by Payton Reed
“Fine, whatever.” Without another word, Dalton jogged down the stairs, and Lex kept pace with him. They left Dorm A and went around the back of the building to an open field, covered with snow. “You’re not good enough for her,” said Lex as soon as they were facing each other. “You’re just going to hurt her.”
“I have no intention of hurting her. You’re the one who’s not good enough. You had her first, but you weren’t enough to keep her.” Dalton was clearly looking for a response.
Lex was happy to give it to him. Before Dalton could move, he rammed into him, slamming him into a tree nearby. Snow fell from the branches and covered both of them, but Lex didn’t pay much mind other than brushing it out of his collar and off his head. “I don’t know what she sees in you. She’d be better off without you. If you had any decency at all, you’d step back.”
Lex stumbled back when Dalton shoved his shoulders. “What’s the matter? Afraid of competition? I think you’re just insecure, because you know she’d picked me if it came to her choosing.”
Lex glared at him as he surged forward again, this time punching Dalton squarely in the jaw. Dalton didn’t even try to stop him, and he stumbled back before responding with a left hook of his own. They fell to the ground, wrestling and trying to punch each other. “There’s no choosing about it. If you still haven’t learned that, I feel sorry for you. You’re just going to get hurt, and you’re going to hurt her too. That’s what I’m worried about. That’s why you should bow out, because you aren’t strong enough to make something like this work. With you, it’s all about Dalton, and it has to be about Willow more than you.”
“Don’t tell me how I feel,” roared Dalton as he punched Lex in the face before flipping them over, so he was beneath Dalton. “You have no idea how much I care about her. If I didn’t, there’s no way I could try sharing her with you losers.”
“That’s really going to endear you to her if you keep calling us losers.” Lex laughed. “You totally deserve the heartbreak coming your way, but she doesn’t.”
I’m not going to—” Whatever Dalton was not going to do, Lex cut off the words by slamming his fist into his mouth.
They stared at each other for a moment. Dalton’s lip was bleeding, and Lex felt warm wetness trickling from his nose. He touched the spot above his lip and pulled his hand away, seeing red on his fingers. For some reason, that took the fight out of him.
With a sigh, he pushed Dalton to the side, and Dalton didn’t try to stop him. Then he rolled into a seated position, briefly ignoring the unpleasant coldness seeping through his pants. “She’s right that we do have to work this out, but I don’t know how to trust you not to hurt her.”
“It’s between Willow and me if I do, but I promise I’m not interested in hurting her. I care about her, Sperry.” Dalton was openly vulnerable for the moment as he dabbed at his split lip.
“I care for her too.” Lex pinched his nose closed as he got to his feet, extending a hand to help Dalton up as well. When they stood facing each other, he said, “We have that much in common. We don’t want to see Willow hurt. Do you think we can make this work?”
Dalton shrugged. “I don’t know, but I feel like I have to try. If it means getting along with you, I can do that for her sake.”
“We’ll see,” said Lex with a laugh. “I’m still not convinced you can do it.”
“And you can’t do it either. You immediately assumed I hurt her on purpose. But, let’s try to present a united front.”
“Fake it ‘til you make it?” asked Lex as he held out his hand.
After a hesitation, Dalton took it and shook it. “Exactly.
Things weren’t resolved, and there was still tension between them, but Lex felt like they were on a better footing. They could at least play nicely in front of Willow to avoid upsetting her, and maybe, with perseverance and a small miracle, they might actually end up really getting along instead of pretending to do so.
That seemed about as likely as Santa Claus appearing on Christmas Eve to ask Lex for help to deliver presents, but he tried to maintain some optimism. At least it would make Willow happy that they were trying.
Chapter Forty-Five
Willow
Willow spent two days resting in her dorm room before resuming classes. In that time, she only saw Octavia and Isis, so she gasped when she got her first look at Dalton and Lex when she entered the dining hall. They weren’t seated together, but they both looked up at her the moment she walked in, as though they were drawn to her, or more likely, they’d been looking for her.
