3. Nutmegs + Nemesis

Author's Note:

If you don't know much about soccer, the gif below is an example of a guy doing what's called a 'nutmeg.' Trust me, you knowing what that looks like will make a certain part of this chapter much more humorous. ;)

Enjoy!

~~~

By the following afternoon, I couldn't wait for school to end so I could get back out on the soccer field for practice.

The girl's coach couldn't start running practices until next week, but myself and a couple other ladies decided to crash the guys' practice so we could get a head start on conditioning.

I hadn't seen or talked to Jayce all day, thank God. Obviously, I know I'm going to be practicing with his team, but I was relived that he hadn't gone out of his way to annoy me during the day. I hoped that meant he had already found a girl to set his sights on.

I jog out onto the field in my trusty cleats, shinguards, Nike volleyball shorts and red and gold Goldcrest practice jersey, my hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. I spot a group of five of my teammates, who are stretching on the sidelines. The guys are all dicking around on the field, kicking balls at each other's balls and slapping each other's butts.

The sun is high in the clear, blue sky and I could swear that the invigorating breeze is made of bliss. I've always admired a clean cut, deep green soccer field with crisp white lines, and our school field is impeccable. The smell of freshly mown grass is in the air and I can't wait to work up a sweat under the perfect, cloudless sky.

"Fallon, did you see Adam's fuckin' eye when he came in this morning?" Celia, a pretty, raven-haired senior asks me as she stretches her quads. She's one of the tallest players on our team, is our best defensive player by a long shot and has the mouth of a truck driver. I love it.

I do my best to keep an uninterested expression as I shake my head, even though my heart had started pumping a bit faster, "Who is Adam?"

Celia rolls her eyes at my fake ignorance, "One of the guys' center mids. He came in this morning looking like he got his ass handed to him. He's got a super fucked up black eye."

"He said he got elbowed at practice yesterday," Nancy, a sophomore and one of our forwards says as she jogs in place, her thick brown ponytail hitting her back rhythmically.

I know for a fact that Adam had lied, since his face was perfectly normal after practice last night when he loudly requested that I play with his testicles.

"That's some bullshit," Celia says, tightening the laces on her cleats.

My stomach is doing backflips, wondering if Jayce did something to Adam after his repulsive catcall to me last night. If Adam was already screwed up by the time he had gotten to school this morning, it couldn't have been Haven who'd hit him.

I peek over my shoulder, quickly spotting Adam. He's sitting on the sideline bench, holding an ice pack to his eye. He looks pitiful, but I can't help the smirk that comes on my face. I'm happy to see that he didn't get away with being such a perv.

"Give me warm up laps!" Coach Mills shouts suddenly, clapping his hands together and effectively starting practice.

The girls and I take off, not wanting to get left in the dust by the guys.

By the time we finish the first lap, I've caught up to Haven at the front of the group. It feels so damn good to run and move.

"Did you give Adam the black eye?" I ask, doing my best to keep my voice low even though I'm panting from the brisk jog.

"I wish!" He bursts. "Nah, the guys are all saying that was Jayce's doing. He was in the car with Adam last night and apparently got really pissed at him for being so rude to you. When Adam kept refusing to admit he'd done anything wrong, Jayce punched him," Haven shrugs. "He definitely deserved it. I've been meaning to thank Jayce for watching out for you like that. I never realized he was so protective."

"Yeah, for sure," I say absentmindedly as the surprise of Jayce's actions sink in. Since when is that slick prick a righteous defender of women?

"Bring it in!" Coach shouts in the middle of our third lap, placing the last cone down for our drills.

We all jog to the center of the field to see that he's laid out two large square areas with cones, one square in each half of the field. I see Jayce standing nearby out of the corner of my eye. He flips his thick hair out of his face, small beads of sweat already glistening on his upper lip and forehead. How the hell does he manage to make sweat look good?

"Split into two even groups, one in each square," Coach says sternly. He has a crease in between his eyebrows that's so deep, I wonder if he was born with it. "Inside each square, you'll pass the ball, then close down on your pass and attempt to win the ball back. Pay attention to the angle and speed of your approach, and see if you can force your opponent's direction somewhere you want. Go."

