32. June
CHAPTER 32
JUNE
I t’s been three days since Jake, Ryan, and Lachy brought up the possibility of being honest about our relationship and I shot them down. I was driven by panic but now, the guilt is eating me alive. Some people go through life trapped in terrible relationships, and here I am with three amazing men who adore me. What we have is the type of love I thought existed only in fiction. And I might lose them because I’m afraid of what others might think.
After that night, they haven’t mentioned changing the status quo, and all the hours we’ve spent together since have been filled with mind-blowing sex. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why we haven’t really talked. Just because they aren’t pressuring me doesn’t mean they’ve changed their minds. The ball is in my court, but how long until they get tired of waiting for me?
Katrina is probably sick and tired of listening to my woes. She doesn’t think I’m wrong for being cautious. Their lives won’t be affected as much as mine if the truth comes out. But if I want a future with them, I need to prepare for it.
I’m a bundle of nerves this morning. The boys are finally coming to visit my school, and I have to work extra hard to keep my feelings bottled inside. It’s my first public event with them since the “talk.” It’s not helping matters that Principal Prescott asked me to join her in welcoming our illustrious guests. Standing next to her, I’m trying to not fidget.
“You seem nervous, June,” she says out of the blue.
“What? Not at all.”
“I understand you’re dating one of the players, Jake Phillips. He’s the captain, correct?”
“Yes, he’s the captain.” I lick lips that are suddenly dry.
“It’s normal to feel a little anxious. It’s a big deal for our school, and now your famous boyfriend gets to see you at work.”
“I’m fine,” I insist, wishing she’d drop the subject.
Yes, I’m on edge, and the more she talks about it, the worse my nerves get. Some press is gathered in front of the school. Principal Prescott must have called them. They look bored, but when two black SUVs with tinted windows stop in front of the building, they perk up.
Those cars don’t belong to any of the boys, but when the doors open, they step out. Banksy and Ryan first, then Jake and Lachy. The butterflies in my stomach make their presence known, and my heart takes off at breakneck speed. I’m acting like I haven’t seen them in weeks. I spent the night with them, for crying out loud. I did rush out of their apartment before they woke up, but only because I didn’t want to be late. But my indecision this morning about what to wear almost ruined that. I changed clothes a million times before I chose a dress that matches the Titans’ uniform—teal with purple accents.
The boys opted for casual attire, each in jeans and a Titans sweatshirt. They look yummy in anything, and it’s hard to watch them with an impartial expression on my face. I can stare only at Jake with lovesick puppy eyes. I hate this. Katrina is right—this situation isn’t sustainable.
The photographers snap pictures as Jake, Lachy, Ryan, and Banksy approach. I’m so homed in on my guys that I don’t notice the fifth person in their group—a young man who doesn’t look older than eighteen but holds himself as if he’s a seasoned veteran. He must be part of the PR team.
Jake smiles at me but switches his attention to Principal Prescott quickly. Lachy’s and Ryan’s gazes linger longer, making me blush. Another school employee is hovering nearby, capturing everything on her phone. I hope she missed that part.
“Good morning. Welcome to Mary Hopkins Middle School.” Principal Prescott greets them with a big smile.
“Thanks for having us,” Jake replies, offering his hand.
They shake, then he turns to me and kisses me on the cheek. My entire body goes rigid, and my face burns up. I wasn’t expecting him to act boyfriendly in front of my boss. It was stupid of me not to talk with him about it beforehand. We’ve been so busy screwing like rabbits that this conversation was overlooked.
“Hi, June. Nice to see you again,” Banksy greets me before Ryan and Lachy do.
“Hi Banks—I mean, Simon.”
“You can call me Banksy. Everyone does.” His smile becomes wider.
That’s why the name Banksy pops into my head when I think about him. Maya is the only one who calls him by his first name.
Ryan and Lachy follow Jake’s example and act familiar with me, but at least they just give me hugs, not kisses. Principal Prescott seems pleased, so I stop stressing about it. She leads everyone inside. Jake and Banksy walk side by side with her, already in conversation. I trail them sandwiched between Lachy and Ryan.
“You look pretty in that dress, lass,” Lachy whispers.
“Thank you.”
“You’re wearing Titans colors,” Ryan adds. “I love it.”
“Shh... someone might hear you.”
He chuckles. “I didn’t say anything bad.”
“Where are we going?” Lachy asks.
“To the gymnasium. Our students are assembled there. Have you done a school visit before?”
“Yeah, loads of times,” Ryan replies. “But it’s Lachy’s first time.”
I look at him. “Really?”
He rubs the back of his neck. “I’m not good at speaking in public.”
“I thought you guys gave interviews all the time.”
“Lachy avoids them like the plague.” Ryan laughs.
Lachy leans closer and whispers in my ear, “I’m only doing this because of you, lass.”
Ripples of pleasure spread through my body, making me shiver. How can I keep a poker face when the boys seem intent on breaking my fa?ade?
Our students are all seated already, and murmurs of excitement turn up when the boys make their entrance. There are four microphone stands in the middle of the room. The idea is for students to ask them questions, but in an informal way.
I spot Katrina, who saved me a seat in the front row. I turn to the boys and say, “Good luck.”
