Reckless: The Legacy Begins, page 43
“She isn’t my momma. She merely gave birth to me. I don’t claim her anymore,” Rebel sniffed, her stupid ass words not helping CJ’s ire.
Nor did it stop the hurt plastering Mom’s face.
Seeing her expression set Dad off. “Keep this shit up, and Ima beat your fuckin’ ass again,” he roared, getting to his feet.
In an instant, Mom was in front of him, grasping his forearms as he and Rebel locked in a glaring contest. Mom whispered to him. His sights were still set on Rebel, but whatever Mom said calmed him.
His aunts and uncles watched the scene unfold with frowns etched on their faces, a contrast to Ryan’s amusement. CJ made a mental note to beat his ass if word of Rebel’s behavior leaked beyond the family.
“Rebel, I ain’t tellin’ your lil’ ass again. Go to your motherfuckin’ room, or I’m fuckin’ dragging you.”
Okay, maybe Dad hadn’t calmed down.
Luckily, Rebel’s survival instincts kicked in. She swiped one of the remaining dinner rolls, much to Uncle Digger’s chagrin, and stomped out of the kitchen.
Even when Mom and CJ’s aunts began setting out the food so everyone could finally eat, tension remained.
Girls! Namely, Harley and Rebel.
Thanks to those two, CJ felt like tearing his goddamn hair out of his motherfucking head.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Long before CJ joined the middle school football team, he’d study the upperclassmen and found the boys to be some of the most dedicated and hardworking athletes in high school sports. When he made the JV team in his freshman year and his parents told him attending college was the only way they’d agree to him patching in, CJ was determined to become a starter. Some weeks, he practiced more than he rode.
His football goals were the reason Harley first tried out for the cheer team. By his sophomore year, the star quarterback had graduated, and CJ won the position after a hard-fought battle between him, Willard, and Ryan.
During his team’s ten-week regular season, CJ displayed his physical abilities, mental toughness, strategy, and leadership abilities. It was why he fought to remain on the team when Lumbly did everything in his power to see him kicked off.
On the field during the game, they displayed not only their physical abilities but also their mental toughness, strategy, and teamwork. The one game that mattered as much for social standing as it did sportsmanship was Homecoming. CJ hadn’t realized how important it was to participate in every aspect of the game until Harley turned into a motherfucking monster.
Instead of helping, the revelations about Harley’s behavior at the family get together severed CJ’s ties with her completely. First, Aunt Bailey and Uncle Mort grounded her for the lies. Then, at his mother’s birthday party, Harley gave CJ an ultimatum—either he back out of Homecoming or never talk to her again.
It didn’t help that she did it in front of everyone. Their parents, their siblings, their cousins, their aunts and uncles, and extended family. Diesel was there, but he’d left Tabitha at their house. Derby, Gypsy, Aunt Georgie, Sloane, and his band members were in attendance, too. Grant. The party had moved from the clubhouse to his parents’ home and they’d just finished toasting his mom.
Molly mentioned they should’ve studied the egg to ice cream batter ratio in a thirty-five-pound cake for their chemistry project and Harley went ballistic. While CJ was grateful Rebel had boycotted the birthday party because she wouldn’t have been amused at the comment, he didn’t appreciate Harley’s bullshit dampening his mom’s party any more than Rebel’s stupidity already had.
Any ideas CJ had to appease Harley died on the hill of her demands. He threw his all into Homecoming Week, campaigning to become king, fucking thrilled Ridge Moore allowed the crowning of juniors. He couldn’t run in his senior year. Likewise, he couldn’t run for Prom King if he won the title for Homecoming.
He didn’t fucking care. He had a point to make. Petty? Maybe. Oh, fucking well. Bitchery begot motherfuckery.
However, the joke was on him.
The stadium was packed with fans of both teams. It was loud and bright and colorful. Shouts and chants rose in waves. The cheer and dance teams sparkled in glittery costumes, displaying their moves and ability, adding to the excitement. Rebel, Mattie, Molly, Harley, and Jaleena were amongst them.
