Page 14 of Happenstance
Normally when he started barking orders, I’d have told him to go fuck himself. Just because I was on the team, didn’t mean I was his lackey. Besides, Harper made her own bed. Not my fault her brother had a problem with her lying in it. Since this was Lana, and I was done with this avoiding me shit, I was more than happy to play along.
And then I found her.
Sitting on the bleachers, talking to the new assistant coach. I watched him smile up at her with a fucking twinkle in his eye, and had to hold myself back. What the fuck was he doing flirting with a student anyways? Letting her bright hazel eyes sparkle back at him. Fucking prick. I stood there, watching them, feeling the red bleed into my vision. Until all I could see were thick red drops falling from my fingers as I held the bastard’s still beating heart in my hand. It was so vivid, I could smell a coppery tint in the air.
Wouldn’t be the first time I took care of some asshole. Everyone around here thought Mark Stevens died in an electrical fire. It was one of those tragic accidents that called for a candlelight vigil. If he hadn’t made the wrong person cry, then he might’ve spent another birthday with his family. Instead, they had flowers delivered to his grave. I warned him to stay away from Lana. Not my fault he didn’t listen. Right now though, there was another corpse I wanted to smile over.
My hands fisted, and I tried to push the image down as he walked away. The prick actually grinned and winked at me. As if he was saying, ‘she’ll talk to me, asshole.’ I might’ve gone off to plot Shelby’s new coach’s demise, if something else hadn’t caught my attention. Mainly, what the fuck Micha and Mason were up to. They pulled Lana under the bleachers, and a few minutes later, she darted back into the school like the devil himself was chasing her.
Fucking Kesslers.
I leaned against the flagpole. One word to Logan about Shelby’s stretching session should take care of the coach problem. Micha and Mason, however…
My gaze narrowed on the two Kesslers walking my way. The second Mase saw me, the corner of his mouth tipped up in a smirk.Prick.Micha, on the other hand, returned my glare. Mase and Logan, I just wanted to slap, but Micha I respected more than I did anyone else. He didn’t take shit from anyone, including my brother. Considering what Preston called extracurricular activities, that took balls. Even I was afraid of my brother. The only thing on this planet that shouldn’t be was Timothy. His damn turtle.
“Hey buddy,” Mase sang, “Decided to get some fresh air?”
I crossed my arms and let out a huff. “What did you two do?”
“Reminded your girl about the repercussions of her choices,” Micha grumbled.
Of course he did. Micha was all about consequences and repercussions. That wasn’t what pissed me off.
“This is my situation to handle.”
Micha snorted as he walked past me. He didn’t have to say anything, I could hear the words swimming through his mind.‘You’re doing a great job so far.’Wouldn’t be the first time one of them said something like that. In all honesty, they’d be right. We all grew up in the Order, and none of them were afraid to get their hands dirty. I wasn’t either, but they wouldn’t know that, since I was never called in on the harder jobs.
“Do me a favor, Micha,” I spun around and marched after our illustrious leader, “Stay the fuck out of my business.”
“Why?” his cold glare rolled over his shoulder, “You gonna suddenly sac up?”
I threw my finger up in his face, “You don’t know shit about me.”
And he didn’t. None of them did. I was only one thing to the people in this town. Ashen Springs‘ golden boy. Whatever. Worked for me. No one suspected the prized pig.
“Why the fuck should I expect you to handle shit now?”
Most guys would back away from a guy my size. Not Micha. He grew up with Mase, and Mase liked to punch fuckers out for fun. Prick hit me a couple times, and when Mase hit you, you fucking knew it.
“Tell me, Parker,” Micha stepped right up and got in my face, “Where the fuck were you, when shit was going down?”
Leader or not, I wasn’t about to back down. I pushed back the urge to tear his throat out and followed Micha’s lead. Pressing my puffed out chest against his. “You never fucking asked me.”
“That’s the point,” he shook his head and walked away. “I shouldn’t have to.”
I stood there with my mouth open. Was that the reason I was never called in for backup? Why the hell hadn’t this occurred to me sooner? Unlike my brother, I tried to fit in with the innocent citizens of Ashen Springs. The best way to do that was to pretend I was normal, even though I knew I wasn’t. I wasn’t as far gone as my brother, but I wasn’t like everyone else either.
That’s what I did for most of my life. Hid the darker parts of myself behind a wave, or a smile. The simple things people did that I had to constantly remind myself to mimic. Like pretending to care, when I couldn’t give two fucks. It was exhausting, and something I thought I had to do. But maybe I didn’t? Did my friends really think I couldn’t handle my own shit?
“No offence, buddy,” Mase threw his arm over my shoulder, “But you’ve been letting her ignore you for weeks.”
Shit. He was right. I’d been letting Lana run all over me. None of them would allow that crap to happen. Logan got right in Shelby’s face when she tried to blow him off, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Riley murdered Micha in his sleep. That didn’t deter him. He laid down in that bed with her every night. Even Mase, who fucking hated Harper, was constantly reminding her he was there. Don’t get me wrong, she deserved everything he did, but I kind of agreed with Logan. Mase should just get it over with and hate fuck the bitch.
“That shit stops now,” I growled, and stormed across the field.
I’d be damned if I was going to be another Mason Kessler. Denying myself the girl I desperately wanted. There were benefits to being in the Order. This was one of them. If I wanted Lana, she was mine, and there wasn’t a goddamn thing anybody could do about it.
Mase skipped up behind me with a giddy smile on his face. “What do you have in mind?”
