Against the Rules (Even The Score #4)

47. willow

CHAPTER 47

WILLOW

POOL BOY IN A PORNO

Mom whisked me away for the interview where Lawson answered questions about the upcoming captain selection and I ate fruit skewers from the craft service table. The only thing they really needed me for were the photos. Then I was mercifully allowed to leave for the brewery.

I slung my jacket over the back of my chair, ignoring King. "Sorry, coach stuff took forever."

Piper patted my shoulder. "I already ordered for you."

"Thanks, Pipes." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "It was a whole thing about the general manager for the Oklahoma Buffalos."

"Oklahoma Bison," King corrected.

I shot him a look. Irritated. First the bracelet and now this.

"They just changed their name," I said coolly.

"Two years ago."

I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him. "And they’re deep in discussion about captain selection. Lawson said he’s convinced he knows who’s getting the titles."

"It’s me," Adam sighed, leaning back in the chair. "I’m ready for the responsibility."

"There’s no way in hell," Kassie snorted.

"You’re acting like I’ve done something wrong."

"Replacing the shampoo in the showers with hair dye was a great candidate decision."

"I liked when you bought the inflated footballs." Piper giggled. "That was funny."

"Whatever. They couldn’t pay me enough to take the captain title."

Ryan took a swig of his beer. "I’ll be voted in again."

"You know how the coaches are voting?" I asked.

"Coaches don’t vote for captain positions," King said. "It’s a team-wide vote but there's a certain criteria for being selected."

"Thank you, Encyclopedia Brown."

"No problem. I figured, since it’s your first day here, I’ll go easy on you."

Oh my god.

My eyebrow twitched. "Why are you playing football, King? You’re riding my dick so hard, you should do that for a living."

King arched an eyebrow. "What would you know about riding dick?"

Everyone burst into surprised laughter. Kassie choked on her drink and coughed until her face turned red. I didn’t even know what to say to that. To everyone else it was a throwaway retort, but King meant it, an obvious jab at my virginity. He raised both eyebrows, ready for a comeback, but I fumbled for one that wasn’t there.

Damn him.

Piper shuddered. "I don’t want to think about Elijah like that."

"I still can’t believe you’re dating him," Adam said. "On purpose. Sober ."

I hummed. "The turf war is dumb."

"It’s not a war," Adam scoffed. "That implies they’re up to the challenge. Come on, Willow. Name the last time the Gladiators won anything. Your boyfriend won’t?—"

"He’s not her boyfriend," King snapped.

Everyone turned to look at King and I shook my head.

Don’t you dare .

"If you’re going on dates…?" Ryan frowned.

"You can go on dates and not be exclusive like that." Kassie shrugged. "They could just be fucking."

"They’re not having sex," King shot back.

I tried to stop him. "Don’t?—"

"It’s a couple of dates to get Sloane’s attention. Willow’s not sleeping with him, she’s not dating him, she doesn’t have feelings for him, and he can get fucked?—"

"Goddamn you!"

Everyone burst into questions about the weird triangle thing I found myself in to help a friend as our waiter brought our food over, but I could not believe him. I wanted to help Elijah out. If the entire football team knew it was fake, it’d get back to Sloane!

"You know what, King? You look like a whore."

Everyone jerked up from their plates, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Piper’s mouth fall open.

"How do I look like a whore, Willow? "

"Oh, boy." Kassie whistled. "I want to hear this too."

"T-shirt squeezing your muscles." I pointed out, gearing up the list. "Hat turned backwards like you don’t give a damn, shorts short enough to show your thigh tattoos. King, you look like a pool boy in a porno."

More laughter from the others, but King tilted his head back. "You’re saying I look like the porn stars you watch."

"I’m saying, cover your ankles."

"Stop staring at my thighs."

"Stop wearing fuck-me clothes."

"Stop slut-shaming me."

"You’d have to be getting some to get slut-shamed!"

Hard laughter burst out of everyone except for…June. Who stared, mouth agape.

And King, across the table, eyes smoldering. I didn’t have to touch him. I knew he was hard.

"Don’t worry, buddy." Adam chortled. "We’re getting you some tonight. You’ll be swimming in pussy."

I snapped to look at him so fast, my neck cracked. " What? "

"We’re going to Sixth Street and rounding up numbers for King. It’ll be like an Easter egg hunt."