Yet his insistence on attending the dance had driven a wedge between him and Harley. She hated him, and on such an important night, it was fucking with him more than it had all week. Here, under the bright lights with coaches and scouts watching, it was difficult to focus. By halftime, when the bands took centerstage for their competition, CJ had been sacked twice and his team was down by ten.
Harley hated him.
They’d had arguments. Best friends argued and made up. This time was different though. The rejection of his best bro…
Oh, who the fuck was he kidding? It was a long time since they’d only been ‘bros.’ Their new title far murkier and more complicated.
Maybe it would’ve been better if CJ had never confessed his feelings for her last summer. If they’d simply remained as friends and he hadn’t told Harley about his deeper feelings, there wouldn’t be so much bullshit clouding his mind.
But what was done was done and he couldn’t go back to undo it. He had to live with Harley’s rejection. It was a bitter pill to swallow, though.
He stood alone in the shadows of the tunnel. Coach Yancy knew the Homecoming Court would be announced as soon as the bands finished, so he didn’t order CJ to the locker room. Finally, the bands were filing away and Dr. Marvey, along with other Ridge Moore administrators, were walking onto the field.
Sighing, CJ trekked to where the other candidates were. All the aches and pains that adrenaline blocked plagued him now. He searched the bright field for a glimpse of Harley. Finally, he saw her on the sidelines. Her blue uniform with the big yellow ‘R’ revealed her figure. Each time they stayed away from each other and CJ saw her again, her body changed.
She had hella fucking curves.
Seeing Harley prancing around in her cheerleader uniform, with Nardo fucking Grevenberg chatting her up almost made him lose his shit. Barely composed, it took every ounce of his strength not to stomp over swing on that motherfucker.
“Attention ladies and gentlemen.” Dr. Marvey’s call came just in time to prevent CJ from fucking up Nardo, allowing the excited crowd a few moments to quiet down. “The results for our Homecoming Court are in!”
“Hey CJ!” Jaleena said, rushing up to him and grabbing his hand. “Are you excited?”
“I am!” Molly announced, appearing at his other side.
Ryan stepped next to her. He was the kicker and he’d done his job. Without his strong leg, the Titans wouldn’t have nine points.
The light haloed Dr. Marvey, gleaming off his white hair. Because life sucked lately, Lumbly was amongst the school officials as the dean took his time announcing the Homecoming court. Jaleena, Molly, and a girl named Scarlet were the nominees for Queen. Once all three girls were present, Marvey switched shit. Instead of announcing the winner, he named the boys in the running.
“Candidates for king are CJ Caldwell.”
CJ grinned at the cheers rising around him and waved, wondering where his parents were, wishing Harley was at his side.
“Ryan Taylor,” Dr. Marvey continued.
Strutting forward with cocky confidence, Ryan glared at CJ.
“And Oliver Garcia,” Dr. Marvey finished after what seemed like forever.
Oliver, who CJ only recognized as the captain of the debate team, was far more civil to his competition, offering them both small smiles.
With less excitement than any of the girls showed, CJ and his rivals smiled.
Jaleena beamed at CJ and gave him a thumbs up.
CJ smiled at her excitement.
“We’re so gonna win,” Jaleena stage whispered to CJ, the wide smile on her face enhancing her beauty.
“As if,” Scarlet snarked, though her tone held no real malice.
“All of you shut up, because we’re going to crush you,” Ryan boasted, slinging an arm around Molly’s waist, and pressing a kiss to her temple.
Molly giggled at the attention. CJ knew they weren’t official, but it was obvious that the two cared about each other. More often than not, Ryan was a big fucking asshole, and Molly sometimes seemed like the dumbest bitch alive, but their happiness made him happy.
His cousin caring about becoming Homecoming King surprised CJ, but Ryan’s excitement pleased him. If Ryan won, he’d go to the dance in a show of support and stay thirty minutes tops, before making his excuses to Jaleena and heading home. If Oliver won… Well, fuck him. CJ wouldn’t even bother with the dance. He'd go home and…fuck! No. It didn’t matter how much he wanted to appease Harley, she was being so unfair.
If she hated him for simply not getting her way, then she’d never loved him in the first place.
A part of him hoped Ryan would win. Less bullshit all around, but CJ’s competitive side wanted Ryan to eat his fucking words.
