Chapter 45
CHAPTER
FORTY-FIVE
EMERSON
On Friday morning, the Homecoming court was announced, and exactly as Hope stated, I was on it. I’d assumed she’d been mistaken, not believing the words she’d said. But as the girl on the campus broadcast continued to read the names of the court, I couldn’t deny it.
“Holy shit, Peanut.” Cody shook my shoulder excitedly, the class turning to look at me. It split between those who seemed happy about this news and those who didn’t. Hope’s former Zeta sisters were in the latter category.
“Spirit week begins on Monday. Go, Wolves!” With that, the announcement ended, and the professor turned off the TV. Midterms were next week, so today was a review day. The lack of new information to engage my brain meant I focused on all the shit going on in my life instead.
Though, it wasn’t all shit. I liked Hayward more than I’d expected. I’d already signed up for classes for next semester and was excited about having more focused ones. While I’d joined the dance team to get back at Hope, I’d come to love it, too. Only three girls gave me death stares now, so improvement! I loved my job, and JoJo had become a good friend. I even volunteered at Pawsitive Haven once a week. Spending the morning with Colter was a huge draw, but I loved caring for the animals people didn’t want.
Cody had become one of my best friends, and I couldn’t wait for him and Taylor to meet next weekend when she visited. Shit. That was Homecoming. She was gonna love that. At least she could help me with a dress. Taylor loved fashion, so she’d be in her element. I wondered what Colter and Holden would wear.
Imagining them in suits had warmth flooding my pussy. Anytime I thought about them, I instantly got turned on. It was great when I had time to spend with them, but inconvenient when I didn’t. The amount of places I’d been pulled to for a quickie was mind-boggling. Dating Colter and Holden was more than I ever imagined for myself. Compared to how I envisioned this semester going, things were near perfect.
Just the pesky stalker and bullies. No biggie.
“It’s so great to see someone like me on Homecoming court,” a girl said as class ended.
“Oh, thanks. I’m surprised, honestly.”
“I’m not. There’s more of us on campus.”
“Us?”
“People who don’t fit typical beauty standards.” Her eyes flicked to the sorority girls, then back to me, her mouth dropping. “I mean, you’re beautiful as you are. Not that you’re not beautiful. Shit. I’m messing this all up. Ack!”
I smiled. This I could relate to. “Words are hard.”
The girl nodded, her shoulders sagging in relief. “Yes! And that’s what I mean. You’re so you.”
“Believe me. I still struggle with insecurities. I don’t think being beautiful makes those girls immune to it, either.”
“Maybe not, but judging and evaluating others based on whether they wear a certain size makes them close-minded. I’m not trying to reverse size-shame them, either. There’s plenty of skinny girls who aren’t mean. I’m probably making this a mess. I don’t usually talk to people I don’t know, but you inspired me to take the chance.”
“I’m honored, even if it is overwhelming. I don’t feel like I’m doing anything special.”
“That’s kind of the point, Peanut.” Cody turned to the girl. “Sorry. I’m not trying to interrupt, but I get what you’re trying to say. People are drawn to you, Mer, because you’re real and kind. You have this air about you that draws others in.”
The girl nodded, her cheeks red. “Exactly that. Anyway, I just wanted to say I’m voting for you.”
“Wait. What’s your name?”
She stopped. “You want to know my name?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Oh, it’s Lydia.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lydia.”
“You too, Mer.” She waved, and Cody and I stood. The rest of the class had already filed out, leaving us as the last ones.
“You got a fan,” Cody teased.
“Feels so strange.”
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Just keep being you, Peanut. That’s what they like.”
I nodded, my mind spinning as we walked out of the building. Cody left me at the newspaper meeting I had on Fridays. Colter and Holden had tasked him with escorting me to classes when they were unavailable. I wanted to say they were being overdramatic, but I was scared. Having him walk with me helped.
The newsroom was a bustle of activity as I entered. I nodded a greeting to the editor, and he motioned for me to approach.
“What’s up, Mark?” I pulled on the straps of my bookbag. The guy hadn’t been my biggest fan after the surprise article had slipped by him .
“Since you’re now on the court, I thought you might want to cover Spirit Week. We could do an insider perspective. There’s a different event every day of the week, including the dinner on Friday and the game on Saturday.”
“Oh. Wow. That’s a lot of events to cover.”
“You’ll already be there.”
I nodded, biting my lip. He had a point. “Yeah. I guess I can do that.”
“Perfect. I’ll assign Sebastian for photography. Get with him to go over your approach.”
Was ‘fish out of water’ one? Because that’s what I currently felt like.
Mark handed me a list of events and when articles were due. I wouldn’t have much time in between to write them. Thankfully, I already had off work for midterms, but doing this on top of studying would be a pain. Why had I agreed to being on the Homecoming court again?
Oh. Right. Take down mean girls. Le sigh.
After coordinating with Sebastian, I finished the piece I’d been working on this week for tomorrow’s paper, showcasing Pawsitive Haven. I hoped it would attract some interest for the dogs. After hitting submit, I gathered my stuff and headed out to meet Holden. English didn’t meet on Fridays, since it was longer during the week, so we typically spent the afternoon in the art studio to work on our projects.
