Play With Me

by Marian Tee

  Aaaargh. Lace couldn’t stop herself from growling in protest. The sound only had him chuckling just before his mouth swallowed the rest of her growl.

  By the time they came out of the dugout, she was red-faced and wearing his jacket, the only way to keep everyone from seeing the various marks he had made on her neck, down her collarbone, and—

  God. There was no point counting it.

  “I hate you,” she mumbled even as she allowed Silver to twine his fingers with hers. It felt terrifyingly natural, like they had been holding hands for a long time.

  “I’m sorry.” He sounded sincere and arrogant at the same time. “If it’s any consolation, it’s only with you that I’ve become…somewhat possessive.”

  She glared up at him. “There’s no somewhat about it.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “I stand corrected.”

  Her teeth started grinding against each other again. So he was going to be reasonable now that he had gotten what he wanted? “Bastard,” she snarled under her breath. “Do you really think I’m the type to just let any guy do something to me? You were my first kiss—”

  Both of them went still.

  Oh. Fuck. Did she just let that slip?

  “Umm—”

  Silver bent down and stole a kiss from her. “I thought I was,” he whispered against her lips, “but it’s nice to have it confirmed.”

  She was blushing by the time he lifted his head, and she blushed even more when she realized they had company. There were still students hanging out in the sports complex’s parking lot, and all of them were gaping at her and Silver. It was clear in their gazes that they knew who Silver March was, just as it was equally clear they didn’t understand what he was doing with a tomboy like her.

  Damn if she knew, Lace thought, scowling. Even she knew she was unsuitable for someone like Silver March. He was the boyfriend to have. He deserved someone equally perfect, someone feminine and well-mannered – someone who was Lace’s exact opposite in other words.

  Being the object of people’s scrutiny was something Lace had long been used to, something she had known would go hand in hand with her unconventional dream. But being stared at because a hot guy was holding hands with her?

  It didn’t sit well with her, and she would have pulled away and run to the opposite direction if not for Silver’s grip tightening. “Wyndham.” When she looked up at him with a scowl, his too-beautiful face remained impassive even as he asked softly, “Don’t you think we’ve danced long enough?”

  His words almost had her stumbling, and she muttered, “I don’t know what you mean.” They had reached his car by then, a flashy red Lamborghini. Normally, she’d be all over it, but right now, the sight depressed her because it meant he really was going to leave. For Europe. For one week.

  The thought killed her, but…she would also rather kill herself than let Silver know that.

  “You’re going to miss me, aren’t you?”

  His knowing smile had her scowl turning fiercer. “NO.”

  He bent down and sucked her lower lip, whispering, “Liar.”

  When he straightened, Lace was red-faced. “You—”

  “I know I will.” A pause. “Because I think…I love you.”

  Lace’s head jerked up.

  Silver gazed back at her, his face unreadable.

  She blurted out, “Fuck you can’t be.” But Silver didn’t answer, and Lace could only gaze at him, torn. Half of her wanted to demand that he tell her it wasn’t true, the other half wanted to make Silver say it again and again. How could he be in love with her? How?

  She shook her head. “It’s not possible.”

  There was mild curiosity in his beautiful voice as he asked, “Because we’ve only known each other for less than two months?”

  She nodded vigorously. “Not just that.”

  “Because we have nothing in common?”

  More vigorous nods. “That, too.”

  “Maybe it’s because I’m twenty-five and you’re nineteen? Or because you’re more foul-mouthed than I am or that you probably own more Nikes than I do?”

  She wouldn’t be able to stop nodding, the rate this was going.

  But she did since Silver had just cupped her face, and the way he was looking at her put Lace in danger of melting. She had heard of this…this syndrome, the way men with intense eyes could make girls putty in their hands. She had thought it was an urban legend, but apparently it was…not.

  “Stop looking at me like that,” Lace half-pleaded, half-snapped.

  “Like this?” He looked even more deeply into her eyes.

