by Piper Frost
“Fuck’s up, Sterling?” A guy drapes his arm over Abigail’s shoulders and takes his time looking up and down my body before meeting Fenton’s gaze again.
“What the hell are you guys doing?” Fenton growls, looking around the fifteen or so of them and trying to move me behind him.
“Abigail found out about this little shit show happening tonight.” The guy looks around the gym and cackles. “Talk about a hillbilly party. Are those hay bales?”
My brother cuts through the crowd of people that have started gathering, heading straight for us. Fuck.
“What’s goin’ on?” Gray asks, taking Fenton’s side.
“Just here to teach your buddy a lesson,” one of the other guys says and Abigail’s sinister smirk is aimed at me.
“I just miss my boyfriend.” She fake pouts.
“Lay off, Abigail. I’m not fighting you on school grounds,” Fenton says and steps back some.
“Gentlemen.” Grant appears and looks between us. “Ladies. How the hell did you get into the school?” he asks them.
The guy laughs again and shakes his head. He’s not stupid enough to start shit with Grant right here, is he? There are a lot of them, but they’re vastly outnumbered by all of us here.
“Sterling, meet us at the train tracks,” the guy with his arm around Abigail says before nodding his crew towards the door.
“Sterling, don’t fucking move,” Grant counters, glaring at the guy.
“He didn’t tell me to stay,” Gray blurts, waving his arm towards Kirby and the rest of the team. “Let’s fucking roll, boys!” I’ve seen my brother amped up to fight only a few times in my life, but I’ve never seen him more ready than right now.
“Gray,” Grant warns but the kids from the other school start walking out.
“Gray.” Fenton grabs his sleeve. “No, dude.”
“They’re not gonna leave you alone,” Gray snaps. “He fucked your shoulder a couple weeks ago on purpose. They crashed a dance to screw with you and my sister. And the look in their eyes tells me they ain’t stopping until someone’s hurting from it.” Gray curses and paces. “And while I don’t want to get hurt, or see my guys hurt...they fucked with my sister. And I don’t think they’re going to stop! That ex of yours had the crazy look in her eyes!”
“We’re not fighting.” Fenton glances toward Grant who’s glaring at all of us with his arms crossed. He wouldn’t let it happen anyway, but I don’t know why Fenton doesn’t want to fight.
“I want to kick her ass, personally,” I mutter, shrugging. “How did that not rattle you?” I look at Fenton who’s got his hand on the back of his neck. By now the dance is slowly kicking back up and there are only a couple of us left from the encounter but Grant’s not budging so even if I wanted to go kick Barbie’s ass he wouldn’t let me leave this building.
“All good, Coach Matthews,” Kirby announces and pulls Fenton by the sleeve across the room. Fenton won’t let my hand go, but his palms are sweating. It got to him. It had to. “We can head out and just meet them at the tracks,” Kirby quietly devises the plan between Fenton and Gray.
“No,” Fenton says.
“Why not?” Kirby whines.
“I’m in,” Gray chimes in, and after him comes a handful of the football team, all agreeing. “We need to show them not to fuck with us, Fenton. Teach those pussies a lesson.”
“I don’t want to fucking fight,” Fenton snaps.
“Why the fuck not!” Gray yells at him, fists tight at his side. “Did you see the way they were looking at Paige! Like they wanted to eat her alive!”
“It’s fine,” I mutter. Obviously Fenton’s still attached to his old friends. I get it. It sucks he won’t stand up for me, but I understand. I guess. I’d have a hard time turning on my lifelong friends. But then again, I wouldn’t expect them to turn on me like his did.
“No, it’s not okay, Paige,” Gray blurts then shoves Fenton’s shoulder. “Fuck’s wrong with you, man?”
“You want to fucking fight, fine! Go ahead! I’m not fighting them. And over nothing.” He won’t make eye contact with anyone.
Gray lets out a laugh. “Wow.” He nods, looking around and curses, kicking a chair. “Who the fuck are you, man?”
“Gray, stop,” I say. “Those jerks were just assholes. They wouldn’t do anything. Obviously he doesn’t want to fight his old friends he grew up with. Just drop it.” I step towards my brother and he glares at me.
