Page 28 of Out of the Shadows
“Shocking, I know — being a mere mortal,” I said deadpan.
“We’re going to the diner tonight after practice. You should bring her, Michaels. We’re dying to get to know her,” Jax said with a mischievous smile.
I fell silent, leaving the decision up to Colt. Would he want me there? Colt leaned closer, the heat of his body warming me further, then a low “Are you free, Princess?” sounded in my ear.
“Ohhh,Princess.” Asher’s smile was all smug again, and Knox and Jax looked quite intrigued as well.
I twisted my head to the side and looked over my shoulder, meeting Colt’s unreadable gaze, and nodded. “I always have time for you.”
“Excellent,” Jax said.
I let my eyes wander over the people around us again, some still watching us more closely than necessary, and crossed my arms, slightly irritated by some of the looks.
As if Colt had a direct line to my emotions, he stiffened behind me. I literally felt him glaring at them, and fortunately, it seemed to work, so they turned away. While looking back over at my squad, Kyra waved us over.
Without hesitation, I pressed my front flush against Colt’s, rose to my tiptoes, and slid my hands to the back of his neck. With his intense gaze unblinking, I gently pulled his head down and crashed my mouth against his, full of desire.
He returned my kiss passionately, one hand cupping the side of my face tenderly where his thumb brushed along my jaw. His other hand rested possessively on my lower back, and after a moment of hesitation, he tugged me against him. I practically melted into his arms and sucked on his tongue before pulling away.
“Text me the details, I’ll see you later.”
He nodded, and I jogged back to my squad, suddenly feeling eager for the evening ahead.
When I rejoined the other cheerleaders, a strange vibe greeted me. I guess the football players weren’t the only ones who had noticed our interaction. No one said anything outright, but Idoubtedit would stay that way.
We spent the rest of the afternoon stretching, which left me feeling like a worn-out rubber band. I thought I was already well stretched, but this session had proved me wrong.
At least I caught glimpses of Colt from time to time, which definitely made it more bearable. We all made our way back to the locker room on shaky legs, where I heard whispers inwhichMichaels,freshman,andpatheticwere used, followed by a malicious giggle.
I steeled myself for the impending confrontation, trying hard to keep the anger boiling in my veins contained. A lot of people had the idea that I was a doormat just because I was generally nice to everyone. And maybe I was a doormat sometimes, as I often prioritized other people over myself, giving in even when I didn’t want to or when it made my life more difficult.
But that was the one thing I was not forgiving about. Nobody badmouths the people I care about for no reason, especially behind my back like a coward. If they were brave enough to say it behind my back, I damn well hoped for them that they’d be brave enough to say it to my face.
We would find out soon enough, as I spun around to hunt them down.
It only took me a few seconds to spot a group of four, including, unsurprisingly, two of the girls I’d clicked with the least, but not for lack of trying. Ialwaystried.
There were probably several reasons for this, but the most obvious was that these girls seemed to have a penchant for drama, and I wasn’t the type for that sort of thing. I preferred to keep my circle small and filled with people who were real in every way. Though, at the moment, that circle was woefully empty.Well, that’s something for another day.
As much as I’d like to, I wouldn’t always get along with everyone, and some things never changed. In every team, there were always one or two girls you clashed with.
I kept my gaze fixed on the girls, unwavering and challenging, as I cocked my hip. “Anything you want to say to my face?”
The two girls, who hadn’t rubbed me the wrong way before, bristled a little but shifted on their feet. They looked like classic hangers-on, and their reaction only confirmed that assessment. The other two, however, returned my gaze with a certain arrogance.
Oh, hey, mean girls, is that you?The two instigators could easily have been Regina George and Gretchen Wieners. Brooke with her long blonde waves and Natalie with her shoulder-length auburn hair, both with disdainful looks on their pretty faces. Even if I didn’t like them, I could appreciate that they were attractive.
“Pretty big talk for someone who lets a beast fuck her just to get her MRS degree.”
I scoffed.Funny, coming from them.They practically had jersey chasers written on their foreheads. Not that there’s anything wrong with having some fun, to each their own, as long as no one gets hurt or taken advantage of. Trouble was, I got the feeling these girls had no problem taking advantage of someone for their own benefit.
“Don’t project your bullshit onto me,” I said coolly. “Anddon’tcall my boyfriend that.”
“Ugh, freshmen,” Brooke said, cringing, “you could have picked anyone else on the team, and it would have been a better choice. Do you need someone to provide for you that desperately?”
I laughed humorlessly. Wow, this escalated quickly. “Again, don’t project your bullshit onto me. I don’t give a fuck what you think, all I ask is that you stop badmouthing Colt. He’s done nothing to you and doesn’t deserve to have you talking shit about him. Find something else to do.”
Without waiting for an answer, I spun around, flipped myhair over my shoulder, and stalked off.Fuck them.