They were taking him to go fishing for girls? I drummed my fingers on the table, trying to focus all my energy on Kassie, as if I could understand what she was talking about.

Even if King didn’t say anything, I could read his smug silence like a book. The single question oozed off of him.

You’re not jealous, are you?

I shot him a nasty look and he smirked at me.

"Sounds great," I agreed. "Since I’m not dating anyone, we could make it into a competition. See who gets the most numbers. Why not make it the most nudes?"

The smirk disappeared from King’s face.

"Wouldn’t it be easier to download Tinder?" Kassie wondered. "Why go through all that work?"

Ryan frowned. "Which one’s Tinder again? Kassie explained Grindr. You’re not going to believe this, it’s not a coffee app."

While everyone explained what Tinder was to Ryan, I gave an excuse to get a drink at the bar, needing to clear my head. That was so stupid and reckless. What was I thinking?

I recognized his footsteps closing in before I saw him.

My pulse raced. "Go back to the table."

" Willow. "

"Oh my god," I muttered and dodged the first bar, heading to the one at the other end of the brewery, away from our audience.

At the counter, King brushed up against me, so close. Too close. I grabbed one of the menus. "Have fun going to Sixth Street."

He tugged the menu out of my hand. "Don’t download Tinder."

"Wasn’t planning on it."

"If I see it on your phone, do you know what I’m going to do?"

"Something stupid? Like usual?"

"I don’t give a shit if it’s for three seconds, or to make me jealous. If I see it on your phone, I’m downloading it too."

More furious sparks flew through me. I was dripping with jealousy, angry at the thought of him being on there. Grabbing some girl’s Vanysh. Sending her photos. Whispering to her at three in the morning about her dreams. If I actually started drinking, I might’ve tossed his phone in the gutter.

"Is that the threat?" I said, each word venomous. "That’s it? You’ll download an app? Ooo, I’m scared."

"No. I’ll find twenty girls who are cool getting filmed and I’ll record the dirtiest fucking sex tape you’ve ever seen, tonight, all while Mean Motherfucker plays in the background."

" What?! "

"If you touch that app, I’ll record it, and I’ll make you watch."

"You can’t make me watch anything?—"

"I’ll leak that shit myself. I’ll buy billboards. I don’t give a fuck."

I spiraled. As much as I wanted to get a grip, I couldn’t help my instant reaction to the thought of anyone touching King. "Like I—I care who you’re sleeping with—" I stammered, unable to finish it. "Like it matters to me?—"

"It matters so much to you and you know it."

"You think you can read me so well?—"

"You want this over? Take out your phone. End it right here, right now."

I froze.

His hand slipped to my back pocket, brushing along my ass as he took out my phone. "Tear out my heart, curb stomp it, rip it into pieces, set it on fire. Let’s get this over with."

I swallowed.

"Do it, Willow. I’ll never bother you again."

My phone hovered at the edge of my vision. I couldn’t even look at it.

"Do it."

"Fuck you," I snapped.

"That’s right." He dipped closer. "You can’t do it."

"You’re the one bar hopping," I pointed out, angry and turned on and definitely losing brain capacity because I needed to stop this conversation and go back to the table. But I couldn’t tear myself away from him. "Why am I getting the lecture?"

He caught my wrist in his hand. "How much am I drinking tonight?"

I didn’t say anything.

"Willow."

"You’re not drinking tonight," I muttered.

" Why? "

Because King didn’t drink anymore. At Gianna’s, the guys tossed back beers and King stayed sober.

"Willow. Answer the question."

I hesitated. "Because you’ll start talking about me."

" How would I talk about you?"

"I—I don’t know."

"You’re such a liar."

He ran his thumb across my wrist and I drew in a slow breath, wishing my heart wasn’t racing and knowing without a doubt that King knew it too.

"All of my daydreams are about you. You shoved yourself into them. I know the moment I pick up a shot, I’m going to talk about how much I miss you. And think about you. And lay on my floor, listening to your songs, knowing it’s the closest I can get to you." His fingers moved up my hand, so slowly, my breath caught in my throat. "And how happy your stepfather is with me because I threaten every teammate who stares at you for too long and how fucked up it is that I’m doing it all for me . Because I don’t want any man to think he has a chance with you. Not one."