Page 41 of Wicked Dreams (Fallen Royals 1)

Savannah grabs my arm. “Margo.”

I twist back to her, tilting my head. “Can I help you with something?”

“Stay out of my way, would you?” She releases my arm, taking a sip of beer. She watches me over the rim.

All I can do is shrug. “Not sure what you mean, Sav.”

“I mean—”

Liam comes in the room. “Sav,” he greets her. He eyes me.

I don’t back down. I haven’t had a true interaction with him, and I’m desperate to make a strong impression on someone.

“Good game, Liam,” Savannah says. “That pass at the end? Brilliant.”

I roll my eyes. I’m surprised their coach let him play after he and Caleb fought. He has a bruise on his cheekbone that looks like smudged dirt.

“You miss it, Margo?” he asks.

Savannah sniffs. “She wouldn’t go to a game.”

I shift my weight. “Well, I was supposed to meet Riley there, but…” My gaze goes past Liam to Caleb. Do I want to admit that Caleb and I had a weird moment at the park instead of going to the game? Not in front of Savannah, that’s for damn sure.

“See? Lame,” she says to Liam. “I’m surprised Applebottom showed her face with Eli.”

Liam shrugs. “I’ve got no part of that, Sav. And I’m not much for gossip. Excuse us.” He takes my arm and steers me away, deeper into the house.

“What are you doing?”

“Talking to you.”

I point at the bruise. “Is that from Caleb?”

He grunts, finding an empty room and gesturing for me to enter. He closes us in and leans against the door. “So. Margo.”

“Liam.”

He rolls his eyes. “What’s up with you and Caleb? Guy’s been acting cagey since you showed up. No offense, but do we have to worry about him being off his game?”

“His game, as in…”

“Lacrosse,” he snaps. “Special practice starts in a month. He’s the captain. If you’re fucking him—”

“He started it,” I interrupt, willing my face to not turn red. “I’m not really sure why you’re talking to me. I try to stay away from him.” Without success, I don’t add. Sometimes I feel like Caleb is attached to me by an invisible string.

I cross my arms. “Let’s just say, for example, Caleb saw you bring me in here. Should we test this theory?” I gesture for him to move away from the door and glance at my watch. “He’s going to—”

The door flies open. Caleb’s gaze swings between Liam and me, and all the space between us. His scowl deepens. “What the fuck?”

Liam shrugs. “I was just trying to talk—”

“You don’t go in a fucking closed room to talk,” Caleb snaps. “Come on, Margo.”

I stiffen.

His lip curls. “Be a good little sheep and come with me.”

When I don’t move fast enough, he stalks forward and bends down. I marvel at the softness of his hair as his head brushes my arm. And then his shoulder digs into my stomach, and his hands grip my thighs. He straightens and lifts me into the air. My hip digs into his shoulder.

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