Gold

by K. A. Linde

  Bryna sighed heavily. “Great. Just great, S.”

  “I know. I’m horrible. I tried, but I’m so bad, and he’s so good at figuring it all out anyway.”

  “I guess you can use our room, but if it somehow slips that I’m with Eric and I get in trouble, you know I’m blaming him for this, right?”

  “No way, B. He would never do that.”

  Bryna rolled her eyes. Why is Stacia so naive when it comes to Pace? Is it just that he is a quarterback or is it something more? She didn’t get it. He was pretty evil, all things considered.

  She hadn’t told Stacia about Pace’s part in what had happened with Cam, and she really wanted to do it in the moment. But somehow, she didn’t think Stacia would believe her. Stacia hadn’t listened any other time Bryna had told her about Pace’s deceit.

  Her eyes found Pace’s in the crowd. As if sensing her eyes on him, he turned to look at her.

  A smug smirk crossed his face, and he raised his eyebrows in question. Yes?

  She pursed her lips and flipped him off across the room. He tilted his head back and laughed. Great.

  “Tell him that if he rats me out about Eric, I will tell the coach that he’s in our room,” she told Stacia honestly.

  “You would rat me out?” she gasped.

  “I think it’s a strong incentive for nothing to go wrong tonight.”

  “You really think he would do that?”

  “Positive.”

  “Okay. I really don’t,” she said. “But be careful if you’re that worried.”

  Be careful. But she made no suggestion to stay in instead.

  The girls brought their bags up to their room, and Bryna waited for her signal from Eric to sneak into his room. She hadn’t even done this in high school. No one had cared enough for her to have to sneak around. But she wanted to spend the night with Eric.

  A knock at the door jolted her, and Stacia rushed over to open it. Pace strode in like he owned the place. He seemed surprised to see Bryna.

  “No late-night rendezvous with the new flavor of the week?” he asked.

  Stacia smacked him. “Be nice.”

  Pace kissed Stacia hard on the lips, but he never agreed to be nice. Bryna knew he wouldn’t be nice to her. They had too much animosity between them. Not to mention, she was pretty sure he still wanted to sleep with her…Stacia be damned.

  Her phone dinged.

  Ready.

  Eric. Finally. Time to get away from her fucking stepbrother.

  “Just remember,” she said, stepping up to Pace and poking him hard in the chest, “I don’t trust you. So, if you do anything to fuck this up, you’re hurting Stacia, not just me or you.”

  “I don’t have any plans, Bri.”

  She glared at his use of her nickname. “You always have plans.”

  “Oh, we’re so much alike, sis.”

  “Stop antagonizing her, Pace,” Stacia said. “Go on. Pace isn’t going to do anything.”

  “Good.”

  Bryna left the room and headed up a couple of floors. She knocked on Eric’s door. Her stomach was knotted, knowing there would be consequences if they were caught, but she was also excited. The danger made it enticing.

  Eric opened the door and pulled her inside by the middle. He slammed the door shut, swept her off her feet, and carried her to the king-sized bed in the middle of the room.

  “I missed you,” he said into her hair.

  She turned her face and kissed him with a sigh. “I missed you, too.”

  Their bodies melded together, and she forgot all about her argument with Pace. As she got lost in Eric, all the warnings left her mind. This was how it was supposed to be.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  Bryna blearily opened her eyes and looked over at the clock. 6:00 a.m.

  “Fuck!” Eric cried.

  She was still in his room. She had passed out. “Shit! Who is at the door?”

  “I don’t know. Throw some clothes on, and go into the bathroom or something. I’ll go find out what’s going on.”

  Bryna hastily changed and rushed into the bathroom. How old am I? She was a fucking adult. She didn’t need rules about what she could do at night.

  Eric cracked open the door, and she heard him speaking to the person on the other side. “What’s up? It’s six in the morning.”

  “Sorry, Eric. Coach wanted us up and at a morning meeting in half an hour. He wanted me to let you know.”

