Offside playing for keep.., p.5
Offside (Playing For Keeps Duet Book 1), page 5
I spent the rest of the night holed up in my room, I felt bad blowing Garrett off but he said he understood. I got up extra early to leave the house so I didn’t risk bumping into any of the guys. I make my way across campus and head toward the coffee cart to grab me, Cody and Katie a latte. With coffees in hand, I head toward their temporary dorm room. I take a deep breath and steel my spine, ready for them to lash out at me for ditching them yesterday. I knock twice and wait a minute before the door swings open and reveals Cody standing there. I expect to see annoyance at the sight of me in her eyes but when she breaks out into a full blown smile it throws me off kilter.
“Girl, get your ass in here and fill us in!” She drags me into the room and places a kiss to my cheek as she steals her coffee and drops into the desk chair in the corner. Katie sits on her bed and motions with her hands like a child for her coffee.
“Gimme, gimme, I need a caffeine hit pronto for this!” I smile and hand her the cup as I sit on the edge of Cody’s bed.
“Girl, spill now!” Cody prompts. I fill them in on everything that happened after Darius carried me off the court and all the way home.
“He is so into you.” I pin Katie with a look that I hope conveys that she is nuts!
“Darius hates me,” I huff out and drop back on the bed dramatically.
“Babe, if that is what hate looks like then I’mma need him and Beckett to hate me.” I turn my head and shoot Cody a playful glare, she puts her hands up as if surrendering. “On the real though, Garrett looked pissed when Darius went all caveman on your ass.” I rest up on my elbows and look to both my friends. Katie nods her agreement to Cody’s statement which pulls a groan from me.
“I told him I wasn’t looking for anything or even interested in dating right now.” Katie shoots me a smug look.
“You may not be looking but it sure as hell found you, baby cakes.” When they both begin to laugh, I drop back against the bed and groan. Fuck my life. The one guy I want more than anything won’t give me the time of day. When we were together, Darius treated me like I was his world, He taught me to view myself in a way no one ever had before. He was the first person to believe in me, that I could make it in dance. I’m eighteen and all I have ever wanted was to dance on stage.
“You okay?” I lift my head from my book and peer over at Garrett. We have taken to sitting next to each other in class now. I’ll admit, I have been a bit awkward today, with what the girls said earlier playing on my mind. Garrett is a really nice guy but he isn’t the guy for me.
“Yeah, just tired,” I lie.
“Want to meet up after school and grab a coffee?” I furrow my brow confused.
“Aren’t you meant to be at training?” He shrugs.
“You’re worth blowing it off for.” Oh God, there it is. I need to distance myself from him or risk him getting the wrong idea. I’m not the type of girl who leads a guy on.
“I have dance practice after school.” His face falls, and I feel like shit when he nods and turns back to face our professor. I try to tell myself that I’m doing the right thing but guilt is a bitch and that is why I tack on. “Raincheck?” He snaps his gaze back to me and beams.
“Yeah, of course, I shouldn’t miss our first training anyway.” How he can go from sad puppy to happy in a split second stuns me but I don’t comment. I wave bye to Garrett as I head across campus to meet with the team, excitement thrumming through me and my body starts to vibrate with the need to move. Dance has always been an escape for me. It helped me deal with the darkest time of my life. I round the science building and smack into a wall–correction, not a wall, just Darius. He glares down his nose at me like I purposely ran into him. Not wanting to ruin my good mood, I try to step around him but he blocks my path.
“What’s your rush?” Taking a deep breath I crane my neck back and look at him, I hate that his eyes can still hold me captive, they’re like a vortex that can suck you right in.
“I have class,” I mumble.
“Hm, going to shake your ass, why am I not surprised?” I bite down on my tongue and count to three to try to calm myself but it doesn’t work.
“Coming from the guy who loved it when I shook it for him?” I scoff to drive my point home. Darius strikes out so quickly I have no time to prepare. He grips my arms, then spins us until my back is against the building and he is crowding my space.
