Page 40 of Game On

Okay… I sit up, my bed sheets pooling around me. What is that supposed to mean?Um…why?

I wait for as long as I can until I have to get in the shower or else I won’t be able to fit one in before school. Even when I get out, there’s still no answer from him. My heart starts thudding in my chest as I dress. Is this more Recruit things? Or does it have to do with me specifically?

Mom isn’t around when I go downstairs and grab a few protein bars. Of course, because she’s only around when I specifically don’t want her to be.

Dawn also doesn’t need a ride from me. David’s been picking her up, so I drive to school by myself and park a block away again just in case. Maybe that’s what Alec meant by his cryptic text? Whatever it was, I walk into school without seeing any of them. And I look, too. Mostly for Alec, but he must still be in his baseball meeting. They’re headed to summer season playoffs, but the team they have to play first is really good. It’s the team that’s projected to win the whole thing, so it’s no surprise that his coach called the meeting.

Hands surround my hips, and I freeze. I’m at my locker putting my books away. The move is possessive, strong, reminding me of the way Alec held me. My heart beats like mad in my chest. Would he really touch me like this in school? The body behind me gets closer and closer. Something feels…strange though.Ryan?

A husky moan comes. “I see why Alec got lost in you. Responsive. And these fucking hips...”

I whirl, and there stands Sloan Ivy. His hazel eyes are a slight green today or maybe that’s just me picking out what reminds me of Alec in him. His lips are curled into a full smile, but it’s not a fun one. It’s discerning. “W-what?” I ask because I’m positive I heard him wrong.

“Good morning, Daddy’s girl.”

I narrow my gaze at him. “Screw you, Ivy.”

“I’m thinking…yeah. I might just do that.”

He goes to grab my hips again, but I shove him off. It doesn’t deter him. He just laughs.

After a moment, he says, “So, you and Alec, huh?”

I turn away and start getting things out of my locker. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“No?” he asks. His voice lowers as he moves in, his lips near my ear. “I think you do. I think you know all about how you creamed your panties when he played your clit.”

My textbooks fall from my hand. The loud thump of it hitting the tile at my feet is the only thing that makes me move again. Alec told him. Not just that he liked me but told him everything. I shove everything into my bag and start to walk away. Sloan’s right there even though his class is in the complete opposite direction. I look over my shoulder at him. “Leave me alone.”

“Not happening,” he says.

I stop and turn. “I mean it, Ivy. I’m not in the mood.”

When I turn back around, I land right into a broad chest. Looking up, I stare right into Alec’s green eyes. He’s looking over the top of my head to Sloan. “What’s going on?”

“Just talking to our girl, that’s all.”

I don’t even look behind me. I wait until Alec looks down, and then ask, “What did you do?”

Sloan walks forward, his arm landing casually around my shoulder. I try to shrug him off, not because I hate his touch, but because of the way he’s giving it to me. He’s being patronizing. “Alec didn’t tell you we don’t keep secrets?”

My mouth goes dry. “Alec?” I ask, needing him to explain himself. It’s one thing if he told them he likes me, but to give them such intimate details.

He brings his hand up to cup my face but stops. “They’re my best friends.”

“They hate me.”

“Hate’s such a strong word,” Sloan says, his lips are a whisper against my ear, making me shudder.

Alec gives a minute shake of his head, but I push past him and head toward my classroom.What the fuck was he thinking?I get to class and take my seat. I’m staring blankly at the notebook I opened to the last notes I took, but I’m not reading them at all. I’m thinking about Alec, about Sloan, and yes, of course, Ryan. A hand covers the page in front of me. I look up to find Sloan sitting in the seat next to me. Up the aisle, the girl who usually sits there is finding another seat. “What the hell?”

He winks at me. “Nice to see you, too.”

Mr. Schaffer walks in and looks around. His eyes immediately stop on Sloan’s. “Mr. Ivy, you’re not in this class.”

Sloan leans back in his chair. “I have a free period during first, so I thought I’d get some extra study in for the next test.”

Mr. Schaffer just eyes him, but shrugs eventually. What is he going to say to that? No? Instead, he pulls out a TV from the corner of the room. Normally, I’d be ecstatic because that means I can run through basketball plays in my head, but today, it means Sloan’s presence is going to bother the fuck out of me. Mr. Schaffer gives a slight introduction to what we’ll be watching and then shuts the light off, retreating to his desk.

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