We all quickly split up. Jayce ends up in the same square as me, along with Celia and ten of the guys' other players. The drill begins and soon the ball is flying from player to player, each of us putting our best effort into defense. Celia sends the ball to Jayce, and he manages to side step her attempt to get the ball back. He glances up to see who is open - I'm wide open about 20 yards away and he passes the ball straight to my feet. I note that he uses his right foot to execute the side step and pass.

I anticipate the pass and take him by surprise when I dribble right at him instead of waiting for him to run at me. He picks up his pace as he runs at me and I see my golden opportunity: as he takes a huge bound forward, I tap the ball lightly between his legs, executing a perfect nutmeg. I dart around him and reconnect with the ball. Laughter erupts from the other players and I hear Celia shout, "Hell yeah! That's my girl!"

I smile to myself and pass the ball off to Deion, the guys' left back. He's still laughing and fumbles the ball, so I easily regain control of it.

Quickly deciding to give Jayce the chance to redeem himself, I spin around and pass the ball back to him. I remember what coach said about forcing my opponent's direction, I swiftly close down on Jayce's right side, forcing him to use his left foot, which I recall as being his weaker foot.

Although I'd love to humiliate him again, he defends well and manages to get around me with some showboat footwork.

After he passes to another player, he gives a clearly half-assed attempt to get the ball back and comes jogging back towards me, positioning himself close enough to talk to me but far away enough that coach wouldn't suspect anything. He lifts the hem of his red practice jersey to wipe sweat from his forehead and I catch a glimpse of his rock hard abs. Meh.

And there's the knot twisting itself up in my stomach.

"I didn't realize you played, too," he says, keeping his eyes on the ball, his flawless olive skin shining from a thin layer of perspiration.

I roll my eyes and scoff. "Don't tell me you've never watched the girls' team play?"

Usually on game days, the girls play the opposing school's girl's team first, and then guys play the opposing guy's team right after. Typically the girls stay to watch and cheer during the guys' game, but it's rare for the guys to actually get ready early in order to be able to support us at our games. Assholes.

"I haven't, actually," he says in a faraway voice that makes me believe his mind is elsewhere and not on this conversation, which just fuels my theory that the only thing that goes on in his tiny brain is sexual innuendos.

"Makes sense that you haven't," my voice sounds uncaring, and I give myself a mental pat on the back. "In order to have seen one of our games, you'd have to give a fuck about someone other than yourself."

"Mmm," he muses, ruffling his hair with his hand. I think he's about to rattle off an asinine reply when the ball gets passed to him again and he instantly snaps into defense mode, successfully passes off the ball and chases after it, his muscles rippling with every movement.

Practice continues without anymore commentary from Jayce, and by the time we come to an end two hours later, I'm elated from the hard work, sweat and endorphins.

"You all pushed yourselves today, and I'm proud of that," coach says with a nod, the scowl never leaving his face. "Maybe we should have coed practices more often. Get all you hot to trot kids trying to impress each other," he mumbles, mostly to himself, but all the guys perk up at this suggestion.

We slowly make our way to the sideline, ready for some water.

I quickly strip off my cleats, socks and shinguards, shoving them in my bag and sliding on a pair of flip flops.

"Great job today," Celia smiles at me as she lets her shiny, raven hair fall down her back. "I think we took the guys for a spin. It was fuckin' rad."

"Agreed," I smile, grateful for her enthusiasm.

"Party at my place on Friday, ladies!" Adam shouts with fervor from the bench, waving his ice pack in the air. "Bring your friends!" He winks at Celia, who flips him off in return.

I giggle and Adam just glares at us with his one eye that isn't swollen shut.

The players slowly trickle to their cars as the sun sinks lower in the sky, leaving a stunning array of reds, oranges and purples in its wake.

I pack up my bags and see Haven near the far corner of the field, talking to coach. I'm about to head over to him when I hear Jayce's voice ask from behind me, "Will you be at Adam's on Friday?"

I turn around to see him standing tall and shirtless and generally looking like a masterpiece with his intense brown eyes boring into mine.

Damn him.

The familiar knot that seems to appear whenever I'm in Jayce's presence jolts in my stomach.

"Yeah, I will," I shrug. I can't help but glance at his amazingly chiseled chest and abs, which elicits a smug grin from him. "Why do you ask?" I question coolly.

He simply smiles an irritatingly mysterious smile before slinging his bags over his shoulders and heading off toward the parking lot.

