Loose Possession

by Lily Roberts

  Contents

  Imprint

  Loose Possession

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Stay up to date on future releases!

  Loose Possession

  Copyrights 2020 Lily Roberts

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of a brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a piece of heaven fiction.

  Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

  This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your used only, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Published by Lily Roberts

  lily@thelilyroberts.com

  Cover Designed by Miharu Dimanche Artwork

  Edit by Marleene Booth

  Proofread by Monica Az and Marleene Booth

  A loose ball is not in the possession of a player, it is considered live and able to be recovered by any team.

  And then I slapped him straight across the face.

  Jesus Christ, if I thought the world had gone silent before, that was nothing compared to how quiet it’d gotten now. There was a collective of gasps, sure, but that slap echoed across the field. Everyone in the stands went silent, the rest of the football team just stared at me, dumbfounded. I mean, I couldn’t blame them; who in their right mind slapped a perfect stranger, someone giving another an award, no less? But they don’t know Scott as I do. No one here did.

  Which…only occurred to me a few seconds after I’d done the deed.

  I didn’t even have time to think about how quickly I’d just potentially ruined my chance at a fresh start. Snatching the award out of Scott’s hands, I practically flew off the stage, catching my balance as I jumped off and took off running across the field. A series of confused shouts followed behind me, though much to my immense relief, no one came in pursuit after my crazy-looking ass.

  It felt like I’d run for hours—days, even—but I finally made my way back to the main stretch of campus. I doubled-over at the front of my dorm building, panting, and heart practically smashing its way out of my ribcage. It wasn’t from fatigue, though. I knew I’d run worse back in my soccer days. No, this was solely for the boy whose stupid, dumb, admittedly well-off featured face had wiggled its way back into my life.

  “Th-this…this has to b-be a joke.” My body slid down the wall, lungs still burning from the impromptu sprint. “He has to just b-be visiting…j-just being an asshole, as usual.” I honestly wasn’t sure which reality I’d like better; one where Scott went to the same college as me, or one where he knew which college I was attending.

  “Sydney!” My head snapped up, relief rushing through me as Denise came closer. “Holy shit, girl, what was that all about?!”

  I waved a hand her way, indicating that I was still trying to catch my breath. Lies; I just needed a minute to process everything that had just happened. That I’d partially caused.

  “Like, I know everyone says college is a chance to reinvent yourself,” Denise began as she jogged over to me. “But I dunno if I’d go as far as to smack a guy silly. You know the campus police go to these rallies too, right?”

  Well, I did now. “You don’t think they’d arrest me, do you?” I asked, voice full of panic. “I mean, I didn’t hit him that hard. I think I’ve actually hit him harder before. Oh, that probably doesn’t help…”

  Denise gave me an impressively-scorching scowl; something lacrosse players had learned to do, maybe? “Sydney, you practically smacked him off-stage. It was impressive.”

  No. There was no way. The Scott Sawyer wouldn’t let a girl half his size knock him out in front of his new football friends, let alone a quarter of the school’s attendees. “Did…did I really?”

  Denise’s scowl shifted into a softer-looking frown. “I mean, you got him pretty good, but,” she suddenly paused, a lightbulb practically going off next to her. “Oh my God, wait. Was that the guy you were talking about earlier? Simon, or whatever?”

  “Scott,” I corrected her. “His name’s Scott.” God, even the name left my tongue tingling. I could still feel his lips on mine after his little sneak-attack.

  “I thought you said he,” Denise paused, suddenly holding her hand up. “No, wait. We’ll talk on our way to see the campus police.”

  “I thought you said they would probably arrest me!” I said.

  Denise put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Girl, you said they’d arrest you. And it’s better to say your half before this Scott guy makes it worse, right?”

  I brushed my hands over my lips. “I mean…I didn’t just strike him for the fun of it. He kissed me, Denise, and I just sort of…reacted.”

  “See? There you go; the perfect argument for your case.” Denise gave me a sympathetic pat on the back. “I’m just saying let’s nip this in the bud before it can get any worse.”

  God, but this day had already been exhausting enough. “Can you…possibly…come with me?” I asked.

  Denise just laughed. “Oh my God, girl, I wasn’t about to let your ass go in by yourself. Call me your attorney, cause we’re about to toss around some accusations.”

  I snorted with laughter. “Don’t make him sound like some back-alley creep, Denise!”

  “I mean, don’t you see him like that?” Denise asked.

  I went to respond but stopped. Scott was a total terror in my life; that was obvious from day one. But a creep? The memory of junior prom filtered through my brain, us stepping across the dance floor, the heat of his hand around my waist…

  “Yo, watch it, Sydney!” I suddenly lurched to the side, nearly smacking head-first into a stone pillar. Denise gave me a look mixed between confusion and concern. “Look, I promise it’ll be fine. I had a cousin who did campus patrol; they’re really great guys. You’re gonna look even better by coming to them, first.”