“And now, our Queen is…” Dr. Marvey made a production of opening the thick envelope Lumbly handed to him. “Jaleena Davis!”
Squealing, Jaleena gasped and clapped, bouncing up and down. “Oh my god!” she screamed. “Oh my god!”
“The Homecoming King is…” Dr. Marvey snatched the envelope from Lumbly. “CJ Caldwell!”
“You’re fucking kidding me?” Ryan snarled, his words nearly drowned out by screams and applause.
As he held on to Jaleena’s waist, CJ regretted she wasn’t the one he liked. She was a beautiful girl with a bright future ahead of her. And unlike Harley, Jaleena was his age. Under two years separated him and Harley. It wasn’t a huge difference, but big enough to cause issues as he reached milestones before her, and their life branched out in different directions. He felt it was momentary, but Harley didn’t agree.
Jaleena squealed again and planted a kiss on CJ’s cheeks. His cock surged at the feel of her lips on his skin.
Damn that motherfucker. Never staying down.
As the other students cheered for them, he wrapped an arm around Jaleena’s waist. She sagged against him, pressing another kiss to his cheek. The crowd roared in approval at their display of affection.
When his cheeks began to hurt from smiling so much, he glanced at his cousin. Ryan still looked pissed, though Molly was trying her best to calm him down. Surprisingly, it seemed to be working, and he actually nodded to CJ.
Jaleena tugged on his arm to regain his attention, and he went back to basking in the cheers. It was almost too perfect, bordering on cliché. The quarterback and his pretty cheerleader date win Homecoming king and queen, who would’ve expected that? But though it may be a cliché, it was one that CJ was glad to bring to life.
As the crowd’s attention dragged on, CJ’s mind wandered back to Harley. No matter how hard he tried, she refused to leave his mind.
The Homecoming dance was a perfect example of their lives branching out. His very attendance made Harley cast him aside and run into the arms of another guy, crushing and angering him. However, even if her feelings were fickle enough to move on so easily, CJ’s weren’t. Even now, he was convinced they were meant to be, and refused to allow another girl to complicate things further.
It would be unfair to Harley to get involved with someone else, and especially unfair to Jaleena to be with her when his heart pined after another.
“Congratulations, CJ,” Molly said happily, then took off behind Ryan as he headed toward the tunnel.
“We won!” Jaleena screamed.
“Yeah, bae!” CJ yelled, getting caught back up in the excitement. “Now, we have a fucking game to win.”
Bouncing up and down, she hugged him. Before the game resumed, the court gathered together and allowed the band to pay homage to them while the spotlight was shown on CJ, Jaleena, and the other ten students.
At the end of halftime, CJ took position on the field.
For the first half of the game, the visiting team had kept the lead, but winning the title of Homecoming King filled CJ with new determination. He focused on beating the opponents on his turf.
With the score tied at twenty-four, with seconds left on the clock, Ryan’s field goal saw The Ridge Moore Titans victorious.
After the game, CJ went home to change. Homecoming theme was A Night at the Casino, therefore he had a tux. His parents would be chaperones. While Mom dressed up in a pretty gown, Dad wore full leathers.
Hours later and still riding a victory high, CJ left home in a rented limo to pick up Jaleena in Portland. They talked and laughed the entire way to Ridge Moore about everything and nothing.
There was camaraderie between them, but not the deep connection he felt with Harley. As much as he liked Molly, something was missing with her too. Given the past few weeks and how Harley so easily pushed him away, he wondered if he was just more comfortable with her because he’d known her for so many years.
Outside the entrance to the school’s athletic center, a long red carpet led the way up the three steps and was laid between gold-clipped black velvet ropes attached to shiny stanchions. A working fountain styled after a roulette wheel centered the walkway that led to the buildings entrance. A recreation of the Welcome to Las Vegas sign greeted them when they entered the building. The hallway was a beehive of activity with students queued to have their photos taken under the Lucky Aces archway.
Once their tickets were scanned and CJ guided Jaleena into the gym, he paused. Oversized black, red, and white dice hung from the ceiling and sat in strategic places amidst balloons and oversized playing cards. Lit columns decorated with the four card suits indicated the food and drink stations. The DJ was set up on the same Roaring 20s bandstand CJ would later be crowned on.
