Chapter 3 The Talk
The Talk
Harper
It’s hard not to scan my surroundings constantly. To check to see if anyone is watching me or maybe looks suspicious. Tanner is surprisingly quiet in Art. Thank god. I definitely don’t have the energy to put up with his bullshit.
Lunch is strained. Jack and Caden prowl around the outskirts of the cafeteria. Nico keeps trying to get my attention, but fuck him. He chose them, which means he’s theirs, not mine.
The wires get all jammed up in my brain because he’s still mine because they’re mine, but he’s not my best friend-mine. He’s a horsemen-mine.
I swear it makes sense in my brain. Eli seems mad at Luke. Is it because he came to my house last night? Because I was good with that. Unlike Eli, who didn’t care that I was sore, Luke didn’t fuck me last night. He just held me and protected me from the intruder.
This is the second time Luke’s come to my rescue. It’s making those fairy tale fantasies spring to life, but I’m sure Luke will find a way to stomp them back into the dirt where they belong.
After all, he’s not Prince Charming. Far from it. He’s Death. He’s the villain of the story. Right?
So I sit and eat and wonder when Jack is going to claim me. He only has until the end of the day, and lunchtime is almost finished. I mean a quickie would definitely not hurt anything. Well, except I’m still a touch sore.
My gaze scans the crowd until I find him and Caden standing against the wall, talking with their hands blocking their mouths. It’s so fucking casual looking that I almost miss that’s what they’re doing.
Ah, Caden, my other dark prince. The fucker. I expect Luke to be ruthless. He always has been, but Caden’s been nice. A bit of a prick every now and then, but the other night was beyond being a self-righteous ass.
I’m still bitter. I tried to protect him when he’s done nothing to save me. Nope, he just pushes and pushes. His green eyes meet mine, and for a second we stay locked like that. That connection between us is still there, and I kind of hate it right now. I shift in my seat.
Turning my back on them both, I finish my lunch.
It’s too much. Being owned by them. Being attacked because I’m with them. Having people see me.
Finally.
It’s not that I minded being invisible. Okay, maybe a little, but honestly, this is too much.
“Everyone’s seen the video of Grant.” Eli pushes away from the table and his eyes narrow on Luke. It’s hard to miss his biting tone. “We are going to the party together after the game.”
“Yes.” Luke tips his head to the side, studying Eli. “Do we need to talk about something?”
Eli’s gaze flicks to me briefly before his hands clench beneath the table. “We need clear boundaries going forward.”
Boundaries? I cross my legs and put my elbows on the table with my chin in my hands. This should be good.
Luke reclines and puts his hands behind his head like he doesn’t have a care in the world. “What boundaries are needed, Eli?”
His smirk is the work of the devil. It’s like a hint of evil with such mirth that he doesn’t even care how you perceive him. I’m sure the nearby table of wannabe girls had an explosion in their ovaries from his casual look their way.
“She isn’t your conquest, Luke.”
My eyebrow raises at Eli’s tone. A little infighting? That could be fun. Stir the pot and watch them scramble. I need them focused on finding out who’s after me, but if they’re distracted with each other, maybe they won’t be so attentive to fucking me.
“I don’t see what the big deal is.” I trace a circle on the table, letting my gaze follow the path I draw and not meeting the three sets of eyes waiting for me to finish. “He couldn’t sleep so he slept with me.”
“Is that the gauge, kitten?” Eli’s curious tone tricks me into meeting his dark gaze. The heat there is tantalizing. I’m seriously going to need a cold shower to maintain distance from any of them.
I shrug. “You guys own me. I’m just here to be here.”
I lower my gaze back to the table. These guys may think they want a submissive girl to tote around, but I know they like my fire. Eli likes me angry and Luke gets off on my defiance. Well, then fuck them.
I’ll be as submissive as a fucking bitch in heat then.
Oh, but I won’t let them back out of our deal. Fuck that. They may have gotten what they want from me, but I need to figure out what I can get from them. If this is going to be transactional, fine. I just have to figure out what the horsemen have that I want. Besides sex.
Caden sits down on one side of me as Jack sits on the other.
“We need to have a meeting after school.” Caden’s shoulder brushes mine, but I don’t draw away. It bothered him when I flinched from him the other morning. When I stay put, he relaxes. “Can Kenz get you home, little nympho?”
I look at him through my lashes. “Yeah, sure.”
