Page 21 of Foul Line

I pick my fork up. It’s true I don’t have plans anymore, so hanging out with them wouldn’t be terrible. They’re actually really nice guys. “Maybe,” I tell him, not committing to anything.

The guy smirks. “Hear that, Chase? You just have to ask her nicely.”

“I have been asking her nicely.”

“Maybe she’s just not that into you.” His friend pauses, screwing his mouth into an “o” of surprise. “Oooohhh,” he says like he’s thrown down the gauntlet to a burn war.

Chase is embarrassed. I can tell. His shoulders stiffen, and he looks down at the table in front of us. I put my hand on his shoulder. “I’ll hang out with you tonight. Promise.”

Jokingly, the guy says, “Well, okay then. That escalated. Someone’s getting laid tonight.”

It’s funny until I hear Lake’s voice pierce the air behind us. Then, my blood is boiling. “Like that’s something special. Ask Alec and Sloan.”

That motherfucker.

I twist in my seat, grabbing the first thing that catches my eye, which happens to be my juice glass, and I throw it right at Lake’s smug face. He bats it away easily, but that doesn’t mean he’s spared from getting a shirt full of sticky orange liquid. I’m on my feet in the next second, barreling toward him.

“Bitch!” Lake growls. He stands up next, his hands fists at his sides, juice dripping down his cheeks. He’s having trouble keeping his breathing under control, but so am I. I’ve had enough of his bullshit.

I launch myself at him, my fist rearing back, but a body grabs me from behind. “Don’t,” Chase says in my ear.

I struggle against him. I’ve seriously had enough. Part of me is hurt by what Lake said because he’s right. I shouldn’t have done anything with Alec and Sloan because look what they fucking did to me. The other part of me just fucking hates the asshole standing in front of me.

He has my friends. He has my position. I loathe Lake O’fucking Brien.

“Excuse me,” a woman says from inside the kitchen area. “Someone is picking that up.”

Every one of us ignores her. Lake and I are having an epic stare down. The lacrosse players are behind me, flanking Chase. There’s so much fucking testosterone in the room right now it’s ridiculous.

River laughs. “She thinks she can take you, brother.”

“She won’t have to,” Chase growls.

This makes Lake laugh. “Like last time, pussy?”

“I think it’s more of a fair fight now. What do you think?”

Chase is trying to push me behind him, but I don’t need anyone saving me, and he’s not going to fight my battles for me either. Finally, I push his hands away and move closer. Lake meets me head-on. Hayes is there in an instant. “Don’t you ever fucking say that about me again.”

“What part of it pisses you off the most, Dale? The fact that you’re a whore? Or the fact that they don’t want you anymore?”

“Dude,” Sloan says, his hazel eyes like fire. He seems to have gotten a few splashes of juice on him, too. In fact, the whole Baller table got caught in the crossfire, but I don’t give a shit about that. “Knock that shit off.”

River shrugs. “I thought it was funny.”

“Get fucked,” Hayes says to him. The stare he levels at the younger O’Brien makes the other shrink back. I have a feeling Hayes doesn’t like River much.

Lake’s gaze switches between Sloan and Hayes. Alec and Ryan are standing, too. In fact, the whole fucking cafeteria is standing. Lake puts his hands up. “Sorry, Ivy. I forgot how much you liked her…what did you call it again? Tight, little cunt.”

I move quick. With two hands on his chest, I shove him with everything I have. He stumbles back a few steps, his brother’s hand snatching out to help save him from tripping over. He makes a noise in the back of his throat and comes toward me, his face bright red. Chase is pushing forward, too, while Hayes is trying to get me out of harm’s way.

It’s a fucking mess of tangled bodies until Jacquin walks in. He pushes through the circle. “Whoa, whoa, what the fuck is going on here?” He looks at me first, but I look away. I’m so angry, I’m probably going to cry soon. Damn hormones. I’m not sad, I’m not even furious. I’m super fucking pissed, but for some reason, it comes out as crying.

When none of us say anything, Jacquin appraises the situation. He sees a couple bodies surrounding me, juice all over the table, and the Ballers. It’s not hard to figure out I was involved.

“Is there something going on here, Tessa?”

I bear down on my jaw, trying to keep my emotions at bay. I glare at Lake. It doesn’t matter if I say anything. It won’t change who they are or anything else that will happen. “No,” I tell him. “Lake’s just a klutz is all. I think he dropped his juice.”

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