Offside (Playing For Keeps Duet Book 1), page 14
Just as I finish the last bottle of beer, I hear the door open behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I see Corv coming toward me with two beers in each hand. He hands me two before dropping down beside and placing his feet in the water. We sit here silently, sipping our beers and looking up at the night sky. The silence isn’t tense or uncomfortable. Sometimes, it’s actually nice to not be alone with your thoughts and have someone to just sit with you. I never knew what that was like growing up. I was banished to my room to fend for myself while my mom worked. Having an addict and a whore as a mother fucking sucked but her being useless led me to Corvin and his family, and for that reason only, I can’t hate my childhood. I made a vow to myself the night I moved into the Williams’ house, I would never allow myself to become like my mother and still to this day I have never touched a single illegal substance.
“He hurt her,” Corvin’s whispered words pull me from my inner thoughts, my temper has settled enough for me to talk now.
“What did she say?” I ask in an even tone.
He runs a hand through his hair in frustration. “It wasn’t what she said, D, it was in her eyes. I could see the fear. She completely shut down when I asked her if he had ever hurt her at school. She went pale, started screaming that she was so sorry for being a fuck up and if she could change it she would, then ran upstairs to her room.”
I mull over his words trying to make sense of what he is saying. Tonight I saw that same look on her face when I walked through the door and saw his hand on her. At the sound of my voice I saw her relax almost like she was grateful that I was there to get him away from her. If that is the case and she is scared of him, what changed from them fucking to her being fearful of him?
“What do you want to do, Corv?” I ask.
“I want to bury the fucker six feet deep for ever hurting her. This is what I have always been scared of, her finding a guy and him being a piece of shit! Why couldn’t she end up with one of you guys,” he says before he begins to laugh. Meanwhile, I sit here frozen.
“Would that be a bad thing… if she did end up with one of us?” I keep my tone light, trying to act nonchalant when in truth, my heart is beating so fucking fast. He bumps me with his shoulder and snorts.
“Dude, I would fucking rip all of your dicks off if any of you touched my sister. I know what you fuckers get up to behind closed doors and that isn’t happening where Leah is concerned.” I force out a laugh for his benefit but inside my hope of him ever accepting me and Leah together fizzes out. “We have a couple weeks before the season starts and we play them, I want him carted off the fucking field and out for the whole season. I don’t know exactly what he did to her but I know he did do something to her and he’s going to fucking pay for that!” I grunt out my agreement.
Morning times in this house are fucking chaos. We all fight over the toaster and cereal boxes like pigs. Don’t even get me started on what it’s like when the five of us make protein shakes at the same time.
“You used all the fucking milk!” Crue shouts. Beck shrugs his shoulders as he scoops another mouthful of his breakfast into his mouth. “You asshole, now I have to have toast!” Crue is always a grumpy bitch first up in the morning.
“Dude, I’ll buy you a bagel when we stop to get coffee.” Crue beams at Saint.
“You do love me!” Crue sing songs.
“More than anything!” Saint replies in a fake British accent.
“Leah?” The four of us all turn toward the door to see Corv rushing toward his sister who looks like shit. She has dark circles under her eyes, her hair is piled on top of her head in a messy bun. She wears a loose fitting tee that she has knotted in the front and plain black yoga pants. “Are you okay?” She nods in answer to her brother’s softly asked question. “Uh, want a lift to school?” Again she doesn’t respond verbally, just shakes her head and tries to move around Corvin but he blocks her path. “Talk to me, Leah, what’s going on?” he pleads.
“Nothing, I’m fine, everything is fine and dandy. Now can I go or I’ll be late for practice.” Stunned by her response, he nods and reluctantly steps out of her way, letting her walk right out the door without a fucking fight.
“Why the fuck did you let her leave?” I snap the second the front door clicks closed. Corvin spins around to face me looking utterly lost.
“What did you want me to do?” he growls angrily.
“Chain her ass to the bed if you had to!” I can hear the anger in my own voice. He eyes me warily for a second before asking,
“Since when do you care so much about my sister?” The accusation in his tone is clear. I should try to cover my ass but I’m tired of choosing between the Williams siblings. Like Beck said, I need to make a choice and I think I have. I stand, grab my bag off the floor, sling it over my shoulder and close the space between Corvin and me until we are standing an inch apart.
“I’ve always cared, more than you know or should I say more than you cared to see. I was the one who was worried about her while you were out dipping your dick in whatever had a hole. So don’t fucking stand there and question my motives where she is concerned.” I leave him standing there with a stunned look on his face as I chase after Leah.
CHAPTER 24
Leah
I don’t get more than a few meters from the house before I hear someone running after me. I spin around ready to tell whoever it is to fuck off but clamp my mouth closed when I find it’s Garrett.
“Morning, sunshine.” I try to smile but from the look on his face I guess I fail. “Not such a good morning then, huh?” A whoosh of air escapes me as I shake my head.
“Not really,” I answer honestly.
“How about I walk you to school and we can grab a coffee and chat?” I open my mouth to answer but clamp it closed when Darius appears out of thin air and answers for me.
“She’s with me,” is all he says. Garrett’s eyes blaze with fury.
