Chapter 6

It turned out that Izzy had been right. At least so far. Over a week had passed, and we hadn’t heard hide nor hair from Micah and Ryder. Whatever Tucker had said and done was working. Not that I trusted it to last forever, but I didn’t mention it to Izzy. She was stressed enough.

Today was the first home game of the football season and her last year as captain of the dance team, and she was seriously over-worried about the first pep rally performance. The whole school was pumped up, red and black covering the halls and banners. I was in black shorts with a red Sharks T-shirt while Izzy had her hair in some fancy messy bun with red and black scrunchies, a red skirt, black Sharks shirt, and red and black bangles on her wrists. She even had on bright red lipstick to top it off. If I cared more about fashion, I’d feel underdone.

Grabbing our books for our last class before the pep rally, we shut our neighboring lockers just as the guys came up behind us.

Jet slid his arm around my waist, curling his fingers at my side as he pulled me back against his chest, and Tucker wrapped Izzy under his arm, taking her books.

Jet reached for mine, but I shook my head, and he smirked, planting a gentle kiss below my jaw instead. My knees wobbled when he swirled his tongue along my neck.

“Babe,” I hissed, which, apparently, just made him do it again.

Tucker laughed. “I get it, man. Seeing Izzy with this lipstick on makes me want to throw her over my shoulder and take off for my truck.”

Izzy’s eyes popped wide before she gave him a challenging grin. “How about after the pep rally?”

“Holding you to that.” Tucker’s eyes darkened, making Izzy blush. He leaned down. “I’d kiss the hell out of you right now if it wouldn’t get that bright red all over me. Besides, there are other places I’d rather see it.”

He looked down at his jeans. Izzy just flushed brighter while I choke-coughed. I was so not used to those two together yet, but I knew it made my sister happy. That was what mattered. And Tucker, despite his faults, was a hell of a lot better than Zane. He’d actually been pretty amazing so far.

“Ready to head to class?” Jet asked.

“Yep.” I slid out of his hold to take his hand. “See y’all at the pep rally.” Jet and I headed off down the hall while Tucker and Izzy went the opposite way. We took our seats in Coding class, one we’d held off on taking so we could do it together this year. Mrs. Larson was attempting to get us started on our projects, but only ten minutes in and the football players, cheerleaders, and dance team got called out for the pep rally. It was just chaos after that.

As soon as we were dismissed, I rushed off to the gym, finding Tucker waiting for me at the doors. Following him through the crowd, we headed up the bleachers when some girl grabbed his wrist, pulling him to a stop. She looked up at him, everything she was promising way too clear. I bristled, ready to pounce, because hell no did some chick get to go after my sister’s man, when Tucker yanked his wrist away.

“Fucking touch me again,” his voice growled. “Everyone in this school knows I’m with Izzy by now.”

The girl shrunk away, and I followed Tucker the rest of the way up the bleachers. We took a seat by one of the beams along the back wall.

“What?” Tucker asked, and I startled, not realizing I’d been staring.

“Nothing.” I shrugged, looking back out at the crowd and at the empty chairs on the gym floor set up for the football players. “Just impressed.”

“They know better.”

“Probably not, but keep it up, and most of them will soon.” I tossed him a side look with a grin, catching his deadpan stare, and I laughed just as the music started to play.

The cheerleaders came out first, Megan and Emma right in front, and I cheered back, pumped for my friends. A couple of cheerleaders spread out a banner, and as soon as the cheer finished, the football players burst through, Jet leading the charge. I practically drooled. There was nothing sexier than seeing my man in uniform.

His eyes scanned the crowd, and he winked when he found me. My heart skipped, and I blew him a kiss, sitting back to watch as the dance team came out next, when I saw Zane send Izzy a wink from the football lineup. She flushed, ducking her head as she turned away.

I gaped, my insides already fuming. “Did he just–”

“Yes,” Tucker growled, his jaw set, and I knew there might be some shit going down later. Brushing it off, I sent Zane a glare as the next song came through the speakers.

I crossed my fingers, sending up a little prayer that her dance would go as well as Izzy hoped. I didn’t really think she had anything to worry about. She’d been the captain for three years now, and it was always amazing, but her nerves got her like this every year. She was determined to be the best, for her team to be the best.

She always nailed it.

If Zane didn’t just get up in her head.The dick.

But it was flawless as always, especially for Izzy. Tucker and I stood up, whooping and hollering the second the number ended. As soon as the dance team left the floor, Coach Riojas came up to the podium.

“That was an awesome performance. Thank you, ladies. Now, I won’t stand up here forever and hog all the time. Let’s get right to it. We’ve got an amazing team this year with so much talent that will be out on that field. It’s going to be a great season. And to pump y’all up, I give you Breaker Ridge’s star quarterback, Jet Thanos.”

I whooped as Jet came up to the podium next, those blue eyes piercing me from below. I missed the first of what he said, I was so lost in his stare.

