Chapter Twenty-Four

Leah

I don’t get more than a few meters from the house before I hear someone running after me. I spin around ready to tell whoever it is to fuck off but clamp my mouth closed when I find it’s Garrett.

“Morning, sunshine.” I try to smile but from the look on his face I guess I fail. “Not such a good morning then, huh?” A whoosh of air escapes me as I shake my head.

“Not really,” I answer honestly.

“How about I walk you to school and we can grab a coffee and chat?” I open my mouth to answer but clamp it closed when Darius appears out of thin air and answers for me.

“She’s with me,” is all he says. Garrett’s eyes blaze with fury.

“She doesn’t belong to you!” he snaps. Darius winks at him before shocking the hell out of me when cups my face and smashes his mouth to mine. The kiss isn’t deep or anything like that, this kiss is for a purpose and that is to show Garrett that I’m Darius’s. I want to fight him off and demand he never touch me but this is the first time he has ever kissed me publicly and in front of someone! He pulls back, smirks at me before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and hauling me away from a wide-eyed Garrett.

“I think he gets the hint now, don’t you?” The gleeful sound of his voice snaps me out of my stupor. I pull away from him and quicken my pace to try to escape but of course he isn’t having any of that and grips my bag yanking me back into his side.

“Leave me alone!” I hiss as I struggle to get away from him. He spins me around so I am facing him and cups my face.

“I can’t,” he says softly

“I thought you hated me?” I spit the words at him. He bends until we are eye level and I can see the seriousness in his eyes.

“I’m gonna tell you something before I let you run away to practice.” I plaster a bored look on my face. “One, I am going to get to the bottom of why you freaked out on Corv last night.” I struggle to keep my face blank when inside fear is threatening to cripple me, when he finds out the truth he is going to hate me. “Two, I do hate you.” I suck a sharp intake of breath in as his words spear me right in the heart again. “I hate you because I can’t fucking hate you. I keep thinking the more I say it might make it true.” My mouth slackens in shock. “I hate that I can’t hate you, Goldie. I fucking hate that you can still have me wrapped around your finger and I’m powerless to stop it.” Tears cloud my vision, he takes a shuddering breath as he releases me and steps back. “Most of all, I hate that I still fucking love you.” I stand here frozen and rooted to the spot as I watch him turn around and head back to the house.

I stand here for so long that my phone ringing is the only thing that snaps me out of my thoughts. Darius loves me, he doesn’t hate me! I fish my phone from my bag and curse when I see the time and answer Katie’s call.

“Sorry, I’m on my way now!” I say in lieu of a greeting.

“Run bitch run because coach is on a warpath.” Shit, I end the call and run as fast I can to get to practice before I get in more shit from coach.

I head to my last class of the day, groaning. I fucking hate calculus and Mr. Thompson has it out for me! The asshole has failed me on the last two pop quizzes. I walk into class and head to my usual seat up the back. I drop into my chair and grab out my pad and pen as I wait for Garrett to show up, only he doesn’t and Mr. Thompson spends the whole fucking lesson telling us how he doesn’t get paid enough to teach idiots. The moment the bell signals the end of class everyone is flying from their desks and racing for the nearest exit trying to escape this fucking room.

I sling my bag over my shoulder as I make my way to the exit. Before I can round the corner to the door, a hand grips my wrist and yanks me into a classroom. I see who it is before I can yell, and stop struggling the moment his lips find mine. He grips my waist and I melt into him, trying to block out the thoughts that taunt me that this won’t last, it can’t. He groans into my mouth before leaping away from me like I burnt him.

“What happened?” I ask breathlessly.

“If that had lasted another second I would be fucking you against that wall and be late to practice.” I bite my lip to stop my smile from breaking free. Darius narrows his eyes playfully. He grips my hand and drags me from the empty classroom after him, then he drops my hand and wraps his arm around my shoulders, drawing me into his side. I don’t miss the snide looks and glares that random girls shoot me as we make our way outside. I tense the second we hit the quad and I see my brother and Saint walking toward us. I expect Darius to drop his hold on me but he doesn’t and by the looks of things, Corvin views the gesture as a friendly type of thing.

“Well isn’t someone looking… flushed.” I shoot Saint a warning look that has him laughing and a frown marrying Corv’s face.

“You okay?” he asks me.

“Yeah. I’m good but I have to get to practice,” I rush to say, I can’t be late again or coach will murder me!

“I’ll walk you,” Darius says. He doesn’t wait for a response from my brother as he leads me away from them. I’m a little taken back by his sudden change in attitude and the way he is acting toward me, but I won’t question it and risk him going back to not even looking at me in public. He drops me at practice, kisses me on the cheek before running off to his training. Cody and Katie both shoot me wide-eyed looks and I mouth that I will fill them in later.

After practice Katie, Cody and I were too exhausted to go anywhere for food so we grabbed something from the cafeteria before heading to our room to shower and sleep. I’m too exhausted from not sleeping last night to even think about touching my homework. Katie and Cody were out the second their heads hit the pillows, it’s not even seven-thirty at night on a Friday and the three of us are in bed. I smile to myself. My phone pings with a message, my heart lurches into my throat thinking it’s from that asshole but when I see the name Big D flash across my screen I snort out a laugh as I unlock it and read the message.

Big D

Miss me?

I bite my lip to keep from smiling as I reply.

New fone, who dis?

Big D

The guy who had you screaming his name loud enough to wake the dead last weekend.

Now I can’t help but laugh at the audacity of him.

Definitely wrong number, I’m not that type of girl!

Big D

Oh but you are the type of girl to drop to your knees in the shower and suck my cock?

Instantly my thighs clench together as I reread his message.

And are you the type of guy to fuck a girl bare, then push your cum back inside her pussy when it leaks out?

A second passes then my phone begins to vibrate with an incoming call, I bite my lip as I answer it and whisper.

“Hello?”

“You seriously want to send me a fucking message like that and expect me not be rock fucking hard?” The ache between my thighs intensifies knowing that he is rock hard for me.

“You started it,” I hiss.

“I didn’t think you would reply with that shit!”

“Well, I live to surprise you.” He snorts.

“Yeah, you sure fucking do. Where are you?”

“In my dorm?” I don’t know why I answered that more like a question.

“Not tonight, get your shit your coming over for the weekend.”

“Darius, I can’t–”

“I’m out front, you have five minutes before I get someone to let me in and drag your sexy ass out.”

“What about Corvin?” There, I addressed the elephant in the room.

“His room is down the hall and he has a party to go to tomorrow so we can fuck in the kitchen while he’s gone.” I choke on my own spit.

“That’s pretty presumptuous,” I say before a sigh spills from my lips.

“Spit out whatever is on your mind, Goldie.” I take a deep breath and say it.

“Are you gonna kick me out again and hate me when the past creeps up on you?” I hear him exhale and wait with bated breath for his answer. I’m terrified he is going to hang up and end whatever this is between us.

“I’m gonna try. I need you to give me a chance to wrap my head around shit but I also need you to tell me the truth, Leah. After last night I know there is more to the story and when you’re… ready to tell me, I’ll be here.” His words are like a balm to my tattered heart.

“I’ll be down in two minutes. Not like I need to pack much since I plan on being naked and under you for the weekend.” I end the call before he can reply and smile to myself feeling slightly victorious that I was able to stun him.