Page 112 of Beautiful Defiance

38

LEIGH

What should have been one of my happiest days, a fairy tale come true, crashes and burns by the end of the night.

On the way to the homecoming dance, dressed in the dress I had crushed hard on, Seven and I argued. Our first fight as a couple.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me you’d be sitting on our fucking opponents’ side, Leigh?”

He doesn’t give me time to answer.

“Do you know what that looked like to the rest of the school?”

“Rue is my friend. So is Winslow.”

Winslow isn’t a football player. He is into dirt biking, and is pretty good from what Rue tells me when he went off to get us drinks and hot dogs from the concession stand.

“I’m your guy. Your loyalty is to me first.”

“You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

“Loyalty isn’t nothing.”

“Friendship is a part of loyalty,” I say. “They’re my friends.”

“Are you sayingwearen’t friends?”

“You’re twisting my words,” I grind out.

We don’t say any more. We’re at the school, and Trace and Malice are waiting for us by the front door with their dates.

“We’ll talk about this later. Play nice, Leigh.”

“Is that your way of telling me to fall in line? To smile and be obedient?”

He shifts in his seat and reaches for my hand. I keep my hands balled in my lap. He leans in, unfurls them, and brings my knuckles to his mouth.

“All I ask is for you not to mouth off. We won the game, Leigh. Let’s celebrate, yeah?”

His face softening, he presses his mouth to my knuckles. “I care for you. So much, Defiance. Do this for me, won’t you?”

What he’s asking for hurts. I’m right. I don’t belong in Seven’s world. My urge to defy is too strong. My will to not be caged runs too deep.

Look at my mom. She involved herself with a married man and got pregnant. Involved herself with a criminal. Had an affair and fell in love with a police officer from a powerful family. How can someone like Seven, who expects me to “fall in line” and be obedient, not be ashamed or embarrassed when my urge to defy and be disobedient rears its ugly head?

“Okay,” I mumble, hating myself for giving in.

I’m also not liking the resentment growing inside me. What right does Seven have for putting limits on who I am? If he wants to be with me, he should accept me for me.

“Wait for me.”

Hoping there’s a hidden meaning behind his words, that maybe he’ll redeem himself and stop being a jerk with this talk of loyalty and behaving myself, I do as he asks. Resting bitch face, chill-lax.

Seven gets out of the truck and hurries around to the passenger-side door. I drink him in with my eyes. Said boyfriend is acting like a grade-A jockhole currently, but I can’t help admiring that his royal gorgeousness is all mine.

Seven’s hair is gelled up into these delicious spikes, and he is suave in a tux that molds to his body, highlighting the parts of him I love running my hands and my mouth over.

Which is everywhere. His wide shoulders. Broad chest. Taut abs. Thick thighs. His large package. Remembering how hard he came in my mouth the day of my first driving lesson, how salty he tasted, the heady scent of sweat clinging to his hair and his thickness, my cheeks heat.

---