“Hi. How are you?”
“I was sleeping.” He runs a hand over his face and scratches his jaw.
“Oh, it’s not that late though, is it?”
“No, I just passed out after spending the whole day on the pitch doing drills with my mates. Gotta get in all the practice before Uni.”
“You sound more British than ever,” I laugh.
“I miss that sound,” he smiles at me through the phone, “and seeing your face. How was your day?”
“Good. There’s a new girl that Connor is obsessed with getting rid of, but Levi suggested I befriend.”
His eyes flash with jealousy at the mention of Levi, but he listens to the whole story closely. He seems worried when I get to the part about Wes.
“Wes and Felix aren’t good guys. I know you want to date around this year but maybe find someone else.”
“You jealous?” I tease.
“Yes, I am bloody jealous of anyone who dates you, but that is not why I’m warning you against them. I know these guys and they’re wankers.”
“Okay.”
“Okay, you’ll stay away or okay, just to shut me up?”
“Maybe both?”
He sighs but lets me guide the conversation in a different direction. We fill each other in on the last couple weeks of our lives. I’m careful to avoid talking about Levi; that’s the one sore spot for Oliver. He doesn’t know everything about Levi and I, but he knows enough to understand that there is something between us. That cat crawled out of the bag when Levi beat him bloody one morning leaving my bedroom.
I get off the phone when Mom knocks on my door. After I set the phone down on the charger, I look up at her.
“I have these brochures for you,” she says while holding her hand out for me to take them.
“For what? I’m already accepted into Yale.”
“Breast augmentation. It’s clear you’re going to stay flat chested. It’s time you start thinking about your actual future. No one is ever going to look at you twice if you look a nine-year-old boy.” She points at the three brochures I’m gaping at. “These are the three top plastic surgeons on the east coast. Pick which one you like, and we’ll make a weekend out of the procedure. Dinner is in half an hour, make sure you are dressed appropriately.”
I shouldn’t be surprised or hurt, but damn if I can’t stop the tears from pricking my eyes. I open my nightstand drawer and drop them inside it. I walk over to the full-length mirror in my closet and take my uniform off, so I’m just standing in my bra and panties.
Is she right?
Am I so flat chested that guys will be turned off?
Are my muscles ugly?
I don’t know how long I spend standing in front of my mirror, tearing my body apart with negative self-talk. The only thing that brings me out of it is Levi barging into my room. I squeak and slam the closet door closed. I throw on a sundress and grab a pair of wedge sandals.
“You saw me naked this morning, it’s only fair that I see you naked tonight,” Levi says with a smirk when I emerge from the closet.
“Not happening, bro,” I retort as I walk by him.
“You liked what you saw.”
“Naw, I was just surprised by how small your dick looks with all those muscles.”
“He’s a grower, not a shower,” Levi says completely unaffected by my attempt at a dig as we walk down the hall.
We get to the dining room before Mom and sit to wait until she shows up. Levi’s phone chirps, and he pulls it out of his pocket. He grunts and shoots me an indecipherable look before his thumbs start flying across the screen. He abruptly pushes away from the table.
“Change of plans. I have to go take care of some stuff with Con and Griff.” He hesitates beside my chair. “Will you be okay with your mom?”
“Yeah, I’ve dealt with her shit for seventeen years. One dinner alone won’t kill me.”
“Okay,” he bends and kisses my temple, “see you later. I might be late.”
“Bye.” I watch him leave. The black trousers he had on for dinner are hugging his tight ass perfectly, and the white polo shirt stretched across his back and shoulders. No one should look that good, it’s not fair to my hormones.
12
LEVI
You could have knocked me over with a fucking feather when I saw a text from Oliver flash across my phone. He and I were coolly civil at best last year, throwing punches most of the other times. I lost track of how often we ended up in the ring against each other on fight nights at The Abyss. The only reasons I didn’t kill him were that he treated Ives with respect and their relationship kept the other assholes at bay. Still didn’t mean I liked the British twat though.