Yup, I’m not good enough for meetings, but they’ll definitely haul me around at the parties this weekend. Probably fuck me there too. Jack’s hand slides over mine. Shivers race up my spine as I turn to look at him.
His blue eyes twinkle as he gives me a smile that makes my insides flip. Jack and I haven’t spent much time alone. A few talks. The other night in the bathroom. He slides his hand into mine and holds it.
That connection locks, and I’m breathless for a moment. He leans in and presses a kiss to my lips, like it’s the most natural thing in the world to do.
Even though I wasn’t in full control of myself, I remember taking him inside me the other night. Of riding his cock until we both got off. Of kissing him and being fucked by someone else. Of him centering me while I spiraled out of control.
My heart skips. The kiss is quick and simple and devastating.
What the hell was that?
My eyes widen as he leans back. He tips his head like he’s confused by my reaction, but the bell rings and I shoot to my feet, ready to go on to the next thing and forget about that little jolt of... what? Emotion? Lust? Longing? Hope?
Fuck. He keeps ahold of my hand, and I don’t escape far enough. He rises and drapes his arm over my shoulders.
“Running away, sweetheart?” His words are soft and only for me.
I realize the others were talking while Jack distracted me. They continue their discussion behind Jack and me on the way to their lockers. Their voices are a low rumble. Just another reminder that I’m not part of this.
Yes, what they discuss affects me, but that doesn’t mean I get to help fix it. Fuck them.
I step out from under Jack’s arm and walk ahead to get to Caden’s locker. I open it and grab my books. The guys catch up, and Caden gives me a look like he wants to say something but decides against it. I lean against a locker a few down from Caden while I wait for Luke.
They stopped talking when they got closer, and right now, no one approaches me. Luke finally finishes and holds his hand out to me. His icy eyes hold a challenge. I take his hand out of habit and let him lead me away from the others.
He doesn’t stop to talk before we enter the classroom and sit. When I finally glance his way, I can see that he’s deep in thought. Maybe planning whatever they need to do. I pull out my notebook and get ready to take notes.
Mr. Flack’s class goes without a hitch. When the bell rings, I bolt. I want to get to my next class early and just forget about all the fuckery that is my life right now.
Before I make it to the door, an arm wraps around my waist and draws me into a hard body. I’m not sure why that surprises me. After all, it happens all day lately.
Jack smiles down at me. Before I can say anything, he steers me away from the crowd.
“We need to get to class.” I point to the class door that’s getting farther away instead of closer.
“We can be late.” Jack glances around before opening a door and tugging me inside the gymnasium’s storage room.
I sigh. “What are we doing, Jack?”
Mats are stacked waist high in the corner. A bin of balls sits in the other.
“Taking a moment.” He crowds me back against the mats and my pulse kicks up a notch. My panties are already dampening.
I know that look. Even as a thrill goes through me, I give him a bland look.
“How do you want me?” I slide my backpack off my shoulder. It thuds when it hits the floor.
He cocks an eyebrow and shakes his head. “What do you want to do?”
I mimic his expression. “Get to class on time.”
“Okay.” Jack bends and picks up my backpack.
When his hand touches the doorknob, I ask, “That’s it?”
He pauses and looks back over his shoulder. “What do you want, sweetheart? You want me to force the issue and make you get on your knees in front of me? Or maybe I should just slide my hand into your pants and see how wet you really are and push you into an orgasm?”
Well, yeah. But I don’t say that.
“What game are you playing, Famine?” Tilting my head, I stare at him.
He grins and shakes his head. “Honestly, I like it when you’re willing. If you don’t want to do anything, that’s cool.”
He reaches for the door again.
“But I’m wearing your jersey.” I hold the hem out as if to say see. I don’t know what I want to accomplish at this point.
“And you look phenomenal in it, sweetheart.” He smiles. “You ready?”
I narrow my eyes. Is he playing a game? Is he using reverse psychology on me so I’m the aggressor this time?
He sets my backpack on the ground and sighs.
When he closes the distance between us, he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
“I won’t punish you for not wanting to have sex with me, Harper.
Do I want to claim you wearing my jersey?
Hell, yes, but I’ll have plenty of opportunities.
We have a whole fall of football. And even after that I’m sure I could convince you to wear just my jersey and nothing else to bed. ”
I breathe out. Everything has been so rush-rush that I forget they have an all-access pass to Harperland for the year.