  “R-Right.” I nodded, letting Denise practically lead me by the hand as we both made our way to the campus police office. I was going to look better…did I want to look better, though? I mean, I did smack the hell out of him, first.

  No girl; he kissed you without warning, first. I could hear that little voice in my head trying its best to reason with me. And it was right, technically. He’d come onto me, so, obviously, I’d just acted in self-defense. I mean, who would want their rival since elementary school just rolling up onto their campus, unannounced, and planting wet ones here and there?

  No; both my conscience and Denise were right on this one. I did nothing wrong in this situation.

  So…why did I still feel bad about hurting him?

  And then she slapped me across the face.

  Part of me had expected it, honestly. That particular part had been screaming not to do it, how stupid of an idea it was, how pissed off she’d be afterward, and how I would for sure be getting some hellish retribution. But, I did it anyway. I kissed Sydney Burton, right in front of a chun
k of my fellow college peers.

  And she slapped the shit out of me and made a beeline back to campus.

  I mean, I thought I played it off pretty well all things considered. The crowd went from quiet to chatty in about two seconds flat, but all it took was some laughter from yours truly and a one-liner—something like, “Guess she was a bit slap-happy to get an award,” or something to that degree—and everyone has settled back down. Well, as, “settled down” as you can get for a pep rally. My new football buddies were snickering to each other, leaning in to whisper about this tasty new gossip while still handing out rewards. And then, only when the master of ceremonies came back on to make some speech I mostly tuned out, did one of the linebackers tip towards me with the shittiest-looking grin on his face.

  “We’re all making bets if it left a mark. I think it’ll bruise by tomorrow.” He snickers under his breath.

  I shot him a strained grin. “Good to see all of you are having fun over this.”

  “Aw, lighten up,” he chuckles, glancing every so often at the speaker to make sure we weren’t made. “We’ve all been there before. So, who was she? New girlfriend, ex-lover, or just a hot piece you couldn’t resist taking a bite out of?”

  My distaste for this guy only grew with each passing second we spoke. “She’s just Nun’Yah, dude.”

  The linebacker blinked. “Who?”

  “You know, Nun’Yah?” I looked him dead in the eye, smiling. “As in, “none-of-yah-damn-business.” Now, shut up, would yah? I don’t want any more eyes on me tonight.”

  The linebacker just snickered, but shifted back into his place. Yup; this new life of mine was going swimmingly.

  There was a ton of hustle once the pep rally was over. Crewmembers breaking down the stage, fellow pep-peoples wandering back to their dorms out into town for some late-night bar shenanigans; honestly, I just wanted to collapse in bed with an ice pack to my face. Damn, but Sydney really hit me hard. Not that I’d ever taken her as someone to hold back, but she went all out with this one. “Derek’s never gonna let me live this down,” I groan under my breath.

  Before I can get even a foot off the stage, I’m suddenly accosted by a large woman wearing an officer’s uniform. Well, what the campus considers an officer’s uniform, anyway. I give her my best smile, twinging at the stinging sensation on my cheek. “Uh, hi there, ma’am. Can I help you with something?”

  “Just wanted to make sure you were okay, kid.” Her voice is surprisingly mellow for such a brutish-looking figure. Soft, arid, like one of those smooth-jazz singers my Dad’s always listening to. “You took quite a hit to the face on stage.”

  God, when she put it like that, I felt completely emasculated. “N-Nah,” I reassured her, sliding my hand up to the wounded side of my face. “It wasn’t that bad, honest. I’m a football player”

  Her eyes narrowed like she was homing in a laser or something onto me. “Uh-huh. Look, I’m not trying to call you out, kid. Assault counts for both sides, so I wanted to get a statement from you.”

  Wait, a what? “Th-that’s really not necessary,” I begin hastily. “I mean, Sydney and I—we’ve known each other since well forever!”

  The officer gives me a look that screams, “And that matters why?”

  “It’s not like she did it just to do it,” I explain. “I might’ve…well, I may have given her a quick kiss on the lips.”

  Holy crap, if looks could kill. The officer looked ready to take me down after those words left my mouth.

  “You mind coming with me back to my office for a bit?” She asked in a not-so-polite manner. “And run that name by me again, would yah? I think I’d like to talk to this, “Sydney” girl for myself.”

  All I can do is grimace and nod. And here I thought this well-thought-out plan couldn’t possibly go wrong. Now I was practically glued to the hip of Officer No-Name as we made our way out of the crowd and across campus. Every step we took just sent my anxiety into overdrive; she couldn’t arrest me for something like this, right? I mean, Sydney practically punched me in the face. That had to count for something, right?

  Except you kissed her first, idiot.