  Eric wiped his eyes and nodded. “All right. I’ll be there. Thanks, Coach Morris.”

  Phew. Just one of the assistant coaches.

  “Sure thing.”

  Eric closed the door with a sigh. “Jesus, that freaked me the fuck out.”

  “Yeah, these new regulations are insane,” Bryna said, coming out of the bathroom. “For a second, I thought that Pace had given us away, and we were in some big trouble. I actually had the weirdest dream that I snuck out of the room while Coach was investigating. I ran downstairs and turned Pace in for his deceit. It ended before I found out what happened to him though.”

  Eric laughed. “You have an active imagination.”

  “You’re right.”

  He pulled her into a hug. The adrenaline was wearing off, and she felt really tired again. She had to be up soon to get ready for the game, but she still felt exhausted.

  “I guess Pace didn’t do anything bad this time around.”

  “Maybe he’s learned his lesson,” Eric said, but he didn’t sound like he believed it. “Go on back upstairs, and get some rest. I’ll see you at the game.”

  He kissed her long and hard. Each kiss had a hint of desperation. It was like they both wanted to ensure that if this was the last kiss they ever had, it would be perfect.

  Bryna scurried out of Eric’s room and went upstairs to get a little bit more sleep. Pace was gone when she arrived, and she was thankful that it was just she and Stacia.

  When they woke up and were getting ready for the game, Stacia glanced over at her and asked, “Everything okay last night?”

  “Yeah. Surprisingly.”

  Stacia smiled bright. “See? We both were just having a good time. Nothing to worry about.”

  Bryna relaxed and tried to believe Stacia. “I hope you’re right.”

  They were driven over to the field early that morning. It was a noon game, and the sun was bright overhead. This game was important if they wanted to make it to another conference championship. They had already lost to Oregon earlier this season at home.

  Nothing seemed to go as planned, not a single thing in the game. Bryna had never watched so many things go wrong in one game. It was like watching a live update of her love life over the past year. Injuries, bad calls, dropped balls, missed field goals. Everything that could happen, happened.

  There it was. The final score. Loss.

  They had lost to Colorado.

  It was a crushing blow. After an undefeated season last year, no one was prepared for two losses so early in the year.

  The team left the field with heavy hearts. The Colorado fans were cheering loudly in the stands. They had all stayed to watch last year’s national champions be brought low.

  Eric came up beside her but didn’t say anything. She knew they were both frustrated with what had happened.

  Stacia was in front of them, trying to console Pace. His objections to Marshall were getting louder and louder and drawing attention. The last thing they needed was for a camera to catch what he was saying.

  “None of this shit would have happened if they’d put me in as quarterback. Marshall fucked up this game. He lost it for us,” he spat viciously.

  “We can’t change it now,” Stacia said.

  “We can change the fucking coaching staff being up Marshall’s ass. He’s not Blaine. He’s not going first round at the draft. Figure your shit out and work it out. Put me in instead.”

  Stacia opened her mouth to say something more, but Eric lost it.

  He grabbed Pace by the
collar and threw him up against the cement wall. “Shut your fucking mouth.”

  Bryna’s eyes bugged out, and she glanced around to see if any media were in the tunnel. It looked clear, but fuck, they could get in so much trouble.

  “Get off me!” Pace growled.

  They were nearly an even match. Eric had about an inch on Pace, but Pace was still in pads, so he looked bigger than Eric at the moment.

  “You’re a worthless piece of shit. If I had it my way, the coaching staff would never put you in as quarterback. You have to prove yourself before you get playing time, and you don’t fucking deserve it after what you did.”

  Bryna grabbed Eric’s arm and tried to pull him back. “Eric, stop! What if someone sees? Stop it!”

  Stacia tried to get between them. “Eric, let him go now.”

  Eric pushed off the wall and took a step away from Pace, but they were in a standoff.

  “I don’t know what the fuck you think I did, but you and I both know I deserve playing time over Marshall.”

