Page 53 of The Puck Player

He’s asking me out on a date.

Alexander Reign wants to go on a date with me, and I no longer have a reason to say no.

Fuck. I’m in too deep.

“Yes, Alexander, I will go on a date with you,” I breathe, and I swear his entire body relaxes at my answer.

“Fucking finally,” Archer cheers, reaching out to throw his arms around both our necks. “Watching you two edge each other is not the kind of porn I like.”

Nova snorts. “Based on who you’re currently fucking, I can’t say we’re surprised by that,” he laughs, but Archer remains serious.

“Hey, I’m not fucking him.”

“We know, Gray, bottom energy remember,” Alexander cuts in, winking at me, like he didn’t just implode my whole world.

“That’s not what I meant, prick. I meant we are more than that, I am in love with him and I don’t give a fuck who knows it,” he declares, and I can’t help but smile.

“Yeah, buddy, we know, we keep hearing you guys declaring that love at least once a fucking day,” Nova replies, clapping his back as he stands. “Speaking of, Maddie is about to finish class, so if you’ll excuse me,” he drawls, tipping his head in the direction of her classes and moving to walk away.

“And you want to finish her off?” Archer shouts at his back, drawing the attention of two other tables, and Nova gives him the middle finger as he leaves. “Any chance you two can skip your tutoring session so I can fuck my boyfriend nice and loud?” he adds in question, looking between us.

“Like that ever stops you,” Alexander grumbles, and I hide my smile, because he’s right, even I’ve heard Archer and Daemon fuck more than I care to admit.

“Yes, but the illusion of privacy is nice sometimes,” Archer replies with a shrug, as if I didn’t meet him for the second time bent over a sofa.

“Where is Daemon anyway?” I ask, wondering why he isn’t with them, since the two of them are usually joined at the hip.

“He had to pick up a piece of art from class, I’m not allowed there anymore since his professor caught us fucking in the classroom,” he replies, looking anything but sorry, and I roll my eyes.

“It’s fine, Alexander and I can just go to my place instead,” I offer, and Alexander whips his head towards me, as Archer beams triumphantly.

“Perfect, then enjoy your night, lovebirds,” he winks, pushing to his feet, just as Daemon appears across the quad.

Alexander and I both watch them leave, before he turns his focus back to me. “Shall we?” he asks, and I nod, packing away my stuff as he grabs my bag, and uses a gentle touch on my elbow to guide me off campus toward my apartment.

When we arrive, the security guard greets him with a respectful nod as he opens the door for us, and Alexander remains firm at my side all the way up to my front door, where we find a pitiful bunch of flowers waiting. I don’t have to read the card to know who they are from, but I don’t miss the grind of Alexander’s jaw, as I reach down and pick them up.

“Secret admirer?” he asks, knowing full well who they are from, as I unlock the door and push inside, and I don’t wait for him to enter before I head straight to the kitchen and throw them in the trash.

Ben has sent me a gift every day this week in an attempt to apologize, and every single one has been put in the trash. I didn’t mention it to Alexander because I didn’t see the point, but now I guess we can’t avoid it.

“Just Ben, trying to apologize again,” I reply, grabbing us both a drink from the fridge, before leading him to my room.

“I can think of a hundred thousand reasons why you shouldn’t listen,” he snaps, and I smile, as I lead the devious playboy into my room without pause.

Alexander surveys it keenly, letting his eyes trail across every surface, as if memorizing every detail, and I drop at my desk with a huff. “And only one of them matters. He betrayed me, there is no coming back from that,” I tell him honestly, and I can see how much my answer settles him, because his playful smile returns, as he makes his way to my bed and dives on top of it.

“I always knew I’d make it to your bed, Trouble,” he winks, switching the conversation to lighter topics, but seeing him laying across my bed looking like the devil himself sent to tempt me, is something I could have never prepared for.

I think about what he said to me the week we met, how faith is fickle, and I understand his words now more than ever. My entire life I have lived for other people, never truly choosing anything for myself. I was good, complacent, and always did as I was told. I was the perfect daughter, the perfect girlfriend, I did everything right. So why do bad things keep happening to me? I’ve always followed the rules, followed God, I went to church, said my prayers, wore my damn purity ring, and what did I get?

My mom died, my grandma died, my boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend. So what’s the fucking point of being good? Especially when the thought of being bad is just so damn tempting.

My purity ring still sits firmly on my middle finger, but Alexander was right, a ring is just a ring, it means nothing. What does mean something, is the way my heart races everytime the playboy goalie looks at me. How he knows more about me in a couple of months than a boyfriend who knew me for nearly my whole life. How I feel more seen and connected when I am with him than I ever have with anyone else.

Before I came here I thought I knew what my life would look like. I would keep going to church to please my family, smile at family dinners with Ben on my arm, and never truly know what it was like to be happy. Now don’t get me wrong, the pain oflosing my mom and grandma are still with me every day, but now I have something I never thought I would.Hope.

It’s why I don’t feel any regret, as I take a deep breath and reply, “Alexander, I need you to teach me something.”

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