Chapter 30

Riley

I am crazily, ridiculously, completely in love with Reign Thorn. Our journey here was interesting and I never thought I would fall this deep for my rival until it happened. I love everything about the way he takes care of me, even when he's over the top and possessive. He challenges me and inspires me to want better for myself. I've gone so far down this rabbit hole of craziness with him, that there is no coming back. Reign's dreams are big enough for both of us. He includes me in his dream, carving me out my own slice and making sure I damn well eat it.

We spend days in class, mostly in our own bubble, and time studying between supporting each other at our games. I've taken to wearing Reign's jersey more often, and it always seems to make him go crazy for me. I start to realize that Reign is going to tear apart the world for me. The least I can do is wear his number. I wear it with pride and with the dirty memory in my mind of when he made me wearing it and riding him. It had been hotter than being naked for him, while he squeezed my breasts in his hands, his eyes feverishly glancing from where we were joined to his jersey over and over. I made him come harder and faster than before that night when I grabbed his chain and sucked the numbers into my mouth, kissing him while we finished together. It was memorable, sexy, everything that our new relationship is. Reign was right when it came to how well he knew me and I knew him. And the things we didn't know yet we were learning, connecting on a deeper level than we had previously. I just knew I needed him.

The new year is moving fast and I know sooner or later we will be receiving letters and making the big decisions. A decision I have been leery about but am now open to. There is also the end of the year school traditions that I previously never took part in but, apparently, Reign is going to make me do them anyways, like prom. Which is what leads me to today's meeting with him, in the one spot I swore I would never come back to after that first prank war. Only this time it looks different. The hill isn't covered with people; there isn't a crowd waiting at the bottom; our friends aren't standing at the top witnessing him shred my heart. In the past I used that pain to fuel my contempt, back when I thought we were never again going to be those little kids who were best friends.

This time, the hill is freshly filled with grass. It is still colder out for early spring, and the twinkling lights on the nearby pine tree bring tears to my eyes. Reign stands there, in the jeans that hug his body so well, and wearing the cream-colored sweater I got him for a gift. Of course he still wears his black beanie despite the low winds.

"What's going on?" I ask, hesitantly, stepping toward him.

He smiles my favorite smile and I just want to press my lips to his dimple again. His blue eyes smolder for me, and his hands reach out for mine. "Riley," he says my name and pulls my body into his. My feet almost come off the ground as he picks me up and holds me in his arms.

A giggle escapes my lips. "This is an interesting place for a date, Thorn. And a little chilly, I hope you don't think you're getting lucky here."

He bursts out laughing and takes my hands again. "Our first challenge happened here."

I nod, the sad little memory tugging on my heart. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to, but it's still there, written in our past. "I remember."

"I said something not very nice to you that day. I can't take it back, but I want to rewrite it." He leans in and strokes his fingers down the side of my face, pulling my tortured gaze to his.

I was never your friend.

"Don't go back there, stay with me, babe," he whispers pleadingly.

I blink and sniffle back the tears, trying to push it down. "I'm okay."

"I lost my best friend for real in that challenge and I want her back," he says.

"I think we're a little past that." A smile slowly spreads on my face.

He nods. "We are. But I still want my best friend. You're my everything, Riles. I love you. Can we be best friends again?"

I laugh, and my hands go around his middle, hugging him to me. "Yes. And I love you too."

"Thank fuck," he mutters before stepping back and reaching down to the ground. He picks up a switch, connected to a power strip I never saw until now, and flicks it.

PROM?

The sign lights up across the trees in red. "So, best friend, girlfriend, love of my life, will you take this challenge and go to prom with me?"

I'm about to open my mouth when a thought occurs to me. "How about a favor?"

Reign's eyes widen and he looks unsure, glancing around the space. "You know I never back down. What do you have in mind?"

I hold up my finger and grab my cell phone. Quickly, I add Emma, Sam, Leif and Carter to a video call.

"What hell is this?" Sam asks, examining the boxes to see who is all on. Reign and I wave at her.

"How did we all get here?" Carter quirks his eyebrow up. "Dude, you said you had a prom-posal to do. What happened?"

"Oh, he pulled it off," I interrupt, smirking at Reign's sheepish face. "But I decided to add a favor. And you know we need witnesses."

Emma's face turns confused. "Your prom-posal was a challenge?"

"What's the terms of the favor?" Leif asks before he throws down the remote and stops playing his video game to really concentrate now.

I run my eyes over Reign, biting my bottom lip. His eyes darken, realizing what I'm asking. "It's time for Reign to return the favor."

"You want me to run down the hill in my briefs?" He chuckles and shakes his head. "When you had to do it, it was summer."

"You were still mean to me when I was trying to be your friend again," I remind him of the apology he just gave me.

"I didn't want to be your friend. I wanted more than that, I just didn't know how to say that after what happened when we were kids," he argues.

I glance at my phone and see everyone's rapt attention on us. "You could have lost the challenge."

Reign grunts. "I would never. And you were the one who initiated the challenge."

"And this time you did. I'm just amping the game up. And I never said in your briefs, baby. If I go to prom with you, then you have to run down that hill buck-ass-naked."

Reign glances at the phone. Our group is going crazy. Carter and Leif are both complaining they aren't here to see this in person. My girls are razzing him as well. He looks at me and then at our surroundings. "Fine," he says between clenched teeth.

The crowd on the phone cheers and I catcall as he strips down to his briefs. "Strip." With a haughty look on his face, he drops the briefs. I turn the phone and make sure it's not aimed at his dick, because I don't want anyone to see. My cheeks flush and then they all start teasing me.

"This is for you, Conrad," Reign says, walking to the hill, his arms out wide.

"I LOVE RILEY CONRAD!" he yells, while running down the entire hill, naked.

Laughter bubbles in my chest and I end the phone call with our friends. Favor met. I laugh so hard my eyes fill with tears that I'm wiping away when Reign makes it back up to the top. He doesn't reach for his clothes, just me. His hands cradle my face and he kisses me, deep, loving, with a promise in there to fix all our bad memories and create better ones.

"You're insane," I whisper between our lips, when he finally pulls away for air.

"I might be, when it comes to you."