The knot in my stomach twists and turns as I walk toward Haven. Trying not to be obvious, I watch out of the corner of my eye as Jayce slips a dark leather riding jacket on over his bare torso, revs the engine of a large, sleek black motorcycle and zooms out of the parking lot looking like a fucking model.

~

Friday comes faster than a virgin and I had all but forgotten about Jayce and his uncanny ability to turn my stomach into knots, seeing as we hadn't spoken another word to each other all week.

He had made intense eye contact with me as we passed in the hallway once, but aside from that, the remainder of the week had been uneventful and Jayce-free.

I had noticed Deion, a suave looking defender on the guys' team, had been flashing me smiles every time I saw him since practice. I had done my best to not pay much attention to it, to be completely honest.

I dart home after practice, eager to knock my homework out early instead of leaving it until 11pm on Sunday. My phone dings with a text.

Presley's message makes me giggle - I can practically see her standing in her room in nothing but her knickers, surrounded by piles and piles of tried on and tossed aside outfit options.

I've never really understood all the "getting ready" stuff. Except when it comes to my business, Party Princess, it's not like I exactly go places that require dressing up. The majority of the clothes in my closet are for the sake of comfort over fashion, save for the few nicer things that I only wear occasionally.

I start on my assignments, letting myself get excited for the evening with my brother and best friend, even if it will be spent at the home of a huge douche.

I didn't know if Jayce would be at Adam's or not, but he definitely knew I was going. I still didn't know why he'd been so interested in whether or not I would be there, since he'd ignored me and ridden off like a fuckin' superhero or some shit when I had asked.

I finish my homework around 8pm, feeling real damn responsible. I can feel my anticipation rising and let excitement about tonight well up in my chest.

I'm about to make some food for myself when Presley bounds into my room with a large tote bag on her arm.

"SURRENDER TO THE GLAM, BITCH!" She shouts at the top of her lungs while dumping the contents of her bag on my bed. All sorts of clothing, eyeshadow palettes, makeup brushes, lipsticks and curling irons come tumbling out. "I'm taking you into my own hands," she says, placing her hands on her tiny hips. "This is a matter of life and death," she picks up a curling iron and wields it like a sword. "Or should I say, a matter of impressing Jayce or distressing Jayce with your lack of party attire," she strikes a pose.

I crack up at her dramatic display and exaggerations. "Why is this suddenly about Jayce?" I try to ignore the fact that my stomach lurches when I say his name. "I don't even know if he's going. Besides, tonight is about having a good time with you and Haven."

She rolls her eyes, "Fallon! Just let me dress you and do your damn make up," she sticks out her bottom lip in a pink pout. "Please? It's a party. Let's be fabulous while having a fucking blast!"

"Deal," I laugh as her eyes light up and she springs into action, shoving me into a chair and flying around me, styling my hair and doing my makeup like she's my own, personal fairy godmother. She plugs her phone into my speaker and starts blasting music.

We alternate between doing makeup, dancing around the room like giddy, giggling maniacs and styling each other's hair.

"Jayce is going to freak the fuck out when he sees you tonight," she says as she flourishes an eyebrow brush like it's a magic wand.

"Pres, I really don't want to make tonight about him. He's an ass, and I don't put effort into drawing the attention of asses."

She rolls her eyes and chuckles, tossing me a wad of black fabric. "Put this on," she demands, sauntering over to my closet and throwing the doors open. Within seconds she's holding up a pair of strappy black heels. "These are hot as hell," she nods in approval, tossing the heels at me. "Wear them."

By the time we're both dressed and ready, it's almost 10pm. Presley looks flawless in a crushed velvet body-con dress that hugs her curves, her dark hair falling down her back in messy waves.

She's always been the perfect amount of thin, and being on our cheer team, which encourages skipping meals and generally looking twig-ish, I'd say she's doing amazing at not giving into peer pressure.

She's curled my hair into lose ringlets that fall to my waist and has dressed me in a black lace bodysuit and black pleather mini skirt that's been secured at my waist with a chunky belt.

I feel amazing. Fearless, sexy, unstoppable.

"We look so fine!" Presley sequels as we stand in front of the mirror. "I'd bang us," we laugh as she throws her arm over me and we snap shameless selfies.