I spotted him outside the building, a group of people trying to get his attention. He ignored the girls and nodded occasionally to the guys. They were probably talking about football, something I’d come to learn from being with him this week. People would come up to him anywhere to talk about the game. His resting asshole face didn’t scare them off, either. Everyone loved him.
His eyes were locked on the door, so when I stepped outside, he broke away and ate the distance between us. He grabbed me around the waist the second he was within reach and hoisted me into his arms. His lips pressed against mine, and I got lost in his kiss.
“I missed you, Wildcat.”
“It’s only been a few hours,” I teased.
“We’ve been over this. Any time away from you is too long. Let’s skip the studio.”
“Nice try.”
“I’m serious.” He swiveled his hips, brushing his cock against me. I closed my eyes, biting my lip to keep my moan in.
“You get your results later, right?” He nodded. “Then tonight you can have me bare,” I promised, my eyes full of heat.
He grunted, but nodded. Setting me on my feet, he adjusted himself before taking my hand and leading me to the Art building. I heard whispers as we walked but ignored them, despite my curiosity. I knew whatever it was would hurt, but my brain still wanted to know. Sometimes, it was better to not tempt it.
Holden and I took our regular seats in the studio and pulled out our supplies. We were working on comic strips. I still wasn’t very good, but I enjoyed doing something different. Holden, on the other hand, was very talented. He’d have an outstanding career in art if he decided not to pursue football.
“Is that supposed to be me?” he asked, leaning over to look at my tablet.
“Maybe.” I couldn’t draw people, so I was using animals. I’d drawn a penguin, a koala, and a baby chick because they’d been easy.
“Hmm. It’s not bad. Though, I’m more of a grizzly bear.”
I patted his hand. “Sure you are.” I giggled, and he rolled his eyes. I peeked at his comic, my mouth dropping open at the detail. I loved his charcoal drawing, but this was something else .
“Wow. That’s incredible.”
He’d drawn a guy on a football field in one square and a girl dancing in the other. Their eyes connected in the third, oblivious to the crowd.
“It’s just for fun.” He shrugged. This was something I’d come to expect from him. He could take praise all day about his football skills, but compliment his art, and he got all shy. It was cute.
“This is great, Mr. Adler. Are you entering the contest?”
“Nah.”
The professor looked at Holden, but he dropped his eyes and glanced at my screen. I hated going after Holden because it made my lack of skill more apparent, but the teacher was good at identifying individual skills.
“I quite like the chick, Miss Adams. You’ve drawn out the feathers, making it look soft despite being 2D. Good job.” My cheeks heated, and I nodded. There was no way I’d tell him it was an accident, and I was about to erase it. “You should convince your boyfriend to enter the contest. He has a good shot of winning.” With those parting words, he walked to the front of the studio.
“You ready to go?” Holden asked, ignoring the professor.
“What contest?” I asked as we packed our things.
“It’s nothing.”
“Oh, I see. You can make me be honest, but it doesn’t apply to you,” I challenged.
Holden squeezed his eyes shut and let out a sigh. “Fine. It’s not nothing, but I’m not entering. I need to focus on football.”
“Ah, I get it. You’re scared.” I walked out of the room, smiling as I heard him rush to catch up.
“I’m not scared,” he grumbled.
“Uh huh. Sure.”
“I’m not. ”
“Then enter. You already have something done, so it’s not extra work.”
“It’s not good enough.”
“Professor Garcia believes so. Besides, if you’re not scared, it shouldn’t matter. Right?” He opened his mouth to protest, but snapped it shut. “Can’t refute my logic, huh?”
“Fine. I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll do something that scares me if you do something as well.”
“Not sure what there is, but okay.”
He grinned, and I worried I’d stepped right into a trap. He pulled a wrinkled piece of purple paper out of his pocket and handed it to me. I smoothed it out as we walked, my eyes taking in every word.
Seeking choreographers for an upcoming dance competition. Prepare three routines to show a range of styles in contemporary, hip-hop, and jazz.
My heart raced, and butterflies filled my belly. This was… reality crashed in, and I shook my head. “I’m not a choreographer.”
“Bullshit. You want it, Wildcat. I saw your face. That’s the deal. I’ll enter if you do.”
Biting my lip, I looked at the deadline. It was next month. I could do that. Ideas started to form in my head, along with songs I wanted to use, and the steps came to life.
“I believe in you, Wildcat. Give yourself a shot.”
“Okay.”
Holden smiled and picked me up to swing around. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
It was hard not to believe when he did so fiercely.
We headed into the library with big smiles on our faces. Holden kissed me before waving to Colter. He said something to the librarian before grabbing his stuff and meeting me at the elevator .
“How was your day, Merbear?” He wrapped me in his arms, and I rested my head against his chest.
“Weird. People talked to me.”
He chuckled, and we stepped onto the elevator. “Do people not usually talk to you?”
“Not really. But this was different. This girl Lydia spoke to me like I hung the moon. She’s happy I’m on the Homecoming court.”
