Page 13 of Crew Princess
Lowering my voice as well, I said, “I’m staying.”
He pulled me closer and nuzzled my forehead. “I know you’re staying. We all know you’re staying.”
“But what about you guys?”
Cross lifted a shoulder. “You want to do this now? Here?”
Normally, no. But seeing Malinda had spurred something in me, an urgency I’d been ignoring for too long.
“I guess.”
“Okay.” He took another deep breath and watched me. His hand moved up under my shirt, starting to explore between our bodies.
Mine did the same. I couldn’t help it. If Cross touched me, I touched him back. That’s how it was.
“I applied at a few places.”
My head lifted in surprise.
His eyes were waiting for me. “Some local that I can drive to, and a few not local.”
Shit. My tongue felt heavy now. “Where did you decide to go?”
“I haven’t.”
“My counselor’s ingrained in my head that I need to go to college or I’ll die.”
He laughed as his hand moved farther up. I tugged my shirt down so the others couldn’t see, but I felt his finger tracing my bra before slipping underneath. He cupped my breast, his thumb rubbing over my nipple.
“That’s what high school counselors do, but we have time.”
We did, didn’t we?
He leaned in, his lips finding my forehead. “We have lots of time.”
“Lookie, lookie, such a happy couple. Hmmm?”
Cross stifled a groan, lifting his head, but I didn’t need to ask who it was. I would recognize the smugness of my ex even if I were deaf. Lifting my head, I turned and stepped away from Cross.
Drake Ryerson stood, smirking at us, with the two of his crew beside him. A few others had congregated with them as well, and the Fallen Crest guys were more wary than earlier. They should’ve been wary before too, but they were arrogant and ignorant, just how we liked them. Their numbers were matched by our Roussou ones now, so they should’ve been scampering away. They weren’t.
We’d see what unfolded. If there was a confrontation, more would come running—either to join in or record it.
“What do you want, Drake?” I asked.
We’d had to deal with Drake a few times since he came back to take the leadership role for the Ryerson crew. The crew was named after their family, but ironically the only Ryerson in the crew was their leader. Alex, their last leader and Drake’s little brother by one year, had been kicked out then gift-wrapped for us to kick his ass.
He’d hurt one of ours, so the debt had been a long time coming. But since then, a tentative and uneasy truce had been called among all crews. There was no longer an unsettled rift between us.
But we didn’t enjoy them. And we weren’t quiet about it.
Drake’s eyes moved between Cross and me. A wicked grin spread over his face. “I almost feel bad, breaking up a moment for the two of you.”
He was right. We rarely showed that side. And it was over now.
I moved over, and Cross stood next to me, ready to square off.
I kept my hands at my side and raised my chin. “I won’t ask again.”