For the next hour, CJ and Jaleena stayed on the makeshift dance floor, tangled in each other’s arms as they laughed, talked, and moved to the beat of the music.
Every now and then, he thought about checking on Harley, but she was either angry with him or spending time with Nardo, and CJ didn’t want either discovery to ruin his night. With effort, he pushed her out of his mind and focused on Jaleena, who was a sight to behold in her one shoulder dress. It clung to her curves and stopped at her knees, showing off a lot of her silky skin. The sparkling red fabric complemented her color nicely, and somehow, she perfectly matched her lipstick to the dress. She’d grown her hair out since last school year. Tonight, her short hair was styled in finger waves accentuated by art deco earrings.
She was so fucking gorgeous. Not to mention, she was a lot of fun, easy to talk to, and an excellent dance partner. If he wasn’t so hung up on Harley, he’d ask Jaleena to be his girlfriend in an instant.
No Hands by Waka Flocka Flame and a bunch of other motherfuckers were blasting through the speakers, heightening the party atmosphere.
“This is my shit!” Jaleena exclaimed as she followed the song’s instructions, grinding against him without the use of her hands.
Fuck him. If she kept moving like that, he’d have to deal with a hard dick in the middle of Homecoming.
“Mine too,” he managed, giving himself props for his composure.
At some point, his parents had arrived and now congregated with the other chaperones, teachers, and administrators. Luckily, the adults were deep in their own conversations. It helped how the crowd of motherfuckers on the dance floor swallowed them up and hid him and Jaleena from view. Otherwise, they would’ve gotten shit for dancing so suggestively.
Especially because motherfucking Lumbly was among the teachers. The little fucking troll was everywhere.
His mother was talking to Aunt Zoann and Aunt Bunny, looking worse for wear. Mom was too pale for his liking. But perhaps, the dark lighting played tricks on him.
Technically, only Aunt Zoann and his mother should’ve been chaperones since Mark JB wasn’t in the upper school yet, but Aunt Bunny offered to help. Being part of the Dweller circuit, they skirted the rules without worry. His mother and Aunt Zoann were expected additions, and CJ barely batted an eye at Aunt Bunny’s presence. The same couldn’t be said when Uncle Digger volunteered, shocking the ever-loving shit out of him and Dad.
Jaleena maneuvered her body to where her back was flush against his chest and her ass pressed against his cock. His dick jumped at the movement of her hips, and he tightened his grip on her waist. She turned in his arms and stared into his eyes. Her heels closed the height difference between them and allowed their faces – their lips – close proximity. He homed in on her full lips and he licked his at the idea of kissing her.
Then, an image of Harley’s face flickered through his mind, and he snapped his gaze forward. He caught Ryan and Molly making out in a corner, where they’d been holed up since the dance started, and diverted his gaze. He didn’t want to see his cousin shoving his tongue down the pretty airhead’s throat. She was too sweet for that dickhead.
Jaleena bent her knees and leaned forward as the song ordered a girl to drop it to the floor. Though his wandering mind slowed his steps, her movements never faltered. She moved so fluidly to the beat, it was easy to fall in sync with her. Soon, impure thoughts were cleansed from his mind as he became lost in dancing, though the little devil on his shoulder wouldn’t let him ignore their intimate position.
No Hands soon faded into Yeah! by Usher, Lil Jon, and Ludacris. As the tempo grew faster, so did his and Jaleena’s movements, and his hands gradually returned to her hips.
You love Harley! You love Harley! You love Harley!
You love Harley…
He chanted his affection for Harley to remind himself why he couldn’t take things further with Jaleena. His friendship with Harley was shaky at best, so anything more between them seemed improbable. Yet, in his head, the status of their relationship wasn’t resolved, and he’d promised to give her as much time as she needed.
Jaleena settled her arms around his neck and pressed her soft lips against his. CJ’s hand roamed over her curves, even as his chant echoed through his head. Jaleena didn’t protest his wandering hands. In fact, she seemed to encourage it, and she gave him a flirty smile. His fingers brushed over her ass.