Oliver: Ivy told me Wes Sampson asked her out today. He is a fucking wanker, and you need to keep him away from her. She isn’t taking my warnings seriously.
Me: Says you.
Oliver: Don’t be a prick. You and I both know he’s bad news. I used to listen to his stories about the girls he’d fuck. I know you care about Ivy, don’t let her be another notch on his bed post.
Me: Yeah, thanks for the heads up
I shoot a text to my group chat with Con and Griff.
Me: Wanna help fuck some assholes up?
Griff: I’m in.
He’s standing outside his house when I pull up looking intrigued. I’ve barely come to a stop when he pulls the door open and slides in.
“What’s going on?” he asks while he buckles up.
“Wes Sampson asked Ivy for her number.” I check my phone to see if I have anything from Con, but he hasn’t even read the message yet. “Oliver texted me to let me know.”
“Ivy’s Oliver?” he asks surprised. “Isn’t he in at Oxford?”
“He’s not her anything,” I growl. “And yes, he is, but they talk regularly. He reached out to me when she wasn’t receptive to his warnings about Wes.”
“Wes and Felix are at Casa Vieja,” Griff checks his phone. “According to Con, Felix asked Lilith for her number, too. What’s the plan?”
“A fist to the fucking face for both of them,” I snarl. “Then threats against their family businesses if they ignore our warnings again.”
“Works for me,” Griff agrees, “I’ve been bored as fuck recently. I wouldn’t mind destroying some lives.”
“Are we going to wait in the parking lot for them or grab them and pull them out?” I ask. Con would want to go as aggressive as possible if he were here because, for some reason, he can’t see things clearly when it comes to Lilith. I wait for Griff’s response, he’s the most coldly rational of the three of us.
“I think we should wait, maybe fuck with their cars while we do so.” Griff answers. “According to Meggie, they should be done in about ten minutes.” Meggie is a girl who goes to FPA on scholarship and is a server at the restaurant. She gives us information from time to time in exchange for our protection.
I pull into the parking lot and see Felix’s flashy red Corvette. Only a thirsty dickhead would drive a red sports car. They must have driven together because I don’t see the Audi that Wes drives anywhere.
We get out and stand by the Corvette, I lean against it while Griff bends down and starts letting the air out of the back tires. About fifteen minutes pass before we hear them walking across the parking lot.
“What’s up?” Wes nods at us.
“Did you hit up Ivy and Lilith for their numbers today?” I snap.
“Yeah, man. Lilith is hot as fuck. I know you don’t want her around, but there’s no harm in pounding that pussy first, right?” Felix humps the air in front of him.
My fist connects with Felix’s face, and he tumbles to his ass, blood pouring from his nose.
I look over at Wes. “Did you forget that Ivy is off limits? Same rules for this year as last year.”
“Last year Oliver was fu-” his statement is interrupted by my right hook.
“Ivy and Lilith are off limits.” I spit down on both the assholes bleeding
on the ground.
Griff crouches in front of them. “Stay away from both of them, or I’ll ruin your lives.” He threatens quietly. “I haven’t destroyed anyone’s hopes and dreams in too long. Wes, did you know your mom is snorting away all your dad’s money every weekend at the club?” He looks over at Felix, “And there’s a nasty rumor going around about embezzlement at your dad’s accounting firm. It would be a shame for the Feds to hear that rumor, no?” He pats them both on the cheek condescendingly before standing back to his full height and walking to my SUV.
“Hungry?” I ask after we get back in.
Both Griff and I agree on picking up pizza and going back to Griff’s house for dinner. One the way there, I decide to poke Con a bit about Lilith tonight. Push him to start looking at that situation rationally. She’s not going to fuck his dad; she actually seems to be pretty irritated with the situation in general.
“We need to ask Con what he wants to do for his birthday.”
“Oh, shit. Yeah.” I suck at remembering birthdays. “It’s Saturday, right?”
“Yeah.”