“She doesn’t belong to you!” he snaps. Darius winks at him before shocking the hell out of me when cups my face and smashes his mouth to mine. The kiss isn’t deep or anything like that, this kiss is for a purpose and that is to show Garrett that I’m Darius’s. I want to fight him off and demand he never touch me but this is the first time he has ever kissed me publicly and in front of someone! He pulls back, smirks at me before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and hauling me away from a wide-eyed Garrett.
“I think he gets the hint now, don’t you?” The gleeful sound of his voice snaps me out of my stupor. I pull away from him and quicken my pace to try to escape but of course he isn’t having any of that and grips my bag yanking me back into his side.
“Leave me alone!” I hiss as I struggle to get away from him. He spins me around so I am facing him and cups my face.
“I can’t,” he says softly
“I thought you hated me?” I spit the words at him. He bends until we are eye level and I can see the seriousness in his eyes.
“I’m gonna tell you something before I let you run away to practice.” I plaster a bored look on my face. “One, I am going to get to the bottom of why you freaked out on Corv last night.” I struggle to keep my face blank when inside fear is threatening to cripple me, when he finds out the truth he is going to hate me. “Two, I do hate you.” I suck a sharp intake of breath in as his words spear me right in the heart again. “I hate you because I can’t fucking hate you. I keep thinking the more I say it might make it true.” My mouth slackens in shock. “I hate that I can’t hate you, Goldie. I fucking hate that you can still have me wrapped around your finger and I’m powerless to stop it.” Tears cloud my vision, he takes a shuddering breath as he releases me and steps back. “Most of all, I hate that I still fucking love you.” I stand here frozen and rooted to the spot as I watch him turn around and head back to the house.
I stand here for so long that my phone ringing is the only thing that snaps me out of my thoughts. Darius loves me, he doesn’t hate me! I fish my phone from my bag and curse when I see the time and answer Katie’s call.
“Sorry, I’m on my way now!” I say in lieu of a greeting.
“Run bitch run because coach is on a warpath.” Shit, I end the call and run as fast I can to get to practice before I get in more shit from coach.
I head to my last class of the day, groaning. I fucking hate calculus and Mr. Thompson has it out for me! The asshole has failed me on the last two pop quizzes. I walk into class and head to my usual seat up the back. I drop into my chair and grab out my pad and pen as I wait for Garrett to show up, only he doesn’t and Mr. Thompson spends the whole fucking lesson telling us how he doesn’t get paid enough to teach idiots. The moment the bell signals the end of class everyone is flying from their desks and racing for the nearest exit trying to escape this fucking room.
I sling my bag over my shoulder as I make my way to the exit. Before I can round the corner to the door, a hand grips my wrist and yanks me into a classroom. I see who it is before I can yell, and stop struggling the moment his lips find mine. He grips my waist and I melt into him, trying to block out the thoughts that taunt me that this won’t last, it can’t. He groans into my mouth before leaping away from me like I burnt him.
“What happened?” I ask breathlessly.
“If that had lasted another second I would be fucking you against that wall and be late to practice.” I bite my lip to stop my smile from breaking free. Darius narrows his eyes playfully. He grips my hand and drags me from the empty classroom after him, then he drops my hand and wraps his arm around my shoulders, drawing me into his side. I don’t miss the snide looks and glares that random girls shoot me as we make our way outside. I tense the second we hit the quad and I see my brother and Saint walking toward us. I expect Darius to drop his hold on me but he doesn’t and by the looks of things, Corvin views the gesture as a friendly type of thing.
“Well isn’t someone looking… flushed.” I shoot Saint a warning look that has him laughing and a frown marrying Corv’s face.
“You okay?” he asks me.
“Yeah. I’m good but I have to get to practice,” I rush to say, I can’t be late again or coach will murder me!
“I’ll walk you,” Darius says. He doesn’t wait for a response from my brother as he leads me away from them. I’m a little taken back by his sudden change in attitude and the way he is acting toward me, but I won’t question it and risk him going back to not even looking at me in public. He drops me at practice, kisses me on the cheek before running off to his training. Cody and Katie both shoot me wide-eyed looks and I mouth that I will fill them in later.
After practice Katie, Cody and I were too exhausted to go anywhere for food so we grabbed something from the cafeteria before heading to our room to shower and sleep. I’m too exhausted from not sleeping last night to even think about touching my homework. Katie and Cody were out the second their heads hit the pillows, it’s not even seven-thirty at night on a Friday and the three of us are in bed. I smile to myself. My phone pings with a message, my heart lurches into my throat thinking it’s from that asshole but when I see the name Big D flash across my screen I snort out a laugh as I unlock it and read the message.
Big D
Miss me?
I bite my lip to keep from smiling as I reply.
New fone, who dis?
Big D
The guy who had you screaming his name loud enough to wake the dead last weekend.
Now I can’t help but laugh at the audacity of him.
Definitely wrong number, I’m not that type of girl!
Big D
Oh but you are the type of girl to drop to your knees in the shower and suck my cock?
Instantly my thighs clench together as I reread his message.
And are you the type of guy to fuck a girl bare, then push your cum back inside her pussy when it leaks out?
