Page 69 of If You Dare

He’s still shirtless when I find him bullshitting with some of the other guys, that cocky, insufferable grin across his face. Like a fucking coyote that just raided the chicken coop.

I grab him by the shoulders and throw him up against the lockers. The crash of flesh on metal gets the other guys jumping to their feet, some running toward us, but none of them dare to intervene.

“Thefuck, man?” Trey spits.

“Yeah, thefuck, Trey?” I get in his face. Only got a couple inches on the guy, but I’ll still ragdoll him if he makes a move. “Where do you get off cutting a girl to ribbons?”

His snarl turns wicked. “Same place you do. Balls deep.”

I pin his throat to the locker with my forearm, veins bulging beneath my skin. Every fucking cell in my body longs to sink my fist into his nose, beat him until he can’t walk, but Coach would have me off the team in a second. I can’t throw away everything I’ve worked for to teach him a lesson.

“You keep your fucking hands off her. You hear me?”

“I was just,” he chokes out, “following Captain’s orders.”

Luke grips my shoulder. “Come on, Novak. Ease up.”

I dig my arm deeper into Trey’s neck, fear finally flashing in his eyes and making him scramble, tearing at me to get off him.

“Your captain didn’t order you to cut her up.” I snarl my next words directly in his ear so he hears them loud and clear. “You ever lay another fucking finger on her, I’ll rip every limb off your body.”

Trey smacks my arm like he’s tapping out of a wrestling hold. I finally release him, and he gulps down air before bracing his hands on his knees.

“Everyonekeeps their hands off her,” I shout to my team. “Forget about Violet Harris.”

What happened between Trey and Violet in that bathroom was a fucking mess. Trey might’ve been the one to cut her up, but I guarantee he wasn’t the only one in on it. Knowing Trey, half the team was egging him on. He lives for the attention—that’s why he’s still so butt hurt I got captain.

“Why forget about her?” Trey pants, straightening. “You hate the bitch. You’re the one who told us to run her off campus.”

“And now I’m telling you to forget about her,” I snap.

“You getting soft? Or falling in love with some pussy?”

Something tells me if I confess the truth—that I’m forgiving Violet, that I’ve been in love with her since just about the first time I spoke to her—Trey will only become a greater danger to her.

“I’m handling her myself. You don’t know where to draw a fucking line, Trey. You don’t think shit through. You know what would happen to the team if you’d gotten caught?”

He rolls his eyes like the arrogant piece of shit he is. “I wouldn’t have gotten caught.”

“Another girl could’ve walked in anytime, dipshit. You didn’t follow my orders. So you’re out. You’re all out. I’ll handle this on my own.”

It was stupid getting them involved in the first place. This has always been between me and Violet.

Trey shakes his head, jaw ticking. “Whatever you say, Captain.”

* * *

Violet

Aneesa buysmy lie that I had a meltdown and spontaneously chopped off my own hair, but she tsks at what a shitty job I did before grabbing a pair of scissors to fix it.

“Of course you know how to cut hair too,” I tell her. It should be illegal to be this perfect.

A few girls come and go from our floor’s shared bathroom, most of them chatting amiably with Aneesa and doing their best to ignore me.

“You’re welcome.” When she’s finished, Aneesa rests her hands on my shoulders. “Honestly, I think I like this better. You look good with short hair.”

I touch the ends, finally daring a peek at my reflection. To my surprise, Aneesa is right. My hair brushes against my shoulders in a perfectly symmetrical bob, framing my face and turning my jaw and cheekbones delicate.

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