Arizona gives her a forced smile, clearly trying to hide just how much it hurts, but she won’t be getting away with it that easily. After all, in her attempt to avoid Jax, she’s also been avoiding me, and I won’t stop until I know she’s okay.

  We walk up the steps and into the school before making our way down the hall and stopping at Chanel’s locker. “So, how are you doing?” I ask Ari as we watch Chanel riffle through her things, looking for who the hell knows what. “You know … after everything went down at the track?”

  Ari shrugs her shoulders, her lips pulling into a sad smile. “I’m fine,” she tells me. “Really. I’ve had a few weeks to process. As bad as it sounds, you guys getting hurt has distracted me from the whole Jax doesn’t want to be with me thing, so it’s made it a little easier. But now that you’re all back, I don’t think I can avoid it any longer.”

  “There’s no way in hell,” I say. “That idiot has been moping for three weeks straight. Every day he’d ask me if you were coming to visit or if I’d heard from you. I know you needed space from him to figure yourself out, but he’s really missing his friend.”

  Ari scoffs. “He’s missing getting his dick sucked.”

  “That too,” I laugh before leaning in. “Haven’t you heard?” I question, lowering my voice and watching as the idea of gossip has her eyes widening with excitement. She leans in to hear me better and a wide grin cuts across my face. “He can’t get off. He hasn’t been able to come since the last time you two were together. He’s tried everything. At first, he was trying to rub one out, but couldn’t bend or move that way because it hurt, which honestly sounds like shit to me because all he had to do was lay there and grab it. I mean, there’s not that much movement involved for a guy, so I think he was trying but just couldn’t, you know … finish.”

  Her brows shoot up and she gapes at me. “You’re lying.”

  “Cross my heart and hope to die,” I say as the girls continue up the hallway, me and Ari trailing behind. “He was desperate. I bet everything I have that his dick is red raw from going at it for days straight without a happy ending. He’s been so snappy and frustrated, but I would be too if I couldn’t come.”

  “Holy fuck.”

  “Yeah, the guys suggested he just find some random chick and fuck her like he always does, but he couldn’t do it. The only person he wants to fuck is you. You’re the chosen one, Ari. You’ve got the magic vag.”

  She rolls her eyes, her cheeks flushing the softest shade of red. “Shut up.”

  “No can do. It’s a done deal, from here on out, you shall be known as Mag—magic vag.”

  We reach Ilaria’s locker, and Arizona falls back against the one beside it, letting out a heavy breath. “This isn’t good,” she says, glancing down the hallway just in time to watch Logan and Jax walk through the doors together. Jax’s eyes are already on Ari. “So, not only is he desperate to talk, but he’s also horny as fuck?”

  “Yep.”

  “I’m fucked.”

  “So fucked,” I agree.

  We cross the hall to my locker next, and I can’t help but notice the way Ari hides behind us, peeking out to keep an eye on Jax as they make their way down the hall. The twins stop to meet the boys, but Jax has his sights firmly on Ari and won’t be letting her escape so easily.

  Hudson and Addie come from the opposite direction, stopping when they reach us, and the moment they do, I notice the whispers that follow them. Questions about why they’re standing so close, what happened at the track, why she’s been away so long. Hell, there are even comments from assholes suggesting she faked the whole thing.

  Addie keeps her head down but, for the most part, she seems okay. “Are you okay?” I murmur, moving in closer after shutting my locker.

  She shrugs her shoulders, not really wanting to talk about it. But the longer I hold her stare, the more I can read her and damn it, she’s not okay at all.

  “Just say the word and we can get you out of here,” I tell her. “If you’re not ready, we can try again next week or the week after. There’s no pressure to be here.”

  “Yes there is,” she says. “I can’t keep hiding, pretending everything is fine. I need to face it to put it all behind me, otherwise, I’ll never be able to move on. Even in a fucking coma, Colby still has a chokehold on me, and I’m over it. I’m sick of him having this control over my life. I’m taking it back, and if I have to beat every fucking person in this school to make it happen, I’ll do it.”

