Page 28 of Puck You
He was definitely pissed off.Though his expression didn’t change, I could see his entire body stiffen at my words.“I told you not to involve me.I thought I made myself clear.”
“That’s the thing, Sebastian.Youtoldme.You didn’t ask me.”
His lip twitched.“I told you because it was a command, not a question.”
The fucking audacity of this man.My hand twitched, fingers curling into a fist, but I managed to bury the overwhelming impulse to punch him.“Are you really that blinded by your golden boy status that you can’t admit to being wrong?We’re breathing in mold and destroying our blades over at McKinley Rink.”
The green of Sebastian’s eyes was infused with a flame of ire, and it was entirely for me—all that breathtaking anger and intensity pouring off his body in waves.He’d been indifferent when addressing Caroline and Lydia just seconds ago, but when it came to me, Sebastian couldn’t hide his hatred.
When he didn’t respond, I heaved a sigh.“Why do you hate me?”
“You secretly recorded me without my consent,” he said, a vein pulsing at his temple.“That’s reason enough.”
“No, I’m talking about before that.”I was over Sebastian pretending like this was an isolated event.He couldn’t act like the victim, not after the last few weeks.“You’ve been an asshole to me from the moment I transferred to this school.”
That made him scoff.“Not everyone has to like you, Grace.”
“Not liking someone and actively disliking them arecompletely different.”I felt like I was wasting my breath, but I couldn’t keep the words from bursting out.Sebastian wasn’t dumb; he knew exactly what he was doing.
“I can’t believe they didn’t expel you after the gala,” he said, not bothering to give me a straight answer.“I bet they’ll consider it now, given how much trouble you’ve caused.”
What a shocker.Honesty was too big of an ask for Sebastian.
“They can’t expel me if what I’m saying is true, and it’s not only me.All the women on the team are protesting this gross display of inequality.”
“Protest your little heart out, I don’t care.Leave.Me.Out of it.”
“I don’t think I will.Your face has brought a lot of awareness to the campaign.”I could barely speak the words without smiling.
Sebastian took another step forward, no doubt aware that I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.“What do you expect to get out of this?Like I already told you, I have no say over where the women train.”
He was close enough that I could breathe in the scent of him—why did he have to smell so damn nice?—but it would take more than him invading my personal space to intimidate me.“I’m not stupid, Sebastian.This school would bend over backward if you asked them to.”
His gaze flickered back and forth between my eyes and my mouth.The entire time, he looked murderous.“You overestimate my power, Grace.I had to plead my case in front of the dean to even come back this year.The moment they decided I was damaged goods, I lost my clout.”
His admission took me by surprise, almost as much as thesincerity in his voice.Maybe I was wrong, but it seemed like I was finally getting a kernel of truth out of him.Even so, it didn’t make any sense.Though I’d never admit it, I’d streamed their game against Providence and several of the following matches.Sebastian was by far the most skilled player on the ice.He stood out amongst the other athletes.So why would he have to beg for a spot on the team when he was a star on the ice?
“Fine,” I said, shrugging indifferently and setting aside my confusion for the time being.“But you can’t deny that people listen to you around here.Your support and the support of the entire men’s team would help influence the school to make a change.”
“No can do,” he replied, that obnoxiously smug tone back in action.“Coach has strictly forbidden us to comment on the matter.”
Did Sebastian not realize that I had the upper hand here?He was the one who sounded like a sexist asshole in the school paper, not me.And it was his reputation on the line, not mine.“I don’t need your support, Sebastian.It would be nice, of course, and it might even help clean up your muddied reputation, but it isn’t necessary.”
“You don’t want me as an enemy, Grace,” he warned.
I cocked my head as I peered up at him.“Do you hear yourself when you speak?”
“I—”
“That was a rhetorical question.Clearly, all you do is listen to the sound of your own voice.”We were past the point of playing nice.Right now, I needed him to understand that I wouldn’t give up or buckle under his threats.
Slowly, Sebastian leaned down until his face was closeenough that I could feel the warmth of his breath.“If you don’t leave me out of this, I’ll make you regret it.”
Without another word, he spun on his heels and stormed away.I didn’t take my eyes off his retreating form until he disappeared down a bend in the path.
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Sebastian