  “I don’t believe that at all.”

  Pace laughed. He looked between Eric and Bryna. “Have you been listening to Bryna? Is all of this because you’re banging my sister? So has everyone else, Eric.”

  It happened so fast. Bryna hadn’t even seen it coming. Eric swung and punched Pace right in the face. They were on top of each other in an instant. Bryna and Stacia desperately tried to get between them, but when two giant football players over six feet tall want to fight, there was nothing they could do to stop them. A few of the other guys rushed over and tore them apart. Marshall was one of them.

  He grabbed Eric and hauled him away. “What the fuck, E?” Marshall asked.

  “He’s pissed because he’s banging my sister and listening to her drivel,” Pace said. He was holding his face. Blood was pouring out of his nose, and it looked like he had a busted eyebrow.

  Eric seemed perfectly okay. He had gotten the jump on Pace.

  “You got her fucking attacked, you fucking asshole!” Eric yelled at Pace.

  “What are you talking about?” Pace asked. His eyes landed on Bryna.

  “After what you said to Cam, he physically attacked Bryna.”

  “What did you tell Cam?” Stacia asked. Her voice was suddenly flat.

  “The truth,” Pace spat. He was still so riled up that he hadn’t heard the warning in Stacia’s voice. “That Bryna is a slut and fucks around and likes to play games with people.”

  Stacia glared at him. “You went behind my back and behind her back to tell Cam that shit? He almost raped her!” she cried.

  “What?” Pace asked, shocked. He turned to Bryna. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah,” Bryna whispered. Great. Now all of her dirty laundry had been aired to the football team.

  “I never believed her when she said you fucked with her life on purpose,” Stacia said. “Now, I get it. I don’t understand it, but I get it. I can’t be a part of that. You hurt my best friend.”

  “Stacia, I didn’t know he would do that.”

  “And you didn’t care!” she yelled back. “Then, you won’t care as I walk away.”

  Bryna stared on in amazement as Stacia turned and left. Pace looked stunned.

  “I didn’t know,” he said to Bryna.

  “Too little, too late,” she said.

  Then, she jogged after Stacia and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She released the tiniest of sobs that Bryna knew was sure to turn into a waterfall once it really hit her that she had lost her quarterback.

  THE NEXT WEEKEND, the team won a stunning victory at home. It was Halloween, and the annual Slutfest party was being thrown at a house the cheerleading captain, Lauren, had rented for the event. It was one of the biggest events of the year, and people had been talking about it all week. Lauren had promised that she was going all out this year, bigger and better than ever before. Reportedly half of the student population had been invited.

  “I don’t want to go,” Stacia said.

  “You need to get out and stop moping around about Pace,” Trihn said.

  “I’m not moping. I’m mourning.”

  “You’re not mourning. Nothing died!” Trihn reminded her.

  “It feels like it.”

  “It’ll be fine,” Bryna said. She finished applying fire-red lipstick and then turned to her friends. “The party will be so big that you won’t even see him. All right?”

  “What if I want to?”

  “You don’t,” Trihn said. “He’s an ass. Think about what he did.”

  “I know,” she murmured. “But…this sucks.”

  Stacia had been like this all week. She’d cried herself to sleep every night, and Bryna had seen that she had a dozen missed calls from Pace on her phone. She felt bad for Stacia. She hated seeing her friend in pain, but she was glad Stacia had taken the blinders off. He wasn’t a good person. Stacia needed to drop him from his pedestal, preferably on his head.

  “You’re going. That’s the end of it,” Bryna said, putting her foot down. “Now, I’m going to head over to Eric’s. I’ll meet you guys there.”

  Stacia’s bottom lip popped out. “Have fun with your football player.”

  “Eric doesn’t play football anymore. He isn’t defined by what he does. He’s defined by the kind of person he is. He is good and kind and valuable without the title,” Bryna said. “That is the kind of person you deserve, too.”