They both bore signs of having brawled, and it was obvious they must’ve fought each other. Her first inclination was to chastise them, but she changed her mind as she got her tray and tried to decide where to sit. Maybe it had done some good for them to get out their aggressions, so she’d wait to see if they were getting along better.
After another moment of indecision, she took her tray over to sit with Beth, and Octavia joined them a few moments later. Lex sat with Wills, and Dalton was with his minions, but she could feel both their gazes on her. She made a point of looking at each of them and smiling upon occasion, and she wasn’t surprised when they both lingered until she was ready to leave the dining hall after breakfast.
She leaned against the wall in the hallway, a few feet from the entrance and exit of the dining hall, as they followed her out. “I’ve missed you guys.” She almost giggled at the way they relaxed. They had held themselves stiffly, as though expecting a lecture.
“We missed you too.” Dalton scowled. “Dragon lady Edna Grimley wouldn’t let us past to visit you.”
“You wouldn’t want to break the rules, would you, Dalton?” she asked with a giggle. “I know how you’re a stickler for doing the right thing.”
Dalton rolled his eyes, but he gave her an indulgent smile.
“How are you feeling?” asked Lex, his expression full of concern. He touched the sling she wore to hold her arm immobile. “How long do you have to wear that?”
“I hope to be done with it today. I’m supposed to see Oslo before returning to class, so that’s where I’m heading next.”
“I could come with you,” said Lex.
Dalton looked like he was going to make the same offer, but she shook her head before he could. “No, that’s okay. I don’t want you guys in trouble for missing first period. I’ll see you at lunch though.” They protested a bit, but she was determined they wouldn’t get demerits for her, and they finally gave in grudgingly.
After parting from them, she left the building and went across the quad to the clinic. Like the last time she visited, there was no one waiting, and Oslo took her straight back to an exam room. After looking her over for a few minutes, he gave her another dose of ibuprofen and had her leave without the sling. She still had an ACE bandage, but he thought she could probably take that off within the next couple of days. With any luck, she wouldn’t have to wear it to the dance Saturday night.
She left the clinic, walking down the hallway and past the science labs. She glanced left and right occasionally, seeing full classrooms. As she neared the exit, she let out a startled cry when someone fastened a hand around her sore wrist. He used his hold to tug her into a room, slamming the door behind her.
She recognized the stench of his cologne even before she saw Manion when she turned to face him. He had his palm braced against the door to keep her from opening it, and his expression was full of sympathy, though his other hand tightened infinitesimally around her sore wrist. “Poor little mademoiselle. I heard about your accident and worried greatly.” He licked his lips as he looked down at hers. “A kiss will make you feel better.”
She grimaced in disgust. “No, thanks.”
His hand tightened a little more, making her wince. “So many rumors swirl about you, Willow.”
She glared up at him. “Rumors have a way of flying whether they’re true.”
“So it isn’t true that you fucked your boyfriend in
the locker room?”
She gasped at the words. Not because she was freaked out about hearing The F-Word, but because it came from a teacher’s mouth, spoken so casually. That he felt free to speak that way to her indicated he was confident his harassment would go unreported and unpunished. Finally regaining her wits, she said, “That’s none of your business, but no, it’s not true. Don’t you think Hastings would’ve expelled me by now for that if it were?”
He gave her a wolfish grin. “If he had proof, undoubtedly. Then there is the other rumor…” He trailed off as he stroked his thumb up the inside of her forearm, still gripping the bandaged wrist.
Her eyes narrowed, and she wanted to pretend like she didn’t care, but she wasn’t able to do so. “What rumor?” she asked warily.
His eyes lit up with anticipation. “They say you’re also screwing your stepbrother.”
She recoiled, and then she forced herself to make a disgusted expression as she tried to pull her hand free. He tightened enough that she cried out from the pain. “Let go of me and stop being disgusting.”
