58. Bailey
58
Bailey
Friday
I was pumped for our games. After school, I went out to the truck with the guys, grabbing weekend bags, in addition to our football gear. I locked up the truck before we walked over to the buses. Despite resting all day and night, Nolan was still limping. He kept insisting that he was fine, but I called him out on it. Chase and I were prepared to go in as QB, but that didn’t mean we wouldn’t suffer as a team. Nolan was a key player.
There were two coach buses the school had rented for the football team, as well as the cheerleaders; it was an event for them as much as it was for us. While we had a game this evening and one tomorrow afternoon, they were being scored for their cheers and stunts before, during, and after the game. Beth had explained it all to me. They had rival teams as much as we did, and it was a sport for them as well. Even though I hated Hadley, I did agree that what she did on the field took a lot of hard work and athletic talent.
Nolan bent down, pressing a quick kiss on my lips. I smiled and got in line with everyone else to toss our gear under the bus. I chose the one Beth was in line for, but she was far up the line. Lachlan wasn’t leaving without muffins, so we’d arrived a bit late after waiting for Mom to put them together.
I could feel eyes on me when Nolan threaded his fingers through mine, but I didn’t care. He’d warned me he was going to make a point of showing off that he was my boyfriend. This way, he felt the rumors about who I was with would die down, and the homecoming proposals would stop—he was still sour about those. Chase said they’d been waiting for Nolan to get on board, but if he hadn’t followed through before game day, he was going to take me.
Once the line moved and we came up to the under-storage of the bus, I went to toss my bags under, but Hadley cut in front of me, putting her stuff in. I tried not to glare at her, but it was difficult. “That grungy hat stinks, but I guess that’s what makes you fit in with the other football players,” she said over her shoulder at me.
Ethan stepped forward and tossed all his gear on top of her bags.
“Hey!” she exclaimed.
“Oops, hope you don’t mind sweat. I clean it, but I think it’s ingrained in the fabric at this point.”
Hadley wrinkled her nose at him and pouted. “Eww, that’s so gross.”
“B, need a hand with that?” Ethan asked me. I handed my stuff to him, and he threw it in on top of his. Lachlan, Chase, and Nolan did the same. Hadley stomped her foot and pushed her way to the front of the line.
“Thanks, big guy.” I patted his shoulder and headed to get in line to get on. Ugh, did that mean I had to deal with Hadley for five hours? Why wouldn’t she get on the bus with the cheerleaders? I know we were allowed to go on either, but seriously.
My phone began ringing in my pocket, and I pulled it out, answering Mom’s call. “Hey.”
“Hey, Boo, do you have a minute?”
I looked ahead. We were getting close to the bus, but I didn’t want people to hear in case it was something important. “One sec.” All four of the guys were watching me intently, so I quietly said, “It’s my mom. I’ll meet you on the bus.” I stepped out of the line and backed up a few paces. “What’s up?”
Mom took a big breath that had my stomach sinking. “I was going to meet you at the game tonight, but a few things came up. Ed is still in rehab, but they say he can go home soon, and they want him close to the hospital. Your dad just came back, saying he is looking pretty good. We may be moving him into the Benson house across the creek. Anyway, I have to get the house all cleaned up for when he comes. It may be this weekend, he is determined to get out. You know, I don’t blame him…” She kept going, and I knew she was puttering, talking on the phone while busying herself with another task. This was what caused her to talk in tangents.
Only, I couldn’t keep up with her. The world beneath my feet shifted. Ed was…alive. He obviously hadn’t told anyone what had happened, never reported me, but he was determined to get out, and I knew exactly what that meant. I was in trouble.
My eyes tracked the guys as they slowly got on the bus, shooting glances back at me now and then. “Mom,” I whispered.
“Oh, shoot, I think I’m going to have to pick up some more linens. I got the boys separate beds. I know they said they were fine, but they are growing boys…” The boys was what she lovingly called Ethan and Chase, taking on a motherly role with them.
“Mom,” I interrupted, “I have to get on the bus.”
“Right, sorry, Boo. Mr. and Mrs. O’Riley will be at the game tonight, and Gwen said she will tape the game for us and send it. Even the pub in town will be tuning in to the live stream, so we will be watching.” Live stream?
