“I’ve sat here the last two games.”
“Yeah. She sat here every game before that.”
Bethany scrunched her eyebrows together as if she didn’t get it.
“You’re new,” Bryna said. “You’ll figure it out.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll see you later,” she said to Eric with a big smile before disappearing down the aisle with Bryna’s ticket.
Bryna sank down into the seat and turned to look at him. “So…you were going to sit there and flirt with her?”
“I wasn’t flirting with her. We were talking.”
He gave her a serious look, and she wanted to bite her tongue, but she wasn’t one to let things go.
“You were laughing at whatever she was saying, and she was trying to stay seated next to you. Flirting.”
“I was laughing because she’s a little slow. I have no interest.” He lowered his voice and leaned forward toward her. “You’re really cute when you’re jealous.”
Bryna wrinkled her nose. “Cute?”
He laughed and reached down for his headphones. “I know you love that word.”
“You use it on purpose.”
“I’m going to do a lot of things later on purpose, too.”
Their eyes met, and her stomach flipped.
“I like where this is going.”
“You’ll like it more later when I sneak you into my hotel room.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Last time I was in your hotel room, I didn’t have to sneak in there.”
“Coach is trying to crack down on pregame fun, and you’re my fun. So, we’ll have to be more careful,” he told her.
“Sneaky. I like it.”
She leaned toward him, eager for a kiss, but he gave her a look.
Later.
They weren’t officially out to everyone yet, and she had completely forgotten while trapped in his gaze. She covered by reaching for her own headphones.
“Ugh!” Eric said.
Her head snapped up. “What?”
“Your fucking stepbrother.”
“Pace?” She glanced around and saw that he and Stacia were only a couple of rows behind them. “What about him? I mean, besides everything.”
“I can’t stand the sight of him, knowing his part in what happened with Cam,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Did you ever confront him about what he did?”
She shook her head and turned away from Pace. She wasn’t happy about the fact that he had manipulated Cam into thinking she was a slut he could use. She didn’t know what exactly Pace had said. Even though she always thought the worst of him, she didn’t want to believe he had actually convinced Cam to hurt her…to try to sexually assault her.
“No,” she said softly. “Just let it go. He’s not worth it. Plus, Stacia is happy. We made amends about her and Pace this summer. I don’t want to start anything and risk my friendship. She is more important to me than Pace.”
“He got you attacked!” Eric growled.
Her eyes widened. “Keep it down.”
“Sorry. It infuriates me.”
“I don’t think he knew it would lead to that. Trust me. I don’t want to defend Pace, but I don’t want to get into it with him.”
Eric nodded and tore his attention from Pace, but he didn’t look happy about it. She could see he had murder on his mind. She didn’t know how to quell it or even if she really wanted to. Pace had it coming to him, for more than what had happened with Cam. He was a little shit, and his actions had far-reaching consequences.
The flight was easy enough, and soon, they were transported a couple of miles from campus to the hotel where they would stay for the night. They were all instructed to stay in their rooms and not make a disturbance. A special announcement was made about anyone getting in serious trouble if found in a room with a member of the opposite sex.
Bryna shrugged it off, as did everyone else. Most of the girls were dating someone or at least sleeping with someone on the team. She didn’t understand what the big deal was.
“Big plans tonight?” Stacia whispered amidst the group of students congregated in the lobby waiting to be dismissed.
Bryna shrugged. “You?”
“I was wondering if we could use our room…if you’re going to see E?”
She bit her lip. “You haven’t told Pace that Eric and I are together, have you?”
Stacia bounced lightly from one foot to the other. “I’m sorry!” She covered her face and shook her head. “I’m so bad with secrets. I only told him, and I made him swear not to say anything to anyone, not even you! He hasn’t said anything. I promise. I’d kick his ass if he told anyone.”
Bryna sighed heavily. “Great. Just great, S.”
“I know. I’m horrible. I tried, but I’m so bad, and he’s so good at figuring it all out anyway.”
“I guess you can use our room, but if it somehow slips that I’m with Eric and I get in trouble, you know I’m blaming him for this, right?”
“No way, B. He would never do that.”
Bryna rolled her eyes. Why is Stacia so naive when it comes to Pace? Is it just that he is a quarterback or is it something more? She didn’t get it. He was pretty evil, all things considered.
She hadn’t told Stacia about Pace’s part in what had happened with Cam, and she really wanted to do it in the moment. But somehow, she didn’t think Stacia would believe her. Stacia hadn’t listened any other time Bryna had told her about Pace’s deceit.
Her eyes found Pace’s in the crowd. As if sensing her eyes on him, he turned to look at her.
A smug smirk crossed his face, and he raised his eyebrows in question. Yes?
She pursed her lips and flipped him off across the room. He tilted his head back and laughed. Great.
“Tell him that if he rats me out about Eric, I will tell the coach that he’s in our room,” she told Stacia honestly.
“You would rat me out?” she gasped.
“I think it’s a strong incentive for nothing to go wrong tonight.”
“You really think he would do that?”
“Positive.”
“Okay. I really don’t,” she said. “But be careful if you’re that worried.”
Be careful. But she made no suggestion to stay in instead.
The girls brought their bags up to their room, and Bryna waited for her signal from Eric to sneak into his room. She hadn’t even done this in high school. No one had cared enough for her to have to sneak around. But she wanted to spend the night with Eric.
A knock at the door jolted her, and Stacia rushed over to open it. Pace strode in like he owned the place. He seemed surprised to see Bryna.
“No late-night rendezvous with the new flavor of the week?” he asked.
Stacia smacked him. “Be nice.”
Pace kissed Stacia hard on the lips, but he never agreed to be nice. Bryna knew he wouldn’t be nice to her. They had too much animosity between them. Not to mention, she was pretty sure he still wanted to sleep with her…Stacia be damned.
Her phone dinged.
Ready.
Eric. Finally. Time to get away from her fucking stepbrother.
“Just remember,” she said, stepping up to Pace and poking him hard in the chest, “I don’t trust you. So, if you do anything to fuck this up, you’re hurting Stacia, not just me or you.”
“I don’t have any plans, Bri.”
She glared at his use of her nickname. “You always have plans.”
“Oh, we’re so much alike, sis.”
“Stop antagonizing her, Pace,” Stacia said. “Go on. Pace isn’t going to do anything.”
“Good.”
Bryna left the room and headed up a couple of floors. She knocked on Eric’s door. Her stomach was knotted, knowing there would be consequences if they were caught, but she was also excited. The danger made it enticing.
Eric opened the door and pulled her inside by the middle. He slammed the door shut, swept her off her feet, and carried her to the king-sized bed in the middle of the room.