“I’m just repeating the rumor. I didn’t start it.”
She shook her head. “I haven’t heard that rumor yet.” The only person likely to spread it was Malone, but it hadn’t reached her ears so far if Malone was talking. It was strange that Manion knew, but he clearly had no verifiable proof. “Thanks for making me aware of it, but I’m not concerned. Lies blow over.”
He laughed. “If only it was a lie. I find it interesting that Lex and Dalton beat each other, almost like they were competing for someone.” With his other hand, he stroked her cheek with his knuckle. He mistook her shiver of repulsion for pleasure, or so she guessed, because he did it again before putting his hand lightly around her neck. His body pressed closer to hers, and he brought his mouth to her ear. “I can help those rumors disappear if you’re willing to pay the price for help, sweet Will.”
With a sound of disgust, she lurched away from him. It hurt her wrist to jerk free, but she gritted her teeth through the pain. “Get out of my way now before I report you to the headmaster for this.”
Manion just laughed, but he opened the door for her in a mockery of a gentlemanly manner, even bending at the waist. “As you wish, Cherie. Don’t say I didn’t offer.”
She eyed him warily as she slipped past him and out the door. She half-expected him to jerk her back and close it again, but he let her go. Her stomach churned with anxiety as she made her way to first period, while trying to mentally banish the feel of his hands on her.
Her wrist throbbed for the first fifteen minutes or so after she sat at her desk, and she rubbed it discreetly. Finally, the ibuprofen Oslo gave her must’ve kicked in, because it stopped hurting except for a low-grade ache, and she was able to focus on her class.
At least as much as her mind would let her, since it was still turning over what could’ve happened with Manion if he hadn’t opened the door and let her go voluntarily. Considering what he’d tried to do to Isis, she guessed she’d had a lucky break, but she didn’t feel lucky. She just felt shaken and overwhelmed.
By the time it was lunch, she was more upset, not less. She was restless, and her skin felt like it didn’t quite fit. She kept looking over her shoulder, expecting the perverted French teacher to be following her. He hadn’t shown his face again, but she was dreading class with him tomorrow.
Lex and Dalton waited for her near the dining hall, and they both looked concerned as she approached.
“What happened?” asked Dalton.
At the same time, Lex asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
She blinked. “What do you mean?”
“You’re pale and seem kind of… drawn up or something,” said Lex.
“You’re clearly shaking. Are you cold?” asked Dalton.
She shook her head. “In fact, I need to get outside for a bit.” Decision made, she turned from the dining hall and exited the building. She took a seat on a nearby bench after brushing off a light dusting of snow, and it was cold, but the good kind of cold. It helped strip away the phantom feel of Manion’s hands on her, and it cleared her head.
She wasn’t surprised when Lex and Dalton sat beside her a moment later, and Dalton made a sound of disgust when his pants touched a damp spot. Snow was all around them, and none of them were dressed for the cold, but she needed just a few minutes outside.
“What’s going on?” asked Dalton as he put his hand on her thigh. It was a soothing touch, rather than one that seemed like he was trying to initiate more.
Lex mirrored the action, putting his hand on her other thigh in roughly the same spot. “You’re clearly upset.”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell you guys.”
Dalton and Lex both let out almost identical harrumphs.
“You can tell us anything,” said Lex.
“Is there another guy?” asked Dalton with a hint of hesitation, and he seemed to be bracing himself to accept it.
She might’ve been offended as his words, but she was still mentally wrapped up in what had happened that morning, and she had sort of sprung Kip on him when she’d finally felt like she could trust him during one of their basement meetings last week. “Look, if I tell you guys what happened, I’m afraid you’ll run off half-cocked and do something stupid, so I can’t. Do me a favor and just distract me.”
She ignored their pleas for her to tell them what was happening until they finally seemed to accept, she wasn’t going to be able to explain. She was afraid the two of them would confront Manion, and they might get expelled when he was the one who deserved to go. Without proof, what could she do? She couldn’t risk Lex and Dalton getting in trouble when they couldn’t do anything, anyway.
