Chapter 5

Riley, age 18

I can't stand the Saints. Our rivalry over the years has done nothing but fester and grow. Mostly because my team turned out to be full of undiscovered talent. All it took was the right coach to step up to the plate and soon a bunch of misfits, as we had been called, were playing at a top-tier level in girls' youth hockey. Something the Saints absolutely hates, and nothing pleases me more than rubbing their faces in it. I can't believe I actually wanted to play for the Saints. In my misguided attempt to regain my friendship with Reign, I thought if I was on scholarship at his school and played hockey there that we would find common ground. That never happened. And these days I'm so lucky it never worked out in my favor.

Reign Thorn has become the biggest asshole with the biggest ego flex in the whole state. The fact that he has talent and was already being scouted by colleges in his sophomore year of high school only inflates his self-importance. It sucks that he skates like a dream. He makes plays out of nowhere and his team has voted him captain for his junior year and now his senior year of high school. If only his attitude was different. The boy I grew up with on the ice is long gone. And his ire for me hasn't changed. Not that I don't fight back. Our rivalry has gained momentum over the years. Even though he is on the Saints boys' hockey team and I'm on the Pirates girls' team, Reign makes my life miserable any chance he can get. Even being in two different schools across town from each other doesn't stop him from being a Grade-A dick head. Anytime we run into each other, he always has something mean to say to me, whether it's about my playing, a game we lost, or just a general observation of how I look that day. Naturally I find myself slinging insults back at him.

The unfortunate thing about my vendetta with Reign is that he never lost the handsomeness I used to think he had. He matured and now those baby blues are icy and they smolder in my presence. His features are sharper, harder. That dimple in his left cheek is still ever present when he's glowering at me or when his lips turn up in an evil smirk before he says something scathing. The fact that he's tall, broad, with long, dark hair that he runs his hands through has girls salivating over him. Saint and Pirate girls alike. Of course when he shows dislike for me, most girls become catty as well, wanting to please him, as if he'd give them the time of day. Reign is notorious for hookups and partying when it's not hockey season, but never settling down with a girlfriend.

Thanks to Reign, I'm often left out by the girls and their friendship circles. If not for the girls on my team, I would be friendless. No one wants to mess around with Reign's enemy. Especially the guys. With Reign being the captain of his team, richer than god, and a top academic achiever in his school, everyone wants to be his friend. Or they just don't want to have issues with him, which apparently means never talking to or wanting to date me. The guys in my town act like I have the plague and the other guys are Reign's lackeys and often include themselves in my ridicule.

I hate him. So the fact that I'm now staring into his electric blue eyes across the parking lot at our teams' summer camp really irritates me. It's too soon to see him again and I have to breathe in and out to control the anger.

"What are you doing here, Con-man?" he calls across the clearing, and soon everyone's eyes are on us, darting back and forth between us, wondering how this is going to go. Our interactions are known to turn fiery. Our last meet-up ended with his strawberry shake emptied over his head, and I still had zero regrets about it. My cheeks pinken now from his nickname for me, Con-man, even though I've heard it millions of times. His own little funny play on my last name Conrad. He stopped calling me Riles when he dropped our friendship.

"I was going to ask you the same question, Thorn," I respond, remembering to keep my facial expression bored and disinterested. Because that's what Reign does to me these days. Makes me sick and uninterested.

He smirks, those plush lips turning up in a sinister twist. "Our team has the field reserved for dryland summer camp. Last I checked, though, the Pirates got last dibs and weren't scheduled until a week before school."

Of course he checked. And he wasn't exactly wrong. I shrug my shoulders. "Your girls were accepted to the Olympic Indoor camp. We got slotted in their place instead."

He cackles. "So you're sloppy seconds on the schedule then."

Anger burns in my veins while I fight to keep my posture relaxed and carefree. The voice in my head screams at me to keep calm and let his words roll off me, but my pride tickles with unease. The Pirates are always looked down upon by everyone. The Pirates girls' hockey team is seen as even less, despite our winning record in our division for the past few years. But we're a public school. We always get the last pick, the oldest materials and the hand-me-downs from the Saints private school.

I swallow down a hot retort, as much as it kills me, and place an easy-going smile on my face. As this year's captain of the Pirates, it's my job to set a good example, to be a leader, to make my school proud. I can't be benched for any more games. If I have to make nice with Reign and his Saints for a week then I'll do it.

"Let's just get this out of the way, Reign. We'll keep to our side of the camp and you keep to yours. Since you're such a princess, I'll let you guys have the later field practice, and we'll take the early mornings. Therefore, we'll take the earlier cantina times. We plan to stay in over the weekend so feel free to leave or not; you won't have to see us."

