Page 59 of Strong Side
“You’re in the best place you can be. What about you, Linson? You’re declaring this year, right?” Archie tips his head at Beck.
“That’s the plan. I wanna finish this season strong, then start preparing for the combine right away, like you did. I don’t want to take a break at all.” Beck’s arm is around my sister’s shoulders as he talks. If they’re in the same room, he has to be touching her. And I get it now. I can’t keep my hands off Noelle when she’s around.
“Yeah, you have to jump right in to keep your motivation going. But also stay in peak shape.” Archie nods, then looks at me. “How about you, King? You staying one more season, right?”
“One more year for me, yeah. Since I didn’t play much my freshman year, I want to get one more full season in.” I nod, then look toward the door, anxious for Noelle to get here.
“Lookin’ for someone?” Archie smirks.
“Yep, waiting for Noelle. Her ex is here, so I want to try to get to her before she sees that he’s here.” I lift my chin in the direction that Trey is sitting in.
“I’m proud of you, King. Finally got your girl. How did that happen?” He smiles and nods.
“Well, it’s complicated, but let’s go with, the timing was right.” I shrug.
“Timing is everything. Right, Em?” He puts his arm back around Emma.
“What’s that?” She turns from my sister and looks at him.
“Timing. If you hadn’t gone to that party at Smith’s that night and I hadn’t knocked you up, we might not have been together. But there was a bigger plan. Right, baby?” He leans over and kisses her.
“Exactly, and I wouldn’t change a thing.” She kisses him this time.
I look over at the door again. It opens, and my girl is standing there, light shining behind her, making her look like a goddamn goddess. She sees me and waves and starts walking toward me, but Trey has the fucking nerve to walk up to her and grab her elbow. I’m on my feet before I can think, my chair falling to the floor, and I’m across the restaurant before the motherfucker has a chance to blink.
“Get your fucking hands off her.” I insert myself between them, knocking his hand from her elbow and creating a wall between them.
“Just talking to her, King.” He smirks. “Isn’t that right, Noelle?”
I don’t look behind me to see Noelle’s face, but she grabs my biceps and squeezes. “Casey, don’t. Come on. Let’s just go. It’s fine.”
“There a problem over here?” Beck asks, Archie and Bo standing behind him.
Trey’s friends then stand and get behind him.
“Nah, no problem. Just trying to understand why Noelle didn’t reply to my text the other day.” He fucking smiles and looks directly at me.
I look over my shoulder.
Noelle’s eyes are wide, and she’s shaking her head. “Trey, stop it.” She tugs on my arm and comes to my side. “Come on. Let’s just go.”
“You go ahead. Charlie and Emma are over there with the baby. I’ll be there in a second. I just want to have a chat withTrey.” I kiss her on the forehead, then look at Trey, whose jaw is clenched.
“Casey, please. It’s not worth it.”
My sister walks up then and takes Noelle’s hand. “Come sit with me. It’ll be fine.”
She pulls Noelle away, whose eyes are pleading, but I give her a small smile and nod.
“It’s okay, Noelle. You can sit and watch. This guy is all talk and no action. You’ll see,” Trey calls after her.
“Don’t fucking look at her or talk to her. You don’t even deserve to breathe the same air.” I seethe.
“See, King, I would leave her alone, but she keeps replying to my texts.” He smiles and holds his hands up. “So, that tells me she’s not really over me. And just in case you need the reminder … she’s mine. She’s been mine since freshman year. She’s been mine since you and Linson came over and threatened me to stay away from her freshman year. And she’s been mine since she made me a promise to come with me when I get drafted this year.” He leans closer, his voice lower, as if he’s gonna tell me a secret. “You know how I know that? Because I claimed that pussy, and therefore, it will always be mine. Every time you put your cum in there, know I already smothered it with my own. I. Own. It.”
Before I can think about what I’m doing, my fist flies, and I knock him back into his friends, who hold him up. Blood gushes from his nose, down his mouth, but he still smiles.
Noelle comes running back to us, but Beck grabs her by the waist to keep her away.
