33
Blaze
Seeing as I didn’t want my dad to see how they’d made fun of me for the umpteenth time, I waited outside his office until I saw the football players walk out the main entrance. The coast was clear.
I went into men’s locker room, surrounded by a big cloud of steam. I was taking off the dirty shirt when I saw a familiar silhouette out of the corner of my eye.
Jackson.
With his hair still wet and a duffel bag over his shoulder, he smelled like musky body wash.
“So?” he asked self-assuredly. I looked around bewildered. What was he talking about?
“What, Jackson?” I kept my distance.
“Are you sure they’re gonna drug test us?” He interrogated me.
“I heard my dad talk about it with the coach, they’re gonna do it by the end of the month. It’ll be random, only a few players will be tested, and if any of them test positive, they’ll be permanently kicked out.”
“Random? Really?” Jackson seemed skeptical, and tried to hint at a chuckle, but all he could manage was a seductive smile.
“Are you trying to tell me that your dad and the coach don’t discriminate? If it had to do with Hood, they’d let it slide, but if it had to do with James they’d throw him out without thinking twice about it, you know that too.”
We glared at each other, as if there was an invisible enemy between us.
“I don’t know.” I cut off shrugging. “Instead, tell me about the other day at Poppy’s.”
A mischievous glint flashed over his sky-blue eyes.
“It seemed like you liked it,” he remarked, trapping his piercing between his snow-white teeth. Was he really talking about when we were locked in the bathroom and I ended up with my mouth between his legs?
“I’m not talking about that,” I retorted.
Jackson’s tense look drifted down to my quivering hands, intent on squeezing the shirt that James had loaned me.
“What are you talking about?” The question was followed by his usual huffy expression.
“We made cocktails, and you didn’t even have a sip. The guys smoked, and you didn’t even have a hit.” I gazed attentively at him.
“So what?”
“It’s for James, isn’t it? Are you getting ready to sacrifice yourself for him?” This time Jackson charged at me with shocking rage.
“Why the fuck do you always have to talk about him?” He sighed against my cheek.
I held my head high, solely to voice my next provocation. “Jealous?”
“Why should I be?”
“You and he made out together too. Taylor’s words,” I snarled, annoyed.
“It was a screwup.” He downplayed what had happened.
“Sure, the bullshit you do with your best friend, who you’re in love with.” His hand seemed to know the exact force to apply when he wrapped it around my neck. I felt my shoulders slam against the metal lockers, causing a rumble that filled the quiet space.
“If you don’t cut it out with this bullshit, it’s over between you and me,” he whispered on my already throbbing lips.
“Why, when did it start?” I provoked.