“Okay, bye.” I hung up on her.
I walked up to the bus, the last of the line filing on, but Coach stopped me. “This one’s full, Bailey. You’ll have to go on the other bus. We have a few players over there.”
If I thought the ground was shifting below me before, now everything was spinning, vertigo taking over as panic slipped in. Ed was okay, Ed was up and moving, he was going to come for me, and I was being separated from the guys.
“Bailey!” Lachlan called from an open window. “Where you going?”
I looked up at him. “This one is full. I have to go to the other bus.”
“Wait.” Lachlan moved away from the window for a second and then was back. “Sam’s going to switch with you.” Relief flooded me, and I could suddenly breathe again.
I walked back to the door, and Sam was there. He held out his hand, and I slapped it, then he pulled me in for a hug, like the guys normally did when they greeted one another.
“Thanks, Sam.”
“Switch and sit in a bus full of cheerleaders? Have your sweaty jocks all you want.” He laughed, and a bit of my panic eased.
I walked onto the packed bus and down the aisle. Ethan and Nolan were together, and behind them was Chase and Lachlan. Across from Nolan was an empty seat next to Hadley.
“Sit down, everyone,” Coach called.
I sat next to Hadley, but Nolan jumped up. “Nope,” he said, grabbing my hand and spinning me around so I was sitting next to Ethan.
“Hey, Noley,” Hadley said, batting her eyelashes and biting her lip. Oh god, did I look like that when I bit my lip? I did it out of nerves, instead of trying to seduce someone. Not that Nolan was falling for it; he just looked uncomfortable.
There was a sigh behind me, and Lachlan stood up. He grabbed Nolan’s hand and pulled him up, using the same spinning maneuver so Nolan was sitting next to Chase, and Lachlan was now next to Hadley.
“Ew, freak,” Hadley said.
Perhaps it was the news I had just received, perhaps it was the panic attack that threatened in my chest, but whatever it was, it had my fists clenching and my teeth grinding. I shifted in my chair, and Ethan grabbed hold of my wrist.
“Thanks for the endearing sentiments.” Lachlan grinned at her, though there was no warmth like he held for me. Lachlan was stiff, distant, and cold. Murderous would be another way to describe him. Hadley better shut up and keep her distance.
I looked up at Ethan, who still hadn’t let go of my wrist, even when the bus started moving.
One look, that was all he needed. “Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” I lied, but of course he caught it.
Ethan let go of my wrist. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” Not yet.
“In danger?” He was scrutinizing every move I made, every twitch of a muscle.
“No.” Lie.
Ethan nodded and moved his hand, placing it on my thigh, giving it a little squeeze. With a sigh, I leaned into him, finding a way to calm my nerves.
Ethan was on his phone for a moment before Lachlan pulled out his phone. Lachlan raised his head and whistled to Nolan, indicating his phone.
“What are you doing?” I asked Ethan.
“Letting the others know to keep an eye on you.” He had his head bent, so he could talk to me without being overheard. “You’re safe, Bailey. It would be easier if you told us what was wrong, after all we’ve been through.”
He was right, I should tell them. After everything between us and after the lecture my father just gave us about communication and always talking to the family. But I couldn’t. I had a game to play, and there was no way I could let the team down and give up the one shred of my teenage self remaining. If I thought of Ed any longer, I knew it would be the end.
I leaned over in my seat and put my head against Ethan’s chest. He moved to wrap his arm around me. Through the crack in the seat, I could feel Nolan reach through and rub my back. I closed my eyes and tried my best to focus on football plays.
Nothing else mattered. Nothing in the world, except the play, because if something did matter more than the play, then obviously I would think of it. And if I thought of it, it existed, and if it existed, it happened. But nothing had happened. Ed was gone. Nothing was real except…football.
So, I pictured all the plays that involved me running, and then the ones I was catching. I ran through the plays that involved Lachlan, then I imagined Lachlan catching the ball and running touchdowns. I pictured Chase making runs while Ethan blocked him. I envisioned Ethan tackling some guy and laying him out flat while Nolan jumped over them. I pictured Chase and I stepping in for Nolan. I pictured myself being quarterback, the crowd going wild!