  Oh God, she really was going to melt.

  Deeper and deeper, his eyes seemed to claim her very soul.

  Yup, melting now.

  “Those were all sensible points, but they don’t matter in the end. Because I really do believe I love you.” Before she could even think of what to say, Silver continued, “This is going to sound even more incredulous, but I think I knew the first time I saw you.”

  “You couldn’t have—”

  He said simply, “It’s the only way to explain why I couldn’t take my eyes off you, little lamb. It’s the only way to explain why everything you said fascinated me, and why basketball no longer seems boring—”

  “Hey,” she protested, offended on her sport’s behalf.

  “But you know what made it really clear?”

  She almost didn’t want to ask, but she heard herself saying anyway, “What?”

  “I’ve always been a selfish bastard—” Silver grimaced. “It’s flattering that you don’t seem to believe me, but I was. I am. Have always been so.” A self-mocking smile played on his lips. “But out of self-interest, I won’t give you any examples. I’m sure you’ll know soon enough.”

  He sighed. “The point is, I’m not a good man, little lamb, but when I’m with you, I find myself doing things I never thought I’d do.” His head lowered, his lips brushing against Lace’s. “How can that be anything but love?”

  She wished she had an answer, more for her sake than his, but she had none.

  His head moved, and then he was whispering into her ear, “But I’ve got more bad news for you, I’m afraid.”

  It nearly had her jumping and turned her into a stammering mess. “M-more b-bad news?”

  “Really. Bad. News.” His head moved again, and this time, every word had his lips coming into contact with hers. It made Lace want to do all sorts of unspeakable things to his lip. Nibble. Bite. Suck. Things that she, Evangeline Lace Wyndham, never used to think about.

  His tongue suddenly stroked inside, and her lips parted open automatically. The kiss turned deep and hot in an instant, but it was also all over before she could even think of resisting.

  “The bad thing is…” He stepped away, and the sudden distance between them sent an aching pang through her, and the feeling of loss worsened as she watched him unlock his car and open the door.

  When he was inside the car, Silver’s window lowered, revealing his expressionless face.

  “What’s the bad thing?” she asked right away. And if he actually ended up saying he had just been stringing her all along, she was going to kill him. She really was. Because that was the most asshole thing to do—

  “You’re in love with me, too.”

  And she would never forgive—

  Wait. What did he say?

  But Silver was already driving away.

  Did he…did he just tell her she was in love with him, too?

  Noooooooooooooooo.

  That was the worst thing that could happen to her.

  First Call

  Silver: Good morning, my love.

  Lace: Good morning. And I’m not your love.

  Silver: You know, if you weren’t really in love with me, you wouldn’t even bother toreply.

  Lace’s teeth gnashed when she read Silver’s text message. They both knew what he wrote was true. And honestly, she really, really wanted to ignore his messa
ge, but…

  She missed him. More than she thought possible. So much so that even though she was supposed to be devising plays¸ all she could do was think of him.

  Her phone beeped again.

  Silver: How’s sports camp?

  Lace let out a sigh at the question. She had been so excited when she first heard about the university giving them the green light to join the intercollegiate sports camp. Five full days of not having to attend classes and being able to think, breathe, and sleep basketball every moment. It had sounded like paradise until, of course, she learned about Silver March being half a world away.

  Her gaze drifted back to her phone. She really shouldn’t be replying. Now was the time to prove to both of them that she was not at his beck and call—

  Silver: If you’re too busy, I’ll be leaving for work.

  At his answer, Lace couldn’t type fast enough, her face contorting in self-revulsion all the while. Evangeline Lace Wyndham, you have no shame.

  Lace: I’m not busy.

  Silver: Thought that would get you to reply.

  Lace: Asshole.

  Silver: What are you wearing today?

  Lace: ASSHOLE.