“How long do you think it’ll take until Con realizes he’s into the hoodrat?” I ask when Griff gets back in the car with the pizzas.
“He already knows. He’s just fighting it.”
“I told Ivy to befriend her.” I confess looking for his reaction out of the corner of my eye. “I actually think she seems dope as fuck. I knew those two would hit it off.”
“I’ll follow Con’s lead for now, but I’m not doing anything drastic until we have a better idea of who she is.”
“No psychopathic threats of ruining her life?”
“Not yet,” he smirks like the savage beast he can be. “Con said he’ll be over a few minutes after us.”
The rest of week goes by fairly uneventfully. We have our first game tonight, and I am so pumped for it. We’re playing a prep school from Pennsylvania; we’ve only played them a few times, and they always challenge us. Ives and my dad will be sitting together in their reserved seats, and Con and Griff will be there, too. Aside from the guys on the field with me, they’re the only ones I care about.
“Hey,” Mason says walking up behind me in the locker room, “did you hear about Ferguson and the new girl?”
“Lilith?”
“Is there any other new girl?” He holds his hands up at my glare. “Sorry, yes. He attacked her in the back stairwell of the science building.”
“Fuck,” I dig my phone out of my backpack. I never check it during the day, and today it’s biting me in the ass. “She okay?”
“Yeah, Volkov beat his ass and then took her home.”
I nod while I check our group chat.
Con: I’m gonna fucking kill that motherfucker tomorrow night.
Griff: How’s Lilith? Took care of Jameson for you both.
Con: She is fucking shook. I didn’t think she could get any paler, but she was white asa ghost when she went up to her room.
Levi: Ferguson has been a problem for three years. Time to end it.
Con: Agreed.
Griff: I’ll get him expelled.
A text notification from Ives pops up on the screen.
Ivy: Lilith was attacked at school today. I’m going to have to miss your game to go hang with her. I’m sorry.
Levi: It’s okay, I’m glad she’s okay. I’ll let Dad know, so he isn’t waiting around for you.
Ivy: I already told him. I’m still wearing your lucky shirt though
Levi: You better. See ya later.
Ivy: Kick some ass.
Levi: Always do
I switch back to the group chat.
Me: Ives is going to stay with Hoodrat tonight.
Con: Good.
Con: Silver lining is that Peasant also had to cancel a date with one of our groundskeepers. Think I’ll fire him anyway.
Griff: We’ll be in our usual spot.
Levi: Should we skip the after party tonight and check on the girls?
Griff: Yes
Con: I will be
“Marsh!” Coach yells from across the locker room. “Get your ass in the huddle!”
“Sorry Coach,” I toss my phone in the locker and slam it shut.
He launches into his pregame speech, reminding us that our team is mainly made of seniors. That this is first game of our last season of high school ball. He hits on the main points of our game plan and then looks to me to give the captain pep talk and chant.
It’s easy for me to stand up and tell these guys we’re family, because we are. Out on the football field it’s just us, most of us have been playing together so long we barely have to look at each other to know what our next move will be. We put our hands in, and Mason yells the chant.
We bust out of the locker room, across the track, and onto the field led by some really half-assed cheerleaders. Aside from football, soccer, and lacrosse, sports aren’t a big deal here at FPA. Since Ives joined the swim team, they’ve gotten more clout, but it’s not a big sport regardless of talent.
Playing football is so bittersweet for me. I love the game. I love the atmosphere of games. I love the surge of adrenaline that comes from each player’s competitive nature, forming currents of energy across the field.
The thing I hate, though, is the expectation from my father. From the second he took away basketball, my real first sports love, I have felt a weight hanging from me. He wants me to follow the blueprint he set for his life. High school football star, collegiate quarterback at a D1 school, National Championship ring, MBA, and then spend the rest of my life locked behind a desk on Wall Street playing circle jerk with a bunch of entitled assholes.
It’s not what I want, but I haven’t found a way to tell my dad. I’m fairly certain he won’t disinherit me, but I’m the only heir. So, I just continue to exist in the cold space between the rock and the hard place.
