Page 58 of Troublemaker
Go away.
I forced myself to smile. “Post-game talk,” I said. “They should be out later, but it could be awhile. The press will probably do interviews, plus they have to talk to the players…if you want, I can take a message for him.”
A message for him. Like I was his secretary.
At “could be a while,” her back straightened.
“I think I’m fine waiting here,” she told me, and even though she forced a smile, the hostility coming off me was not the kind of thing you could ignore.
And she wasn’t going to. “Lucy, are you sure assisting the team is a good use of your time? You should be studying. That’s what’s important, isn’t it? If you want, I can talk to Coach Samson for you about it at dinner tonight.”
Dinner.
They were havingdinner.
I knew a date included some sort of food or beverage, but that meant they’d planned it, that Coach had made a reservation somewhere. He’d known and he hadn’t told me. He let me just stand there like a fool and tell him I’d kill whatever woman he spent time with…what was he playing at?
Then, clearly feeling awkward, she offered, “Maybe you and Trey can come with? Not as a double-date thing, of course, but you’re both family, and it’s good to get to know each other’s families early, in my opinion…”
Excuse me?
Was she inviting me on their date?
Did she think they’d get serious enough that including families was important? And since when was I even Blake’s family?
I didn’t answer her.
She sighed. “Lucy, did I do something?”
Oh, fuck. I forced my face to look friendly.
I leaned in and lowered my voice. “I was hesitant to tell you this earlier, but the thing is…the reason Blake is single is that he doesn’t date. Ever.”
I had no idea if I was lying or not. For all I knew, Blake went on dates six nights a week and twice on Sundays, although the thought of him being with anyone else gave me figurative hives.
She absorbed this, and from the way her eyebrows raised, it was very obvious she didnotbelieve me.
“And why would you be privy to that information?”
“Because,” I said, knowing it could get me in all sorts of shit and not caring whatsoever. “I’m his.”
“His…” she trailed off.
I should’ve finished that sentence, let him off the hook, but I shrugged and refused to qualify it. My professor’s eyes narrowed as they swept my whole body, analyzing me as more than her student. I read her face as she considered if I was a potential threat before decidedly dismissing me.
“His…” she filled in the blank. “His kid, right.”
“He never adopted me,” I said immediately. I was no kid, least of all Blake’s. I couldn’t tell if she was purposefully trying to antagonize me or honestly misunderstanding me, but either way, I didn’t like it.
“Oh? But he is your legal guardian, yes? He’s responsible for you?” A wry, not particularly kind smile lit her face. “You know, Lucy, it’s normal to feel…territorial over a parental figure. But at some point, you need to let them be happy.”
I should’ve kept my mouth shut, but then I’d never been good at keeping my mouth shut.
“Oh, I’m very good atmakinghim happy,” I said.
Her eyes widened, but before she could respond, the door burst open, and Blake stood there in all his glory.
God, he was beautiful. He’d been inside me so recently, and all I wanted was to wrap myself around him, plant a kiss on his lips, and make it clear who he belonged to.