“I wish you weren’t so naïve sometimes,” Gray mutters and it’s like he punched me in the gut. I shove him back and start to storm out of the gym when Kirby has to add his two cents.
“Fenton’s a pussy,” Kirby says. “Paige, you don’t need no pussy boyfriends.”
“He’s not a pussy!” I feel like I could explode! “Just because someone doesn’t want to fight doesn’t make them a pussy! Fuck!” I tighten my fists at my side and I see Grant across the room glaring at our group. “You guys are going to get us all kicked out of here.” With a huff, I fall to a chair and cross my arms over my chest. So much for a fantastic evening.
“Hey.” Fenton sits at my side and grabs my hand. “I don’t care what they call me.” His hands are trembling and his palms are sweaty.
“I do,” I mumble. “It’s not right. You’re one of us, they shouldn’t be like that.” I shake my head. “Maybe we should just call it a night.”
“They think I need to stick up for you. But I know those guys. They did that shit to try and get me to fight. I don’t want to fight them. I can’t get in trouble.” He stands and pulls me up, his arm wraps around me. “I don’t give a shit if your brother and the other guys think I’m a pussy. I’m not fighting.”
I try to push on a smile and look up at him.
“Maybe you should ride home with me, Paige,” Gray says, glaring at Fenton. “At least then I know you’re safe.”
I look up at my brother who won’t stop staring at Fenton. “I’m safe with Fenton,” I say as strong as I can. I am. I just hate this stupid unnecessary drama.
“Yeah,” Gray laughs. “Sure you are.” He rolls his eyes and cracks his knuckles. “But seriously. Let’s go home.”
“Screw you, Kenshaw,” Fenton speaks up but not loud enough to draw attention. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to her and you know it.”
“I can take her,” a voice comes out of the group of people around us and Ammo steps up with a smirk. Goddamnit. “I mean.” He eyes me up and down then licks his lips. “I’d be glad to let her ride me all the way home.” He bites his lip and my eyes go wide. “Hey, Paige, you want a ride on a real dick since your boyfriends pussy won’t cut it for ya?”
Before I can respond, and even before Gray turns to him, Fenton grabs Ammo by the throat. They fall to the ground and Fenton’s swinging, the chairs are being knocked out of the way and the thud of Fenton’s fist on Ammo’s face seems like the only thing I can hear. I watch in horror as the two of them flip each other over, chairs flying and blood staining their clothes as Fenton takes his rage out on Ammo. The entire football team is now standing around and when someone tries to stop the fight, Gray doesn’t let him.
Finally, Grant steps in and throws Fenton off Ammo, then yanks Ammo up. “My office. Now!”
I look at Fenton and he has blood rolling from his nose and he’s beet red. With a sniffle he wipes at the blood but his eyes are locked on Ammo.
“So much for not fighting,” Kirby mumbles.
Cursing, I glare at my brother while Fenton glares at Ammo.
“That was a cute little smack you had, Sterling. You deliver something like that in bed and maybe she’ll lick your taco.” Ammo mocks and Fenton lunges but this time Gray and Kirby are able to hold him back before he crashes past Grant to get to Ammo again.
“Now!” Grant screams and shoves Ammo toward the doors. “You too, Sterling!”
I watch Grant storm out with Ammo in front of him and Fenton behind, then snap my attention to the assholes standing in fron
t of me. Kirby and my brother. But especially my brother.
“I hate you,” I growl at Kirby who shakes his head and walks off. My brother looks at me and I glare back at him. “What? Want to tell me again how naive you think I am? I’m nine months younger than you, Gray. Nine! And yet you and everyone else around us treats me like I’m years younger.”
“Paige, I didn’t mean that shit.” He steps over to me but I hold my ground.
“No, I think that you did or it wouldn’t have come out. Let it out, Gray. Let’s hear it.” Not like tonight could get much worse.
“I don’t think that, Jesus!” He kicks and chair and I fall into mine, done. “You’re my little sister, I’m supposed to look out for you.”
“Look out for Leena,” I whisper. Our little sister who’s fifteen this year is already giving my parents a run for her money. She’s who he should really be worried about.
