Page 34 of Foul Line

I skip up the steps to my cabin and swing the door open. Right when I walk in, a hand closes around my arm and throws me forward. I spin to find Lake, his muscles taut, his body practically vibrating with anger. “Don’t you ever fucking do that to me again.”

I swallow. He seems more on edge than I’ve ever seen him. Even when he and River drew the dick on my face, he was controlled. Right now, though, it feels as if he’s barely holding it together. “I said I was sorry about knocking you over. It was an accident.”

He stalks toward me. The back of my calves hit the bed. I teeter for a moment but stay upright. “I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about Sellers throwing me out of the session.”

Lake is vibrating. His knuckles are white at his sides. I take a breath and put my hand up between us. I know Lake can be unhinged, but this is more than that. Part of me wants to say that it was his own fucking fault. Jacquin told us he didn’t want to hear any shit during the practice, and he didn’t listen. “I told you before that we should just ignore one another.”

He looks me up and down. “How can I ignore you? You’re everywhere.”

Bile rises up my throat. I don’t like the way he’s staring at me, but he’s like a caged tiger. I don’t want to poke the beast and give him a reason. “I think you should leave now, Lake.”

His nostrils flare. “You embarrassed me in front of my little brother, and that fucking pretentious Sellers.”

I lick my lips, trying to keep my own body under control. “Lake,” I say calmly. “You did it to yourself. You didn’t have to start shit with me.”

“I did because you’re always fucking there. You’re always fucking in my face,” he snarls. He lunges forward like he’s going to get me, and I fall back on the bed, a small scream escaping. He steps back and laughs. The sound makes goosebumps spread over my arms. He’s lost it. He’s completely lost it this time. “I’m sick of you always being around.”

“It’s my dad’s camp, O’Brien. I deserve to be here because I’m good enough.”

“What about Rockport? Why there?”

“I’ve said all this before. You think you’re the only one with aspirations. You’re not. If you want to be the best, you have to play with the best and against the best. That’s what Rockport is to me. Nothing else.”

He shakes his head. “They all like you. I see it all over their faces. They have chosen me then, but—” He breaks off, quickly shaking his head.

“It doesn’t have to be either or, Lake. What’s so bad about me playing on the team?”

“It’s my fucking team!”

“It’s our fucking team!”

He grabs my wrist and squeezes. I can feel the full force of his hatred for me in that grip and in the power of his eyes. I struggle against him. “Get the fuck away from me.”

The door behind us slams open. I jump and Lake steps back but keeps his grip on my arm. It’s Ryan who comes forward. He slams two hands into Lake, breaking the hold he has on me. “What the fuck, Lake?”

Lake steadies himself, practically growling at his friend.

“We had a deal,” Ryan says.

“Well, I’m over it.”

“I’m not,” Ryan snaps.

My heart ricochets around my chest. I back up, watching the two of them face down with one another like I never thought I’d see before.

“The deal was you’d leave her the fuck alone if we gave her up. That was the deal.”

Air punches out of my lungs. What the…?

“It’s not enough anymore,” Lake growls. “I thought she’d leave. I thought she’d go away, but she hasn’t.”

Ryan runs his hands through his hair. “Just what the fuck are you doing, man?” He looks around the room. He sees me there, his eyes widening a little as he takes me in almost like he forgot I was even there. “You’re going to hurt her.”

“I don’t care.”

Ryan shakes his head. “That’s not who you are. That’s not what we do.”

“You don’t understand!” Lake moves forward, his shoulder colliding with Ryan’s as he stomps out of the cabin, shoving the door open so hard that one of the hinges breaks off.

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