All was sunshine and fucking rainbows because, in all the scenarios, Ed didn’t exist. Ed wasn’t alive. Ed never happened. I was never torn from my family. I was never torn from the guys. I was still a child, an innocent fucking child just playing a goddamn game of football. No one chastised me for wearing unladylike clothing, no one picked at my hair or how I acted. I was just a fucking child playing a fucking game! No expectations. Just a game.
Silent tears rolled down my cheeks.
I wasn’t sure how long had passed, but the tears stopped, and I wiped away what was left before I returned to thinking about the game. Slowly, I began hearing whispers around me. “Don’t wake her up,” Nolan said.
“She’s not sleeping,” Ethan told him.
“Yeah, that’s not her sleep face,” Chase chimed in.
“I find it disturbing you guys know what her sleep face looks like,” Nolan said.
“Jealous?” Chase asked smugly.
“Stop teasing,” I mumbled. I sat up, wiping my mouth. “Sorry for drooling on you,” I said to Ethan.
“It’s okay. What were you thinking about?”
“You, creaming some guys on the football field.”
His chuckle was low and comforting, causing some of the tension to ease from my body.
“It put me in my happy place.”
“Shut up,” I heard Lachlan say. I looked over, not too surprised he was talking to Hadley.
She looked up from her phone. “I’m just saying, what is the hype? You all act like she's a golden princess.”
I shivered. I never wanted to be anyone’s princess…ever.
“Fuck, are we there yet? We should have driven ourselves,” he grumbled.
Want to switch?” I asked him. Lachlan shook his head, taking his earbuds out of his backpack and sticking them in his ears.
It wasn’t much longer before Lachlan jumped. “Keep your damn hand on your seat. There is a line.” I didn’t like the tone in his voice, and I wasn’t the only one. Chase stood up, but I was on my feet first. “What?”
“Move,” I ordered Lachlan, pointing to the seat.
“Gladly.” Hadley shifted out of her spot and practically crawled across Lachlan’s lap. He pulled away from her, plastering his body as far into his seat as the cushion would allow. He looked physically pained. “No touching now,” she whispered in a sultry voice, wiggling her ass.
I’d had enough. I grabbed Hadley by her ponytail and yanked her off him. With a yelp, she scrambled into the aisle, and I released her.
“Girls! Please remain seated. We have one more hour before our pit stop,” Coach yelled.
“Don’t touch me, Farm Girl,” Hadley whispered as she sat down next to Ethan. Before I could do anything else, Lachlan grabbed hold of my hips, pulling me down onto his lap.
“You know, forcing yourself on a guy is no different than when some creep guy forces themselves on a girl,” I informed her.
“Says the girl jumping to like ten different guys. Does Nolan know about the two of you?” she snarked. “Now who’s forcing themselves on him?” She nodded to Lachlan.
I looked down at him. Lachlan had his arm resting on the armrest and his face buried in his hand. I softly touched his cheek, and he jumped before looking up at me. “You okay?” I asked. He didn’t take his earbuds out, just wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face into my side. He was practically vibrating, holding himself back from doing something he didn’t want to do.
“Oh, please, I was just getting out from beside him. He should be grateful I even bumped into his creepy ass. You’re just jealous that he probably enjoyed it too much.”
I lunged for her at the same time Chase called, “Lachlan!” He must’ve seen the fury on my face, because I was going to rip this mofo to shreds. Lach’s arms tightened around me like a vise, and there was no getting up. He moved the armrest beside him and pulled me over, so I was sitting on the seat next to the window.
My legs were still across his lap when he moved to pull back, but I held him still, my eyes inspecting his face. His eyes were glacial, his lips hard and tight. I reached up and pulled one of his ear buds out and slipped it into my ear. The music was blaring so loud, I wasn’t sure how he didn’t burst an eardrum. It was some sort of heavy metal music. I wasn’t familiar with any heavy metal bands.
So, he hadn’t heard Hadley and likely hadn’t heard Chase, either. He’d just grabbed me when he felt me jump. “You’ll hurt your ears,” he said, pulling out the ear bud.
“Can I kiss you?” I asked.
