Against the Rules (Even The Score #4)

24. willow

CHAPTER 24

WILLOW

AT ALL HOURS WITH THE HOMECOMING QUEEN

When the bus dropped us off at Marrs, I had my whole night planned out. Heading back to Lawson’s house, finishing some of next month’s homework before the mics, maybe a nap, except…none of that happened.

Crazy enough, I found myself at Gianna’s .

Everybody wanted to celebrate the game, and for the first time, people weren’t clamoring to me about Lawson or the Birchwood Bowl or being Campus Barbie. All anybody wanted to talk about was capture the flag.

We easily filled the place, and I was sandwiched between Kassie and Piper while we ate cheesy breadsticks and they had me take sips from their drinks when the waitresses weren’t paying attention.

"This one’s called Summer Ambrosia," Kassie hummed with pleasure. "Basically just peach vodka. Enough of these and you’re having fun, it’s a blast ."

"Adam makes these super good margaritas with lime juice and orange juice." Piper hiccuped, a flush to her cheeks. "I could drink them all day."

I debated if I wanted to ask The Question, but decided I had to. "Were you…expecting the engagement?"

"Um…kind of? I don’t like crowds, so he asked me how he was supposed to propose. I told him that I wanted it in front of our friends, but I didn’t think he meant now ."

"I’m not trying to be rude. I—um—I thought you just got together?"

"Erm… officially . Kind of." Piper blushed. She stole a look at Adam while he took a tray from one of the waitresses at the end of the table. "I guess when you know, you know. And with him, I know."

How she could be so sure, I had no idea. They were so young .

Anything could happen. Didn’t they realize that?

"Willow, if you’re getting into Gianna’s, you have to try the dessert menu," Adam said, placing the platter in front of us. "And I mean the entire thing."

"Thank you, baby." Piper beamed and pushed one of the mini cheesecakes my way. But she stole another glance at Adam. A flush crept up her neck. "You know what…I’m going to be right back…"

Cue the make-out session.

I turned away, embarrassed while they groped each other at the end of the bar.

"You know what, Willow?" Kassie took a bite of a dark blue cookie. "I’m going to figure out where I know you from. It’s killing me. Slowly but surely."

"You don’t know me, Kassie."

"I know I know you."

My eyes wandered to King, listening intently while a couple of his teammates talked to him. I knew King went to Dallas with some friends - was Kassie there? Did she see me during the show?

"Really, you don’t know me. The only thing I did in San Antonio was work."

"Me too. I worked the bars since I was sixteen."

Huh.

I took another look at the team captain’s fiancée, with her hair in braids and her dark eyes fixed on me. I thought back to all of the places I performed at, thinking it over.

Do I know her?

"Jade the Architect," Kassie breathed out.

I choked on my glass of water.

"Jade the Architect! Hell’s bells, I do know you. Jade ?—"

I hurried to shush her. "Kassie?—"

"I can’t believe?—"

"—it’s a secret ."

"Oh, shit! I get it. A stage identity thing. I can’t believe it’s you. I fucking knew I knew you! Are you still performing? Whatever happened with—hell—the three folks you were playing with?—?"

"We broke up."

"Oh. Sorry about that. Wow, I used to hate you on karaoke nights. You’d come in, do your little Sam Smith covers, and make everyone sound worse ."

I laughed. "I forgot about karaoke."

"If you sing that good, you’re supposed to go later! Let us regular people have the first rounds before you kill the competition!"

She lobbed a million questions about everything I’d been up to. The mics, the music, if I was still wearing that awful bright blue wig that became infested with spiders. I couldn’t believe Kassie remembered all of that, much less remembered me.

"What are we doing?" Piper sang, sitting down between us.

"Exchanging phone numbers," Kassie replied but when I handed her my phone, I could see her following me on socials too.

A flash went off and I blinked, surprised.

Kassie jerked over. "Ryan!"

He shoved his phone in his back pocket just as quickly. "It’s for Coach. I didn’t know I had the brightness on, I hate these phones."

"I’m real sorry about him," Kassie whispered. "He and the boys want to make sure you’re good. Plus, with June out of the picture, Ryan had to pretty much put this whole paintball thing together. It’s been stressing him out."

I bypassed the first point entirely. "Who’s June? Everyone talks about her, but I never see her."

"She’s…working for the hockey team this summer," Piper admitted with a wince. "Like Cleo."

Right—the feud. It was weird to think that the feud extended to the girlfriends too but it must’ve because Kassie and Piper shared a loaded look with each other.

"You’ve probably seen her." Kassie took back her phone. "Erm…I forgot June did a hack job on her socials. She’s all over King’s."

I frowned. "King doesn’t have social media."

"Yeah, he does."

"They all do, they have to," Piper explained.

I didn’t understand. It was one of the first questions I posed when he and I started texting. But King had been clear—he didn’t have social media and he didn’t have the time for it.

It didn’t matter what he said. Kassie pulled up his profile just the same.

That wasn’t all he hid from me.

Kassie swiped through old photos and my heart thumped uncomfortably. Those weren’t just football. They were all of King and a beautiful blonde girl I had never, even seen before. Their silhouettes together by the Romans stadium, her, leading him off towards the locker room, her, with his jersey on, legs crossed over his lap.

I pushed back from the table, pulse racing. It didn’t make sense. It clearly looked like King had a girlfriend.

My eyes darted to him at the other end of the table, but his phone rang and he walked away.

It was so stupid, but I couldn’t believe it, even with the evidence right there . Everything in me wanted to confront King. I wanted him to say it wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true.

I struggled with my question. "That’s King’s girlfriend?"

Kassie hesitated. "Uh…ex-girlfriend. They were together for…shit—how long?"

"Two and a half years?" Piper said. "I think?"

"Yeah. She’s still a big part of our group, we’re all good friends."

I’m going to be sick.

King lied to me. Again. He told me he hadn’t been with anyone in three years when, in actuality, he’d been with the homecoming queen of Marrs University, cuddling for the cameras.

I couldn’t believe it.

Why couldn’t I?

I thought I was over him, but it hurt so much looking at the photos. I knew I’d been lying to myself. Why was I still holding out for a guy who was confirmed to be a liar?

And what did that make me? The bounce back. The rebound.

King's voice broke my spiral. "I have to go."

"What? We just got here?" Kassie tried to call him back, but Ryan shook his head. She quieted instantly. Her and Piper waved to him while I sat, shell-shocked.

King lied to me. And I was a complete dumbass for believing him.