His eyes flicker with amusement even while his features twist in frustration. It's obvious he thought I'd fight him or at least attempt to make it harder for his team to get the best part of the schedule. Like I said, I'll be a fucking gem this week and bite my tongue so that things go smoothly for my team. If we had been paired with the Pirates boys' team, things might be different.

Reign's eyes flicker once over my shoulder at the girls who are waiting to see how this plays out. I can see when he determines that there isn't anything he can argue with for once. He nods his head. "We'll see you around, booty hunters."

I stand my ground while all the Saints players hoot and holler, taking their bags and walking in the opposite direction from where we're standing. It's not until they all disappear from view that I let out a breath of relief.

"Could this get any worse?" Emma, my co-captain and right wing player, slides next to me. She hates anything Saints related but mostly because her ex-boyfriend was a Saint and he played her hard.

My gaze flicks to her and the rest of the team. "As much as it pains me, we need to make nice for the week. Coach will be here in the morning and we promised the principal that if he helped us change weeks, we would be on our best behavior."

"I know, I know." She shakes out her body. "It just kills me that we're literally giving them the best of everything. It's supposed to be ninety degrees outside tomorrow, Ri. We're getting the hottest part of the day."

"But the lake will be available when they're practicing." I raise my brow at her and watch her eyes light up.

"Silver lining. Alright. We can work with that."

Emma bounces back to the other team members and starts handing out room assignments and keys. Our coach wanted us to pair up randomly so that we have a chance to get to know all of our team members. Until our coach arrives, it is my job to keep the team going.

"Why does the enemy have to be so hot?"

I glance at one of the girls who keeps sneaking looks at Reign's team. It's been two days already and once again the boys don't have the field for another half hour, but they're already here, most of them topless, and lifting weights. They're infringing on our time, but I refuse to leave early. Even as deep seated in my hatred I am for them, I can admit they are good-looking guys. And it kills me. They know it too. I don't bother to answer her, scoffing instead.

We finish running through our plays after running laps before the break. I'm picking up water bottles when I notice a group of the guys are mocking our drills and exercises. Instantly, I'm on edge. My gaze slides between them and Reign who's too busy lifting weights with his two sidekicks, his best friends, Leif and Carter, to even pay attention to his team.

Emma and I lock eyes. I'm sure she can see the steam rolling off me in waves. Before I stop and think, and let the rational part of my brain catch up, I'm stalking over to them. One of the guys sees me coming and quickly slaps his friend, who is too busy doing a reenactment of our squats to notice. They've turned somewhat sheepish by the time we're standing toe-to-toe, but I've had enough. A few of the girls on our team barely feel confident or safe exercising in front of the guys when they're here early. For them to be picking on and mocking them is not okay.

"Please don't stop on my account. You squat so deep you could probably be on the girls' team," I spit out, my eyes glaring.

One of them has the decency to at least look embarrassed. His friend though is not happy. I scan over his pelvic area, raising my brow. "Did you have to tuck your balls and your dick in to be able dip that low or?"

"Shut the fuck up, Conrad." The guy's face turns red and he leans into my face. I manage to keep my back rod straight, even with a six-foot Neanderthal towering over me.

I glare at him, ready to take him down another notch when I feel heated skin at my back. Tingles run down my spine at the contact. If I inhale even the slightest bit, his spicy scent mixed with sweat will fill my lungs. I can feel eyes shift to us. Great. We've now caught everyone's attention.

"Problem with my defenseman, Con-man?" Reign's voice is low and his words tickle against my ear. I shove my elbow back into his tight stomach. He lets out a little grunt from the impact but at least his body isn't touching mine anymore. I turn to face him, my hair whipping his chest in the process.

"As captain shouldn't you be concerned about your men belittling and tearing down women? I know our schools are different, but I wasn't aware the Saints promoted sexual harassment."

Reign's eyes darken at my comment and the accusation leveled at his teammate. I know for a fact they all go through girls, rarely dating one for too long, and that they have already started a collection of puck bunnies, but I've never heard of them needing to force girls. My words are meant to sting and also to force Reign to have to act. His gaze moves from me over to his teammates that were in the wrong by mocking my team with their workouts. They keep their eyes on the ground.

"Sorry," the one guy replies automatically, his cheeks flushing red.

"We shouldn't have said anything." The other guy, the one just ready to fight me, glances from me to Reign. His words aren't exactly an apology but at least he knows he shouldn't have been doing it.

"Better now?" Reign asks me, his teeth clenched together. I turn to him, my lips curling.

"Hardly. I think it's only fair that we get the chance to defend our honor."

Reign scoffs. "You want your team to play mine? You girls are good but I don't see how this makes things even."

"Not us against you." I shake my head. "We combine teams and all play against each other. Maybe then your team will realize how much of an asset it can be to have a girl player."

Reign's eyes dance with mirth. He thinks I'm out of my mind and maybe I am. We all know though that Reign can't back down from a challenge. And it would be my pleasure to knock him and his teammates down a peg when they have to play with my team in order to win. Even if all it is, is a scrimmage at summer camp.

