THE NEXT WEEK TICKED BY
at a snail’s crawl.
Everyone was anticipating the opening game of the season. Especially because Coach Galloway had switched it up and started with a tough out-of-conference matchup with Clemson. This would set the tone for the season, and Bryna, Trihn, Stacia, and Maya were standing on the sidelines, thanks to Eric. The girls were bouncing anxiously, anticipating the start of the game.
Stacia was unbelievably ready for this moment after the week she’d had. Taking Pace’s non-answer to mean that he and Lindsay had been together, she had actually started to look for other apartments in her spare time. Not that she had much of it with her first journalism essay due. But the pickings had been even more dismal than when she had looked at the start of the summer. So, for now, she was stuck at Pace’s condo until she bucked up enough courage to talk to her dad. Truly, the only good that had come of the week was that her face had healed enough to be completely concealed by makeup by game day.
“And here to announce the starting lineup for your tenth-ranked Las Vegas State Gamblers…” the announcer called.
Everyone cheered and jumped up and down as name after name was called for the starting lineup.
“At wide receiver, number twelve, Drayton Pierce!”
Over everyone, Maya could be heard screaming and yelling for her man. And the other girls went wild for their friend.
“At running back, number thirty-two, TJ
Boo
mer!”
And, instead of cheers, the entire crowd booed his name. It made Stacia laugh that his signature cheer would be a boo, yet it had its own insane quality that everyone got into it.
“And your starting quarterback, number six, Pace Larson!”
The crowd erupted for their new starting quarterback. People in the stands were wearing his number.
The entire student section was chanting, “Lar-son, Lar-son, Lar-son.”
He was here in his element, ready to take on the world.
Stacia would fall for him a little bit more every time he was on the field. She knew now it was her folly to be a jersey-chaser. But, damn, did it make a guy hot as shit to see his incredible athletic performance, the rippling muscles…and the tight pants didn’t hurt a damn thing.
“Kickoff,” Bryna cried, latching on to Stacia and Trihn.
“God, this makes me miss cheer,” Stacia whispered.
Bryna nodded. “Me, too.”
“Well, I’ve never cheered in my life, so I can’t say I miss it,” Trihn said with a laugh.
Then, all the girls were screaming as LV State won the toss, and Clemson went to kick off first. The atmosphere was explosive. Both teams came out hitting hard. And everyone had to admit it; Pace looked phenomenal.
Stacia had always thought he was a great athlete. She had encouraged him to try to get the starting spot more than once, but he had always been held back. Marshall had been a great player, too, but sometimes, Stacia had wondered if he had gotten the spot due to favoritism rather than ability. But, with no one else in the way, Pace shone.
And Boomer did it along with him.
Stacia understood why he had been picked up, even after the horrible things she had read about him and now experienced. He hurdled players like they were nothing. He barreled down the field, knocked people out of the way, and scored touchdowns as if he were made for it.
Didn’t make him any less of a jackass, but he did incredible things for the team.
Pace launched the ball into the end zone where Drayton picked it off for the final touchdown of the night and the win, and the crowd went wild with enthusiasm. If this set the tone for the season, then they would be in for the ride of their lives.
The girls were still cheering the victory when, out of nowhere, Pace sprinted off the field and straight toward them.
“What is he doing?” Bryna asked.
“I don’t know,” Stacia whispered.
The rest of the team had rushed toward the sideline. They were standing on the cheerleading stage and reaching out for the other students as they all reveled in the victory. But Pace hadn’t joined them, and it was a second before everyone realized that he wasn’t there.
He tossed his helmet to the ground, picked Stacia up in his arms, and then kissed her breathless. His hands dug into her blonde hair. His mouth was hot and passionate and demanding. His tongue invaded her mouth, and then she gave in completely. She kissed him back with a fervor, allowing the adrenaline from the win push them to something she would never have allowed otherwise.
Cheers and catcalls were drowned out in the heat of the moment. It wasn’t until Pace slowly released her that Stacia even realized how many people were around her. Camera crews were practically in their faces. Hundreds of people were taking photographs of them together. Bryna, Trihn, and Maya were standing next to the pair with their mouths wide open in utter shock. And that was when Stacia noticed that the entire goddamn thing had been televised on the big screen.
