by Leila James
I close my eyes and shake my head.
His jaw clenches.
Whispering pathetically, I refuse. “I can’t. Please just leave it alone.” I turn and jog across the gym, memories of Micah at that park fresh in my mind.
Chapter 28
Why, oh why does this have to be the day I’m stuck selling freaking homecoming tickets? After the incident with the douchebags in the locker room, I’d headed directly to the girls bathroom just up the hallway from the homecoming ticket sales tables.
I pull paper towels from the dispenser, wet them, and hold them to my cheeks and press them to my eyes. I’m all blotchy and pink and completely embarrassed. The fact that those boys felt entitled to treat me that way makes me physically ill. I don’t want to be here, much less have to sell tickets or go to class.
If I wasn’t such a goody-goody, I’d skip and go home.
At the sound of the first bell, I cringe. I’m supposed to be selling tickets for the next twenty minutes, and I’ll be damned if I’m a no-show and give Alora more ammunition against me. Staring at myself in the mirror, I sigh, toss the paper towels into the trash, and pick up my bag. I’m a veritable mess.
Down the hallway at the ticket sales table, Alora and Farrah are already seated with tickets and money boxes, just beginning to sell tickets. There are three lines of students stretching all the way down the hall to the main office. Guilt swamps me. I hurry over. “Sorry.” I pull out the final seat and slide into it.
Alora rolls her eyes at me and hands me the third money box and a stack of tickets. “You’re always late. How nice of you to not miss the entire thing this time.”
Beside her, Farrah snorts but tries to hide it as she sells another pair of tickets.
“I didn’t do this on purpose and I’ve already apologized.” I huff, “And as for the meeting last week, that was your fault and you know it.” I accept money from an underclassman and hand him a pair of tickets.
“What’s wrong with you? You look like shit.” Alora gives me one of those pitying looks she likes to cast at those she thinks aren’t worthy of her time.
I turn in my seat. “Would you please just let me sell the tickets?”
She shrugs and rolls her eyes at me. Again.
We go on like this for a while. I’ve just handed over another pair of tickets when suddenly in front of me, Micah appears with Beau, Xander and Scarlett just behind them. He rests his hands on the table and leans across and murmurs, “You will tell me what happened in the locker room.”
Beau steps to the side of the table. “What were you doing in there, anyway, sweetness?”
I frown at the nickname he’s now used twice for me, but then remember Beau tends to use terms of endearment with girls—I’d heard someone say before that it was because he can’t keep track of which girl is which because he’ll bang anyone with a vagina—but then I’ve also heard him use “pretty girl” with Scarlett, and I have to wonder how much of the talk is actually truth and how much is just another bit of Rose folklore.
My shoulders rise and fall, and I give my head a quick shake. “I’m busy right now, guys. Do you all need tickets? Because if you don’t, I need you to step aside.”
Micah reaches into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. “Two please.”
Alora smirks at me. Her catty expression says, See? He’s mine.
I fully admit my heart twinges and twists as I hold out my hand for Micah’s money, put it in the box, and hand him his tickets.
He immediately passes one to Beau.
“Thanks for spotting me, man.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see that Alora’s mouth has just dropped open and she’s staring hard at Micah. She mutters something under her breath that sounds like What. The. Fuck.
Micah takes one last look at me. “We’ll talk later. And don’t forget to get my test score from Roudebush.”
I wet my lips. “I won’t.”
“And I’ll see you tonight.”
I nod, but a gasp from beside me pulls my attention toward Alora, who is staring at Micah like he has two heads. “Micah, I need to talk to you.” She stands quickly, scoots behind my chair, and tugs Micah by the elbow down the hallway where it’s quite obvious from their body language that they’re about to argue.
Oh. Oh boy.
A rumble from the crowd of students in front of us makes my eyes go wide. There is a whole lot of whispering behind hands, and a few people who don’t bother being quiet with their astonished comments. Tuning into the various snippets of conversation, I almost feel badly for Alora.
