She claws at my back, her nails sharp enough to leave marks. Then I reach down to grip her thigh to open her wider for me, hooking it in place with my forearm. I dive deep, bottoming out.
The couch creaks under us, but I don’t care. Her pace gets frantic, then erratic, and I can tell she’s close. Sam buries her face into my neck, breathing hard, making little whimpers that turn me inside out. I buck into her, matching her rhythm, the feeling building until I can’t hold it any longer.
I lose it and quickly pull out, coming all over her stomach.
Sam clings to me as our bodies ride out the tremors together. I search her face, not quite sure what I’m looking for. She really is beautiful, and I hate that it took me this long to truly see her.
Sam is it for me, and I know it’s crazy considering we were just at each other’s throats. But I think deep down, that’s why I pushed her way. I knew that the moment I let her in, I’d be done for.
Then I remember that I’m not the only one who feels this way.
If today told me anything, it’s that Mountain and Alex care for her, too. And now I need to know.
Sitting up, I rub my temple. “Not to kill the mood, but I need to ask.”
She lifts up on her elbows.
“Where do we all fit in in this? Me?” I swallow. “And the guys? Who do you choose?”
Her shoulders slump; then she shrugs. “I… I… what if I can’t choose?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
SAM
My life has never been more complicated than it is right now.
I’m sitting in the living room across from Kane, Alex, Mountain, and Gracie, as they collectively wait for me to start the conversation. It would fall on me, right? I mean, I am the reason we’re all here.
Mountain sits next to me, his large frame expectantly comforting. Alex is across from us, leaning against the dining room table with a beer in his hand. Kane is settled next to Gracie on the larger couch, and I have to force myself to not make eye contact with him. Not only did we just have sex right where Gracie is sitting, that question still looms between us: What if I can’t choose?
“So does someone want to tell me why I’m here?” Gracie asks, staring between the four of us, but no one answers. “What’s this all about?”
“It’s about what we found. The questionable details of my scholarship, the pictures we found, the articles. Someone knows, and they’re threatening me.”
Gracie’s eyes grow wide, nearly bulging out of their sockets.
“What?” She scoots to the edge of her seat, shoulders tensing, posture going rigid.
“I haven’t told you, but shortly after we found that article, I started getting very disturbing text messages. At first, it didn’t register that it had anything to do with what we’d found. It could have come from anyone. The whole team practically hated me. Jackson. Christina. So I just ignored it and stopped reading them.”
The boys shift awkwardly at that, regret written all over their faces. Even Bryden’s, when he was the only one who didn’t treat me poorly.
“I’m confused.” Gracie holds up a hand. “Why would we think these texts were from Christina or Jackson?”
I glance at the boys, taking a moment to find the right words. “Jackson tried to drug me and when I reported it, the chancellor and coach protected him. Threatened to expel me unless I dropped the accusation and worked for the team for the rest of the season. And Christina? Well, why does she do anything she does? My guess is she is fully aware of what Jackson tried to do to me, and because she and him have that weird relationship, she chose to join in on the hatred.”
Gracie’s spine snaps straight, her eyes shifting awkwardly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“I’m fine, and I should’ve told you.” I fidget with my fingers. “Last night, when Alex stopped by, it was because he had found information that tied my scholarship to the social club our parents were in. And while he was there, Jackson called. We only know it was him because Alex recognized his voice. But I don’t know if he was just trying to mess with me or if he’s the one that’s been calling all along. The calls are always blocked, so I never could figure that out. Then he showed up at practice today and everything got out of control, so I left and I swear someone was following me. There was a black van, completely blacked out, and unmarked.”
“Sam says they were tailing her until I showed up, must have scared them off,” Kane adds.
“Oh my God, Sam,” Gracie says, her voice full of sincerity. “That’s scary. So, we were right?” Gracie peers back to me. “The chancellor is involved, and something definitely went down with that club?”
“We think so.”
Alex nods, scratches his head before crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah. Sam told me about my father’s name being in her file, so I snuck into his work computer. It wasn’t much there, but I found a wire transfer from the bank.”
