6. Aurora #2
“Come on, let’s escape before the locker room fills up with naked college boys, I need to give my dad the engagement gift I bought for your brother and Daemon, so Alexander doesn’t steal my idea and out do me,” she starts, pulling me out of the row and up the stairs to one of the staff doors.
It’s crazy busy, with fans rejoicing as they make their way from the stands, yet to my surprise no one stops us.
In fact, one of the stewards smiles at Aubree, holding the door open for us.
“Good evening, Miss Callows, Miss Gray,” he nods, and I frown, offering him a tight smile, as we push through.
“It’s weird right? Everyone always knowing your name,” Aubree breathes, dragging me down the hall and toward the locker room, and I nod.
“Yeah, I was used to it at school between Archer and Everest, but I’m still not quite used to it everywhere else,” I agree, my stare sharp as we push into the locker room and are immediately assaulted by noise.
Fuck. Some of the players are already here.
Not that Aubree seems to care, she storms in there with her head held high, and thankfully she was right. No one is naked. Not yet anyway.
“Holy shit, smoking hot chicks alert,” someone grunts, and I’d roll my eyes if I weren’t so on edge right now.
“Dude shut the fuck up, do you not know who that is,” his friend responds, smacking the back of his head, and I smirk.
“That’s Alexander Reign’s girlfriend,” another replies in a whisper.
“And more importantly, my daughter,” Coach Locke booms, as he storms in behind us, and all the players present, cringe.
“Sorry, Coach.” A round of apologies rings out, and Aubree snorts a laugh, as her dad nods his head toward his office, and she moves to follow.
“I’m gonna wait outside,” I cut in, tossing my thumb over my shoulder, already walking backwards.
“You sure?” she asks, pausing a few feet away from me.
“Yeah, I’m sure," I reply, already turning to cut back through the locker rooms.
Now that Aubree is gone, all the players present are looking solely at me with keen interest, and the first one who spoke when we came in here, eyes me with a smirk.
“I’m guessing Coach isn’t your daddy,” he purrs, dragging his stare up and down my body.
“How about I be your daddy,” he adds with a wink, and just as I open my mouth to respond, a blur of motion appears in front of me.
Suddenly Everest is there, slamming him against his open locker by his throat and completely ignoring his cry of pain.
“Get your eyes off my fucking sister, Graham, or I will rip them the fuck out,” he spits through his teeth, just as I feel a presence behind me, and I don’t have to look to know it’s Griffin and Harden.
Two soldiers here to back their fucking general.
I’d probably die of embarrassment if I weren’t so used to all their bullshit by now. I guess our year apart didn’t change too much between us.
“Your sister?” The guy splutters, frantically flicking his eyes between the two of us, not finding any resemblance of course, and it seems to only confuse him further.
“Stepsister.” I unhelpfully confirm, and Everest cuts me a look worse than the one he just gave poor Graham.
With his eyes still on mine, he pulls him away from the locker and slams him back again.
“Keep your eyes and fucking hands to yourself,” he grits, before releasing him to the floor and eyeing the rest of the players.
“And the same goes to the rest of you pricks,” he warns, stepping over the benches still in his skates and making a beeline straight for me.
I don’t bother stopping him when he roughly grips my arm and starts dragging me toward the exit, ignoring the players that are still filing in and looking at us in confusion. He drags me until we are back in the hall and down another corridor, and only then does he release me like I’ve burned him.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Rora?” he sighs, as if he’s totally over my bullshit, but still I laugh.
“Is that your new greeting every time you see me? With anger and disdain?” I ask, but he just glares at me, waiting for my answer.
“What the hell do you think I’m doing here?
I came to watch the game,” I state the obvious, and if he still had a beating heart in his chest, maybe he’d feel something like reminiscence.
His hardened glare doesn’t relent, as he spits, “You’re not welcome here.”
I scoff another laugh. “Sorry, I must have missed the day they put your name on the fucking door. You don’t own the damn arena, Ever, and you certainly don’t own me.” I move to push past him, but he grabs me again and slams me back against the wall.
“Do you think this is a fucking game?” He grunts, his breath hot on my face, and I squirm in his hold. “I don’t want you here and neither do the guys, so do us all a favor and go home.”
Said guys appear at the end of the hallway, but I don’t break Everest’s stare.
“You know, I used to enjoy your arrogance,” I start, remembering how I used to like the fact that he was grumpy and mean to everyone but me.
“I knew it was a shield to something more, but now you’re nothing but a piece of shit.
” I shake my head, finally seeing the true face of Everest Monroe without my rose-tinted glasses.
“You want me gone and this to all be over, then fine, consider it done, asshole.” I push him away from me and go to move past him, but he calls out to my back.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Rora,” he snaps, and Griffin takes a step forward.
“Alright, Ever, come on now,” he cuts in, trying to placate his best friend, but I only laugh, pausing as I ignore him and look back at Everest.
“It’s not a threat, I got into CalArts on a full scholarship,” I tell him, glad that the guys are here for this confession too.
“Mom said I was crazy to turn it down, and you know what? She was right, but she has a friend on the board over there and I’m guessing it won’t take too much of a bribe to get me a transfer,” I tell him, knowing that if I call my mom she would get it sorted tonight.
She never could understand why I was so desperate to come to Fairfield U, and the last year between the guys and me should have been my warning.
Everest has been waving a red fucking flag the entire time, but I ignored it because I thought things would be different, that I could change things. I was so fucking stupid.
“I didn’t know you got into CalArts,” he replies, stepping back a little in shock, as I smile solemnly with a shrug.
“Why would you? This is the longest conversation we’ve had in over a year, and you’ve made it perfectly clear you don’t want me around you, so wish granted, Ever.
Have a nice fucking life.” I storm down the hall, not stopping as I push in between Griffin and Harden, who are both staring at me desperately and in shock now.
“He’s all yours,” I add, before leaving all three of them behind without looking back.
First loves are always meant to end in heartbreak, right?