Lachy’s eyes widen. “Where are you going?”
“Over there.” I point at Katrina. “You’ll be fine.”
He looks like he’s going to be sick, and I feel a little guilty. I walk quickly to my seat, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to myself.
“What’s wrong with Lachy?” Katrina whispers. “He looks a little green.”
“He’s nervous. He doesn’t like giving interviews.”
“Oh poor thing.”
“I didn’t know. He could have told me. I’d have understood if he didn’t come.”
“Girl... you still don’t know how those boys operate?”
I tilt my head. “What do you mean?”
She laughs. “He wouldn’t sit this one out and let Jake and Ryan show off to you.”
“Oh...” I turn my attention to Principal Prescott, who’s busy doing her little speech.
A minute later, the student questions begin. The first ones are all about how they started their careers, advice, etc. Lachy is a little shy in the beginning, but Ryan’s and Banksy’s antics end up putting him at ease.
“Lachy seems to be enjoying himself now,” I say.
“Yeah. He doesn’t look like he’s going to piss his pants anymore.” Katrina laughs.
“You’re so mean.”
I relax as the guilt leaves my body. I’d feel terrible if Lachy didn’t have a good time. I don’t know why I was so anxious about their visit.
“I have a question for Jake,” a female student says. “Did you watch Miss Summers on the Jumbotron and fall in love right away?”
I cover my face. “Oh my God. Someone, kill me now.”
“Oh Vanessa, you little turd,” Katrina mutters under her breath.
“One of yours?” I ask.
“Yep.”
Jake clears his throat, making me look in his direction. “Well... no. That happened later, but not that much later.”
“Aww...” goes the female portion of the crowd.
Even though I’m embarrassed as hell, I hold Jake’s stare. My face is certainly redder than a tomato.
“Go, Miss Summers!” a boy shouts, and everyone laughs.
The boys laugh too, and my mortification slowly ebbs away.
“Let’s stay clear of personal questions, everyone,” Principal Prescott interjects.
“Yes, please,” I whisper.
Katrina taps my arm. “It wasn’t that bad. And Jake just told everyone here he luuvs you.”
“Did you see how Lachy and Ryan reacted? I wasn’t looking in their direction.”
“They seemed fine to me. Why do you ask? Do you think they’re jealous of Jake?”
I open my mouth to reply but decide against it. We’re surrounded by people. “Never mind.”
The door in the far corner of the gymnasium opens, drawing my attention. My stomach drops through the earth when I see who came in. Fucking Bill.
“I can’t believe it,” I whisper.
“What?” Katrina follows my line of vision. “Are you kidding me?”
Panicking, I glance at Jake, Ryan, and Lachy. If they see Bill, things might become unpleasant, to say the least.
“Did he know about today?”
“If he did, he has a death wish.”
Maybe he came today on purpose to cause a commotion. My heart is beating so fast I can’t breathe right. I stand up suddenly.
Katrina’s eyes widen. “Where are you going?”
“To deal with Bill before he makes a scene and gets me in trouble.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“No, stay. You need to keep the boys from following me.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“You’re an eighth-grade teacher. Be creative.” I run before she can get another word in.
It’s impossible to make a stealthy escape when I’m sitting in the front row, but I’m hoping that by making a beeline toward the exit, I’ll make the boys miss Bill, who’s already half hidden in the corner. I stalk past him and through the exit, barely making it into the hallway when Bill catches up with me. I was hoping to put more distance between us and the gymnasium.
He grabs my arm and spins me around. “You’re not running away from me again.”
I pull my arm free from his grasp. “Don’t touch me. You shouldn’t have come here.”
He frowns. “You gave me no choice, did you? You won’t answer my calls, and you got me kicked out of the arena. That was a fucking bitch move.”
My brows shoot to the heavens. “Oh, you want to talk about bitch moves? How about you screwing my friend for God knows how long? Or letting me make a fool of myself in front of thousands of people? Or kicking me out of my own apartment and putting my things in trash bags?”
His face twists into a scowl. “How was I supposed to know you were going to propose?”
“You know what? It doesn’t matter. That humiliation turned out to be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
He sneers. “Oh, because you think you landed a rich hockey player? He’s gonna dump you just like I did.”
A burst of laughter goes up my throat, bringing tears to my eyes.
“Go ahead... laugh. I’ll be proven right sooner rather than later. All hockey players cheat, June. He’s probably screwing ten other chicks on the side.”
The old June would have believed that, but I won’t fall for Bill’s BS now. Grinning, I come closer. “Only if he doesn’t sleep because every second of his free time, he’s in my bed, giving me the best sex I’ve ever had.”
His eyes bug out, and hatred oozes from his body like a disease. I step back, but he grabs my arms. “You’ve fooled everyone in Baron, including my great aunt. Poor June, how I could have done such a despicable thing to her? You’re nothing but a whore?—”
Jake is suddenly there, yanking Bill away from me. Bill staggers back, but Jake doesn’t give him a chance to catch his balance properly before he punches his face, sending Bill to the ground. Then he straddles him and continues to pound Bill’s face.
“Jake, stop!”
He doesn’t. He’s beyond listening to anyone.