“I know. I’m sorry.” He looks at me with his puppy dog eyes.
“You’re a jerk,” I mutter, unable to stay mad at my brother who, in his mind, was just trying to protect me. “I don’t need protecting.”
“I’m your brother, get used to it.” He scoots his chair closer. “So, do you forgive me?” He lays his head on my shoulder and pouts up at me until I can’t take it and start laughing.
“Yes, now stop! You’re being weird.” Drunk is more like it. He probably won’t even remember this conversation tomorrow but I got the apology I wanted. He gets up and walks towards a group of girls and I check my phone, grinning at the picture Fenton put on social media of us.
Boyfriend and girlfriend.
Hell yes.
Waiting in the hall I see the doors to the gym swing open and Fenton walk through, I head straight for him.
“What happened? Are you in trouble? Are you okay?” His nose isn’t bleeding anymore and he looks like he cleaned up a bit, but his shirt’s still a mess.
He walks toward me like he’s pissed at me and I wait for him to start yelling. Probably break up with me. But he grabs me and slams a kiss onto my mouth. The kiss is hard at first, all his anger is in those lips, but it eventually softens, and he pulls away, his nose pressed against the side of mine as he inhales a breath with his eyes closed.
I push my hands in his hair and close my eyes. “Hey,” I say finally able to catch my breath. “You alright?”
“Yeah.” He backs away. “We’re both in trouble. Hour extra of drills this week. That dumb fuck.” He growls and punches a locker. “Are you okay? I’ll always defend you, but that wasn’t what that shit was about with my old school. We don’t need to go to war with them.”
“I’m fine,” I whisper, bringing his reddened knuckles to my lips and pushing a soft kiss to them. “I know we don’t. It’s fine.” My fingers run across his knuckles. “You may need some ice.”
“Did you used to date Ammo?” he asks out of nowhere as we walk toward the cafeteria doors.
“I told you I’ve never had a boyfriend,” I answer honestly, not wanting to cross the bridge into this conversation. Not after what I just saw.
“I know that. I said date. Or have you ever fucked around with Ammo?” His anger’s back, but he’s still holding my hand and I want to know what Ammo told him.
“Uh...” I shrug. “Yeah? You’re not gonna go back in there and beat up every guy I’ve messed around with, are you?”
“No,” he mutters like he’s defeated. I have a feeling Ammo told him that and he didn’t believe him.
I tighten my grip in his hand when we get to his truck and step in front of him, looking up into his eyes. Fenton’s a whirlwind of emotions lately, but I think I might be learning how to read it. Maybe. He’s not mad at me. He’s wearing that same emotion I had running through me earlier when his ex showed up. Jealousy. Jealousy over something stupid that you can’t change. Something that meant nothing.
“I don’t know what he told you, but it wasn’t ever anything serious with us.” I raise my hand to his cheek and he stares down at me. “You gonna say something?”
He slides his thumb over my jaw while he leans down, giving me a soft kiss. “You’re beautiful,” he whispers before pulling open the door and helping me inside the truck.
He’s quiet, almost like he’s brooding. He’s got a lot on his mind and this side of him has been happening too often lately. Taking my hand he pulls out of the parking lot.
“I don’t want to take you home yet. Your dad said midnight.” He glances at the clock.
“Good, because I don’t want to go home yet.” I slide over and tuck myself into him as he brings his arm around me. “I’m good just driving. I just want to be with you.”
“Everything’s better when we’re together,” he says turning down the road that leads to town. But when he turns off the path, I glance around. I haven’t even explored over here and if I’m not mistaken, this is a dead end. “Why do you keep looking around like that?” He chuckles.
“Where are we going? There’s nothing back here.” A surge of excitement hits me. We’re alone. And no one knows where we are.
More importantly, we’re alone.
I start to grin, hopefully knowing exactly what he’s thinking.
“That’s the point.” He turns the truck into the woods, there’s no path, but he keeps driving until we can’t anymore. “Look.” He points out the windshield and from here I can see town. The drive-in screen is lit up. Everything looks like ants, but we can see it.
“How have I never known this is here? I’ve lived in this town my whole life.” I smile at him. “How’d you know this spot was here?”