“What was that for?” she barely got out.
“Should have done it a long time ago,” he said in reply.
Then, he released her and rushed toward his teammates as the crowd started chanting his name again, “Lar-son. Lar-son. Lar-son.”
Stacia felt woozy, like she might fall over or faint at any moment. And all the stares and questioning looks weren’t helping anything.
Bryna and Trihn latched on to her from either side and practically marched her out of the arena. They went through the tunnel and into the crowded lobby where everyone was going about their own business before finally releasing Stacia.
But her head was still spinning.
Seriously, what had happened back there? Pace had kissed me…on national television!
The last time he had kissed her like that—scratch that. He’d never kissed her like that. And it certainly hadn’t been anything close to that in almost a year. That kiss was…everything. Possessive and demanding and needy and caring and forceful and desperate. It made her want to go back to that moment and relive it in slow motion over and over again. To feel that wanted once more.
“S, are you with us?” Trihn cried, snapping her fingers in Stacia’s face.
“Yes,” she breathed, Then, with more vigor, she said, “Yes, I’m with you.”
“Let’s get the fuck out of here, and then you need to tell us what the fuck that was,” Bryna said.
When they’d had cheerleading, they would have to wait until everyone left the arena and all the football players were back in the locker rooms before they could pack up, change, and leave. But, now, they had the luxury of getting the fuck out of the packed arena as soon as the game was over and rendezvousing at Eric and Bryna’s place.
Bryna stared down at her manicure while Trihn paced back and forth. Maya was already in the kitchen, creating marvelous concoctions for them. They were all waiting for Stacia to say something, but she didn’t know what to say.
“Well?” Bryna asked.
Stacia shrugged. “It was…unexpected.”
“Unexpected?” Bryna asked. “A car accident is unexpected. Your ex-boyfriend kissing you in front of nearly a hundred thousand people and on live television is not
unexpected
. It’s a fucking land mine you just stepped on.”
“Land mines are generally unexpected,” Stacia mumbled.
“You’re living with him. How land mine-like is it really?”
“Considering I haven’t seen him since the morning after his party when he saw my fucked up face and basically confessed to fucking Lindsay…pretty much a land mine,” Stacia told them.
“He fucked Lindsay?” Trihn asked in dismay. “That’s low. Even for him. I mean…Madison…” When Stacia paled further, Trihn cringed. “Fuck. Sorry.”
Maya appeared at that moment with drinks. “Here you are.” The girls all took their drinks. “I would like to propose a toast.”
“Right now?” Bryna asked.
“Yep. I would like to toast to a fucking hot kiss on national TV.”
Stacia laughed. “What? You’re toasting my kiss?”
“Uh, yeah. That was every girl’s dream right there.”
Trihn shook her head. “She’s totally confused about what it means, and you’re toasting her.”
“What it means?” Maya asked with an arched eyebrow. “I think we all know what it means. Pace wants her…again. He probably never stopped. No need moping around about it. Every fucking person in that audience wanted to be the pair of you tonight. Revel in it! Now, let’s toast!”
They laughed but did as Maya had said and tipped back the drinks in unison.
“Are we still down for Posse?” Stacia asked.
“Hell yes, we are!” Maya said. “Do you know how much I’ve wanted to go to Posse on a football Saturday and
not
work? We’re going.”
That was how they ended up at Posse a few hours later, dressed to the nines and heading off to the VIP section to get out of the biggest crowd. Tuck had already been moved upstairs and started pouring drinks for them as soon as they entered.
“Big boss man is in today,” he told Maya, who was basically the
only
person he talked to.
“Oh, yeah?” Maya asked, her eyes roving the area. “Where?”
Tuck pointed to a corner where an extremely tall man with sunshine-blond hair and a hot Armani suit stood with a girl with the darkest red hair that almost looked brown in the dim lighting.
“A girl?” Maya asked.
“What’s going on?” Bryna asked.
“You remember the hot owner from Atlanta that I told you about that no one ever sees, except on very rare occasions?” Maya asked. The girls nodded and then followed Maya’s eyes to the guy she was staring at. “Check him out.”
