by S. Massery
“You guys went all out.”
Hanna beams. “Claire helped me with my hair, and she got me this shirt from school, see?” She unzips her purple jacket and shows me the purple-and-black shirt. Lion’s Head Forever is scrawled across her chest.
“Very nice.”
Claire steps up and hugs me. “You guys really got prime seating, huh?”
I glance back at Caleb, but he’s talking to someone else. The boy dressed in purple and black is vaguely familiar.
I shrug. “I guess.”
“We’re on the other side.” Claire hooks her thumb behind her, to the other side of the field. It’s very clearly divided: Lion’s Head fans on one side and Emery-Rose on the other.
“Well, thanks for coming to say hi. I don’t think I would’ve spotted you otherwise.”
Claire shrugs.
“Hey, Margo.”
I turn toward the Lion’s Head boy who was just talking to Caleb. He towers above me. “Matt Bonner,” he reminds me. “We met at a game a few months ago.”
I nod. “Right…”
Claire clears her throat, raising her eyebrows.
“Oh, right. Um, Matt, have you met Claire? She’s a junior at Lion’s Head.”
Matt grins at her, extending his hand. “Pleasure.”
She blushes.
Ooh.
Matt takes a second to release her hand, and my attention bounces between the two of them for a hot second. Then Claire pulls away, scowling, and grabs Hanna.
“Nice to meet you.” Her voice is gruff. “Margo, I’ll see you later.”
“Maybe at the afterparty?” Matt asks. “Fletcher’s hosting.”
“Lion’s Head students are going?” I ask.
Matt watches Claire for a second, then turns back to me. “Yeah, well. Depends on who wins and who’s a poor sport. But I’m Caleb’s friend, so I plan on going.”
“I have to take Hanna home after,” Claire says, stepping down. “So…”
I get it. Responsibility is bound to rear its ugly head for her at some point. Hanna pouts, but her older sister ignores it. They both give me a wave and head back to the Lion’s Head side.
Matt pauses beside me. “She’s a junior, huh?”
“A transfer,” I mumble. “You’re friends with Caleb, right?”
“You betcha.”
“How’s that work during lacrosse season?”
He coughs. Maybe he’s surprised by my question, because he takes a long moment to answer. “We know to leave our friendship on the sidelines during a game.”
I glance back at Caleb and am not surprised to find his gaze on me. “But… what if the game doesn’t stop at the end of the night?”
The teams run onto the field, and the crowds have grown thicker. Matt’s purple and black colors stick out like a sore thumb in a mass of gold. I try to find Liam and Theo, but they’re indistinguishable from their teammates with their helmets on.
Matt chuckles. “Is that what you’re worried about? You think whatever game he’s playing hasn’t ended yet?”
I purse my lips.
No, that isn’t what I’m afraid of. I’m afraid his game is only just beginning.
An announcer’s speaker clicks on, and they begin a welcome speech.
“Shit, that’s my cue. See ya around, Margo.”
I go back to Caleb, falling to the bench next to him. He frowns, handing me a soda and popcorn.
“Where did this come from?” I ask.
“You and Bonner have a nice conversation?”
I roll my eyes. “I just wondered if he saw Claire in school. And then I asked how you two managed to be friends with the whole rivalry thing.”
“Eh, Matt used to go to Emery-Rose. We were all friends before he transferred, and it just stuck.”
“That’s sweet.” I pop a kernel into my mouth. Salt and butter explode on my tongue. “Is Theo gonna go crazy again?”
Caleb snorts. “See the girl with the camera? By the Lion’s Head coach.”
I squint, but then I see her. Her blonde hair is pulled back in a braid, slung over her shoulder. Dark-framed glasses. She’s drowning in a black jacket. There’s a camera slung around her neck, and she periodically raises it to her eye.
“What’s his problem with her?”
Caleb shrugs. “I don’t know.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t ask. But he might freak out on her.”