“Fuck, did Alora just get dumped?”
“She’s not dating him, dummy. They just fuck.”
“But wait, they always go to dances together.”
“He only bought one ticket. Is he going stag? Why would he do that?”
“If he needs a date, I volunteer!”
I steal a glance at Farrah, and she shrugs before taking the next person in line. Beau hovers near me, but off to the side where it looks like he’s keeping an eye on Micah and Alora down the hallway.
Xander and Scarlett are up next in my line and both of them give me a look as Xander holds out the money for their tickets. He quietly murmurs, “Know anything about what just happened?”
“No. I don’t think so. I mean—”
Scarlett blows out a controlled breath through pursed lips and she leans her head to the side so she has a view of the hallway that Micah and Alora went down. “Oh man. Her arms are flailing around and everything. She’s pissed.”
Xander doesn’t even try to hide his wince this time. “Be careful, Daphne. She’s a loose cannon when she’s riled up about little stuff. And this? This is big.”
I blow out a hard breath. “You keep telling me that. I don’t know what to do differently.” Mashing my lips together, I wave the next person in line forward. It’s not that I don’t appreciate Xander’s concern, I simply don’t have a clue how to get Alora’s claws out of my back.
When the bell rings, Farrah and I quickly finish up with those still in line, then grab our money boxes and head to the main office.
“Micah doesn’t really want you, you know that, right?” She cackles. “Knowing him—which I do—he’s just fucking around. They probably had a disagreement and he’s using you to get back at her. They do this shit all the time. Hell, sometimes he uses me the same way.”
I can’t stand the way she’s so flippant about it. “I don’t get you at all.”
She laughs. “It is what it is. He’s Micah. He does what he wants and he doesn’t do relationships. Ever.” We stop right outside the office. “Look. Micah has a big dick and he knows how to use it. That’s all I care about. He knows I’m up for a quick fuck whenever he’s in the mood—and that’s pretty often.” She cocks her head to the side, and peers incredulously at me. “Wait. You don’t actually like him, like him, do you?” She makes a tsk sound, then giggles maniacally before she continues. “Girl, he’s going to eat you up and spit you out. He’s ruthless.” She pushes her way into the office, leaving me standing there in shock. Before I can even go in, she breezes back out. “See you around, Double D!” Glancing back over her shoulder, she gives me a wicked grin. “Watch out for Alora. When she bites, she bites down hard.”
Chapter 29
Micah has been texting me since this morning. I’m so in my head because of everything that happened this morning I’m choosing to ignore him.
And right this minute, I’m also being the most horrible lunch companion ever. Max and Scarlett sneak glances at me while they talk between bites of their meals, trying to play it off like it’s no big deal, but I can tell they are simply biding their time before they make me talk.
It’s just been one hit after another. First the locker room, then the warning from Xander, followed by the conversation with Farrah. I’ve been rocked hard and have the distinct impression I’m in the deep end and about to drown.
If Derek hadn’t said something,
I’d have had a repeat of the worst day of my life, only with a different set of football players. And ever since Farrah opened her big mouth, what she’d said has played on repeat. “He doesn’t do relationships. Ever.” With warnings about both Micah and Alora, it’s enough to make my head explode.
I wince. I’ve never been in a relationship, but I know for a fact I’m not down with being Micah’s fuckbunny alongside his cheerbunny. “Girl, he’s going to eat you up and spit you out. He’s ruthless.” My teeth clamp down on my lip. This sucks. I want to believe he’d want me for me, but I’m not dumb enough to think I can make him change his ways, either. He’d have to do that on his own. And I’m not sure I’m strong enough to stick around to watch him try. I’m downright terrified of getting involved with him and having it blow up in my face.
And when I say blow up, I’m sure Alora will be the one to light the fuse.
I glance down at my phone as it goes off yet again. I’ve got it on vibrate, so it’s been a not-so-subtle reminder throughout the day that he’s not going to let this drop. Glancing down through the messages again, my heart speeds up. He’s relentless.