“I found it one day when I was exploring. I got lost in these woods.” He chuckles and I wonder why he was all the way over here. His aunt doesn’t live around here. “I sat here for an hour and watched a movie until mosquitos bit me up too bad.” He turns off the truck and unbuckles. “It’s quiet. But you’re not alone.” He points toward the old screen that’s probably a mile away.
I unbuckle and look up at him. I feel like I’ve known him for way longer than I have, and maybe that’s because I like him so much, but around him I feel right. Comfortable.
“Thank you for dinner tonight,” I whisper. “And for the dance.” I chuckle. “Well, the part before the fight, at least.”
“That was so stupid. I don’t mind fighting. I can hold my own,” he says like he’s trying to convince me but I saw him and Ammo go at it. I saw what he can do. “But fighting my old school is just stupid. I don’t want anything to do with that school anymore. Or that city. Or anyone in it.”
“Your brother’s still there, though.” I watch him shake his head and my heart hurts for him. “Look, I don’t know what happened. I can guess, but I don’t want to because it never leads anywhere good. But I hope one day you’ll feel comfortable enough to open up to me about it.” I run my fingers down the back of his neck. “I’m glad you’re here, though. And I’m glad you want nothing to do with them. They’re not good people.”
“Nothing good ever comes from that city. I’m just glad I’m here now.” He leans forward to kiss me, keeping it gentle. Nothing like he did back at school, but I’ll never forget that kiss when he was angry. I liked it even though it came from him hurting, but I felt him calm down, and it was me that caused that.
I push harder into the kiss and when his hands go to the back of my head, I shift and straddle him, earning a grunt.
“Did I hurt you?” I whisper on his lips, grinning because I know that noise just now wasn’t from pain.
“No.” He connects our lips again and pulls at my back and shifts me until I’m pressed against what caused him to grunt. Heat pools between my legs and I sigh. For the first time ever...I want more. He kisses me like he cares. Like he needs it as much as I do.
His fists twist in my hair and he shifts again, hitting me in just the perfect spot and I gasp, my eyes going wide.
His lips pull away, but he doesn’t let go of my hair as he looks me in the eyes. “You
okay?” he whispers, panting as heavily as I am right now.
“Yeah,” I manage to breathe, then slam my lips to his again. My body acts without me telling it what to do. Grinding down on him, gripping the seat behind him. His tongue tastes sweet. Warm. I can feel his body heat through his shirt. “Shit.” He trails his lips down my jaw and onto my neck, kissing and sucking and sending goosebumps down my arms and making me giggle, trying to pull away from the slight tickle and yet unable to because of his hold on me.
When his hips flex upward and he’s meeting the grind of my hips I moan again. It feels too good to stop, though I probably should. Our lips find each others again and my body shudders as I rock over him, rubbing against him. His tongue dances with mine and his hands grip my hair. The cab in the truck is not where I wanted this to happen, but the fact that it’s happening at all makes the need between my legs almost impossible to help.
“Fuck,” I breathe on his lips, almost to the point of trembling it feels so good. My hips rock and my nails dig in to the leather of the seat. He growls, flexing his hips to meet my every thrust. “Ah, shit,” I whimper and keep grinding against his erection. My body spirals out of control, trembling, as my orgasm hits hard. I bury my head in his neck, still rocking on him and letting the currents roll through me. My toes are numb. My fingers are numb. I've heard orgasms are great...but that. That was not what I expected. That was... “Shit,” I whisper, slowly pulling my head up and kissing him again. My hand starts to push between us and I feel his thick length, rock hard still. Grinning, I rub it and look into his eyes.
Grabbing my hand, he brings it up to his lips. “You don’t have to do that.” He kisses my knuckles.
“You don’t want me to?” All the boys before, that’s all they’ve cared about. And it’s fun...
“Uh.” He chuckles and looks away from me. Pushing the hair out of his face, he says, “Yeah, I do. But that wasn’t really why we came out here.” He shifts me off his lap. “Christ, Paige.” He laughs again before kissing me. “Uh.” He rubs at his face like he’s trying to put his head on straight. “I should get you home.”