  I let out a tired sigh, deciding to wisely listen to that part of me this time. God, I couldn’t believe I’d screwed up this fast…

  I’d never sat inside a police station before, college campus or not. It felt like I’d broken a million laws while Denise and I sat in that lobby, like the walls themselves somehow knew of every misdeed I’d committed over the years. Was that why they were painted grey? Held a lack of friendly-looking paintings? God, the atmosphere was so cold, I swore I was shivering.

  Well, I was, but that’s beside the point.

  “Girl, calm down, would you?” Denise elbowed me gently in the ribs, still somehow smiling. “It won’t exactly help your case if you’re looking that guilty.”

  “I feel guilty, though, I did slug him…” I insisted. “He deserved it but yet, I don’t wanna get Scott kicked out. Like, a little bit in trouble, maybe, but not to the point where I ruin his life.”

  Denise gave me a long, hard look. “You sure you two aren’t a thing? Cause, and don’t get me wrong, but you flip faster than a broken thermostat when we bring him up.”

  “I-I’ve never said,” I never said anything nice about that idiot. He drove me crazy, and I only had stories of him doing just that. Where the hell did Denise get the idea that I liked the moron? “I-I’m just saying I don’t want him blaming me for anything.”

  Denise just rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh.” She kept staring at me for a moment more, causing me to squirm slightly. Was it something I said? Or, the way I was saying it? Is that what she meant by “flipping?”

  “Sorry for the delay, ladies!” A super chipper dude finally returned to the front desk, practically singing as he spoke. “It’s been a bit short-staffed here tonight, what with the pep rally and all. So! How can I help you this evening, Miss…?”

  Denise gestured me forward, to which I hesitantly got up off my chair. “Uh, Sydney. Sydney Burton.”

  The guy is practically a God-damn Christmas light with how cheery his voice is. “Miss Sydney Burton! How can I help you this evening?”

  Oh, this guy was something else. Still, maybe it was better to talk to him than some rough-and-tumble cop. Admittedly, his off-kilter attitude put me somewhat at ease. “So, actually, my friend and I just came from the rally,” I began nervously.

  “Oh, that’s great!” The guy grinned from ear to ear. “I wish I could’ve gone this year, but them’s the breaks for being the one with more experience. Gotta hold the fort down, yeah?”

  “H-Ha-ha, yeah,” I glance back at Denise, who just waves her hands at me. “So, about the rally. I may have—I mean, something might’ve happened that—n-not that it was anyone’s fault, or should get arrested over—”

  My word vomit finally came to a stop as the front door buzzed open. In came this absolute beast of a woman, someone I could’ve easily believed to be a pro-wrestler if told otherwise. And, as if the night couldn’t get any worse, she had Scott himself was marching in front of her like he was getting ready for death row. I’d never seen him so freaked out before; even when he looked my way, I expected some of that classic Sawyer smarm of his to seep through, but it only held flickers of pure anxiety.

  “Well, hey there, Officer Tark!” The front desk officer beamed. “And who’d you bring back with you?”

  “Got a kid here who admitted to,” Officer Tark glanced our way, clearing her throat loudly. “Non-consensual contact with another student. A ‘Sydney Burton,’ as it were.” She looked at me and added, “Whom I am guessing is right here”

  Oh, the minute that name came tumbling out of her mouth, it was like a scene from a mystery movie, where everyone starts connecting the dots. Desk guy’s eyes lit up as he let out a gasp. “Really? But this here’s Sydney Burton! Would he be the reason you came in this evening, Miss?”

  Oh, God, this was mortifying.

&nbs
p; “Yeah, actually, you nailed it, ma’am” Denise spoke up, standing from her seat and suddenly at my side. “My friend here who is Sydney Burton slapped slapped the hell out of this asshole for kissing her on stage, and we didn’t want him spinning the story against her.”

  I couldn’t tell if Scott was red in the face from anger, embarrassment, or from the aforementioned slap. Damn, but I really did get him good; that was probably gonna bruise tomorrow. I fought back a little smile.

  “Huh. Well, that’s no good.” Desk guy started tapping his fingers along the desk, eyes flickering between me and Scott. “I’d be happy to write up an incident report, provided you two can give statements.”

  “I—th-that’s really not necessary,” Scott began. “I totally deserved that slap, so, we can just call it even, right?”

  Officer Tark gave Scott the dirtiest look I’d ever seen. I wasn’t even on the receiving end and I felt like I’d need a shower after. It was clear that the officers were on my side, proof or not. Hell, I could tell them he’d mugged me in a back alley and stole my car and I bet they’d believe me. I could really make Scott’s life a living hell if I wanted to. Give him a taste of the hell he put me through…

  Don’t be petty. Messing up his record isn’t right, and you know it.

  The voice was right, of course. I’d already determined that ruining his life was way overkill and super wrong on multiple levels. So, I took a deep breath and, staring right at Scott, spoke my piece.

  “No, he’s right. Honestly, I was just startled; we really don’t have to drag this out.” I threw in a playful smile, adding after the fact, “Scott and I go waaaay back. Don’t we, Scotty Dog?”