“...what Coach said couldn’t be more true. I’ve been captain of this team for three years now, and I’ve never been more excited for a season. These guys behind me here are the best team I could ask for, and we are so pumped to represent Breaker Ridge tonight. I hope to see every one of you there. For me, it’s one person in particular.” He looked up at me again. “Annie, come on down.”

What?I must’ve looked confused because Tucker nudged me in the side.

“Go.”

Right. Go.I hurried down the steps as Jet pulled something black and red from behind the podium, and he ran out to meet me on the gym floor. “Wear my jersey tonight?” he called out, placing the silky material in my hands.

“Of course.” I smiled back, my heart pumping madly in my chest. I turned and held up the jersey for the crowd to see, and the gym filled with aweing and whooping as I ran back up, a grin splitting my face in two.

I was so ready for tonight.

Leo: I hate Fridays. You already bailed on me last Monday, and now we don’t get to practice again.

I rolled my eyes at Leo’s play-whining, grinning at his text as I changed out of my red and black swirled leotard after the pep rally. Tucking it and the sequined skirt in my dance bag, I pulled on my school clothes before texting him back.

Me: Sorry about that Monday. You know stuff went down. THANK YOU for covering for me. And we’ve NEVER danced on Fridays. You know there’s games.

Leo: I know. Some of us aren’t on a school dance team, though, lol. See you tomorrow?

Me: Of course.

I slipped my phone in my back pocket just as Casey and Dinah opened their lockers by mine.

“Did I see Zane wink at you?” Casey asked as she unhooked her skirt. “I thought you were with Tucker now?”

“Yes, and yes.” I sighed. “I don’t know what was with that.”

Dinah frowned. “Whatever happened with you and Zane? That was a quick switch.”

“You mean besides the fact that he cheated on me?” They gasped. “I really don’t want to talk about the rest. But I’ve had feelings for Tucker for a long time. It was kind of a finally thing for Tucker and I getting together when things went south with Zane.”

“Well, I love y’all together. So far, at least. I’ve never seen Tucker look at a girl like he does you.” Casey bumped my hip, and I flushed.

“He told me he loved me last week.”

“What?!” They both shrieked.

“Oh, my God. Tucker Pierce. Who ever thought we’d see the day?” Dinah tossed me a grin, pressing a hand to her heart and pretending to swoon.

“I know, right?”

Smiling, I shook my head, because, honestly, even I was still in disbelief. I felt like I was living in a fairytale.

“Let’s go, let’s go, L-E-T-S-G-O!”

The crowd cheered as halftime came to a close, and the marching band began to play Who Let the Dogs Out by Baha Men. The football players ran back out onto the field, refreshed, pumped, and ready for the rest of the game. We were oh for twenty-eight so far, the Sharks pummeling the other team. I spotted Jet near one of the coaches as I shimmied my pom poms to the beat, giving him a little wave. Right behind him, I caught movement, my heart jumping to my throat before dropping to my stomach as I realized Zane was watching me. Again.

He blew me a kiss and tossed me a wink before slapping down his helmet, and I instantly felt sick.

“Are you sure Zane got the message that y’all broke up?” Dinah asked when we sat back down.

I shrugged, grabbing my bottle of water from by my feet and taking a long drink, trying to settle my stomach. “He should,” I finally answered. “But when I ran into him before school started, he pretty much said he was going to win me back.”

“Oooo, a rivalry. I love it.” Casey grinned.

“Except it’s never going to happen. I don’t forgive cheating, and I don’t want Zane back. Besides, I’m in love with Tucker, and he loves me.”

Larissa gasped from her seat a few spots down in front of me, and I flinched at how loud that must have come out. Crap… Now, it’ll get back to Lisa. I didn’t know if that was a good or a bad thing.

When the game was over, I hurried to change in the locker rooms and rushed out to find Tucker waiting with Annie at some of the benches nearby. He jumped up, running up to me, and scooped me up in his arms. My legs immediately wrapped around his waist.

“You looked so amazing out there. And so fucking sexy.”

I grabbed his hair, smothering his mouth with a kiss, instantly thinking back to his comment this afternoon. Despite what I’d implied, and as fun as sex was, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for oral. All the girls that had come before me… What if I sucked?

Pun not intended.

“You okay?” Tucker pulled back after a minute. I nodded, embarrassed to tell him where my head had gone. I unwrapped my legs; then Tucker let me slide down his front until my toes touched the ground again. I found Annie and Jet in their own embrace behind us.

“Y’all ready to go party?” Tucker asked, and my stomach dropped.

Annie gave a thumbs up behind Jet’s back, the two of them pecking a few times before easing from their kiss. “Corey’s?”

“Noah’s, actually. His mom’s out of town.”

“I’m up for a scenery change.” She shrugged. “Izzy?”

I glanced between them. “How big are we talking?”

“Uh…I’m actually not sure. You worried?” Tucker pulled me to his side with a light squeeze.

I popped a shoulder. A little, but they knew I hated big parties, anyway. I looked at the hope on their faces.

“You’ll have one of us by your side all night tonight,” Jet promised.

I sighed before giving them a smile. “Okay.”