“I’ve heard similar things all day. The gossip is buzzing on campus.”
I’d thought it was strange that girls stayed friends with Colter after hooking up. At first, I assumed they were lying and just hoping he’d want more. But then I had lunch with him and a few of the girls, and it was clear they only saw him as a friend now. It eased some of my jealousy and made me smug that I got him all to myself.
When we got to our floor—the one we’d coined as ours since we seemed to be the only ones who used it—we spread out our books on the table. We liked to use the back table near the window, giving us a good view of campus. I needed to finish my work for my Independent Study and study for my Astronomy midterm, but after twenty minutes of sitting there, I lost focus. So, I watched Colter while he studied instead.
“You’re staring,” he said, not taking his eyes off the book he was reading.
“You’re prettier to look at than astronomy.”
Out of all my midterms, I dreaded that one the most. The professor didn’t follow the syllabus at all and often went on tangents during class, not covering any of the material. It made studying difficult when you didn’t know what to focus on. Add in the fact that he only gave two tests, the midterm and final, they counted for a lot.
“Comparing me to balls of gas, so romantic, Mer.”
Snorting, I returned to my notes, reviewing what I’d outlined on the syllabus. Colter’s hand landed on my thigh, pulling my focus. His gaze stayed on his book, his other hand writing down something in his notebook. I admired his skill because there was no way I could do it. His finger skimmed over my pussy, my leggings providing a barrier to his touch. Spreading my legs, I scooted down in my chair. I caught one side of his smile lifting, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
I pretended to write, but the only marks my pencil made were scribbles. Colter’s hand lifted to my waistband and snuck under it. My breath caught as he ghosted his fingers over my panties. I wanted to be embarrassed by the wet patch, but I wasn’t. Colter made a groaning sound deep in his throat before pressing in.
My head fell back, my breaths erratic as he touched me with expert skill. I was so lost in his touch that I didn’t hear the person until they were almost upon us. I snapped my head up and grabbed my pen just as Jenny approached. I expected Colter to remove his hand, but he didn’t.
“Hey! I didn’t think anyone else used this floor.” She dropped her bag on the table as I tried to remember how to form words. Colter continued to flick my clit, not caring we had an audience.
“Oh, um, yeah, floor,” I spluttered, my face heating.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah. Been a day.” I leaned forward, his digits slipping in deeper. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop the moan.
“Congrats on that. Are you excited about it?”
“Totes.” I nodded, not even knowing what I said. Jenny looked at me oddly, but let it go.
“Alright, I’ll see you later at practice.”
“Yup. Practice.” I nodded, a gasp leaving me. Jenny laughed, picked up her book, and headed in the other direction. As soon as she was out of sight, I turned into Colter and bit his shoulder as I came .
“That was so fucking hot, sweetheart. Grab your stuff and meet me in the study room.”
I didn’t have to be told twice. My body was taut with sexual need despite coming. I needed more. I shoved everything into my bag and headed to the study room, which no one used. It didn’t have a window, making it feel claustrophobic if you were there for hours. But it worked perfectly for hooking up.
The second the door was locked, Colter was on me. Our clothes flew off in a flurry until he spun and bent me over the table. Not having to use condoms had its advantages. Colter thrust into me, our moans filling the space. Anyone outside the room would know what we were doing, but that added to the appeal.
“The way you rode my finger while pretending to be studying will live rent-free in my head, sweetheart.”
Colter gripped my hips, using me to pull himself in and out so he didn’t injure his ribs. I pressed back, meeting him thrust for thrust. It didn’t take long for me to reach orgasm. Colter dominated my body and worked me over to the point I fell over the edge easily.
“Yes, Colter!”
“Come for me, Mer.” He pinched my nipple, and a second wave hit me, my body completely spent as he unloaded into me. “Fuck.” He groaned, his hips stilling as he rode out his orgasm. “Sex with you just gets better and better.”
“Mmhmm,” I mumbled, my brain offline still.
Colter laughed and pulled out. He grabbed the bag of wet wipes out of his bag and cleaned his cum from me. Disadvantage of no condoms… the mess. “This is the sexiest view. I love watching my cum run down your leg.”
“If I didn’t have practice and work, I’d let it.”
“You’re perfect, Mer.” He kissed my back and helped me up. Smiling, we redressed and checked that the coast was clear before leaving our secret room. Colter walked me to the field, heading off to sit on the bench since he hadn’t been cleared to play yet.
Practice went by quickly, and I took a quick shower to rinse off the sweat before dressing. Holden and Colter were both waiting for me when I exited, and we walked to the parking lot together. Tonight, Colter was coming to Ember for the first time. He’d argued that since Holden got to know where I worked, it was only fair. I couldn’t argue with him on that.
Today, we drove Rose’s car. The police suggested we vary the cars to make it harder for Monsieur Owen to track us. There hadn’t been any sign of him, and Detective Jennings said they’d have to pull the police cruiser next week.
Holden pushed his arm out in front of me, stopping me. “What?” I asked, then looked at the car. It was completely covered in roses.
Except when I looked at the ground, I realized the petals spelled a word.
Mine.