Against the Rules (Even The Score #4)

46. king

CHAPTER 46

KING

GIVE. IT. BACK.

The hotel was one of the best we’d ever been put up in, with a huge fountain and a courtyard, it was fantastic to finally get off of the bus, and Elijah’s stupid bracelet was in my back pocket. Life couldn’t possibly get better.

"Hey, King?" One of the junior players jogged up. "Is there any way you’d be down to trade rooms? I’m close to the highway and?—"

I grinned, passing mine off.

"The wing place canceled," Adam muttered, checking his phone. "I booked this shit months in advance."

"We’re in Austin, brother." My grin widened. "The food possibilities are endless here. We’ll find something even better. Guarantee it."

"Uh…yeah."

"The tour is still good to go," Piper gushed.

"It’s going to be a great one," I confirmed, checking the fountain in the courtyard. I needed to find some kind of central drain or endless abyss.

"Thank you, King." Piper beamed. "You’re the best."

"No, you’re the best, Piper."

"What the hell…?" Adam trailed off. "King…?"

I shrugged, pleased, inspecting the brick layout.

"Ice princess, come here." Adam looped his arm over his fiancée’s shoulder and led her off to the elevators, talking urgently under his breath. Whatever they were discussing didn’t need my attention. I was too busy looking for a burial plot.

"King?" A kicker approached. "Hooper said you had the fourth floor?—"

I traded him room keys and clapped him on the back.

"Wow. Thanks, dude."

" King. "

I turned towards the most beautiful girl in the world, with jeans that hugged her ass perfectly and dark curls that flashed in the sun. She was so pretty . Mind-numbingly gorgeous.

"My angel," I murmured before I fully registered the pissed-off curl of her lips.

She can’t know.

No…Willow definitely knew something. She made a determined stride around the metal tables. Oh, shit. Did she figure out what I did? How? I hadn’t lifted anything in years. How did she know?

"King!" Another football player closed in. "I have a girl coming in, and Devonte said you’re by the stairs?—"

Willow pushed past him. "I dropped something, King. I think you picked it up."

She was giving me a perfectly reasonable excuse to avoid admitting any wrongdoing and hand over the bracelet. Which was very nice of her. Very kind.

Hell no, I wasn’t doing that.

I swapped the keys with my teammate and once he left, Willow crossed her arms over her chest. " King. "

I raised my eyebrows.

"Give it back."

I raised my eyebrows even higher.

"Oh my god. Don’t make me do this."

I didn’t say anything. Just raised my eyebrows the highest they could go.

"Are you trying to get a rise out of me?"

"What could be so important that you dropped it and want it back? " I retorted. "Huh? Is it that important to you?"

With her suitcase in tow, June walked up. "Willow? Did you lose something? I can help you find it."

"Nope, I’m waiting on King."

"It’s fine, June," I told her without taking my eyes off Willow. "Can you take my bag upstairs? Follow Rico, he left for the elevators."

"Uh…okay?"

Willow and I were silent while June took slow steps away from us, throwing confused glances. Probably because I honestly couldn’t think of any time I asked June to hold a bag, much less take one upstairs for me.

"When I come back, I can help you look," June tried to reassure Willow.

"When you come back, I’ll have it." Willow smiled. "That’s a promise."

I waited until we were alone again. "Do you want to search me?"

" King. "

"Go ahead. Put your hands on me."

"You are unbelievable. Elijah’s probably timing me right now. Stop being stupid and return it."

"If one of my teammates got you a bracelet, would you wear it?"

She hesitated.

"If Coach Lawson got you a bracelet, would you wear it?"

The look on her face said it all.

I nodded. "It’s not just a bracelet."

"It doesn’t matter. This is all about Elijah testing you, waiting for you to explode. If you actually used your brain, you’d know I’m right."

"I don’t give a shit."

"You’re being a child."

"I. Don’t. Care."

"You are so jealous!"

"You’re goddamn right I am."

Willow’s eyes flashed in surprise. Maybe if my head was clear, I’d feel more embarrassed about it, but all I felt was raw jealousy, an open wound to pick at.

She took a deep breath. "Give it back or I'll wear it the entire weekend."

That was a great threat, but I decided to ignore it. She was the one with the pressing obligations today, not me. No doubt, her mom and Lawson would be calling her to leave any second. Eventually, she had to go upstairs and drop off her bag. When she did, I could finish what I started and burn the bracelet.

"King?"

I narrowed my eyes.

"Give it back or I’m wearing it for every football game. Campus Barbie and the coach’s stepdaughter, you know I’ll be up on the big screen. Every time those cameras turn, I’ll flash the bracelet."

The thought of that was a knife in my neck. Willow. My Willow, adorned by some shitheel from the hockey team. I’d have to see that bracelet for the entire season.

I dug it out of my back pocket and dropped it in her hand.

"Thank you," she whispered icily and moved to pass me.

Before she could, I wrapped an arm around her waist, tugging her close, hip to hip.

"Oh my god. " She pushed away from me.

"Willow?"

" What? "

"What if I bought you a bracelet? Would you wear it?"

She slipped it into her backpack. "I don’t want another woven bracelet. It doesn’t go with my style."

"I know that, Willow. I know you."

"You know me?"

I nodded.

For a moment, I thought she was going to argue, but she hesitated.

"Would you wear it?" I repeated, my voice low. "For me?"

She didn't need to answer, I could read it on her face.

Slowly, I leaned down, gazing at her lips. Her lip gloss…it was hard to look away from. I dipped a little closer. Wanting to taste her lip gloss. Just one taste.

"Stop looking at me like that," she snapped and broke for the elevators.

I trailed after her. "Like what?"

"Like you want to get me pregnant."

"How else am I supposed to look at you?"

Willow swore under her breath. When the doors opened, there were half a dozen football players, and June, walking out with my bag, confused. She tried to ask Willow about the lost thing, but Willow motioned it was taken care of.

"Uh, King." June held out my bag. "I tried to take it to your room, but you switched keys, and I went to the new one, but you switched keys again?—"

"Yeah. That’s going to keep happening." I held out my hand for the duffel bag. The entire time, my eyes were locked on Willow, pretending to look at her phone while she kept sneaking glances at me.

"Why did you ask me to take your bag upstairs?"

"I had to talk to Willow alone."

June stared at me, shocked, and I left for the front desk. I had no preference for where my room was and my teammates knew that. I usually swapped a dozen times with anyone who didn’t want to get stuck somewhere. I’d leave my bag behind and pick it up when we came back.

"Hey?" June tried to stop me. "Am I missing something?"

I grunted.

" King. What the hell was that?"

I checked to make sure there weren't any football players behind the brochure stand.

She huffed. "I’m giving you ten seconds to tell me what’s going on?—"

"Nobody knows. She doesn’t even know."

"Who?"

"I’m in love with the coach’s stepdaughter."

" What?! "