23. willow
CHAPTER 23
WILLOW
DICK INK PRINT
I was not meant for the Marrs University Hunger Games.
Air tore out of my lungs as I sprinted across the grass. The helmet protected my face but at what cost? It made everything so blurry. I could barely see ten feet in front of me.
" Willow! "
King’s bellow echoed and I mentally cursed him out.
Wasn’t this supposed to be a surprise?
There it went! Up in flames!
Everyone else started yelling too. Shock spread like wildfire. I didn’t focus on them. I focused on the rope ladder, dangling along the tree, so close, I knew I could make it. As long as I didn’t get shot first.
I made the leap when the first burst of bright blue paint exploded next to me.
"Holy shit!" I reeled to the side but still clutched the ladder.
Fuck them.
I’m winning this game!
Rapid fire retaliated, that had to be King. With grim determination, I scrambled up, rung by rung. This game was going to end, I’d get their stupid flag, and I’d spend the rest of my time on the air-conditioned bus, and no one could tell me shit!
My sneaker missed the next rung and my stomach dropped, just like everything else. I fell about a foot in the air—distance I couldn’t lose—before my hand grasped the ladder again and I swung, yanking myself back up.
Bright green hit the tree, bathing my left side.
Didn’t matter.
Not a real shot!
Swearing, I hauled myself up, reaching for the wooden platform.
More rapid fire, more paint exploding around me but no direct contact.
"I better get my fucking car for this!" I gasped, rolling on to my final destination—the platform. There wasn’t enough room to fully stand and I had to push past the branches. They scratched at the same gear I complained about, but was so thankful I had on, something I would never, ever admit to King.
My fingers grasped the fabric of the flag, and I ripped it away.
"I got it!" I screamed. "I got the flag!"
Cheers met me from below and I hit the platform on my knees, slumping down to press my cheek against the wood. Adrenaline coated the back of my tongue.
Oh my god, what a rush .
I struggled to breathe properly but still laughed. "This is fucking insane. Fucking insane football-playing cult shit!"
The laugh was unexpected but so was me actually winning. I snaked the flag around my wrist, tying it tight, and couldn’t help the grin. They were chanting the Romans fight song down below, replacing my name with any word that worked. I put a hand over my face and laughed again.
Maybe I was enjoying myself a tiny, tiny, tiny bit.
"Willow!" King’s voice boomed. "Get down here!"
Oh, damn you.
I was just beginning to have a good time and the broody asshole decided to butt his way into it. After I won his game! Rolling my eyes, I left my sanctuary, and inched towards the ladder, gingerly swinging down. Now that I didn’t have to worry about getting pelted with paintballs, I’d take my sweet time.
King had to learn he couldn’t pull that shit.
He couldn’t mess with my head and leave me in the storage closet and refuse to transfer out of my classes, all to act like an asshole in front of his friends. I was tired of his attitude. It was exhausting to deal with.
The air whooshed out of me when someone grabbed the back of my jacket. Somehow, I let go of the ladder. My body tightened on instinct, and I braced for impact, but I didn’t hit the ground. Someone whipped me around, crushing me into a hug, midair.
Oh.
King .
"You scared the fuck out of me," he rasped, tightening his hold.
I stared at his arm in shock while he squeezed me hard enough to take my breath away. I couldn’t say anything. Literally. I didn’t have the breaths to spare. But he didn’t notice, he hugged like he was afraid of letting me go.
Just as quickly as the hug happened, he loosened his grip, and my sneakers hit the ground.
"I—uh—" I stuttered before everyone else threw their arms around me too, shaking me, yelling in my face about the game I won.
And there was King. Standing off to the side, silent.
I’d been so angry with him and now that anger was gone. I was passed between football players and their girlfriends, shouting in my ear about how great I was, while I kept stealing looks back at the defensive end, motionless on the grass, his eyes still on me.
"You fucking did it!" Kassie looped close as we headed to the buses. She chatted excitedly about how they’d take group photos after this, and that this was her and Piper’s first and only paintball experience because they were graduating next year while I glanced again at King.
He should’ve been happy. Everybody else was.
But I honestly couldn’t figure out the expression on his face.
Photos were taken and this was my time to shine. It felt like I took a hundred of them with Kassie and Piper while we held up the flags together and posed with our trophy. I knew my mom would appreciate them.
Almost everyone was back on the bus when Adam grabbed Piper for a picture.
"Can you hold this?" He handed his gear to her.
"Why am I holding your gun?"
"Hold this too." Adam stacked things in her arms. He added a small black box on the top. "Okay, we’re ready, snap the pic—oh, shit. You can’t hold this, that’s my job."
Piper turned an amused smile towards him. "You’re lucky you’re so—Adam?"
I watched, dumbfounded, as Adam sank down to one knee.
What the hell?
I didn’t know Adam and Piper very well but…didn’t they just get together? He was seriously proposing? Here? Now? Did they even know each other?
"Oh my god," Piper squeaked.
Kassie wolf whistled but that stopped when Adam unclipped his helmet. This had to be a joke. A stamp of an actual dick and balls was inked on the side of his cheek while he looked with adoration at his girlfriend.
"Ice princess, you’re the most important person in my life?—"
"That is some funny shit," Kassie snorted into laughter.
"What the hell?" Ryan muttered.
Piper tried to stop him. "Wait, Adam?—"
"No, I need to say this." He reached for her hand, still very much with the dick print stamp on his cheek. "I love you. I’m always going to love you. You’re my forever and I want that to?—"
"I messed with your helmet!"
"What?"
She motioned towards his face, mortified. "Baby, I’m so sorry—you have a huge penis on your face right now?—"
"What?" He touched his cheek and stared at his fingers, coated in ink. "You pranked me?"
"I didn’t know you were proposing!"
"Goddamn, you are the perfect woman," Adam breathed out and stood up to yank her in for a kiss.
Everyone else was overjoyed while I was the only apprehensive one. But I tried to wipe it off my face as best as I could.
Before my parents’ divorce, it was so easy writing love songs, because it was so easy believing in them. But after, seeing the two most perfect people in the world for each other decide they were done, changed my entire outlook.
It was hard not to have reservations watching Adam and Piper.
How long before they called it off?
Wouldn’t that hurt their friend group?
Ryan and Kassie were engaged too. Seriously…what was the piping situation like at Marrs? Were we all drinking lead? Was there some significant couples tax break that enticed people to fill out marriage certificates? I couldn’t think of a rational explanation.
What was it about football players that made people agree to these lifelong commitments after so little time together?
A new person inched into my vision. King was busy snapping pictures. I glanced up at him and found his eyes on me before he turned his attention back to Adam and Piper again.
Yeah.
I really didn’t understand the appeal.