  “Damn straight you will,” I say as we shuffle along to Ari’s locker, only for her to tear it open, shove her bag inside, and bolt down the hall without another word, or glance over her shoulder.

  “Fuck,” Jax mutters from right behind me, the guys at his back.

  I let out a frustrated sigh and pin him with a hard stare. “Seriously? You couldn’t just give her ten minutes of peace?”

  “Please,” he scoffs. “I’ve given her three fucking weeks of peace. How much more time does she need? We’re not getting anywhere while she’s avoiding me. No conversation means no progress. We’re just sitting still in this awkward mess and I’m over it. I need to know what’s going on in her head.”

  “Do you even know what’s going on in your head? If she comes to you right now and says she’s still crazy in love with you and wants to be together, do you know what you’re going to say?”

  “I … umm.” He trails off as he shakes his head, having no fucking idea.

  “Then leave her alone. If you can’t give her a definite answer, then you have no business demanding the same from her.”

  Jax clenches his jaw and stares down the hallway after her. “It’s not that easy, Bri.”

  “Put yourself in her shoes,” I tell him. “She’s stood by, giving you everything you wanted from her while watching from the sidelines as you’ve fucked around with other girls, not giving a shit about how it might affect her. Then when she finally has the courage to tell you how she feels, you shoot her down like the last few years have meant nothing, but yet you still expect her to want to fuck? You’re killing her inside, Jax. If she said she needs space, then give her that space, and hope that when she’s ready to come back to you, the damage you’ve caused to her heart wasn’t bad enough to destroy the friendship.”

  Jax swallows hard and turns on his heel, anger bursting in his eyes. He stalks back down the corridor, whipping his hand out to slam an open locker, the loud BANG echoing through the crowded hallway.

  “What was that about?” Tanner says, stepping into me, his hands taking my waist and pulling me in close.

  My chin lifts and I meet his soft stare, everything inside of me melting as I sink into him, his warm body pressed right up against mine. “I think Jax just realized that Arizona’s feelings matter just as much as his do.”

  “Shit,” Tanner mutters, dipping his head to brush his lips over mine. He presses me back against the cool locker as I kiss him back, listening to the way Addison pretends to gag.

  Tanner grins against my lips, and just to be an ass to his sister, he deepens the kiss, giving me exactly what I want. My hands wind up his body and curl around the back of his strong neck, holding him close, but nothing is better than when his thigh pushes between my legs and grinds against my clit.

  “Get a room.” Riley’s booming laugh sounds through the hallway just moments before his hand flies up and smacks Tanner on the back of his head.

  Tanner laughs against my lips before regrettably stepping back and taking my hand. His eyes sparkle with happiness as he looks down at me, and my whole body warms. This right here is home. I haven’t seen him happy like this for a while. There’s always something weighing him down, but at this very moment, nothing else matters to him.

  Tanner loops our joined hands over my shoulder and pulls me in tight beside him, positioning us in a way that Addison is blocked from the students passing us in the hall. Considering what she said earlier, I really can’t tell if Tanner is trying to protect Addison from their whispers or protect them from her wrath.

  Logan and Chanel start bickering, and just as I roll my eyes at their performance, the bell sounds and as one, we sigh. “Come on,” Tanner says, stroking his thumb over my wrist. “I’ll walk you to homeroom.”

  Ilaria falls in beside me as everybody takes off in different directions. We follow Addison and Logan down the hall, and just as Tanner releases my hand outside the door of my homeroom, a passing comment has venom pulsing through my veins.

  “Fucking whore,” a guy I recognize from Tanner’s team says, turning around to look back at Addison as she passes him. “I bet you wanted it, didn’t you? You filthy little slut. You were frothing at the mouth. Bitches like you are always begging for it.” He laughs at his own comments, clearly not having enough sense to shut his mouth. “Probably cried rape because you got caught, but we all know you were bouncing on his cock like a fucking pornstar.”