  The entire week, even though the temperature sometimes rose as high as almost ninety degrees, Lace had forced herself to wear sports jackets she could zip all the way up to her neck. It was that or risk having any of her boys catch a glimpse of Silver’s marks on her body. The thought of it had her gritting her teeth. Damn Silver March for being so idiotically possessive.

  Silver: What are you guys doing now?

  Lace: It’s the last thirty minutes of our practice then we’ve got the rest of the day free.

  Under her, Ivan demanded irritably, “Why the hell are you groaning, Coach? It’s not like you’re the one doing push-ups with a girl weighing like a ton on his back.”

  “A ton, huh?” She clenched her abs, allowing her to rest more weight on the team captain’s back.

  Ivan groaned.

  “That should teach you. Also—” She checked her watch. “You’ve got one more minute to go.” Her phone buzzed.

  Silver: Can I call you right now?

  “Umm, on second thought, I think you’ve learned your lesson so we’re done for now.” Lace jumped off Ivan’s back and she pretended not to notice the way the team captain collapsed on the floor mat. Ha-ha. Overacting asshole. He should have gone for drama club instead.

  Her fingers tightened around her phone as she walked away from the boys. It was the first time he had asked if he could call her. Of course she was going to say no…next time. This time, she would just…take pity on Silver. He was probably lonely, being all alone in Europe with no one to talk to.

  Lace: Sure.

  Her phone started to ring almost immediately, making Lace jump.

  Across the gym, heads turned towards her.

  “What?” she asked defensively.

  Alexio smirked. “Weren’t you the one who said not to bring phones with us when we’re working out?”

  She was, so she snarled instead, “Mind your own business.” Hurrying further away since everyone in the team seemed to have supersonic hearing, she camped by one of the window nooks, leaning against the edge and tucking her legs under her. Lace cleared her throat several times before answering the phone. “Hello?” Shit. Her voice still sounded breathless.

  Lace could hear the grin in Silver’s voice as he said, “I miss you.”

  “Ah.” No way in fucking hell would she say something as mushy as “I miss you” right now. She might as well hand in her resignation letter if she did. The boys would never let her hear the end of it.

  “You can say ‘yes’ if you miss me back.”

  She hesitated then mumbled, “Yeah.”

  Lace heard Silver expel his breath over the phone as if he had been holding it the whole time. “You just don’t know, Wyndham.” It was unusual for Silver to mutter, but he was doing it right now. Normally, he talked like Prince Charming, eloquent and arrogant even when he was whispering dirty nothings in her ear.

  The change in his voice had her heart taking the embarrassing ba-ba-ba-thuuuuuuump route again, and she couldn’t stop her voice from turning husky as she asked, “What don’t I know?”

  He said simply, “How much you own me.”

  Ah, damn. That was like an arrow that hit her straight in the heart. She could feel her cheeks flushing, her body softening, her damn stupid toes curling inside her signed pair of Black Mambas. She closed her eyes, willing herself to think about a new play. Any play. But it was no use. Instead of her boys, she just saw Silver, and it was terrifying. Basketball was all she planned to do in her life, and relationships had never figured in the equation until Silver. It was like being trained for parachute jumping and then suddenly finding herself thrown in the deep end of the ocean, and only Silver could teach her how to swim.

  She said feelingly, “I hate you, March. I fucking hate you.”

  A silvery laugh. “I love you, too, Wyndham.”

  Lace almost dropped the phone. “That wasn’t what I said!”

  “It was, you just said it in a different way.” A mix of exasperation and amusement tinged his tone as he said, “I never thought I’d have to teach my girlfriend about the basic things in life, but here you go, Wyndham. Lesson one: hate is not the opposite of love. It’s indifference.”

  Her shoulders slumped. Of course she knew that. She wasn’t stupid. It was just easier to pretend it wasn’t so. But now that he spelled it out so clearly, the fact was inescapable, and she felt herself drowning more and more. “Your love’s like a fucking tsunami,” Lace muttered.