Eli turns around. “Might? Hundred bucks says he’ll do something stupid.”
Caleb’s eyes narrow. “Define stupid.”
“Touch her in some way. Push her or break her camera.”
I shake my head. “No, he wouldn’t risk getting carded before the game’s even started, would he?”
Eli smirks at me. “Well, what do you think is going to happen, Wolfe?”
“Maybe he’ll just yell at her.” I don’t really want anything to happen to her—because I know how it is. I know what it’s like to have someone gunning for you. Especially someone as dark as Theo. As dark as Caleb.
“Is that a bet?”
I shrug. “I sure as hell don’t have a hundred bucks to give you.”
Caleb snickers. “I’ll pay if you’re wrong.”
Eli and Caleb shake hands, and I roll my eyes.
“He might not even react at all,” I murmur.
“Nope. See?” Eli points.
Sure enough, the starters for each team are taking the field, but Theo heads straight for the girl.
“Ah, hell,” Caleb mutters. “Game hasn’t even started yet.”
He stops just shy of her. She stands still. He waves his hands in front of her face, but he doesn’t touch her. He might be on the edge of it, because I picture steam pouring out of his ears, but Liam grabs him and yanks him back.
And that was that.
Caleb hoots. “Pay up, Black.”
Eli grumbles and holds out a crisp hundred-dollar bill. More money than I’ve ever held at once, I’d reckon.
I eye it like it’s kryptonite, and both boys laugh at me. Caleb takes it and tucks it into my front pocket, patting my thigh.
“Good call,” he whispers, kissing my temple.
“Well, we did fake date. You really get to know a person that way.” I realize the instant the words leave my mouth that I shouldn’t have said it.
Caleb’s expression drops. “Is that right?”
“Um, no…”
He takes the cup from my hand, setting it on the bleachers, then yanks me to my feet. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Riley watches me with wide eyes, but she doesn’t say anything.
We’re past the point of Caleb torturing me.
Right?
We get to the grass and keep going. The roar of the crowd quickly fades the farther away we get.
“Caleb, stop.” I yank my arm, but his grip doesn’t loosen. If anything, he holds me tighter. “Oh, come on, I was joking.”
The cold mask I had grown to recognize has settled over his features. Scary Caleb.
I was wondering if he would ever make a reappearance.
We round the back of the concession stand, and he backs me against the wall. He cages me in, leaning down. His lips brush the shell of my ear.
I stay perfectly still.
“Hearing you talk about dating Theo makes me want to go out onto the field and pummel his ass.”
“Fake dating,” I breathe. “Which we only did to get a rise out of you.”
“A rise out of me, huh?” He draws back, smirking, then presses his hips against mine. His erection digs into my belly.
My lips part.
Shit. He’s really turned on.
“I guess it worked.” He tugs on a lock of my hair. “Now what?”
Distant cheering, but I don’t know if it’s for our team or theirs.
As much as Scary Caleb is kind of hot—in an intimidating way—I prefer the other version of him.
“Now…” I push up onto my toes, getting in his
face. “We go back to the game.” I slip out from under his arm and walk away, ignoring the tingling down my spine.
If I were to look back, I’d see him staring. Jealousy suits him.
“Every action has a reaction, little wolf,” he calls.
I shiver.
He follows me back into the public area, up the bleachers. Back to our seats. He grabs my hips before I can sit, though, and pulls me onto his lap.
After a failed attempt to get up, I loop my arm around his shoulders. We watch the game, the players moving up and down the field. Their grunts and the creaking of equipment, the way they crash into each other. Eli and Riley are absorbed in the game. Everyone is.
Caleb’s hand starts on my thigh. I think nothing of it until it slides up just a hair, under the edge of my coat. I ignore it. I ignore him and whatever game he’s trying to play right now. In public.
“The thing I love most about your outfit, little wolf?”
“What’s that?” I’m hyper-aware of his thumb’s circular movements.
