Page 56 of Changing the Play

He swallows hard, his eyes bright and earnest. “I like everything with you.”

He punctuates the words by leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to my lips, so at odds with the way he just completelytook me apart and changed my entire worldview. With a happy sigh, he collapses beside me on his stomach, resting his head on my shoulder. His fingers drag through the mess he left on my skin and I almost want to laugh, but I can’t think past his quietly spoken words.

I like everything with you.

I hope he means that. I’m not sure my heart is going to survive this otherwise. I turn my head and kiss his sweat-slicked temple, letting my lips linger against his skin for a second. “I like everything with you too.”

Later that day, I’m sitting in West’s coach’s office showing him my face, while Marcus argues that I hit him first. It took quite a bit of convincing to even get West to go about it this way. He was pretty convinced he was going to call Benson and “make Marcus pay,” which did not sound like a good idea to me at all.

“No!” Marcus says, clearly flailing. “I’m not lying. He approached me out of the blue.”

My mouth got me in trouble last time, and I have the bruise to show for it, but I’m not going to put up with this crap either. “No. I have a paper trail.”

I don’t look away from the coach as I speak, and I know it’s probably making Marcus mad. Those types always seem to get mad when they feel like they’re being slighted. And me ignoring him? Definitely a slight.

Coach nods, huffing in clear irritation as he looks between the three of us. “Let me see.”

I hold my phone out, the email thread with Marcus already pulled up. It clearly shows that he was supposed to meet me the Friday before the game and then the following Sunday when he confirmed our study session time and location.

“He also provoked me during the game on Saturday.” West’s voice is cold, his face stony.

His coach’s eyes raise, looking between West and Marcus. He lets out another sigh. “I heard about a ruckus, but I was hoping you boys would sort it out among yourselves.”

“I had every intention to, sir. Then he put his hands on Darcy.”

I still haven’t told West the full conversation we had and I’m not going to. He’s already mad enough as it is. I’m not adding gasoline to the fire.

“He’s lying,” Marcus stutters.

“Well,” Coach says, looking between the two of us. “It’s clear you both got a good hit in. What’s unclear, however, was how it came about. Marcus, you’re telling me Darcy approached you out of nowhere and these emails prove that was a lie, so I’m less inclined to believe your side of things.”

Marcus clearly doesn’t like that answer, and it takes practically no time for his true colors to show. He slams his fists on the desk. “They’re disgusting, Coach. It’s unnatural.”

Oh, here we go. This is good. Perfect, even. “The only unnatural thing is—” I shut West’s tirade up with a hand clamped over his mouth. Give Marcus enough rope and he’ll hang himself. West doesn’t need to go down with the ship. He narrows his eyes at me, and I remove my hand with a look that I’m hoping tells him to stay quiet so this idiot can behis own demise.

The sigh that their coach lets out is steeped in disappointment. He shakes his head. “Well, Marcus. That was a pretty blatant admission of bias against a teammate.”

West’s knee starts bouncing, and I’m really hoping he can keep it together long enough to get out of here. We really just need to let Marcus dig his own grave, and hewill.

“It’s not a blatant admission ofshit.These fucking fags—”

West’s on his feet before I can blink, and I’m jumping up after him, grabbing his arm and physically dragging him backward. “Stop,” I whisper, searching his eyes.Don’t let this idiot win. Let him screw himself over.

West nods. Just once, but it’s enough.

“Marcus,” Coach starts. “I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, but now? I have no choice but to take disciplinary action. You’re done. Suspension. Indefinite. Out.”

I’m resisting the urge to do a little happy dance. And West didn’t even have to lose his scholarship for it.

Marcus opens and shuts his mouth in shock before shaking his head with a glare in my direction and storming out. I’m almost positive I can see smoke coming out of his ears.

West lets out a harsh breath. His coach watches him for a second. “Don’t do anything stupid, Hale. Or you’ll be next. I won’t tolerate that shit on my team, which is why he’s gone. Don’t make yourself the next one.”

For a second, West doesn’t say anything, but then he’s giving a jerky nod and all but dragging me out of the office.

The second we’re in the hallway, he spins me around and pins me to the wall, his arms braced on either side of my head and his mouth settling on mine. The kiss is quick and gentle, and then he’s pullingback. He brushes his nose against my cheek, his breath a little shaky. “So smart, baby. So fucking smart.”

A shiver runs through my body at him calling me baby. I mean, he did earlier, but it was all in the heat of the moment and kind of crazy, so I didn’t think much of it. I smile up at him. “Why, thank you. I knew he’d hang himself. Those types always do. So, uh… Parker texted me earlier. They want to show me their new art exhibit next week and they want you to come too.”

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