I get an idea. "One sec!" I dash downstairs and open my mom's liquor cabinet, grabbing a bottle of vodka and two shot glasses then scurrying back upstairs.

"Ooo!" Presley claps when she sees what I'm holding. "Pre-game!"

We tip back two shots each to get us warmed up. The alcohol warms my insides and I feel my head getting slightly fuzzy, all my worries slipping away.

Soon after, Haven is knocking at my door, loudly asking if we're ready to go. After telling us we look amazing and that we need to be on extra guard against the fuckboys, we head to the party.

After a loud, excited, 15 minute drive, we pull through a wrought iron gate up to what is apparently Adam's house, although I'd more likely use the word mansion.

The huge, Mediterranean-inspired building is surrounded by palm trees, perfectly manicured bushes and gardens full of flowers and sculptures. A huge fountain boasts in the center of the driveway, which is quite literally packed with vehicles. I can't even begin to imagine how many millions of dollars are currently parked in front of me.

I can hear the bump of the bass before we even enter the house. Inside, Adam's place is brimming with teenagers. We wander further into the house, pushing past drunk party goers, following the music to its source. We walk past an intense game of beer pong and a group of girls doing body shots.

We come to a huge room with impossibly high ceilings that seems to be the heart of the party. All the furniture has been pushed up against the walls to allow ample space for dancing. Within the first few seconds, I see a gyrating mass of bodies in the center of the room, three couples making out on the edges of the dance floor and a broken mirror laying on the ground, covered in a light dusting of suspiciously white powder.

I see Haven glance down at me with a nervous expression.

"I'll be fine," I meet his eyes and smile reassuringly. It honestly makes my heart sing that he's developed this new protective streak. "I won't do any drugs, I won't take any open drinks and I'll kick any creepers in the balls."

He smiles proudly and ruffles my hair, "I'm gonna go find Adam. I'll be back."

I turn to Presley, who is bopping to the beat. "Want to dance?"

"Yes! But first, drinks!" She takes my wrist and drags me to the kitchen. Her knowledge of the layout of the house doesn't surprise me - Adam's parties are legend and I know for a fact that she's been to scores of them. I've just never cared enough to go before.

We get to the kitchen, which is surprisingly empty, especially considering it's the main hub of the alcohol. She pops open a beer for each of us.

"To our livers!" She shouts, raising her bottle and slamming it into mine.

We chug them down, followed by a Jell-O shot each and another beer. I can't feel my inhibitions as Presley and I head onto the dance floor.

I instantly get lost in the music, letting it pulse through my veins and lead my movements. The music is pounding, the pictures on the walls are shaking and I feel so free.

"Hey! Fallon!" Deion says loudly. I recognize him from practice, he's the guy who's been flashing me smiles all week. "Want to dance?" He smile is a dazzling white and his eyes are golden and bewitching. He's really handsome.

"Totally!" I shout back over the music. "You have really nice eyes! They're like gold!" I giggle as he pulls me close to him. I can feel the strength in his arms around me and it's honestly really nice.

"Oh yeah?" He smiles enchantingly, his golden eyes heated.

"Mmhmm," I nod as we sway to the beat.

Suddenly, I feel a set of eyes on me. I glance up to see Jayce, sitting on one of the couches that've been pushed against the wall. His intense stare is fixed on me and even through my drunkenness I can see that he's really agitated about something. He's wearing a black tee shirt under his leather jacket, his wind swept brown hair perfectly messy. He looks sharp as hell.

His gaze slowly sweeps me from top to bottom and it ignites a fire in my stomach. For some reason that I don't understand, I want to keep his eyes on me.

I decide I want to give him a taste of his own teasing medicine, so I turn around and bend over slightly, starting to grind my ass against Deion's crotch. I know I'm being petty and way too extra. But between the alcohol and the thump of the music, nothing seems to matter except keeping Jayce's eyes on me.

I continue grinding against Deion's front as he hastily grabs at my waist and hips, his hands grabbing all over me. I arch my back and stand upwards again, lifting my arms above my head and latching them around the back of his neck. He roughly jerks my hips back against him, closing any space left between us as our bodies move harder together.

I glance back over at Jayce, who looks like he's about to punch someone in the face. He jolts up off the couch and stalks out of the room, his fists in tight balls.

