Page 57 of Driftwood Daffodil 2

“Atlee… these girls,” I waved at the two staring at us. “Think we’re dating.”

He glanced over at them then smiled at me. “We do make a cute couple.”

“Seriously?” I don’t know why I thought he would help me kill this rumor.

“It's okay, Baby,” he threw his arm over my shoulders and pulled me into him. “We don’t have to hide our love anymore.”

Oh my God. And also… eww.

The two girls let out a sickening, “awe,” while I considered possible means of murder.

“You already knew about this, didn’t you?” I growled while struggling to get out of his hold.

“Of course I did.” He pulled me back into his side. “I can’t wait until Gio finds out.”

Well, I didn’t see this going well.

GIOVANNI

THURSDAY

Alot of people complained about PE. Girls especially didn’t like it. I lost count of how many times I heard some chick say it was unnecessary. Did I think running laps or playing a game was imperative to education? No. But it was easy. The shit they made us do was nothing compared to my regular workout routine.

I wasn’t one of those ‘my body is a temple’ people. That wasn’t why I went for a run every morning, or why I lifted weights four times a week. After my mother died, I took off so many times that I became addicted to the burn that came from running. The pulse pounding in my chest and ache in my legs reminded me that I was alive.

Over time, that evolved into a desire for more. With strength came assumptions. Knocking skulls was the only thing people thought the large muscle bound guy to be good at. They didn’t expect him to fuck with their heads. That deception was where true power lay. No one saw me coming. No one except her.

My eyes locked on a pair of hazel orbs on the other side of the gym.

Novalee saw me coming. I’d be sitting in class watching her, and she’d glance back, as if she could feel my eyes on her. She had no idea what I was planning, but she knew I was there.

Just like I knew she was there. Even now, in a gym full of people, Nova was glaring back at me. And like the petulant child that she was, Nova stuck her tongue out at me while lifting her arms up to tie her long hair back.

That’s eleven.

Her ass was going to be real sore tomorrow. A part of me was pissed that my father added in the staying at my house clause to her agreement. The last thing I needed was to have her invade my home. But now, Friday night couldn’t come fast enough.

A sharp whistle cut through the air, followed by Coach Crane’s yell, “Mancini, get your head in the game!”

Oh, my head was in the game. Just not the one he wanted me to play.

Nova shot me a snide look, making my eyes narrow. Wonder how snotty she’d be if I told her about June? Bet that would wipe that fucking smirk off her face.

“Mancini!” The coach called out again.

‘Chop, chop,’ Nova mouthed while clapping her hands. And all I could think was…I killed someone who looked like you the other day.

I wouldn’t be in this position if Ms. Gammon–the girls' PE teacher–wasn’t sick. Now Coach Crane was left to run both classes. It was just my luck that Novalee fucking Ford would be in the class on the left half of the gym.

It was bad enough that I had to be subjected to her annoying ass, but I couldn’t stop staring at the firm globes of her ass. The other girls were wearing the same shorts as her, but on her they looked different. And they were too short. Wasn’t this a catholic school? That shit should come down to her knees at least. What was this mid-thigh crap?

“Mancini,” Coach Crane snapped his fingers. “Eyes front.”

My eyes were front, prick.

That was the problem. The girls were now running laps around their half of the gym. There were all kinds of bouncing tits and asses on display, yet I was stuck staring at an unimpressed Novalee Ford. She dragged her feet and flopped her head back as if it was the most exhausting thing in the world.

How out of shape was she? This was only her first lap for fuck sakes.

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