I shrug. I wasn’t about to tell my mom the chick wants to fuck me.
Mom smiles. “It’ll be a good life lesson then.”
Yeah, don’t discuss things with my mom ever.
Harper
“Dinner was lovely. Thank you again for having me over, Mrs. Lee.” I’m putting off leaving. Caden is furious. Luke looks like he’s going to spank me. Eli and Jack worked the whole meal to keep the tension from being obvious to Mrs. Lee.
“I expect you to be around a lot. Now that you two are dating.” Her gaze drops to our hands woven together.
“Of course.” I honestly hope Nico can talk some sense into Luke before he punishes me. I decided to keep it from them so it wouldn’t become a thing. Caden doesn’t need to be reminded of what that fucker did to his sister.
“We’re headed to Luke’s to do some homework, and then I’ll be home.” Nico kisses his mom on her cheek before steering me out the door. “You can ride in my car, sunshine.”
We hurry to his car, and he holds open the door for me. Caden and Luke hang back, watching us. They’re talking quietly.
“Change of plans.” Luke steps forward as Nico closes my door. “We’re going to Caden’s.”
Nico nods and steps away from the car, but I can still hear them.
“I’m there to watch him with her,” Nico says. “They’ve barely talked. I can protect her, Luke.”
“We’ll talk when we get there.” He claps Nico on the shoulder. “Don’t think you can protect her from us.”
Nico’s words are lost to me as he lowers his voice. Luke’s gaze grabs hold of mine, and I’m pinned in place by him. He doesn’t like that I kept this from him, but my life doesn’t have to be an open book to these guys.
Luke shifts his gaze to Nico, releasing me. I draw a breath into my starving lungs. Fuck. Tonight might be a shit show I’ll be the center of. Wanting to avoid any more captured gazes, I purposely look away from the guys while they finish talking.
The car door opens, and Nico climbs in. “We should have told them from the start.”
“Why? It’s literally been a day, and nothing has happened.” I throw my hands up as Nico drives to Caden’s house. “Why must they know every aspect of my life? Seriously it’s a fucking group project. They can’t control who the teacher assigns me.”
“This isn’t just someone, sunshine.” Nico’s voice is calm as he takes the turns. “We both don’t know how deep this goes, but we know enough to be wary of the guy. Who’s to say he won’t take advantage of this? We don’t know Tanner. They do.”
“She drew them randomly.” I blow my hair out of my face as I rest my head against the seat.
I didn’t know Tanner. Don’t know Tanner. Yes, he tried to trick me to get revenge on the horsemen, but that didn’t and won’t happen.
And now I’m probably heading to get punished. Part of me is secretly thrilled at the prospect, since it will be a private punishment and not a public humiliation.
Nico pulls in behind Caden’s car and turns off the ignition. “I can’t go against the guys on this one, Harper.”
I look down at my hands in my lap. “I know.”
He was my friend first, but I’m not the one he saw every summer. I’m the one who hid herself away. He ghosted me and that hurt. I’m lucky I found Kenz or I would have had no one.
“Hey, I won’t let them take it too far.” Nico cups my cheek and turns my face to his.
“What’s too far, Nico?” I bite out. It’s been building in me all day with the Cheermonsters and Nico. I’m just done. “Spanking? Whipping? Torture? Where’s the limit on what they can do to me and you’ll be likehey, guys, maybe we should think this over?”
“Harper—”
“No, you chose. All those years ago, you chose them over me. And you’ll continue to do that. You’ll follow their edicts because you’re one of them.” My throat thickens, and tears press forward, but I hold them back. “For a second, I thought you were mine too, but I’m wrong. You’re just another owner.”
I get out of his car before he can hold me back. I’m angry at myself for thinking he could be something other than a horseman. That maybe he would be on my side. Not always, but occasionally.
He took me out for lunch so he could fuck me with his jersey on. Not because I’m special.