  Trihn and Stacia stared at her in shock. A year ago, she would never have said anything like that. In fact, she would have laughed at someone who had said that to her. A lot had changed in a year.

  She smiled at her friends and then exited the apartment.

  She was in an excellent mood by the time she arrived at Eric’s house. This was their official coming-out party. She liked to call it that, considering their history. After the blowup at the game last weekend, everyone had found out they were dating, but they still hadn’t really been seen together as a couple yet. Tonight was the night.

  She walked into Eric’s house, unannounced, and found him lounging in the living room, watching The Avengers.

  “You’re not dressed up,” she said. She placed her hands on her hips.

  They had both agreed to dress up.

  His eyes crawled over her body, and his jaw dropped. She appreciated the look as she had gone all out in a bright red devil costume, including a red corset, boy shorts, and garter with mile-high heels, horns, and a tail.

  “You didn’t either,” he joked.

  “You’re hilarious.”

  “Queen Bee is out to play tonight.” He hopped off the couch and straight toward her.

  He moved in for a kiss, and she darted out of the way.

  “Lipstick.”

  He laughed. “All right. I don’t have to kiss those lips then.” He kissed down her throat while his hands grabbed her ass.

  “Dear God, we’re never going to make it out of this house, are we?” she asked.

  He met her gaze. “Do you want to? I’m not going to be able to keep my hands off of you all night as it is.”

  “I think this will be fun to witness,” she teased. “Now, what the hell are you wearing anyway?”

  “I’m Coach Galloway.” He pointed at the name on his shirt.

  She glared at him. “You stole one of his shirts and are basically going as yourself? That’s not dressing up, Cowboy.”

  “All right. I hate dressing up, but you look hot.”

  “Jerk.”

  He looked her up and down and seemed to be considering something. “I do have a great idea for a costume.”

  “What’s that?”

  “How about you be the devil on my shoulder?”

  He scooped her up before she had a chance to realize what he’d said, and he effortlessly hoisted her onto his shoulder.

  “Oh my God, Eric, put me down. Right now! What the hell is wrong with you?” But she was laughing.

  “Come on, Hollywood. Devil on my shoulder.” He a
djusted the weight so that one arm was holding both of her legs to keep her from moving.

  “I get the joke! Now, put me down.”

  “I don’t know about that.” He playfully smacked her ass. “I have a pretty awesome view right now.”

  “I’m going to kill you.”

  “I don’t think you’re exactly in a position to say that,” he teased.

  “You just wait.”

  He laughed and righted her once more. “You’re so feisty.”

  “Damn right I am,” she snapped.

  He grabbed her face, and ignoring her protest about the lipstick, he kissed her long and hard. The world slipped away, and she remembered all too well why she and Eric were a perfect match.

  He released her and wiped his mouth off with a laugh. “You were right about the lipstick.”

  She leaned into him. “I can think of a time you would want it on you.”

  “Oh, yeah?” he asked, intrigued.

  “When it makes a circle around your cock.” She winked.

  “How about we skip the party, and you show me exactly what you mean?”

  Bryna giggled again. “You can’t get out of going out with me, but I promise to be a very bad girl later.”

  Eric drove them over to the Slutfest party in his Jeep with the promise to stay sober enough to drive them home. Lauren had ensured everyone that there were a ton of rooms for her friends to stay the night if they got drunk, but neither of them wanted to do that when they had a big comfortable bed at Eric’s house.

  True to Lauren’s word, the house was already slammed with people when they arrived. They fought their way through the crowd. A couple of kegs were out back, and there were coolers full of Hunch Punch. Eric scooped Bryna out a glass and grabbed a beer for himself before they ventured back inside to find their friends.

  Music was blaring from the surround-sound speakers. Bryna caught the eye of the DJ, and he waved. It was the guy from the radio station that she had used for her party last semester. She thought his name was Damon or Damien or something. She waved back before leaving that room behind.

  They ran right into Stacia and Trihn as they entered the house.

  “There you are!” Bryna cried.