Page 19 of Cuffed By Love

“Sucks for Eddie then.” I groan and walk over to the girls…and Wy just as they all burst into fits of laughter. “Ladies,” I greet them, and they all turn to look at me. I poke Mira, and she slaps my hand away with a chuckle. “What’s got you all laughing like a bunch of hyenas.”

“Oh, Wy was just telling us about his mum having a nervous breakdown when she thought Wy was wearing a dress to prom.”

I look over at him, surprised, and he gives me a once over. “Stop picturing me in a dress, you perv.” I laugh.

“Stop putting images in my head then.” I retort, and Wy grins.

“Oh, believe me, if I’m putting images in your head, it won’t be of me in a dress, beefcake.” He drawls, wagging his brows at me suggestively. I wrap my arm around Mira’s shoulder and draw her against me.

“Stop it. You’ll get me excited before lunch, you sexy beast.” I quip with a flirtatous wink, and Wy throws his head back and laughs with gusto. Mira giggles and rests her head on my chest. “Speaking of prom,” I let go of Mira and sidle up to Skylar. She looks up at me, blue eyes glittering. “Want to be my date?” She gapes at me, and then her eyes slide over my shoulder, looking around the group.

“You want to go with me?” Skylar queries incredulously, and I nod, forcing a smile on my face. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. What do you say, want to go with me?” I catch a glimpse of Mira looking bewildered, her eyes darting back and forth between Skylar and me. Her brows knitted tightly. She knows I’m not particularly fond of Skylar, so she’s likely wondering why on earth I’m asking her to prom.

“Yes!” Skylar yelps excitedly. “I’d love to go with you.” I flash her a smile, and she melts on the spot, her eyes all gooey.

“Great. We’ll discuss the details later. Text me later.” Skylar nods enthusiastically, biting her bottom lip. Oh God, I can already see the thoughts she’s conjuring up in her head. I look over at Mira, and she averts her gaze quickly and starts a conversation with Wyatt.

* * *

The followingday after football training, I was on my way out of the training ground behind our school when Logan and Dylan—another teammate come running up to me. “There you are.” I look over at Logan as I chug my bottle of water. “You took off quick. I was looking for you.”

“Yeah, I got shit to do. What’s up?” I answer after I finish my water and dump the bottle in the bin as we walk past it.

“Nothing good, Broski.” I frown, wiping the sweat off my top lip with my T-shirt.

“Out with it then, fucking hell,” I grumble, looking at Dylan expectantly. Logan exchanges a look with Dylan, and I stop walking and glare at them both. “Today!” I snap irked.

“After you left, I overheard Ry talking with the rest of the lads,” Dylan explains, rubbing the back of his neck while I watch him, my eyes narrowed. “He was talking about Mira.”

I feel my annoyance spike at the mere mention of her name. “What about her?”

“He was bragging about her picking him over you and how he’s going to show her a night she will never forget. He bet the guys he will take her virginity on prom night. He booked a room at the hotel.” My hands clench into fists at my side. A wave of rage I have never felt before charges through me. My blood was boiling. I shove my backpack at Logan and whirl around before I walk briskly back toward the training ground. I can hear Logan and Dylan hot on my heel. As I near the ground, my eyes scan the area and zero in on Ryan talking to girls and a couple of our other teammates.

Hudson sees me approaching, noticing the enraged look on my face and frowns. Ryan had his back to me, so I spin him around and deck him one square in the jaw and he hits the floor.

“What the fuck King?!” He hollers, lifting his confused gaze to mine, his brown eyes narrowing as he shuffles up to his feet again. I grab him by the collar of his shirt and slam him hard up against the wall.

“Listen to me and listen to me well, you little twit. You stay the fuck away from Mira, or so help me God, I will fuck you up so good you’ll be consuming your food through a fucking straw for the rest of your pathetic life.” I hiss irately, and he looks over my face. “I heard about your fucking bet, you arsehole.”

“ Devin, I…”

“Shut the fuck up, you dickhead!” I bellow, slamming him hard against the wall. “Did you seriously believe Mira would ever agree to sleep with you? Even if your puny little brain did consider that did you think I would ever allow you to go anywhere with her long enough to try?!” I bark, kneeing him in his stomach. Ryan keels over coughing and wheezing. I grab his face and glare at him. “You are not to go within two feet of her. If I see you sniffing around her again, not even God himself can save you.” I let him go, and he hits the floor clutching his stomach. I glare at the rest of the guys watching me wide-eyed. “Mira is off-limits. You fuck with her—you fuck with me.” I snarl, and they all hold their hands up before I turn and storm off, grabbing my bag off Logan as I pass by him.

Fucking bastard, he’s lucky I didn’t break every bone in his body for even thinking about touching her. It took a while to calm down, I wanted to go over to Mira’s and tell her what that arsehole was planning, but I just know it would kill her to know she was nothing more than a wager to gratify his sick ego. It would be better for her if she believes she was stood up. I’d drop Skylar and take Mira myself, but she already called off her date to go with me, and I don’t want to be that dickhead. I’ll just have to drag her along with Sky and me.

* * *

The following day came quickly,and I was stood getting dressed in my tuxedo for our end of year prom. It is hard to believe school is over, and after tonight, I won’t see the majority of people I spent the last five years with. Good fucking riddance.

While I button up my cuffs, my eyes are glued to my window. Watching and half anticipating Ryan to show up despite me warning him off. A pang of guilt causes my stomach to twist when I picture Mira happily getting ready with her friends, and in less than an hour when her date doesn’t show up, her beautiful face will fall, and it will kill me to see it, but it's better than her finding out the real reason. I push aside the guilt that’s eating away inside me and keep telling myself that this is for the best.

A knock on my bedroom door and it swinging open a moment later snaps me out of my thoughts. I see Logan walk in dressed in a tuxedo also. “Broski, you ready?” He asks, giving me a fist bump, and I nod, pulling my jacket on.

“Yeah, let's get this over with,” I utter while taking one last look at myself in the mirror.

“You good?” Logan queries when he notices the surly look on my face. I force myself to nod and walk past him out of the bedroom.

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