  Silver let out a choking laugh. “Wyndham, Wyndham…only you would think of putting ‘tsunami’ and ‘love’ in one sentence.”

  “Because that’s what it really feels like.” Outside the window, the plantation-turned-resort’s picturesque backdrop shone like a majestic jewel set against the sun. A charming wood bridge had been built over the natural springs, its waters sparkling like crystals floated on its surface. Beyond it was a winding path leading to the gardens, with a mix of oak and Banyan trees on each side, their lush foliage and long twisting branches forming a canopy that was rather Gothic in its elegance.

  It was a stunning sight, so why couldn’t she experience any pleasure from it? Why did it feel like everything in the world was only superficial if Silver March wasn’t with her?

  “What’s wrong?” Silver’s voice was sharp with worry.

  Lace struggled to breathe. Apparently, Silver wasn’t just able to read the future. He had great mind-reading powers, too. That could be the only reason he always seemed to know what she was feeling without her saying a word.

  “I hate you. I really hate you.”

  “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “You can’t tell me what to do!”

  “Wyndham.” A no-bullshit tone that somehow set the butterflies flying inside her stomach again. Goddamn you, butterflies, you should just fly, fly away and never come back again.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “You’re what’s wrong,” she burst out. “I’ve never had trouble concentrating on my job, and now all I can think of is you and I’m just worried that it’s going to make more people think I’m not suitable—” Lace forced herself to stop. She was rambling, and she had never been the type to ramble. That was her friend KC’s forte, never hers.

  “Wyndham—”

  The quiet regret in his voice made Lace feel ashamed of herself. It wasn’t his fault she wasn’t acting normally, and she had been the asshole, the way she had taken it out on him, knowing Silver would never retaliate.

  She cut him off, saying clearly, “I’m sorry.” She might be a girl, but it didn’t mean she didn’t have the balls to apologize when she was wrong. It was one of the lessons she liked to drill in her boys, and it was a lesson she tried to uphold with herself as well.

  “You’re starting to worry me.” The way he spoke, Lace could picture h
im clenching his jaw.

  “I’m sorry,” she repeated glumly. “I’m beginning to worry myself, too.”

  A moment of silence before—

  “Tell me the truth, little lamb. I’ve done my best to be patient, to not push you too much – but is this all because I was too fast? You weren’t ready for me to say those words?”

  The fact that he was even asking – that she had made someone like Silver March feel so damn insecure when it should be her – engulfed her in shame. “You really don’t know me, March.”

  “What I know about you is what matters,” Silver shot back with a fierce undertone. “The rest, I have a lifetime with you to learn.”

  God, he was so…

  Too. Irritatingly. Perfect.

  “I have a past.” She knew she was throwing that out of nowhere, but she needed to say it, was hoping it would make Silver take a damn step back and really consider what they had together.

  But Silver did none of that. His answer was swift and concise. “I’m sure you have. With too many damn boys to count.” He almost sounded bored, like she was wasting his time, making a mountain out of a molehill. “How many times do I have to spell it out for you, Wyndham? I don’t give a fuck about anything but you. That’s the only truth you should care about. That’s why I can say I love you.”

  Lace wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. “You can’t be real. Your entire personality must have been Photoshopped or something.”

  “Well, yours must have been developed by some amateur from Fiverr.”

  Laughter won, and she couldn’t stop laughing.

  “You sound hysterical.”

  And Silver sounded the slightest bit alarmed.

  He had a good reason to.

  “You’re Silver Beaufort March. How can you even—” She had to stop, had to take a deep breath before she broke completely. “Can’t you see I’m not the girl for you?” It hurt, God, it hurt so much more to say those words, but she had to say it. She was not for him, and it wasn’t because of any of those reasons he had enumerated before. It wasn’t the age gap, wasn’t the fact that they had nothing in common or they wanted different things in life. They could have eventually gotten past all of those things. What couldn’t be overcome? The fact that someone like her would never deserve someone like him.