“You can still feel everything through leggings,” he comments. His hand climbs higher, and his thumb brushes my center.
I gasp, pressing my legs together, but it’s too late. He’s already there.
“You can’t keep me out.” He darts forward and kisses my neck. “I wonder who will notice your face when you come on my hand?”
He rubs my clit through my leggings and panties. I bite back a groan, already strung out on a wire from feeling his erection and standing up to him. It was an unexpected high. And now, it’s too much.
I turn my face into his neck. “You’re wicked.”
“It’s your game,” he says into my hair. “Will you scream my name?”
I grit my teeth and shift, trying to get some relief. He’s driving me wild. Every inch of me is focused on the drag of his finger on the most sensitive part of me. I dig my fingernails into his shoulder.
“Stop,” I moan, but I don’t move to push him away.
I’ve gone insane.
He reaches higher, to my waistband. I angle toward him, trying to shield myself. My coat is doing a pretty good job, but even then…
His hand slips into my panties, and the feel of his fingers on my skin almost undoes me. Two fingers thrust into me, and I yelp, burying my face back in his neck. I expect him to laugh, but he’s silent, moving faster.
Something good happens on the field, because students below us surge to their feet. We alone remain sitting as the crowd goes crazy.
“Scream,” he says, teeth on my earlobe.
The orgasm rips out of me, and I do scream into his shoulder, the noise getting carried away by the cheering. He pulls his hand out of my pants, straightens my jacket for me, and waits.
The crowd settles.
My heart seems to be bursting out of my chest, and then it goes quiet, too.
And shame trickles in. Burning embarrassment follows it.
Holy shit, I just had an orgasm on the bleachers at a fucking football game. Surrounded by students. The last time he fingered me in public, someone captured it on video and sent it out to everyone.
And our best friends are right in front of us.
As if on cue, Riley asks, “Is she okay?”
“Fine,” Caleb says, shifting me closer to him. “Just overwhelmed.”
“Margo?”
“Yep,” I say into his chest. “Peachy.”
“Peachy,” she echoes. “Um, okay.”
Caleb’s chuckle rumbles in his chest. He doesn’t force me to come out of hiding until my face has stopped flaming. I try to come to grips with my anger, letting my hair fall in front of my face.
When I pick up my head, Caleb turns his attention away from the game and toward me. “A state championship we’ll never forget.”
I stare at him, shocked. A laugh bubbles out of me, and I clamp my hand over my mouth. It doesn’t stop the giggles. I thought I was the insane one—turns out, we both are.
34
Caleb
We won. We’re on the field with the football team and their fans, jumping and cheering.
Well, not all of us are cheering.
Eli and I spot Theo a moment before Liam does.
The girls are with us, Margo’s hand firmly holding mine, but I drop it to lunge toward my friend. I grab his arm and take a split second to marvel at the rage he must be feeling, because he throws me off without a thought.
He goes toward the Lion’s Head girl.
Eli jumps in front of him, holding up his hands. “Yo, man, normally I wouldn’t get between you and your business, but literally the entire school is here, and you’re going to just start a—”
Theo growls, shoving Eli to the side. Great.
I haul Eli up, and we chase after Theo. I look ahead and see the reason he’s pissed.
One of the Lion’s Head football players has his hand on her hip. They’re standing too close.
Liam runs past us. His helmet is gone, abandoned behind him, but even he isn’t quick enough to stop Theo’s charge.
Theo’s fist slams into the Lion’s Head football player’s jaw, knocking him to the ground. He’s on top of him in an instant, his elbows snapping back. He delivers blow after blow to the poor sucker’s face.
“Fucking hell, Theo!” I yell.
People are noticing.
Eli and Liam haul Theo away, but it’s too late. The Lion’s Head football team swarms us. It’s only a second before the rest of the Emery-Rose football team, who had been celebrating, leap into the fray. I catch an elbow to my stomach. Eli swings wildly, getting people away from us.