“Used to like it, now all I can picture is the amount of cocks you’ve had inside your loose cunt.” My eyes widen and my jaw unhinges at his crass words. I shove at his chest but he doesn’t freaking budge and that causes my ire to grow.
“Leave me the hell alone, Darius!” I snarl.
“Transfer the fuck out of my school and I will. How trash like you got in here, I’ll never fucking know. Open your legs for the dean and he may just put in a good word for you at your new school.” I don’t know what comes over me but one second my hand is at my side and then in the next, it’s cracking across Darius Lockhart’s cheek. We both stand here with wide eyes, shocked that I would ever dare lay my hand on him—I’ve never hit anyone in my life! He bends down until he is right in my face, he is so close his lips ghosts over mine, his brown eyes are so dark they look almost black. “You’re gonna pay for that, you washed up has been!” He pushes off me, causing me to smack against the wall harder, turns and storms away, leaving me standing here swarming in my own anger.
Fine, he wants to play this game, then I’ll play it better. I’ll show him what it’s like to play offside before I score the final touchdown. I decide here and now to put a plan into motion that ensures Darius will be the one stunned the next time we encounter each other. I’m going to make him eat out of the palm of my hand. I just need to keep my heart out of it because it won’t survive being broken by him a second time.
I manage to keep up with the team for our first official practice but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t beat. My body is aching and my calves are burning from the workout they were put through. I look over at Chelsea and it grates on my frail nerves to see her smiling and standing at attention ready to go another round, the girl is a fucking robot.
“Into positions,” Coach Telford shouts. Cody and I groan as we drag our sorry asses over to the others and prepare to run through the routine one final time. Coach told us that the school is considering allowing us to headline the halftime show for the finals of the football game if we make the finals. This would be the first time in CHU history that the cheer squad wouldn’t be headlining the event.
CHAPTER 9
Darius
Coach rode us harder than he ever has before. We’re all sweaty fucking messes and my muscles burn in the most delicious way, but I know for the rest of the week I’m going to be fucking sore. We clamber into the locker room breathing like overweight pieces of shit. I ignore the banter of the team and head straight for the ice baths, knowing that is exactly what I need after a training like today. I strip off my clothes and leave them in a heap beside the metal, oval-shaped tub as I climb in. I suck in a sharp breath the moment I hit the water. Gripping the sides, I take deep breaths preparing myself as I slowly slip into the tub. The water is so cold it burns. I slink back and rest my head on the edge of the tub as I settle myself to stay in here for fifteen minutes. Not two minutes after closing my eyes do I hear the guys amble over. I peek one eye open to see Beck, Saint and Crue undressing. Corvin hates ice baths and refuses to willingly get in one. Coach normally has to make his ass and he whines the whole fucking time!
“Dudes, coach is on a warpath,” Saint says as he climbs into his bath. Crue hisses like a pussy but not Beck, he gets in the tub on my other side and doesn’t need any time to prepare himself, just sliding in like it’s a fucking spa bath.
“He has no choice, we have to be ready for the game against the Dolphins in four weeks,” Crue supplies. At the mention of the Dolphins, my grip on the edge of the tub tightens.
“They won’t win, we got the best QB in the fucking state and Darius is the best halfback out and Beck won’t let any of them through. We’re solid. That fucker Hayes will be taken down a peg or ten.” The guys are the only ones who know what started my hatred for Hayes. I didn’t have any reason to hate the cunt, considering he’s the QB and not my rival but Corv’s. That bastard has had it out for me since we started playing in little leagues and it just grew to the fucking point the cunt fucked my girl at a party. Seeing my arch enemy in the same bed as Leah tore my fucking world apart—that one night changed everything.
“That fucker isn’t taking the W, I don’t care what we have to do but we are scoring every fucking touchdown!” I growl. The guys nod and grunt their agreement. The bath is no longer cold thanks to the anger thrumming through my veins, if I see her near him at the game I am going to go nuclear on their asses and I don’t give a shit if Corvin sees. I’ll make sure the whole fucking school knows Leah Williams is a slut and will give it up to anyone.