The game ends with us winning by ten. We had it in the bag the whole time, so much so it was a disappointingly boring game. I’m the first off the field, ready to shower and get over to Con’s house. That weird urge to make sure Hoodrat is okay seems to be lingering; it’s different from how I feel about Ives but just as strong.
Ivy and Lilith walk into the game room at The Abyss, and I swear the noise stops. Or maybe it just happens for Con and I because he’s definitely looking at Hoodrat like she’s a snack, and I know I’m looking at Ives the same way. They couldn’t look more different. Ivy is average height, muscular, tan, dark hair and eyes, rocking the fuck out of a purple dress that might as well have been painted on. Hoodrat is in tattered skinny jeans and a black tank top, wearing shoes that are definitely not hers, looking like she might fall over. Ives has done something to her long, platinum blonde hair and stuck it in a high ponytail, and she’s wearing more makeup than I’ve ever seen her wear.
When I look over at Con, he’s scowling at the two kids talking to our girls. He glances at Griff and I before taking off over to them. Con and Hoodrat start going at each other again, round for round. I don’t know who they think they’re fooling with their nonsense. I turn to watch Ives watch them. It takes all my willpower not to lean down and bury my face in her neck. I’m about to drag off to a private corner to talk when I hear the unmistakable drawl of a Texan douchebag.
Scott Owen has just approached Con, so Griff and I both come up on either side, silently backing him. Owen is going on about one of his family’s oilrigs exploding in the Gulf, trying to blame the Volkovs, which is so fucking off base. Con and his dad aren’t even interested in major players in oil industry. Con wants to go to MIT to work on renewable energy engineering, and his dad refuses to open drilling on their land.
Then Margaux tries to make herself relevant by going for Hoodrat. Griff and I exchange impressed glances when Hoodrat goes toe-to-toe with the resident mean girl and then smashes the hopes and dreams of the vile bitch in front of her by spinning and kissing Con like they’ve done it a million times. Honestly, maybe they have
because they seem very comfortable kissing, definitely not a first kiss.
When I look over at Ives, she seems just as shocked but also proud. She grabs Hoodrat and takes off. Con watches her go with a hungry, predatory gleam in his eyes. The three of us make eye contact, and he does something he rarely every does in public. A huge ass smile crosses his face with dimples and all.
“Time to pay Ferguson a little visit,” Con says as he walks out to the back of the party compound where the ring is set up for fights. “Peasant is mine. The sooner everyone knows the better.”
Ferguson is out there already, waiting with an arrogant smirk on his face. Con pulls his shirt over his head and steps right out into the center of the makeshift ring. He doesn’t even give Ferguson a chance to speak before his fists collide in rapid succession to Ferguson’s face and stomach. Everyone watches in fascinated horror as Con systematically annihilates his opponent. Usually he allows whomever he’s fighting to get a few hits in first but not this time.
The first year we started this fighting ring, everyone slept on Con thinking that because he doesn’t have an interest in playing team sports or being an athlete that he would be an easy mark. Big fucking mistake, he’s a beast. He’s in his home gym for hours a day beating the shit out of punching bags and dummies. Griff and I exchange glances when it’s very clear that Con isn’t going to stop unless we pull him off.
“Let him go,” Griff says quietly but sternly. “He won’t be back to FPA anyway. His dad found the stash of coke in his car. Ferguson is going to military school.”
13
IVY
I did a bad thing. Random lunch hour hookups are an ill-advised idea. It was unsatisfying, and it hurt Levi. I hate myself a little for the look in his eye when I showed up late to lunch on Monday with my face flushed and hair messed up. He and I haven’t discussed us and where our relationship stands since I’ve been back, but we need to. We’ve skirted around the issue, and he’s been pretty clear about what he wants by the actions he’s taken, such as beating up and threatening Wes.
Relentless (Titans of Founder's Ridge Book 2) Page 10
