I looked up at him with my eyes narrowed. “First of all, you didn’t outrun me. I’d already been running for a while before you showed up. Second of all,... Well, I don’t have a second of all. Shut up. Does any of this hurt?”
He was quiet for long enough after I looked back at his knee that I had to lift my eyes again and what I saw sent a bolt of arousal through my veins. He was watching me with his lip caught between his teeth. “I have a very different ache that’s going to make itself known if you don’t get off your knees, Cassidy.”
The sound of giggling drew my attention and I looked around Hayes’ legs to see a group of students looking at us. More than one of them had their phones trained on us. I fought the urge to throw rocks at them and took Hayes’ hand to pull myself up.
“It’s easier to ignore that shit now but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to teach them a lesson about how rude they’re being.” I dusted off my knees and sighed. “At least you didn’t get a boner?”
He laughed with his head thrown back and then gripped my hips to pull me in for a sweaty kiss. “It’s never too late.”
Laughing, I pushed him away. “Come on. I’m tired of being a monkey in the zoo. Let’s go see if your truck has been towed and then I’ll let you drive me home. I need a cold shower.”
“Because I’m not hot?”
I grinned. “Sure. Why not?”
He threw his arm over my shoulder and laughed when I cringed against his sweaty armpit. “Pheromones, right?”
“That only works to a certain point and then you just stink.” I refused to tell him that he was right. I could’ve breathed in his sweaty smell for the rest of the walk but I had limits. I couldn’t show all my cards.
He lifted my arm and buried his nose in my armpit until I squeaked and smacked his shoulder. “Yeah, you stink.”
“I hate you.”
He wagged his brows. “Just kidding. If I didn’t think you’d get all weird, I would’ve licked-”
“Hayes?”
His grin was pure mischief. “I’ll shut up.”
55
***Cass***
Later that night, when I was curled up on the couch and watching more trash TV, I learned that I wasn’t as tough as I thought I was. Someone had posted the photos from earlier that morning and they’d gone viral around campus. Maybe further than that. It felt like they’d gone viral everywhere when I saw how many comments had already been posted under them. Whatever toughness I’d thought I possessed crumbled when I saw what people were saying.
My phone buzzed constantly as people tagged me in the pictures and I couldn’t stop consuming all the words, no matter how harsh they were. I couldn’t stop staring at the photos, blowing them up to see what everyone else saw, breaking myself apart until I was raw and all my nerves were exposed.
I picked at every pixel of the photo. I was red and blotchy, soaked in sweat, with my hair stuck to my head in a way that made me look like I was balding. My stomach was pooched out, my thighs looked weird, even my mouth looked grotesque afterI’d stared at it for long enough. The position of some of the photos made it seem like I’d been going down on Hayes right there in public and the commenters didn’t hesitate to take note.
Of course, to get a man like that she had to do it on her knees.
Does he not realize he could dosomuch better?
God, she’s hideous. Does she even brush her hair?
She’s built like a boy. Doesn’t he want a real woman?
I’d never go outside if I looked like that.
How in the hell did she get all three of the Ford brothers? She must have a magic pussy.
Maybe the Ford brothers have vision problems.
I bet she gives good head.
A boy band called. They want their member back.
Someone should give her a makeover.