A second passes then my phone begins to vibrate with an incoming call, I bite my lip as I answer it and whisper.
“Hello?”
“You seriously want to send me a fucking message like that and expect me not be rock fucking hard?” The ache between my thighs intensifies knowing that he is rock hard for me.
“You started it,” I hiss.
“I didn’t think you would reply with that shit!”
“Well, I live to surprise you.” He snorts.
“Yeah, you sure fucking do. Where are you?”
“In my dorm?” I don’t know why I answered that more like a question.
“Not tonight, get your shit your coming over for the weekend.”
“Darius, I can’t–”
“I’m out front, you have five minutes before I get someone to let me in and drag your sexy ass out.”
“What about Corvin?” There, I addressed the elephant in the room.
“His room is down the hall and he has a party to go to tomorrow so we can fuck in the kitchen while he’s gone.” I choke on my own spit.
“That’s pretty presumptuous,” I say before a sigh spills from my lips.
“Spit out whatever is on your mind, Goldie.” I take a deep breath and say it.
“Are you gonna kick me out again and hate me when the past creeps up on you?” I hear him exhale and wait with bated breath for his answer. I’m terrified he is going to hang up and end whatever this is between us.
“I’m gonna try. I need you to give me a chance to wrap my head around shit but I also need you to tell me the truth, Leah. After last night I know there is more to the story and when you’re… ready to tell me, I’ll be here.” His words are like a balm to my tattered heart.
“I’ll be down in two minutes. Not like I need to pack much since I plan on being naked and under you for the weekend.” I end the call before he can reply and smile to myself feeling slightly victorious that I was able to stun him.
CHAPTER 25
Darius
I stare at the black screen on my phone for a solid minute, lost for fucking words. This girl is fucking killing me. I’ll admit, my actions tonight aren’t noble. Corvin is worried as fuck about her and after seeing me with her today, he asked me if I could get her to stay at the house. I lied to her, Corvin isn’t going to a party, he’s meeting with Troy to sign the last contract and then everything is done, the merger is complete and we can finally move onto phase two of our plan. I of course agreed to help my best friend out. What he doesn’t know is she only agreed to stay because my dick is on the menu and I think it best if I leave that part of the story out. The front door of the dorm building opens to reveal Leah, grinning at me with a bag swung over her shoulder. I frown when I take in her fucking outfit.
“What the hell is that?” I growl while pointing to her sports bra and tiny as fuck shorts that leave nothing to the imagination. She rolls her eyes.
“This is what I sleep in. You wouldn’t know this because I can’t seem to keep clothes on when you’re around.” I tilt my head side to side not agreeing and not denying her claim either. This is what I love and miss, the banter between us and how easy we can just be ourselves. I need her to open up to me if this is ever going to be more than… what it is.
“Come on, I got Corv’s car,” I say as I grab her bag from her and lead the way to the parking lot where Corvin’s car waits idling. We slip into the car and a light laugh leaves her when she sees Beck in the backseat.
“Why am I not surprised he brought you for backup?” Beck shrugs as he says,
“Had to make sure he didn’t need help breaking in to get you out.” She laughs, but the truth is what he says isn’t far from the truth.
We spend the night hanging out with the guys. It was actually nice to just kick back with them and not think about everything. Leah called it a night about twenty minutes ago and I plan to follow her shortly and spend the night getting lost inside her.
“When are we going to go public with everything?” Saint asks, I turn to him and watch as Crue places a hand on his shoulder offering his silent support. Saint tries to put on a brave face but I know this shit must be fucking hard for him. Out of the five of us, when this thing goes public, it’s me and Saint that will wear the brunt of it all.
“We keep it under wraps for a few months before we move onto phase two.” Saint nods and tries to hide his feelings behind a mask but he forgets we know him too well and can see the anguish in his eyes. “We’ll be here for you every step of the way, brother,” Corv tacks on. “I’ll finalize everything with Troy tomorrow. Beck will finish out the rest of his schooling online and go to Alaska to learn what he needs to help us.” A pang hits me in the chest knowing that Beck is leaving soon. We all have skin in the game but he is the one who has to leave while we stay back.
“Don’t look so fucking sad, you pussies!” Beck says on a light chuckle. The rest of us force a smile for his benefit but since high school we haven’t been apart, so this is going to be hard. “It’s only a couple months and then I’ll be back.” I stay with the guys for another hour before I call it a night. Beck shoots me a knowing look as I leave them but I know he won’t say anything. I make my way upstairs and head for my room. I don’t feel tired, when I should after the practice we had today but fuck it, that just means I need to fuck Leah until I pass out. I find her cuddled up in my bed.
Smart girl.
I lock the door behind me and for good measure, lock the bathroom door just in case. I strip down to my briefs and climb in beside her. She stirs as I pull her into me and spoon her tiny body. I’m rock fucking hard but I also know she must be tired, so instead of waking her with my face between her legs, I just lay here holding her for hours. When her phone keeps pinging with incoming texts, I debate on leaving it but then it rings. It’s two in the fucking morning! I reach over to her side of the bed and grab her phone off the side table and frown at the name.
