“You were dehydrated,” he grumbled.
“I was about to be more than fuckingthirstythough, if you got your way,” she yelled, suddenly stepping forward in her anger. “You piece of shit, you were going to what? Wait until I passed out?”
Derrick’s eyes snapped in anger. He must have forgotten Gray was at his throat. “Slut!” he screamed at her. “The whole fucking househeardyou screaming like a whore. Don’t stand there and act like you’re innocent. You make me sick; you’re just another whore.”
Ava lunged for him and thank fuck Gray remembered her speed and saw it coming as he stepped back before she elbowed Derrick in the face and then brought her knee to his balls, dropping him to the floor.
“I’m not a whore. I was avirgin, you sick fuck.” Her foot slammed into his ribs. “You fucking bastard.” She shook her head in disgust. “You have no fucking right to judge me.”
My arms circled her as I pulled her back. “It’s okay. I’m here.” Turning her in my arms, I wrapped my arms around herwhen I saw the tears spill over, and I looked to my brother and Ash. “Call Coach.”
“I already did,” Jamie said as he stepped forward, and I turned to him cautiously. Ava must have felt me tense, as she stopped crying.
“Who for?” I asked Jamie, and I felt Ash and Gray move behind me.
“For him.” He spat on Derrick’s prone form. “I suggest you clean your hands; he’ll go fucking nuts when he sees them.”
I looked at the rest of the team in the kitchen as they stood stoically. “You’re not going to say anything?”
“Didn’t see anything,” the safety said. “You see anything?” he asked his friend, and he shook his head.
“And me?” Ava said quietly.
“I saw self-defense,” Jamie answered her gently. Ava nodded once and leaned back into my chest. “I reckon you have ten minutes,” Jamie said. “Clean up and be ready.”
“Got it.”
Gray and Ash stayed behind to watch Derrick, and I pulled Ava into my bathroom. Silently, I washed my hands, and when I winced at the cuts on them, she took over drying them and asked me where the alcohol wipes were.
Pointing to the cabinet under the sink, I sat on the counter as she cleaned my scrapes. “I offered to walk you home,” I said quietly. “I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.” Ava said nothing as she cleaned my hands. “You saw Wade. You didn’t want him to see you with me.” I huffed out a disgruntled laugh. “You ducked out of sight, and I had no idea what to say to him, so I said I lost my keys.” I pushed her away from me as I remembered. “All I wanted was him gone.” I watched her as she shuffled on her feet. “I walked you home. You drank all your water and were still thirsty. I shared mine with you.” Shaking my head, I remembered her standing outside her dorm, herboldness and no shits attitude had intrigued me. “You gave mesomuch shit about my game. You weren’t like any other girl who was interested in my football career.Youactually cared about the game; it was a nice change.” Her eyes flicked to mine before she gave a half-hearted shrug. “I wanted to fuck you.”
Ava inhaled sharply at my words, but she didn’t flinch. “I wanted it too,” she admitted. “I wanted to know what it felt like to be kissed by Jett Santo.”
“You told me you lived with a roommate, I suggested we go to my place. And then, well, we have our hazy memories.” I couldn’t hide my disgust at myself.
Finally, skittish green eyes lifted to meet mine. “I’m sorry.”
I blinked. “Why areyousorry?”
“I really was the reason you got suspended,” she whispered as a tear slipped over.
Was she kidding me? “Ava? You were . . . assaulted.” I couldn’t look at her; I felt like scum.
Cool hands clasped my cheeks. “No,” she whispered as she rose onto her tiptoes and brushed her lips over mine. “I told you, it wasn’t like that. My bodyknewyou; I wanted you. I want you.”
“And how do you know?” I asked as I pushed her away. “How do you know if I hadn’t come along, you wouldn’t havewantedDerrick?”
Ava bit her lip as she shook her head. “I don’t know—”
I snorted in disgust before she stepped back into my space.
“I don’t know how to make you believe me,” she continued. “I need you totrustme, I would know the difference. I know how you touched me, I know you didn’t force me, I know you took your time with me, I know what you made me feel.” Her hands reached for me. “Jett, please listen to me.”
My head dropped into my hands as I ran them through my hair in frustration. “You can’t know.” I sighed. “You’ll probably never know.”
“So that’s it?” Ava asked me tiredly. “You’ll always think this?”
I met her look, and I shrugged. “What else can I think? I’m no better than him.”
