Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 103104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Eyes are on us as we walk to her locker. Brandon walks past us, his mouth swollen and cracked from where I hit him. His steps falter when he sees me next to her, and I feel her stiffen.
I smile/snarl—whatever you want to call what my lips do.
With a huff, he pales and moves on.
Ava fidgets. “Knox, I-I don’t want your team to—”
“Please, trust me. Just keep walking to your locker,” I tell her.
She nods and when we get there, she undoes her lock, grabbing her textbooks. She turns around, and I tilt her face up, kissing her long and deep. Her backpack falls to the floor, her arms curling up around my neck. Jesus. God. Krishna. Whatever. I want to drown in her. I want to eat her slowly then fast—
“Get a room, locker neighbor.” It’s Wyatt and his laconic accent that pulls us apart. He’s smirking. “Prank night must have ended well.” His eyes focus on me. “If you hurt her, I’ll make you regret it, Shark.”
“What’s going on?” Piper says, sliding up next to us. Her eyes widen when she takes in my hand around Ava’s hip. “Um, did I miss something? Was there a comet last night that altered everyone’s brain? No? Maybe someone had a lobotomy? Still no? Huh. Then someone please tell me why a Shark is looking at Ava like she’s a slice of pie?”
“Just Knox making a statement,” Ava murmurs and glances at me. “Try to rein it in for class, ’kay? I don’t want to be sitting in Mr. Trask’s office explaining the PDA.”
Piper frowns then turns to Ava. “Don’t we hate him?”
“Apparently not,” Wyatt drawls, tossing an arm around Piper. “They were making out like gangbusters before you walked up. Putting on quite a show.”
“We weren’t making out,” Ava says.
“Pretty much,” I say.
She rolls her eyes. “Let’s go to class.”
Chance walks down the hall, Brooklyn next to him, and I pause. Nothing like ripping the bandage off right now.
“You go on to class. I’ve got something to do.”
She looks past me, following my gaze, and gives me a nod as she and Piper take off, their heads tilted together. I can only imagine what Piper’s asking.
I walk over to Chance, who hasn’t seen me yet.
“Hey,” I say to him, nerves kicking in. How am I going to do this? Oh, by the way, last year when you were seeing Ava, I wanted her, and now I’ve had her and don’t think I’ll ever let her go?
I glance at Brooklyn. “Can you give us a moment?”
“What’s up?” Chance says as she heads to class. “You ready for the game tomorrow? Anxious? I heard a scout from Auburn is coming.”
So did I. I’ve kept thoughts of it locked away and will focus on it when I need to.
I study him. “I’m with Ava.”
He pauses, and a long sigh comes from him. “With her?”
“She’s mine.”
Shoving a hand through his hair, he glares at me as his nose flares. “You’re my best friend. You know I still care about her, and when you want a girl, you just take her and then it’s over. Is that what you’re telling me? You want to screw my ex?” His face tightens. “Or have you already?”
Not answering that.
His hands tighten around his books.
“Are you angry?” I expect him to be, but I don’t want to lose him…
“Yes.” His teeth clench. “How do I know you didn’t hurt her at the kegger?”
“How do I know it wasn’t you?” I reply sharply. Part of me knows he’s not like that, and that’s what I’ve been telling myself for months, but…
His fists clench. “Because I loved her, and it pisses me off for you to even think that!”
I exhale, trying to shake off the anger I feel toward him. “You had your opportunity, Chance. You have Brooklyn. Ava is mine.”
He shakes his head, a knowing glint in his eye. “No, she isn’t. You may think so, but that girl is nobody’s. She belongs to herself. She’s different from everyone else here. You can’t own her like your dad owns this town—”
“Do you know how she grew up? She used to live under a bridge. Her mom was an addict and dumped Ava with a newborn baby. Tyler’s like her kid. Do you know her? Really?”
His eyes narrow.
“You deserted her when she needed you.” I’ve never said those words aloud to him, but boy have I thought it.
He closes his eyes, some of the heat leaving his voice. “I made a mistake, and I think about it every day.”
“What are you two girls gossiping about?” It’s Liam, weaseling his way over to us. We’ve barely spoken except for football, and I give him a surprised glance. “Is it about Knox showing up at prank night? All those underclassman girls went nuts with pics of you on social, man. Knox is so hot. Knox is at Arlington. Knox is holding a cat.”