We’re both quiet for a moment.
“He your ex or something?” Deacon asks.
I snort. “Definitely not. We’ve never dated and trust me when I say, we never will.”
One dark brow raises over the rim of his glasses. “You sure about that? The way Price was acting, it’s the way a jealous ex would be if he caught someone sniffing around his girl.”
My lip curls. “First, I’m not a dog. No one is sniffing anywhere. And second, yes, I’m sure about that. I’ve known him since we were kids. We’re all sort of in the same friend group and he’s roommates with my older brother. He takes the term ‘overprotective’ to the extreme.” They all do. They’re the bonus brothers I never asked for. Well, except for Dominique. I mean, I still didn’t ask for him. That part is true. But of all the guys, he is the one I most definitely do not see as a brother. Even more so after what happened between us earlier this week.
Asshole.
Deacon nods, and I hate that I still can’t see his eyes, so I decide to do something about it. Reaching up, I pluck the shades off his face, folding them down and setting them beside me.
“So, what did those three knuckleheads do, exactly? I’m assuming threats were involved, or did he go on a power trip and threaten to have you removed from the team?”
A flash of fear appears on his face, but it’s gone a second later. Shit. Dominique really got to him.
“No. Not that. I’m still on the team.” His Adam’s apple bobs as he visibly swallows. “He can’t get me kicked off, anyway.”
I inwardly groan. Why are the pretty ones so dumb? Dominique could absolutely get Deacon removed from the team. All it would take is one phone call to his parents, a sizable donation, and boom. Goodbye, Suncrest U. Hello, community college.
I decide not to tell him that because he seems a little freaked out as it is. If you didn’t grow up in Sun Valley, then it’s safe to assume you don’t know how big of a deal Dominique’s family is. Deacon probably knows who the Prices are, the same way everyone in the U.S. knows who Bill Gates is. But, if you saw him walking down the street, you’d probably walk past him none the wiser, and it’s not like you’d know who his kids were or what they looked like.
“Yo, D!” someone shouts, pulling Deacon’s attention. “Is that her? The chick you got your ass kicked for?” He gives me a heated look, biting his fist. “Damn, man. I get it.”
“Reed, fuck off,” Deacon snarls right as I give the guy a one-fingered salute.
“Come on, man. No need to be like that. I was just complimenting your girl. I’d tap that for sure.” He makes a thrusting motion with his hips and Deacon groans, covering his face with his hand.
“I apologize on behalf of my idiot frat brother. You probably won’t believe me, but he’s actually a pretty cool guy when he’s not wasted like he is now.”
Yeah. Not so sure about that but I leave it alone.
“He said you got your ass kicked. That was because of me?”
He sighs. “It’s nothing. Can we drop it?”
Uh, no. No, we cannot drop it. I told Dominique it was an accident. Obviously he didn’t let it go, but I’d expect him to throw his weight around. Maybe threaten Deacon or try to intimidate him somehow. Physically assaulting him is taking it to another level. Why was he so riled up about this?
“I’m going to need a play by play. I can get that from you or from some of your brothers who, by the sounds of it, are in the know. Up to you.”
His jaw flexes, but instead of telling me what happened he asks, “Did you lie and tell him I hurt you?”
“Excuse me?”
He turns narrowed eyes my way. “I’ve gone over what happened in my head a few times and Dominique said I hurt you. Left a bruise but,” he shakes his head. “I never hit you. I don’t hit women. I’m trying to figure out why you’d tell him otherwise.”
His nostrils flare and damn, he looks pissed. All over again, I get the feeling he isn’t someone safe. It’s like he hides this dangerous edge about him under layers of confidence and charisma.
“Well?” he snaps.
I lift my arm in answer. When he sees the still purple mark, he grabs my arm and tugs it closer, taking me with it since, well, it’s sort of attached. I all but fall into his lap, but he doesn’t even notice. His eyes lock on my skin. Flexing his fingers, he wraps them around my arm in the exact same spot before cursing and shoving my arm away.
“I didn’t tell him you hit me. I didn’t even say this came from you.” I sit back and tuck my legs beneath me. “He saw us talking when you walked me to the athletics building. Then he saw the bruise. My poker face is pretty awesome. Sorry about that. He asked if it came from you and well …” I trail off.
“When we collided?” he asks.
I nod.