“He’s hot,” Bryna acknowledged.
“Smoking,” Stacia said.
“I think I met him once,” Trihn said. “I thought he was a security guard or something when I went to see Damon last year.”
“It’s the mystery around him that makes him so freaking hot,” Maya said with a sigh. “If only I knew his story.”
“Who’s the girl?” Bryna asked.
Maya shrugged. “Never seen her before. She’s probably a model or something. Those kinds of guys always go for the model types.”
“Girlfriend,” Tuck said. “I heard him say it earlier. Looks like he’s off the market, ladies.”
All four of the girls pouted and turned away from the hot Posse owner. Didn’t matter in the least that three-quarters of the group were taken and that Stacia had just been claimed by someone on national TV. It was still sad to see someone that wealthy and good-looking go off the market.
A few drinks into the evening, a cheer erupted from downstairs, which more or less announced the arrival of the football team. Stacia leaned over the railing and watched Pace enter with Boomer and Drayton on his heels. Despite his show of affection at the game, a dozen girls were already vying for his attention, and even from a distance, Stacia could tell that one of them was Lindsay. It made her sick to her stomach.
“Come on, let’s go see Dray,” Maya said.
“Uh…” Stacia murmured.
“Are you just going to stand there and watch those vultures circle your man, or are you going to do something about it?”
“He’s not my man. And, after what happened with Boomer, I’d really rather
not
see him at all.”
“I get it, but you need to hold your chin up.” Maya just shrugged when no one moved. Then, she darted down to the main floor and threw her arms around her boyfriend.
“She has a point,” Trihn said.
“Forget her fucking point,” Bryna said. “I just want to ruin Lindsay’s night. This doesn’t have anything to do with Pace.”
“I could be on board with that,” Stacia acknowledged.
With a deep breath, she followed her friends downstairs. Putting on a game face, she flipped her hair off her shoulders and plastered on a fake smile. The crowd thinned as they approached the team. While everyone was eager to talk to all the players, a pocket of space appeared in front of them, created out of fear or respect. Only the people who really knew the guys weren’t breaking the ring. Lindsay was one of them. Madison, unfortunately, was another.
Pace lounged back against the bar, beer in hand, as if he were ruling over his kingdom. Lindsay stood at his side, attempting to engage him in conversation, but he was more or less ignoring her. Boomer stood on the other side of him, and when Stacia made eye contact with him, he smiled deviously. She shrank in on herself, revolted with his very presence…the very audacity.
Stacia missed the beginning of whatever argument Bryna was creating with Lindsay. She hadn’t known how difficult it would be to face down the man who had physically abused her. Truly, she wasn’t sure how she was standing at all. He had completely blindsided her with his bullshit, and now, he stood there, as if daring her to say something. He thought he was so clever. She hoped to prove him wrong one day.
“Don’t fucking throw shit that you can’t back up, Bri,” Lindsay snapped at Bryna.
Pace’s head turned toward them, as if realizing they were arguing for the first time. “You know, Lindsay,” he said in that soft tone Stacia had only heard him use with reporters and someone he thought was an idiot.
“Yes?” she asked, fluttering her eyes.
“Only her friends can call her Bri.”
Lindsay’s jaw dropped, and it took her too long to recover because Pace’s attention was already lost. He met Stacia’s eyes and raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t need you to fight my battles,” Bryna snapped at him. But, when Eric appeared at her side, she was easily mollified, and crazy drunk Bryna never surfaced.
Lindsay shoved past Bryna, and then as she was leaving, she spat in Stacia’s face, “Good luck keeping him happy after what I did to him.”
Stacia chuckled and flipped her hair for good measure. “I’m sorry. You act as if I care.”
“You clearly do,” Lindsay said, assessing how Stacia would respond without Bryna there to fight for her. “That petty display at the game isn’t fooling anyone.”
“And your desperate attempt to get with him is even worse.”
“Desperate?” Lindsay asked with a laugh. “He was begging me for more when I was with him.”
Stacia’s cheeks heated at that horrible mental image. She really had no idea what to say to that. She hadn’t orchestrated that kiss in any way, shape, or form, but the thought of Pace begging someone else knocked her off-balance.