Dalton was the first to take her at her word by reaching behind him. She thought his arm was going over her shoulders, so she was shocked when snow suddenly went down the back of her shirt. She gasped and jumped up. “What the heck?” She jumped around, trying to free the hem of her blouse from the waistband of her skirt so she could shake out the snow.
Dalton laughed. “You wanted to be distracted.”
“That’s not really fair,” said Lex as he reached for a handful of snow behind him. He was looking at Dalton. “She didn’t even see what you were doing.
She expected Lex to nail Dalton with the snowball, so it was another shock when it came flying her direction instead, bouncing off her shoulder. “You jerk.” She giggled as she said it though, reaching behind her for snow. She got a crude snowball, but she barely had a chance to chuck it in Dalton’s direction before Lex got her again.
She lost track of who she was throwing snowballs at while she tried to gather them as quickly as possible and toss at her targets, but they were both ganging up on her. “This isn’t fair,” she said with a laugh as they approached, boxing her in between them with hands full of snow. She took a step back into the pile of snow on the grass, shivering as it went past her ankle. “What are you going to do?” Both had a predatory, menacing expressions on their faces, though she didn’t feel truly threatened.
“Maybe this?” asked Lex as he suddenly lunged forward and knocked her into the snow. Dalton was on her other side, and he went down with her, pressing a handful of snow against her knee.
“Stop! That’s cold.” She was giggling and trying to wriggle away, but Lex prevented that. He further stymied her efforts by tickling her. “This is supposed to be a snowball fight, not a tickle fight.” She wasn’t sure either understood what she said amid her squeals and giggles.
“What a great idea,” said Dalton as he put a hand on her abdomen, easily bared since her shirt was out of her skirt now. He started tickling, but there was definitely a sensuousness to his touch. It was more a series of strokes than tickles. Her skin tingled in response.
She’d been consumed with coldness, but now warmth started radiating from her belly, and both their tickles turned to sexy caresses. She trembled, but not from cold. She was still frosty, but this
consuming heat was blotting out everything but an awareness of the two men on either side of her.
When Lex flicked his thumb against her nipple, she shivered in reaction. They were in the open and exposed to anyone who might wander by, so they couldn’t do anything more than that, but how she wanted him to cup her breast while Dalton’s hand went south instead of north, finding her pulsing clit.
Unfortunately, giggles from other people interrupted the moment, and she looked up to see a small group deciding to join in on the snowball fight. That was probably for the best, since it distracted her from the sexual turn her thoughts had taken, but she still sighed with regret when Dalton and Lex stood up before both took hold of her arms. Dalton grasped her arm with the sore wrist, so he positioned his hand on her forearm as he gently eased her to her feet with Lex’s help.
She waited until she was standing up before revealing what she held in her palms. She smashed a snowball into Lex’s face and then Dalton’s just a second later. They both gasped and spluttered as she broke away from them and ran a few steps, laughing. “I got you back.”
“You’re still in range,” said Lex as he bent down for more snow. With a shriek of fear, mixed with amusement, she started running. The boys were chasing her, and she barely averted disaster by running into Malone, since she was distracted. She was able to skid to a stop at the last moment, but Lex and Dalton slammed into her back, rocking her forward into Malone. Malone shoved her backward, and the guys kept her from falling.
She glared at all of them. “You’re so disgusting. And you, Dalton, how can you do this?” She shook her head and brushed off the snow they’d gotten on her. “You’re being reckless and foolish. You’re worried about Dad cutting me off, but what do you think he’ll do when he finds out you’re lusting after your sister?”
“She’s not my sister,” said Dalton with obvious disgust. “Don’t make it sound like that.”
“I’m not anymore either if you keep this up. You’re better than this and better than her.” With a flip of her black hair, Malone turned and walked back the direction she’d been walking away from before the mild collision.
