The moment I slid my finger across the button to release thedo not disturbmode, the reader went fucking insane. One buzz after another. Each sounding angrier than the last.
Fuck.
We were at the lockers now, and holding my breath, I stepped forward, pushing the door to open up the room. It was dark inside, no sounds of any players or coaches.
Fucking fuck.
"They're gone," I said to Mattie. "We're in big trouble."
She held both hands up, face drawn as she looked at me. "What's this we? There's no we! I'm not strong enough to handle that punishment. You're going to have to take one for the team... since this was your idea and all."
She was so dramatic in her freaking out, but then again, knowing the boys as I did... was it really dramatic?
"Where is my badass best friend?" I asked, hands on hips. "Come on, you took on the Australasian king for me."
Mattie scoffed. "I would take on a prehistoric fucking creature for you. But I won't take on Rafe."
Well, damn. Guess I couldn't really fault her for that. Velociraptors had nothing on my prickly prince.
"Okay, new plan," I said in a rush, having just spotted the furious faces of the princes at the end of this hall. "What are the odds we can escape, change our names and identities, and live as exotic dancers for the rest of our lives?"
Rafe locked me in his gaze, and I gulped, unable to tear my eyes from him. Mattie turned slowly, her eyes wide and shiny. "Think it's too late for that, but if you want to run, I'll try and hold them off."
That almost brought a tear to my eye. "You're the bestest friend ever."
Mattie nodded. "I know. Now run, babe."
I wouldn't leave her to face them alone. Even if I was the one Rafe and Jordan would be pissed at the most. And I couldn't really blame them. It had been risky to go off on my own, I knew that, but I’d just needed that dealt with. Plus, time had run out to see Alex if we wanted him at the vote.
"Rafe looks really mad," Mattie said. "It was nice knowing you."
I snorted. "He's not going to kill us."
Right?
The way he was stalking along the hall, Jordan just behind him and Nolan trailing last, I wasn't sure that was strictly true. I'd seen Rafe mad before... but not like this.
Maybe I should run.
"Don't even think about it," Rafe rumbled, only a few feet away. He must have noticed the panicked look on my face as I glanced behind to the only possible escape path.
"I can explain," I said in a rush, holding my free hand up. The other one was still tightly clutched in Mattie's—I was pretty sure one of us was sweating.
Rafe didn't give me a chance to expand on that statement, his hands wrapping around my waist so fast that I couldn't even catch my breath before I was over his shoulder, my hand torn from my best friend’s as he marched down the hallway.
Over his shoulder, I saw Mattie's wide eyes, but Rafe was stomping so fast that she was gone from sight in the next few minutes.
"It'll be fine," I heard Nolan say, and then we turned a corner and I heard nothing else.
"Rafe, come on. I was gone for ten minutes," I said, trying to reason with him.
No answer, and I could practically feel his fury radiating off him in waves of heat.
"I was fine."
Still nothing and now I was starting to get annoyed. It wouldn't be that hard to free myself from his Neanderthal-caveman hold, but I decided to give him one last chance.
"Dude, you are not my father. Put me right the fuck down and let's talk about it."