  Tanner tenses beside me, and my eyes widen with fear. “Tanner don’t,” I rush out, reaching for him in a panic, but it’s already too late.

  He rushes him, grabbing the fucker with ease and tossing him around like a fucking ragdoll. His back slams up against the wall before he even knows what hit him. “The fuck did you say about my sister?” Tanner growls, the sound so icy-cold it sends shivers down my spine.

  Fear flashes in his eyes, knowing damn well what Tanner did to the last guy who got in his way, but the cockiness quickly comes rushing back. “Come on, man.” The asshole laughs, trying to shrug it off. “I was just playing around with her. Chill out.”

  “Oh yeah?” he questions as Logan barrels back down the hallway, wanting to defuse what could be a really bad situation if someone doesn't intervene. “If you’re just playing around, you wouldn’t mind saying it to my face then.”

  The guy swallows hard, realizing just how much trouble he’s in, and I push in beside Tanner, gripping his arm that’s pressing against this asshole’s throat. “Tanner, let’s go,” I urge him. “You’re already in enough trouble.”

  His jaw clenches and those dark eyes flash down to me before he turns and glances down the hallway, finding Addison standing at the other end, tears streaming down her face. Agony twists in the pit of my stomach, but before I can run after her, she disappears into the crowd.

  “Shit,” I sigh, watching as Logan pauses, knowing damn well he needs to double back and find her, and the moment he does, a new resolve comes over me. Fuck football, fuck the cops. Addison is hurting right now, and the longer we allow assholes to get away with talking shit like this, the more it’s going to hurt her.

  Reaching up, I grip Tanner’s chin and force his stare down to mine. He’s visibly shaking with rage, barely holding on, but because I asked him not to, he’s doing everything he can to hold that rage inside. “Take a breath,” I tell him, keeping my stare locked on his and watching as he calms before my very eyes. “You good?”

  He nods, more than ready to release the asshole back into the wild, but I shake my head, trusting him to be in control. “Now, teach him a fucking lesson,” I tell him. “Let him have it.”

  Without another word, I take a step back, narrowly avoiding Tanner’s elbow as it pulls back past my ribs. He doesn’t hesitate, and like lightning, his strong fist slams into the asshole’s stomach, instantly winding him.

  The guy drops to the ground, groaning and gasping for air as Tanner calmly steps back and glances at me, the asshole already long forgotten as Tanner refuses to lose control. “Love you,” he says, ducking his head to press a feather-soft kiss to my lips before dropping his hand to my lower back, the moment so melodic and peaceful.

  He walks me right to homeroom, leaving me gaping in the doorway as he walks backward, his eyes lingering on mine and sparkling with a heat that I can only describe as animalistic. His lips kick up into a cocky smirk, and just before he turns away, the fucker winks, leaving my knees weak.

  I’ve never been so turned on in my life. I clench my thighs while panting like a needy bitch in heat, itching to take this new, controlled version of Tanner Morgan for a wild ride.

  Chapter 10

  TANNER

  The school library usually empties with the final bell, but my girl is still hard at work. I lean into a bookshelf as I watch her across the room. She’s been working her ass off to finish all her missed assignments. “You ready?” I question, noticing she’s the last person here apart from the librarian, Mrs. Greene, with whom I have a love-hate relationship.

  Bri’s head snaps up, her eyes widening in shock. “Holy crap,” she says. “I didn’t hear you come in. Have you been standing there long?”

  I shake my head. “Nah,” I tell her. “Only just came in, but had I known you were so oblivious to the world around you, I could have snuck up on you instead, maybe bent you over the desk and fucked you while Mrs. Greene went about her business, completely unaware of the filthy things I was doing to you.”

  A wide grin stretches across her face as she looks back at me, her brow raising, though it’s not exactly the response I was expecting. She doesn’t say a word but holds my gaze, her cheeks flushing as she tries to hold back a laugh.