Just like that, those ice-blue eyes melted, softening as he leaned forward. “I don’t think I could ever say no to you, babe. Do you know that? “
I smiled, his sandalwood scent intoxicating. I could feel the warmth of his hands through my clothes. One hand on my hip while the other one settled at the base of my neck. “Kiss me,” I whispered.
He didn’t need any more convincing. Lachlan nipped gently at my bottom lip, then he took it in between his, sucking softly. When his tongue swiped across, I was only too willing to open and give him access, deepening the kiss. The coolness of his lip ring tickled a little. I ran my tongue along it.
Lachlan’s fingers dug into my hip, eliciting a gasp from me before he pulled away, breathless. “We are getting carried away.”
“Take me away.” I grinned.
Lachlan chuckled as he sat up. He helped me adjust, so I was sitting in the seat properly instead of my legs everywhere. I peeked around him at the others. No one was paying any attention.
I kicked off my shoes and curled up on the seat, leaning against Lachlan. He put his arm around me and handed me back an ear bud. He turned the music off, and we took turns playing a few games on his phone.
We took our halfway pit stop at a truckers’ stop. Most of the bus left, though we had to return to the same buses to ensure the head count was correct. “Do you have to go to the bathroom?” Nolan asked.
I shook my head. “I’m good.”
With the bus now mostly empty, we had free range, and right away, the guys and I moved to the back, where there were five seats in the last row. Coach had said move your feet, lose your seat , so there were no assigned seats. Lachlan sat against one window, then I sat with Nolan to my other side, Ethan, and then Chase. I looked out the window as Hadley met up with her gang, all talking. Her friends had been on the other bus.
Something in me snapped, and all I could think was, how dare she? “Why is she even on this bus?”
“You should’ve seen her before you got on,” Lachlan said. “That’s why I was sitting next to Chase at first. She was practically throwing herself on him.”
Nolan nodded. “She definitely had intentions of sitting next to him.”
“I told her multiple times to back off.” Chase huffed.
“Don’t worry, I trust you, babe,” I said distractedly. Hadley was walking into the truck stop with her friends, likely to use the washroom. I stood up, and my eyes caught on Chase, who was grinning. “What?”
“ Babe ?”
“Oops, slipped.” I grinned and moved to get out, but Ethan grabbed my hip, holding me back.
“Where are you going?”
“I realize I actually do have to go to the bathroom.” All four guys stood, and I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be quick.”
“I’m coming,” Ethan growled, getting up and following me out. Ever the bodyguard.
I didn’t have to look over my shoulder to know Ethan was only a couple of steps behind me. I walked into the station and, right away, saw Hadley and her friends in a circle. I busied myself looking at a shelf of candy, glancing up now and then. They were all on their phones and talking to one another. Hadley threw her head back, laughing at something Katie whispered to her, and I didn’t know why it made me so angry.
We did nothing to her, and she went out of her way to hurt us. Lachlan was right. Everything in this world seemed to want to tear us down, but I was done with it. My time was on a clock, and I was determined to ensure the guys would be taken care of.
“On the bus in five,” the cheer coach called out. Hadley broke off from her group and went into the bathroom, so I moved forward.
Ethan grabbed my arm, stopping me. “Bailey.”
“I’m not going to let it go… Too many people look the other way.” We couldn’t rely on anyone but ourselves. I shook his hand off and stalked off to the bathroom. I walked right through the door, letting it fall shut behind me. On the other side, I could hear Ethan tell someone the bathroom was out of order.
I took a deep breath, not really knowing what I was going to do, just knowing I had to act. I had to put a stop to this. I was so tired of standing aside and taking it and keeping the peace. Someone had to learn a lesson, and this time, it wasn’t going to be me.
Hadley stepped out of the stall, and I froze. “Ew, what are you doing here?” She stepped up to the sink. “Were you listening to me pee?” she asked in disgust.
“You have to back off the guys.” My voice was more timid than I wanted.
“What? Scared of a little competition? You aren’t the only one that can hold more than one guy's attention at a time, you know. It’s only a matter of time before they ditch you.” She turned the water on and started washing her hands. “Chase, well, he knows what he’s missing, and he always comes back for more. And Nolan? He’s a quarterback. He’s going to get bored with you in no time. Ethan shows no interest in anyone, but that’s the kind of challenge I like. And Lachlan?” She chuckled. “Well, I practically had to fight his hands off me on the bus already.”