I kick the stand on my bike down and kill the ignition as I climb off. I peel my helmet off and rest it on the seat as I make my way to the house. I push the door open and freeze at the sound of girlish laughter. I slam the door shut and storm into the living room to find Leah and her two friends Cody and Katie sitting on the couches. At the sound of my arrival they all turn to face me. The two girls look scared—good, they should be. Not Leah though, the dirty little minx sits there with an angry look on her face.
“No hoes in the fucking house,” I snarl. Leah’s eyes narrow to angry slits.
“They aren’t hoes. Believe it or not, not every girl is a hoe, Darius!” she spits.
“Nah they may not be but you are!” I snap. Her friend’s faces pale while hers slackens with shock. “Have them out of here within an hour… Actually, just fuck off with them. I have company coming over and I would hate for you to finger that used-up cunt at the sounds coming from my room.” A hurt look crosses her face but I don’t stick around, storming out of the room and heading up the stairs to my room. I kick my door shut once I’m inside and shuck my bag off my back and dump it on the bed before dropping down beside it. I’m full of shit, I didn’t have plans for anyone to come over but now, I need to find someone. I pull my phone out of my pocket and scroll through my messages when I spot the unopened ones from Courtney I think her name is. I click on it.
Shit, her name is Chelsea and she is Leah’s friend. I don’t remember fucking her but I do remember the betrayed look on Goldie’s face when she saw me with her at Shayla’s party, so I decide she is the perfect person to help me out tonight. I could use a good fuck as I’m too tense and need a release, and it’s all the fucking blonde downstairs fault.
Me: Up to tonight?
I don’t have to wait a full minute before her reply comes.
Too fucking easy.
My cock isn’t even hard at the thought of her. No girl makes us work for it and that right there is the problem. They think fucking one of us will boost their reputation. It may be but the truth is it just shows how fucking easy they are to give it up to us.
Chelsea: Coming to yours?
Me: Get here at 8, don’t make me wait.
Chelsea: ohh, I love a man that is demanding. Rawr!
A shudder rolls through me, this girl is going to be another hole I fill for the night and then I’ll never think about her again. I look down at my dick and shake my head.
“You better perform tonight and not go soft at the sight of her!” I don’t have any fucking trouble getting hard when Leah is around or even thinking about her but the thought of plowing some other pussy has my cock flaccid and uninterested. Not tonight though. I’m going to make Carey scream so fucking loud she won’t be able to hide anywhere in this house without hearing her screams.
My phone pings with a message at 7:45.
Chelsea: I’m here babe X
Babe?
Who the fuck does she think she is? I make my way downstairs and eye Crue and Saint in the kitchen. I pass the living room and see Beck and Leah kicking back watching a movie. At the sound of my footsteps her gaze snaps to me. I shoot her a dark smirk and wink as I head for the front door. I swing the door open and it isn’t the sight of her that hits me first it’s the stench of the perfume she has drowned herself in. I fight the gag from breaking free and plaster on the most fake seductive smile I can. She stands here wearing a tight one-shoulder crop top and skin tight black bike shorts that hug her like a second skin. Her face is plastered with make-up so thick if you pushed on her face you would leave a dent. Her hair is up in a high pony tail which makes me think she did that on purpose for something to hold onto while I fuck her from the back.
“Hey, sexy,” she purrs in what I’m sure she thinks is a sexy tone. I keep the fake smile on my face and step aside for her to walk in. Rather than walk past me she stops in front of me, reaches up on her tiptoes and plants a wet kiss to my cheek. I keep my smile in place and nod, my lack of conversation doesn’t seem to deter her. She runs her manicured fingers down my shirt-covered chest and doesn’t stop until she reaches the waistband of my shorts.
Only then do I step back.
“Let’s take this upstairs.” She fakes a shiver, bites her lip. I close the door and turn away to head upstairs but she lurches forward and grips my hand. The only reason I don’t yank it free is that Leah is sitting on the couch and staring right at us.
