I bit my lip, frozen in terror or shame or disbelief, I wasn’t sure, feeling dizzy with the humiliation. Every snicker at my back seemed like a shout, a judgment.
“Leave her alone,” snarled a low, velvety voice.
The boys stopped, their stares wide.
“Come on, Terri, let’s go home.” From the corner of my eye, a hand reached toward me.
But I couldn’t take it. All I could focus on was the black opening of that buffalo head, with its shaggy carpet fur and fake horns, and the other students’ laughter rang in my ears. I imagined them pointing at me as I just sat there on the grass, my legs splayed out, body frozen like a deer.
Or a buffalo…
Paxton’s face appeared in my vision, and he shook my shoulders. “CC, let’sgo.” Not giving me a chance to respond, he hauled me to my feet and yanked me along, his pace fast and brutal as we strode across the field.
When we reached the parking lot, he pulled me around the corner of a concession stand and stopped, twisting my direction. Anger thundered across his face, darkening his eyes to a stormy sea and thinning his lips to a hard slash.
“Why didn’t you fight back?” He clenched his fists and a vein stood out on his neck.
I jerked my arm from his hot touch. “I-I don’t know.”
“You could be so much more if you’d stop caring what other people think and stand up for yourself.” Breathing heavily, he ran a hand through his hair and shut his eyes for a second. Blood suffused his cheeks. “Stop letting everyone walk over you. All it would take to put them in their place is a little backbone, including your mom,” he said harshly, his breaths still rapid and irregular, like he’d just sprinted.
What gives him the right to judge me?
“This coming from the guy who hangs out with those assholes all day long? Like I should listen to anything you have to say. You’re practically one of them.”
“They’re acquaintances, not friends. I don’t give a shit about them except to learn what I can and apply it to the future.”
“Well, I don’t need you to be my defender.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him, embarrassed he saw the whole spectacle and felt the need to rush in like a prince.
What must everyone think now? They’re probably laughing at the ridiculous thought of us together.
“No?” He pushes forward, his face close to mine, his warm breath sliding across my cheeks. “If you don’t need me to defend you, then whatdoyou need me for, huh?”
“Nothing,” I mumbled, unsure what we were even talking about anymore. I just wanted to go home and curl up in my bed and hide from the world. Maybe I wouldn’t leave again until I turned eighteen.
He took ahold of my shoulders and pushed me against the rough wall of the concession stand. “You’re lying, Cotton Candy. Youdoneed me; you just can’t figure out why.” His voice was rough and his touch firm. A tremor shook his fingers as he held onto me, as if trying to hold back his strength.
“Get over yourself.” I dropped my hands to my sides, fighting against the dark attraction he exuded. His sudden roughness and protective stance turned my earlier fear into adrenalized desire.
This guy…this guy. What is it about him I can’t resist, can’t quite figure out?
He narrowed his gaze, then lifted a hand to my hair, ripping out the bow and flinging it to the ground.
“Ow,” I yelled, slapping his chest, white-hot fury burning alongside the attraction. “Why’d you do that, you jerk?”
“Because it’s not you. Neither is cheerleading. You’re not meant to be stuffed into a box. You’re meant to be free, to be bold, to be noticed for your strength. Stop trying to fit in and start stomping that fucking box.” His chest heaved. A bead of sweat dropped from his temple to fall onto his shirt.
He lowered his head toward mine and the tips of our noses touched.
“You have no right—”
His lips crashed into mine, swallowing my words and thoughts.
I slid my hand from his chest to his face, needing more of this, forgetting my irritation with him, and just praying we’d stay like this forever.
With urgency, his tongue met mine. He kissed me like a man starving for air, as if I was the only thing keeping him alive. His hands slid around my hips and lowered, hoisting me up and forcing my legs to wrap around his waist.
I rubbed against his hardness and moaned, knowing what we were doing was reckless and stupid, yet unable to stop.
