Page 42 of The Players We Hate
“Fuck,” he groaned, trying to catch his breath. “You’ll be the fucking death of me, Red.”
I laughed softly, my cheeks warm. “You started it, Wolf.”
He kissed me slower this time, taking his time with it.
I curled into his side, pressing my face to his chest. The woods were quiet except for faint music drifting from the party and the steady thump of his heart under my cheek.
I knew the moment couldn’t last, but right then, I didn’t care.
Chapter Twelve
Talon
“I should probably get back.” She sighed. “If my mom checks and I’m not at my dorm, she’ll send security to look for me.”
I didn’t want to move, didn’t want to let her go, but I nodded anyway. “Yeah… I’ll drive you.”
She gave me a small smile, soft but almost guilty. We straightened our clothes, and she climbed off my lap to sit beside me. She tugged her boots back on, the sharp sound of the zipper cutting through the quiet while I started the truck.
The ride across campus stayed silent, the weight of everything between us thick in the cab. At her dorm, I walked her to the entrance. Her fingers brushed mine in the shadows before she slipped inside. No kiss, no goodbye. She couldn’t risk it—not with who she was and who might be watching. But the look she gave me said it wasn’t over.
Only it wasn’t that simple. By morning, the whole campus felt colder, like something had shifted. People crossed the quad with coffee and earbuds because it was just anotherMonday for them. Yet for me, it wasn’t. Not with Wren still burned into my head, not with the memory of her falling apart in my lap.
I hadn’t texted her. Told myself I didn’t want to crowd her, but the truth was I wanted to. Practice was in an hour, and I needed my head on straight, but focus wasn’t happening.
Earbuds in, I cut across the quad toward the weight room, already running through lifts and drills, anything to work out the adrenaline still buzzing in my veins.
I didn’t expect to hear my name.
“Talon.”
I kept walking.
“Talon, we need to talk.”
That made me stop. Not because I cared what he had to say, but because his tone had shifted—sharper, more urgent.
I pulled out one earbud and turned.
Wells carried himself like he owned the place, as if his name alone gave him a free pass to anywhere he wanted to be. Blazer open over a pressed button-down, hair perfect, not a book or bag in sight. Only him and his smug confidence he never seemed to take off.
I didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Just stood there and waited.
“I’ve been hearing things,” Wells said, his breath clouding in the cold air. “What’s this about you hanging around my sister?”
I gave him a slow grin. “I bet you're happy word on campus isn’t about your screwups for a change.”
His jaw ticked. “Don’t fuck with me. I know how this looks. Tatum leaves town because of me, and now you’re circling Wren. You think I don’t see what you’re doing?”
I let out a low laugh. “Paranoid much? Not everything revolves around you.”
He ignored that, his eyes narrowing. “You’re not interested in her. Not really. You’re just using her to get back at me. And I won’t let you drag her into whatever grudge you’re still holding.”
My hands fisted at my sides, but I kept my voice even. “If you’re worried about anyone dragging her down, maybe look in the mirror. You’re the one who blackmailed Tatum until she couldn’t breathe here anymore.”
His jaw tightened, the flicker in his eyes betraying him before he caught himself. “That’s got nothing to do with Wren.”
“The hell it doesn’t,” I said, stepping in closer. “You’ve been hiding behind Wren for years, parading her around to clean up your family’s image while you dragged mine through the mud. She deserves better than being your shield. Better than being treated like a pawn in your father’s campaign.”