“Oh, hey girl, I didn’t know you would be here.” Chelsea tries to act surprised but everyone on campus knows who Leah is to Corvin and that her dorm building is being renovated. Leah wipes the look of shock from her face and tries to smile but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
“I live here,” she deadpans. Enjoying the fact I’m getting under her skin, I pull my hand free and wrap my arm around Chelsea’s shoulders and pull her into my side. She molds herself into me, loving this display of ownership she thinks she has over me. Leah may not see it but her friend views her as a threat.
“Oh ya, kay. Well catch you later.” Chelsea flutters her lashes up at me, trying to appear all sexy and shit. It’s not working but I play along as I bend down and run my nose along the column of her neck and moan.
“Take that shit upstairs, Leah and I have plans that don’t involve an audience who can’t fake sexual tension to save their asses.” I pull back from Chelsea and snap my gaze to Beckett. Shocked that my best friend would try to rile me up and use the situation between Leah and I against me. I may not have confirmed it, but Beckett knows very well that there is something between Leah and me. He shoots me a condescending look, egging me on to deny his claims and say something but I can’t. “Leah babe, come sit with me and we’ll watch the 365 days movie on Netflix.” My grip on Chelsea tightens to the point she lets out a small shriek. I quickly relax myself as I watch Leah stand. She shoots me a look that tells me she is ready to play hard ball even if it means using Beckett to get a reaction from me.
“I’d love to,” she says. I harden my features, warning her not to do it but when she looks to the girl tucked into my side and smiles brightly I brace for impact. “Don’t fake an orgasm to make him feel better, the poor boy couldn’t find a G-spot even if he had a map.”
Before I can stop them, words spew from my mouth that never should have.
“Managed to find yours every time!”
CHAPTER 10
Leah
My eyes are as wide as dinner plates as I stare at Darius, who is mirroring my expression. I tear my gaze from his to see both Saint and Crue standing in the entryway to the kitchen looking between the pair of us. I have no idea what to say or do. Thank God the tension is broken when Beck stands, wraps an arm around my shoulders and speaks.
“Change of plans. Saint, Crue you in for pizza?” Beck asks as he leads me toward the door. I can feel Darius’s gaze on me the whole time.
“Hell yeah, we are!” Crue shouts before racing after us. The moment we step out the front door, I’m able to breathe again. As if Beck knows I’m too stunned by that encounter, he doesn’t release his hold on me until we reach his car. He opens the passenger door for me and ushers me inside. Working on autopilot, I clip my belt in and wait for him, Saint and Crue to get in. My mind is reeling over what just happened. If Corvin had been home, Darius and I would both be dead!
The guys slide into Beckett’s Audi and the tension from earlier returns. In a weird way Darius just outed us to the guys and I have no idea how we are going to keep this secret from Corvin.
Beck reverses the car out of the driveway. We’re all silent as he drives us away from the house. As the silence stretches my nerves begin to get the better of me but that’s not the only thing, my mind keeps wandering back to Darius and Chelsea and what they could be doing right now. I close my eyes and take a deep breath as I try to rid myself of all the nasty images flashing through my mind of the two of them fucking all over the house. My chest aches thinking about him sleeping with her. I never expected him to be celibate or anything but I did expect that the next time we saw each other that he would at least give me a reason as to why he ghosted me for years!
“Well this is awkward,” Saint mumbles. I cringe knowing that he’s right. The ride isn’t exactly filled with easy conversation and laughter.
“Yeah, I’m sorry,” I say quietly, feeling like shit for dragging the three of them into mine and Darius’s…I don’t even know what we are doing right now. When my phone rings, I stiffen at the sound of his ringtone. I don’t even move to pull it out of my pocket, there is no way I am answering that call in the car where the guys will be able to overhear. I’m not a saint but I’m also in a pickle and I don’t know how to get out of it without bringing my deepest darkest secret to life.
“You gonna get that?” Crue asks when my phone begins to ring again.
