“What are you doing?”
He leaned over so that our mouths were almost touching. “Payback, Victory.”
“But how? You aren't even on the football team.”
“No, but several of the guys on the team owed me a favor. I cashed in.”
“You're new. How could they possibly already owe you a favor?”
No reply, but he looked really pleased with himself.
“Not fair!” I tried to dig in my heels, but Bastian had almost a foot and a hundred pounds on me. He started dragging me down the bleachers to Coach Farlay, while I plotted his murder: something painful and bloody and slow.
There I stood, next to Coach Farlay, as the gym went berserk. I glanced at Bastian who looked downright diabolical. “I'm going to cut you up into very small pieces.”
He leaned over so our eyes met. “Do your worst.”
I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him. Moments later, a jersey was being pulled over my head seconds before I was lifted off the ground. This mortification had me rethinking Bastian's death. Death was too easy. No, I was going to chain him in a dungeon and torture him for the rest of his natural-born life. Yes, that sounded perfect.
When my feet finally hit the floor, I was ready to dart for the closest exit. I felt the handcuffs click closed over our wrists. All of a sudden, an entirely different emotion filled me at the sight of being tied to this boy. Despite the humor I saw burning in his eyes, I saw something else infinitely more exciting.
He leaned over and whispered in my ear. “We get to spend all day together.”
And just like that, I didn't mind at all being Victory.
After the assembly, Bastian and I were nearly the last to leave, but before we did, Brad, the captain and quarterback of the football team, joined us.
“Thanks for being Victory.”
“I didn't really have a choice, but you're welcome,” I said.
“I'd love to know what you did to him that this was your payback.”
“It was nothing as drastic as this, but I'm already planning my revenge.”
“Sweet. See you guys tonight.”
Bastian's voice grabbed my attention. “Our paybacks are like a snow boulder picking up speed downhill.” The hand that wasn't linked to mine reached out to touch my cheek. “I look forward to your next move.”
I smiled sweetly, but said nothing.
“So, Victory, whose class should we go to now?”
“Since I have gym, I'm thinking yours.”
Something hot flashed in his eyes. “The temptation of seeing all those babes changing is overwhelming for you, I’m sure,” I said. “But I don't think the females in my gym class are ready for you.”
He touched my chin to hold my gaze on his, “I don't give a damn about the other girls in your class, but I’d like to see more of you.”
As you may have guessed, my knees went weak. I held his wicked stare, though my voice trembled. “Do they teach you guys how to render females mute and overly warm? Because you've nailed that lesson.”
“No, but I like watching you get flustered and knowing that it's because of me.” It wasn't just his words, but his direct and heated stare that caused my body to react in a very pleasant way. I tingled everywhere.
“Stop looking at me like that, or I'm going to pass out right here on the gymnasium floor, and you'll have to drag my unconscious body to your next class. What is your next class?” I asked.
“AP Calculus. And I wouldn't drag your beautiful body across the floor. I'd put you over my shoulder.”
“Like a sack of potatoes.”
He winked. “The sexiest sack of potatoes I've ever seen.”
***
We spent the entire day together and he did add a few more memories to my happy place. After school I went home with Poppy. We went to her room after dinner to get ready for the football game. She couldn't help the grin which seemed to be permanently affixed to her mouth.
“I almost fell off the bleachers when I saw Bastian pulling you toward Coach Farlay. To think you avoided the hot seat all these years only to be placed on it by the boy you like.”
“I'm having a dungeon made, so it's all good. He certainly took payback to the next level.”
“It was more than that.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I was sitting in the stands, remember? He is completely head over heels for you. And you are just as taken with him.”
“I am.” I admitted.
“So it looks like operation “Win Sebastian” is a done deal. What? What's that look for?”
“Ms. Whitney applied for a scholarship for me, one that was separate from the list we had worked on together, and I won it.”
“Oh, my God! That's so wonderful, Lark.”
“It is, but there's a hitch. I have to move to Harrington, Maine, at the end of April.”
It only took Poppy a minute to realize what I was saying and then she sank back onto the bed next to me. “You'll miss prom.”
“Yep.”
“Does Bastian know?”
“I haven't told him, yet.”
“What are you waiting for?”
“He asked me to join him and his parents for his birthday dinner in two weeks.”
“That's awesome.”
“I'm not so sure it is. His parents are pushing Kira on him because they like the connections her family has to offer. When they find out about me and my background, I'm guessing they will do all they can to get him away from me.”
“It doesn't seem to me that Bastian puts a whole hell of a lot of stock in what his parents want.”
“He doesn't, but I don't want to become another source of tension between him and his family.”
“Stop.”
“Think about it. I have no idea who my dad is. My mother died in her twenties from being too much of a party girl, and my aunt would rather me somewhere else. To people like the Rosses, I'm the nightmare.”
Poppy looked positively outraged. “You're thinking there’ll be no point after the dinner, that's why you haven't told him about the scholarship.”
“Yes.”
“That's not fair to Bastian. You’re not giving him enough credit, and that's not like you.”
I stood then, because I knew she was right, but I couldn't help it. “You're right, but I can't forget where he comes from. As much as he may try to deny it, he cares what his parents think.”
“Probably, but so what?”
“I won't measure up for the Ross family, and that will cause problems between Bastian and his parents. And my fear is he'll choose them and I won't recover from it.”
“I don't think he will choose them over you.”
“A part of me hopes that too, but a bigger part of me still lives in reality.”
***
The game started at seven so Bastian would be coming for me a little after six. I didn't let Poppy dress me. In front of a stadium full of people, I needed to wear my own clothes: my own personal armor. The black cargo pants, cropped black sweater and combat boots felt very comfortable and comforting. I reached for Bastian's jacket before calling to Poppy, “See you at the game.”
“See you there, Victory.”
Shaking my head at Poppy's silliness, I stepped outside to wait for Bastian. He was right on time. In the short period of time since we'd known each other, he also had come to be both comfortable and comforting to me. Not to mention that he was just so freaking nice to look at. To my horror, I actually spoke that last part out loud. I knew he heard me because his eyes turned all hot, but it was the light color on his cheeks that had me taking a step closer. “If I didn't know any better, I would say you were blushing.”
“I don't blush.” He pulled me up against him, but his voice was a bit off. His mouth found mine and his hands moved under my sweater to burn a trail over the naked skin of my back. His eyes darkened like sapphires when he reached for the helmet to place on my head.