"You got yourself a challenge, Con-man."

I step away from Reign and his little band of idiots. "Tar in fifteen?"

He shrugs. Half his team groans and the other half are watching us with amused interest. Something I'm not unused to. Reign and I are known for challenging each other in just about everything. Throwing us together in any social situation is like throwing a lit match to gasoline. At the end of the previous school year, Reign had challenged me to see who scored higher marks in the district. I beat him in the sciences and math but he took first place in everything else. Over winter break last year, I had challenged him to see who could snowboard down the hill fastest. His body is bulkier than mine and I beat him, but it was by a hair's breadth. Not that it mattered much because the following weekend our groups of friends ran into each other at the arcade and a laser tag team challenge was issued and his team wiped the floor with mine. It all sounds pretty tame until you get to the favors part. Each challenge is issued with a favor that has to be witnessed by two people. When we lost in laser tag, we had to help roll Leif's father's latest girlfriend's car into the pond. And when I beat Reign down the hill snowboarding, he had to pay the tab for the alcohol for a public-school party.

By the time I round up my team and explain the situation, they are fired up and ready to go. We grab our street sticks and roller blades. I quickly throw on a pair of leggings, knowing I'm going to take a dive at some point, and while I don't mind the bruise, I'd rather not have road rash.

"If I didn't know how much you both actually harbor ill feelings toward the other, and the mean things you both say, I'd swear this is the longest form of foreplay I've ever seen," Emma says next to me. My head whips around to hers and her eyes are dancing with humor.

"Ew."

Her head tilts back, laughing like it's the funniest shit ever. My chest aches for a split second while I shove down the feelings I had for Reign when we were little. I put them back in the box and rewrap the chain around them. He made his choices and I made mine. Our friendship died a long time ago. The person Reign is now is the only version I ever see, and Emma is right. We aren't nice to each other. Sure our challenges are fun, and I love to beat him. I can also respect him as a hockey player because he is that good. It's the ego though. And those flickers of evil in his eyes when he glances at me and spits out words wrapped in barbs.

"I'd have to be dying," I tell her, my face void of emotion as we make it to the clearing.

"I know." She sighs. "It's just a shame though. You have enemies to lovers written all over you."

I snort. "You read too much.'

"It's for research." Emma winks at me and jabs her elbow into my side.

"Not if you never use it." I cackle at her. After her break up with her boyfriend, Emma refuses to date anyone else in high school and is waiting until we leave for college. In the meantime, she's cataloging everything from the romance novels she reads to keep in her arsenal.

"At least I've used some of it." Her eyebrows dance in my direction and once again I'm reminded of freaking Reign.

"Well, when your whole town is so simple-minded to follow his douchebag orders, a girl doesn't have many options." Thanks to Reign and his social vendetta against me, I'm a freaking virgin. Not that it's a bad thing. I would never let a Saint touch me. I'm also not sure there is a Pirate alive I'd let close either, not if they too listen to Reign.

"Guess we're both using my research in college."

We laugh the rest of the way down to the parking lot pavement. The boys have beat us there and are already setting up goals with the trash cans. I watch as the girls on my team approach hesitantly but also filled with the same bloodlust as me. I smirk while we slip on our blades.

"We're just going to number off on teams," Reign informs me, like the whole thing was his brain child. I roll my eyes.

"Sure."

He makes the two teams and everyone breaks off. I skate over to my team and notice that things are pretty evenly split. Reign's lopsided smile plays on his lips and that dimple makes an appearance. His eyes dance and I know the next words out of his mouth are going to make me mad. "Alright, well, since you issued the challenge, I think it's only fair that your team be skins. Plus, I know how hot Easton gets on the tar."

His teammate next to me smirks. "Thanks, Cap. You know I hate sweating through my shirt."

That's all he says before taking his tank off. All the males on my team start removing their shirts. A few of the girls from my team avoid looking anywhere but at what is happening while the others can't help but check out the sculpted athletes in front of them. I grit my teeth together, refusing to step down to Reign like he clearly thinks I will.

"I really hate it too," I manage to say hotly. Before I can overthink it, my fingers grab the edge of my tank top and I pull it off over my head. At least I wore my most supportive sports bra today. My breasts are secure but also pushed high.

I hear the intake of breath from a few guys on my team. I meet Emma's gaze next and she's practically hooting. It's when I look at Reign though that my pulse starts beating erratically. His face has lost the smirk and his blue eyes burn as bright as the middle of a flame. My bare skin tingles, growing heated. My stomach muscles flex under his stare.

Wolfish whistles sound around me as my team members follow my lead. "Thorn, this is the best idea you've ever had."

"I'm motivated to win," another guy says.