The fact that she spoke their names at all—and confirmed that she was, in fact, trying to make moves on them when they so clearly told her no—made me sick. But when she spoke Lachlan’s name, when she said he was the one to initiate, when she had no idea the kind of panic and trauma she brought out in him with her little move…that pissed me off.
That doubt and fear slipped away, and the seed of rage within me began to sprout.
I smacked her, the sound ricocheting around the room. My hand burned as Hadley stared in shock, her cheek bright red, but she wasn’t going to give up easily. She raised her hand and smacked me back before grabbing my hair. I remembered when Ed used to grab my hair, how it would nearly incapacitate me because I would freeze, but that didn’t happen this time. I had nothing to fight for with Ed, but I had everything to fight for now. I refused to let anyone else hurt them.
Reaching up, I grabbed her arm and twisted it. I had wrestled calves heavier than Hadley. I’d flipped full-grown sheep onto their backs, tossed hay bales, dodged pissed-off cattle, all bigger than Hadley.
“You bitch.” I brought her arm around and kicked out her knees, so she fell in front of me. Grabbing her by the hair, I tilted her head back. Something dark slithered within me, power. As I watched her crumble under my hands, I felt powerful, and it was a high I was afraid I enjoyed. “Stay away from them. I put up with the notes. I put up with the stupid pranks and the rumors. I will not tolerate this. You are getting on my bad side, Hadley, and I can promise you, each one of those guys would help dig the grave and give me an alibi if I asked for it.”
“You’re just a jealous cunt,” she hissed.
“Try me. This will be your one and only warning.”
“You’ll get kicked off the team for this.”
“Tell the coach, get me kicked off, watch us lose the tournament, and let me tell them it was you who caused it. I’m sure all the football players will love you then.” I pushed her forward, releasing her arm and forcing her to crawl on her hands and knees. “Spread any rumors, tell any lies, and I will not hold back next time.”
I opened the door to see Ethan’s broad back. I tapped him on the shoulder as I stepped around him and left. “B,” he warned. I went back to the candy aisle and picked a few bags and boxes of random stuff. I found some jalapeno beef jerky, which was gross, but Chase liked it. “She hit you,” Ethan whispered beside me.
“I’m fine.” I looked up over the shelf toward the bathroom.
Hadley was leaving. Her hair was a mess, and the slap mark was very apparent across her cheek, but she waved her friends off. I smiled.
“Want anything?” I asked Ethan, looking up at him for the first time. In his eyes, I saw admiration. “What? I can’t have you guys fighting all the battles.” Ethan skimmed the candy shelf and grabbed a Mike and Ike box, handing it to me. I smiled and picked out a few more goodies.
We paid for the candy and headed back to the bus. Everyone was loading up now, and Hadley sat in the front with a couple of other cheerleaders. She quickly looked away when she saw Ethan. Though it sent a wave of satisfaction through me, a pit sat uneasy in my stomach.
When I got back to the seats, I tossed the bag of candy to Chase and sat down between Lachlan and Nolan. Nolan grabbed my chin right away, looking at my face. “Why are you happy but look like you just got bitch slapped? I can see fingerprints.”
Lachlan twitched, but I stopped him from getting up. “I’m fine. And, yes, I’m happy.” Though I didn’t exactly sound it. I sounded mean, angry still, but there was something about being angry that was freeing. The bus started moving, and we were on our way again. “If either of you guys has an issue with Hadley or her running her mouth, you are to tell me,” I ordered each of them. “ I will deal with it.”
While Ethan ate his candy, stretching back and looking carefree, Chase narrowed his eyes suspiciously but seemed to relax when he saw Ethan grinning. Even Nolan blinked a couple of times before nodding. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, squeezing my thigh.
Lachlan, though… it was Lachlan’s response that sent a shiver down my spine, that had my toes curling and a coil of pleasure spreading down my belly. Two little words. Lachlan leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Good girl.” The unsure pit in my stomach, the anger, it all churned and morphed into excitement at his voice.
What was I becoming?