Daph’s Dream Dick: First, I need to know you’re really okay.
Daph’s Dream Dick: Second, I’m not joking around.
Daph’s Dream Dick: I want to know what happened.
Daph’s Dream Dick: I went into the locker room after you took off.
Daph’s Dream Dick: If you don’t confirm who did what, I’m going to have to beat the shit out of half the team.
Daph’s Dream Dick: And that doesn’t bode well for the game tonight.
Daph’s Dream Dick: And Scarlett will be pissed at you because I’ll recruit Xander (and Beau) to help me.
Daph’s Dream Dick: Daph, please talk to me.
Despite the gentleness I sense in his final text, I’m confused about how to respond, so I don’t. Instead, I tuck my phone back into my pocket and pick up my sandwich. Hmm. Maybe he’s realizing that steam-rolling the answer out of me won’t work.
Max leans close to me. “Um.” He swallows. “I swear I didn’t see it on purpose … but did that really say you were getting texts from Daph’s Dream Dick?”
Scarlett sputters from across the lunch table. “What?”
“I didn’t save it like that.” I heave a sigh before I press my lips together.
Max wiggles his brows when I side-eye him. “You mean Micah did?”
Slowly, I nod. “Yep.”
“Fuck. I bet he does have a dreamy dick.” He gets all starry-eyed for a few seconds.
I groan.
Holding up a hand, Scarlett shakes her head. “Wait, back up. When did this happen?”
“It feels like forever ago. Before …” I blink. “Well, it was before we ever started with the tutoring. Back when he was still giving me hell over even setting it up.”
Max frowns. “Do you mean he was fucking with you? Trying to make you uncomfortable?”
“I guess so.”
“Why haven’t you changed it?” Scarlett gives me a quizzical look.
I look down at my sandwich, my eyes unfocused. “I just haven’t.” I shrug and meet her gaze.
Scarlett’s blue eyes bore into mine. “Daphne, you may think you’re hiding it well, but you’re not. We’ve been in each other’s business since I got here. I’ve been watching how you react when he’s around. It’s like you don’t know what to do with yourself. He makes you nervous. But you told us—you have a thing for him. From what I see, it seems like he’s really into you, too.”
I keep my mouth shut because I can’t deny it. I won’t lie about it.
Max pokes a fry into the air in my direction. “I’d agree with that assessment.”
“I also heard something happened this morning in the locker room. Xander said Micah was pretty worked up about it. That you were in there …” Scarlett works her jaw back and forth as she studies me.
My gaze drops to my food tray for a few seconds before I look back up at her. “I was, yes.”
Max’s head whips up, looking between Scarlett and me. “What do you mean? Like, for cheerbunny stuff? What the hell happened?”
Scarlett glances at Max before she settles her gaze on me. “Daph, you were there for me. Let me be there for you.”
“I—” My lips clamp shut, and I gaze out the window.
“Spill, Daph.” Max’s voice is raspy in my ear.
I draw in a deep breath and glance over my shoulder. “I was doing spirit girl stuff and a couple of football players walked in and grabbed me. They were messing with me. I mean, it was a little more intense than that. I—” My lips clamp shut. I just can’t. This whole scenario hits way too close to a memory I thought I was done dealing with. Apparently not.
My eyes glaze over with tears, and I blink furiously as my eyes move from Scarlett to Max, taking in their reaction.
Scarlett’s hands cover the lower half of her face and her eyes soften. “Seriously? I’m so sorry.” She swallows. I should have known she’d be sensitive to this, knowing what she went through with rapey-ass Justin.
“Who? I want to know who.” Max has gotten more and more agitated the longer he’s had to take in what I’ve said.
Looking down at my hands, I see they’re shaking again, so I clasp them together. My insides twist. “I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. I don’t want the whole school to know.”