And in the midst of all of this, Theo’s still struggling to get free from Eli and Liam. I push myself in front of him and slap him.
Theo’s eyes finally focus on me.
“Calm the fuck down,” I growl.
Eli drops Theo’s arm. “Riley and Margo.”
We’re in the center of a shitstorm. On the edges, I spot Coach Marzden yanking students off from each other. It’s become an all-out brawl. Not just angry or hyped-up football players, but the fans—students from both schools—as well.
“With me,” I order. I drive my shoulder to get through the crowd.
The four of us duck flying fists and elbows, bodies being hauled across the grass.
She’s not where I left her.
“Caleb!”
I spin around, searching. Someone hits me from behind, knocking me flat on my stomach. They’re gone in an instant, and Theo helps me up.
“There,” he yells. He points toward the bleachers.
Students are running away, and it takes me a second to realize why: the police have arrived.
Someone knocks into Margo, and she falls in slow motion.
I’m sprint toward her, bumping people out of the way. Screams follow us. The fighters realize the police are here, and suddenly everyone is running past us. I tune it all out, focusing on getting to Margo.
She stands, and I arrive at her side a second later.
Eli grabs Riley, tugging her behind him. “See you at Ian’s!” he calls.
I almost drag Margo after them, but there’s a higher chance we’ll get caught. Margo can’t get caught—they’d take her away for sure. Haul her in for questioning at the very least.
“You okay?” I ask her.
Theo is right behind me, blocking us from getting hit.
“This is insane!”
I pick her up and put her on her feet. “Now’s not the time to dwell on it. Ready to run?”
She smiles. “This feels familiar.”
If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was delusional… but I do know her, and I know she’s referring to the time we ran through a field to hide from my parents.
I jerk. She had asked me about a field. But…
“Come on.” She takes a few quick steps backward. “They’re going to catch us, and the whole night will be ruined.”
What else can we do?
We run.
She goes toward the parking lot, but I grab her arm and steer her toward the woods bordering the school. There’s a path somewhere along here…
“This way!” Matt comes from our left, Hanna on his back.
Claire jogs beside him, worry painted over her features. “The path is over here.”
We follow them along the tree line. The harsh lights from the police cars paint everything red and blue. It makes the earth weirdly pitted. Margo trips in a hole and latches on to my arm.
“Keep moving,” Matt calls.
He finds the path and veers into the woods.
“Hey, stop!”
They found us.
Margo’s palm is sweaty against mine, but I don’t let go. I can’t. She’s slow behind me, but it doesn’t matter. Matt and Claire have their phones out, flashlights illuminating the ground in front of us. All I can hear is Margo’s sharp pants.
I drag her to a halt. “Get on my back.”
“But—”
I drop to a knee. “Now.”
She jumps on, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.
“Try not to choke me.” I get to my feet. She’s light—we should’ve done this ten minutes ago. I take off after Matt.
Margo lets go with one hand, reaching back. Her phone flashlight comes on, giving me enough light to see the path.
I catch up to them quickly.
Constant vigilance. Something Margo’s dad used to say to me. I glance around, trying to figure out where we are. It’s a cross-country running path—it has to lead back to the school eventually.
“This way,” Matt yells.
We go onto a smaller path, mostly hidden by leaves. Ahead of us, Claire slips on loose stones and almost goes down.
“Where is he taking us?” Margo says in my ear.
“Somewhere the cops won’t find you,” I answer. If she’s caught, it doesn’t matter if she was involved or not—they’d take her in. She’s in the system. She’s labeled a runaway. What next, a troublemaker?
Not on my watch.
Our jog turns into a walk, which turns into a climb.
And finally, we get to our destination. We’re dumped out of the woods into a clearing. I spin in a slow circle, taking in the view. The water tower that supplies half the town is on the opposite side of the field. But beyond that is nothing but treetops, the city lights flickering in the distance.
