only girl I will ever love, I can't help but think today was a good day.

And tomorrow will be the same.

Chapter 27

6months later…

Lacey

“He’s not going to make it.”

Amber is biting her nails next to me, her anxiety just as high as my own.

“He’s going to make it.”

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