My phone buzzes, interrupting. Max nudges me. “Is that Daph’s Dream Dick again?”
“Probably.”
“What’s he want?”
“To know who was in there this morning—the same as you.”
“Well, now someone is finally making some fucking sense around here.” Max sighs. “He really does care about you, doesn’t he? I had no idea the two of you were so involved.”
I blink some more, furiously trying to hold back the tears. I let out a shaky breath. “Well, we are. I think. I don’t really know.” Withdrawing my phone from my pocket, I take a look.
Daph’s Dream Dick: Meet me outside in the garden in ten.
Daph’s Dream Dick: Don’t stand me up.
My bark of laughter surprises everyone, including me. “Micah wants to talk to me.”
“What’s so funny about that? Maybe if you tell him what happened this morning, he’ll go fucking pound the douche canoes.”
I wet my lower lip. “I just thought it was funny that he asked me not to stand him up. I’m sure he’s never been stood up in his life. He always has a line of girls waiting for him. He—” My voice cracks. I’m rambling. The more I think about it, the more I feel like an idiot. I’m Daphne Davis. I don’t end up with someone like Micah.
Max pushes his seat back and stands up. “Come on.” He grips my elbow and locks eyes with Scarlett. “Can you tell him to come now?”
She nods, scoots out of her seat, and rushes across the cafeteria.
I get up and Max steers me in between the tables and out the door. There’s no one out here because of the cool temperatures. He pulls me off to the side of the door, out of sight of the windows. “I know it isn’t in your nature to want to cause trouble or to have people know your business. And there’s a whole fuck ton of bullshit that I feel like you’ve been hiding from me and Scarlett. You’re obviously not yourself lately.” He pulls me in for a hug, running his hand over my back. “We’re here for you, whenever you need us, but right now we don’t know how to help.”
So many things swirl through my head, but the biggest one blurts out. “Things have started to … go pretty far with Micah, and I’m scared to death of how he makes me feel.”
“Daph …”
I don’t know if he was going to say anything else because the door bangs open and Micah comes into view.
“Over here, Big Man.”
Micah’s head swivels toward Max’s voice, a scowl on his face when he hears him. The scowl deepens when he sees Max holding me. Micah covers the distance between us at lightning speed. “What the fuck is goi
ng on? Why won’t you talk to me?”
I put a hand up. “I’ll tell you.”
Max releases me and pokes a finger into Micah’s chest, drawing his attention. “If you need help kicking anyone’s ass, just let me know.” And then to me, “Daph, I’ll be inside if you need me.” The door slams behind him as he returns to the lunchroom.
Micah stares at me for several seconds, his eyes quietly assessing me.
I suck in a breath and when he reaches for me, I move directly into his embrace, my arms encircling his waist, even with everything Farrah had said still swirling around in my head.
There’s no way this Micah and the Micah she’d described are the same person.
Nothing she said matches up with the guy holding me tightly, comforting me. This Micah cares about me. I feel it in the way he touches me, in the way he looks at me.
I tuck my face against his chest and mumble, “It was Shayne and Carter. Mostly Shayne. Carter just laughed and made some comments.”
“And what did Shayne do to you?” It sounds like the question is being dragged over gravel as it leaves his lips.
“He grabbed me and held me. They were laughing about the day I fell in the hall and—”
“And what?” His voice comes out deadly soft. His muscles go rigid everywhere his body is in contact with mine.
“They were just being guys, I guess.”
“No. Don’t give them a pass. ‘Being a guy’ is no excuse for fucked up behavior.”
“He—Shayne—lifted my skirt. Like he was going to show them what I was wearing … underneath.”
Micah cups the back of my head with his hand, smoothing it over the hair. His touch is gentle, which is in direct opposition to the rough demand of his voice. “Tell me who else was there.”
“Derek. But he told them to stop messing with me. He told them to let me go.”
His chest rises and falls several times before he says anything. “I’ll fucking take care of it. They won’t ever bother you again.”
