Page 105 of The Star

We start walking, but she’s quick to follow. “Wait! I’m sorry.”

I look at her over my shoulder, finding her face a mix of sad and desperate. She’s hurting, and I never wanted to hurt her to get my happy ending. I sigh, hating that part of me that constantly cares. “Just hear her out,” I say, looking at Carson.

He turns to face Cassidy. “What is it?”

“Are you guys like, official or whatever?” she questions, and her hands hanging at her sides start to play with the hem of her skirt.

“Yes,” he answers, gripping my hand harder.

“Is she going to come to the games?”

“I’ll be at every one if Carson wants me there,” I tell her, making Carson look at me and grin.

“Could you not?” she snaps again, making my blood boil a little. “Sorry, I just… Like, that’smything.”

Carson crosses his arms over his chest. “You’re really doing this? Because I’m sure they need the QB there more than the head cheerleader.”

She steps toward him, her voice getting lower and more hushed. “When is this insane phase going to end, Car? I mean, you can’t seriously think you could have a future with yoursister.”

“Stepsister,” I growl, closing the gap between us and putting myself between her and my boyfriend. “We don’t have to have problems, Cassidy. Just back off.”

She huffs, looking over my shoulder at Carson. “You know where I am when you need me.”

Cassidy spins on her heel, stomping back to her friends and falling into their collectively open arms for comfort. I growl, “Let me fuck her face up again.”

Carson chuckles, rubbing his hands up my sides as his head goes into my neck. “I like it when you get all protective and possessive. Turns me on.” He flexes his hips against my ass, showing me that his cock is inflating in his pants. “Should we just skip first period and find a closet?”

I laugh, wrapping my hand in his hair behind me. “We haven’t been in school for two days, Carson.”

He kisses my neck, breathing heavily. “I don’t care.”

My skin pebbles with goosebumps. “We can have lunch in my car, christen the new leather.”

Humming against my skin, he nods his head before he pulls back and threads his fingers through mine once more, pulling me to his side so he can walk me to class. We find Levi sitting in the desk next to mine when I get there, and it seems to send heat running through my man because he grabs my ass and squeezes extra hard when he kisses me goodbye.

Levi laughs when I sit down next to him, and I wave him off with a laugh of my own. “Caveman.”

forty-nine

CARSON

After a nutritious meal of my girl’s pussy for lunch, and a vigorous workout in the janitor’s closet between fourth and fifth periods, I’m exhausted by the time we get home from school. I’m benched for the next game, so I skipped practice even though coach told me the bench was reserved fordickheads like me.

My mom’s car is in the driveway when we pull in, which is confusing since she’s normally working until later, but when we walk in and see boxes, we both sigh loudly.

“Mom?” I call out, making her appear from around the corner with her hair tied up on top of her head, and a sweatsuit on her body. “Skip work today?”

“Packing,” she grumbles, embracing me and then Logan.

“For?” Logan asks, her face a shade whiter than normal as worry and anxiety run through her.

“Your dad is going to move into the rental in Franklin for longer than we planned.”

“Oh?” I ask, sliding my arm around Logan’s shoulders. “And Logan?”

“Staying here,” my mom clips. “Same as before, no use uprooting you again when nothing is set in stone.”

Logan blows out a heavy breath. “Thank God. Is my dad here?”

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