"Let's play," I respond and grab my stick. My movement spurs Reign and his team into action as well.

We take up our positions, Reign and I facing off in the center. My eyes meet his while he stares me down. His jaw ticks, and unnamed emotions cross his face. For a second my heart stops, everything blurs, and an awareness I've never felt before settles over me. I feel blanketed in possessiveness, the air charged with an intense sort of obsession and need. Shivers race across my skin and I feel my mouth go dry.

When the tennis ball hits the ground, I swear we both just pause before reacting. It takes our teammates screaming at us to push the rest away and my focus slaps back into place. Both our teams play hard. Both teams refuse to be down in score, and the whole time we remain tied. My team scores. Reign's team scores. I battle with anyone for the ball and Reign is right there shoving them away. My skin brushes against his repeatedly and my stomach swoops every time. Reign charges to the corner and I follow him. He turns back and our sticks hit, the momentum bringing my body forward. If this was in an actual ice arena, it would look like I'm about to check him into the boards. Except we're outside, and there are no boards. Reign's arms circle my waist and we go tumbling down onto the grassy edge together.

My body lands on top of his and I feel the air leave his lungs. I try to brace myself, but he cages his arms around me so I don't have to. Only my knee hits the grass and I hear the small rip. Reign breathes hard underneath me and I take the chance to look at him, fully expecting a scowl and harsh words. I'm not prepared for the way his eyes flare and his hands tighten on my exposed skin. Somewhere in my head a voice is screaming at me to move. That we hate this guy. But my eyes still drop to his plump-as-sin lips anyways, like the brainwashed girl I am right now. His tongue pokes out, dotting his bottom lip, and the small motion breaks the trance I'm in.

"Shit, sorry." I untangle from his limbs, trying to ignore the way his arms don't just fall away. I jump up and run a hand over my hair. Reign gets up slower, adjusting his shorts. His back is covered in grass and dirt.

My eyes bug out. "Ahh. fuck. Let me." I reach out my hands to rub the grime off of his tanned skin. Reign's body goes still, everything hardening under my touch while I wipe the grass and dirt chunks off, my skin brushing over his.

Touching Reign was a mistake. Even though I only meant to help. He's all warm, tight skin over bunching muscles. One simple touch makes my fingers tingle and I have insane thoughts of digging my nails into that skin. I pull back like I've been burned. My gaze darts up to his and I find him already watching me. His jaw is clenched, the blues of his eyes are a dark sapphire.

"Game is over! Coaches are here," he suddenly yells to his team and everyone starts packing up. My eyes dart over to the other lot and sure enough, our coaches have arrived for the day in separate vehicles. I hadn't even heard them drive up.

I open my mouth to apologize again or even ask what his problem is, but he starts walking away quickly. I grab my tank and put it back on before taking my rollerblades off.

"What's his deal?" Emma and Sam slide up next to me.

I shrug. "I have no idea."

"I do." Sam cackles. "He was titty-merized. I swear he never took his eyes off you once you stripped."

My face scrunches and I fight a gag. "Yeah, no, I don't think that's the case."

"I agree with Sam." Emma tilts her head. "He was totally titty-whipped."

My cheeks deepen in color and I can't explain the rush of warmth in my chest. "You two are the worst."

We start moving toward our cabins when Sam suddenly stops in her tracks. "Is that the new lifeguard?"

Emma and I glance at where she's looking and sure enough a guy in red shorts and a black hoodie is down by the beach, moving flags and chairs around. "Must be."

"I'll definitely take him over Jolly-Roger any day." Emma is gaping at the guy.

Roger is the campsite's usual lifeguard and he has been for over ten years. He's in his fifties and easily could sink in the water. But he's nice and jolly, sort of like Santa Claus. This guy though looks a few years older than us, probably in college. His short blond hair is highlighted from the sun and his tan rivals Reign's. Ugh, I can't believe I'm thinking about him again. And his skin. Skin that I touched and he didn't push me away.

"Riley!" Emma calls, snapping her fingers in front of my face. I jump and glance at them, finding them both watching me with mischief in their eyes.

"What?"

Emma nods toward where the lifeguard was and I glance back. He's watching me this time; his hand lifted in a small wave and a smirk on his lips. "Oh shit," I mutter under my breath and start walking away. Emma and Sam follow, both of them laughing and joking about how I zoned out watching him like a creep. I don't bother denying it, because what else would I say? I was thinking about Reign. Yeah, no.

"I think we should try and sneak out tonight. The boys do it all the time and it's never an issue." I hear one of our team members saying as we get closer to them. All heads swivel in my direction once we're within ear shot. Every year this is a topic of discussion and usually I play it safe, keeping my team here. I don't know what happened today, but I'm suddenly feeling reckless. I want to step out of my comfort zone.

I nod my head. "After bed check, the path through the woods in the back leads to the main beach.