Page 124 of Scrimmage

“I don’t want your excuses, bro,” I dismiss him.

“Excuses? What do I need to excuse?”

What the fuck?

“Your atrocious behavior? You insinuated that she owes you sex.”

“That wasn’t what I meant." He glares at me. “I worry about her, not that you would get that.”

Anger simmers below the surface. It's been ages since I’ve fought someone, but I can feel it on the horizon tonight. It’s long overdue.

“You’re not special, Cole,” I smirk.

He looks around quickly, surveying the people around us. “Dude, just leave her alone. You’ve done enough.”

“I’m honestly surprised you would want my sloppy seconds.”

That's what gets him angry. He clenches his fist around a water bottle. “You’re a fucking dick, Armory. A fucking narcissistic prick. I see why she cut you out of her life. You fucking fed off of her pain like a goddamn succubus instead of taking one step back to see that she’s…she’s…” He doesn’t finish what he was going to say because Stephanie chooses that very fucking moment to appear.

“Oh my gosh,” she giggles. “I thought I lost you.”

Cole smirks then looks at me, shaking his head in disappointment. “You will never fucking change. I’m warning you. Stay away from Ashland.” Then he addresses Stephanie. “Have fun riding his dick until he kicks you out.”

Cole starts to move away. He almost makes it back to the living room, but I catch up and shove him into several people. Stephanie follows me, fretting and saying my name over and over again, but I’m blinded by fucking rage.

“Fuck you! You’re just a fucking replacement for me.”

“What are you talking about?” Stephanie hisses.

Cole laughs. “A replacement? Is this some sort of joke? You have to have a place for someone else to take it.”

There’s no stopping my fist when it slams into his cheek, but he was prepared. Instead of falling to the floor like anyone should, he lunges at me. His fist connects with my side, knocking the wind out of me. I slam my forehead into his mouth, and he punches me in the jaw. We keep grappling until we’re outside in the front yard. I don’t hear Stephanie screeching or anyone else’s shouts. It’s when Alexi and Barnes, along with two other players, drag us away from each other that I realize the whole place is quiet.

Cole finally shrugs them off, glaring at me, and wipes his mouth, smearing blood across his face. I spit the metallic substance from my mouth.

“What the fuck, Cole?” Ashland shoves him. “Why are you fighting?”

She smacks him in the chest and then pulls his face down to hers, inspecting the injuries. His lip is split and there’s already a bruise forming around his eye. Blood trickles down from his temple. His attention focuses on her, and I’ve never seen someone look so fucking sorry in all of their life.

I’m still huffing, ready for another round. “Hey there, baby girl.”

Her body goes rigid, but she doesn’t look in my direction. I realize Alexi is standing next to her. “I told you I shouldn’t have come, Lex.”

Lex. How fucking cute.

“I know. I know. I’m sorry,” he profusely apologizes.

The angry words spill from my tongue. “You’re still a slut, just like I left you.”

There’s a collective gasp and she finally turns, looking at me with those teal eyes, but they’re wrong. They’re angry, truly irrevocably angry. She storms over to me and comes toe to toe. I don’t see the girl that I spent all of those months with or even the girl that said she hated me. There’s no sign of the girl that I’ve been spending weeks avoiding. It’s as if my words didn’t even affect her.

“I hate you,” I sneer, waiting for a visceral reaction.

She takes a step back and laughs. Shelaughsat me. Ashland laughs so hard that she doubles over. She carefully wipes a condescending tear from her eye. “That’s cute, Ko.”

I don’t like the way it sounds. It’s not hidden affection, but callous. Unfamiliar. She turns on her heel and leaves without another word. I notice Alexi waiting at a car with the passenger door open. He shuts it once she’s inside and gives us both a glare before getting in and driving off.

Sirens ring out, and police lights echo over us. Two officers approach. Before I know it, I’m in handcuffs in the back of a cruiser. I’m silent the entire ride to the station, and I’m fucking agitated. They finally throw me into a cell, waiting to be booked.

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