  I’m just a second from interrogating her on it when a throat clears behind me, and I whip around to find Mrs. Greene standing at my back. “I’m curious, Mr. Morgan. What exactly are these filthy things you intend to do in my library?”

  My eyes bug out of my head. “I, uhmm …”

  “That’s what I thought,” she says with a blank stare, clearly not impressed. “I suggest you get out of here before I’m forced to call your mother, and you know how that usually goes. She and I haven’t had a good chat in a while.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Greene,” I say, glancing back over my shoulder at Bri who’s silently shaking with laughter as she scrambles to clean up her things. Letting out a defeated sigh, I cross to Bri’s table and grab her bag before slinging it over my shoulder and taking her hand. “You got everything?”

  Bri double-checks under her table and nods, allowing me to drag her away before I get my ass put back on Mrs. Greene’s shit list. Trust me, it’s nowhere anybody wants to be. She made completing my tenth-grade science experiment way harder than it needed to be—but to be fair, I did light her trash can on fire. There’s been an odd smell in the library ever since.

  Taking Bri down to the student parking lot, I fling her bag into the back of my Mustang and drop into the driver’s seat as she gets in. “How was training?” she asks, looking back up at the school to where a few of my teammates are still lingering around.

  Shrugging my shoulders, I put the Mustang in reverse and start backing out. “Fine,” I tell her, not wanting to go into details about how I may or may not have kicked Daniel Carter’s ass after his comments toward Addie in the hall this morning. “Nothing special, but Jax wasn’t happy. Coach had him sitting on the bench the whole time, just watching. The fucker couldn’t handle it.”

  “I bet,” she laughs. “After Arizona avoided him the whole day, I’m sure he was already on edge.”

  “Damn right,” I tell her, laughing at the way his whole body was vibrating with restlessness on that damn bench, but I feel for him. I’ve been in his exact position. There have been too many bad days where I’ve gotten myself benched and had to sit through training, needing to work off the excess energy. Unfortunately for Jax, this won’t just be a one-off. He’s going to be benched for weeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up sneaking in a gym session and fucking up his progress.

  We get halfway home before I turn to her, watching as she looks out the window. “You know, you didn’t have to wait for me. You could have driven home, and I would have hitched a ride with one of the boys.”

  Bri gives me a dazzling smile. “I wouldn’t have left you stranded like that. Besides, when the doctor told me I was cleared for school and light duties, I doubt he meant I could drive.”

  “I’m sure you’re fine to drive.”

  She shrugs it off. “It gave me a chance to get through a bunch of schoolwork anyway. I’m so far behind.”

  “Didn’t you speak to your teachers?” I question, glancing at her again. “The school is aware of what’s been going on. Mom’s been keeping them updated. So I’m sure they’d give you some leeway on your missed work. There’s no need to be pushing yourself so hard to catch up.”

  “I want to,” she says. “I don’t want them taking it easy on me because of what happened. They didn’t want to help me when I was accused of being an accessory to rape, so I won’t accept their pity now. Besides, I didn’t miss too much. Just a few essays and a handful of assignments. Nothing I can’t handle.”

  “Sounds like you’re punishing yourself,” I mutter, focusing on the road as I turn down our street, purposefully glancing away to avoid the eye roll I know is coming. We’ve been arguing about it for the past week. I think she should ease back into it, but Brielle has a go-hard-or-go-home mentality, and usually, I love that about her. Only in this particular situation, it’s the most frustrating thing she’s ever done.

  Approaching my driveway, I can’t help but notice the black Aston Martin sitting in the neighboring drive, and a chill sails down my spine. Just as it does every time I see Channing. He’s got me in a fucking chokehold and he knows it. One wrong move from me, and my world will implode, and I don’t doubt he’ll come through on his threat.

  He knows too much, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.

  My hand tightens around the steering wheel, my knuckles paling as I turn into my driveway, only as I come to a stop, the door of the Aston Martin swings open. Channing steps out of his car with his phone glued to his ear.