I immediately drop my hands and turn around to face Deion, who's clearly having a hard time keeping himself cool.

"I'm going to go get a drink real quick!" I tell him cheerily, the elation from knowing Jayce was watching me dance still in full effect.

"I'll come with you!" He says, his eyes stimulated.

"No, you stay!" I shout over my shoulder as I practically run towards the kitchen with a smile that I can't seem to wipe off my face.

As much as I hated to admit it, having Jayce's complete attention focused on me like that had been ridiculously addicting. It was fun, feeling like I was teasing him for a change, instead of being victim to his consistent innuendos.

I make it to the kitchen, which is much fuller now. Presley is sitting on the counter making out with a guy I sort of recognize, her legs wrapped around his torso.

I giggle at her shamelessness and feel myself flush as I wiggle through the crowd to fill my red cup with beer from the keg. Presley's ability to let completely lose and allow herself to be totally free, without any reservation, is honestly very impressive to me. She wants to make out with a stranger? She does it, damn it. I admire that confidence, and part of me wishes I could allow myself to be that wild.

I tip back the icy amber liquid and scan the room. I recognized some people from school, but there were also plenty I had never seen before.

I scan the room and realize that Jayce isn't in here.

Feeling a little too disappointed, I'm about to return to Deion when Jayce suddenly comes strutting into the kitchen, looking determined and defiant. He smirks when he sees me and begins filling a cup from the keg.

"Having a nice evening, Fallon?" He asks, taking a long, drawn out sip.

"Yeah," the kitchen has fallen almost silent as people curiously glance at us, yet again trying to figure out why the Jayce Solis is talking to an unknown. If the music wasn't blasting from a couple rooms over, it would be completely silent. Even Presley and her mystery man, who I'm pretty sure I've passed in the hallway at some point, have stopped sucking each other's faces and are watching intently. I feel a light, nervous sweat beginning to form at the nape of my neck. I lean back against the counter in a probably failed attempt to look cool and collected, even though my stomach is already in knots from Jayce's teasing gaze. And the alcohol definitely isn't helping. Fuck.

"That's good," he says, somehow managing to make the comment sarcastic.

Deion stumbles into the kitchen and Jayce's eyes snap to him, animosity furiously burning in Jayce's brown eyes.

"Hey!" Deion smiles and slides next to me, wrapping his arm around my waist and ignoring Jayce entirely. "Ready for more? Or we could get out of here?" He winks one of his brilliant golden eyes at me.

"You know," Jayce says with a condescending smirk, his inexplicably hate-filled eyes lingering on Deion for a moment. He shifts his gaze back to me, and the hate is replaced with another emotion that I don't quite recognize. "In the past, when girls have tried to make me jealous by grinding their ass on another guy's cock, they at least know how to roll their hips without looking so pitiful and desperate."

The shock of his comment crashes over me like a tidal wave of embarrassment as the onlookers snicker, several "oooo's" and "ouch's" leaving their lips. Presley's mouth is hanging open from the blow of Jayce's words.

"What the fuck, bro?" Deion shoves Jayce in the chest, but he isn't moved.

He's just standing there, looking at me with a strange, pleading expression. I feel my cheeks redden and my eyes prickling, threatening to fill up with tears. I can't believe he just said that.

I want to punch his face in, make him regret talking to me like that. At the same time, I want to scream and cry and hide under the blankets on my bed, never to be seen again. I feel so fucking dumb. What the hell had I even been trying to accomplish with my stupid little dance?

I force myself to straighten up and let the seething resentment boil in my unblinking eyes as I narrow them at Jayce.

Before I can talk myself out of it, I step forward and dump my almost full cup of beer on Jayce's head, deliver an impressively sharp slap to his cheek, spin on my heel and beeline out of the room that has erupted in laughter. I dash through the house, weaving my way in and out of the party goers and finally making it out the front door.

My eyes are brimming with tears, and even though I'm alone, I refuse to let them spill out.

I will not cry over Jayce Solis.

I refuse to stop walking, either. It's a long walk back home, especially in these heels, but I'm not dumb enough to drive in my current state and I will not subject myself to another moment of weakness by calling someone for a ride.

As I trudge down the dark, cold, empty road, I think back to dancing with Deion and wonder why the fuck I had wanted Jayce's attention so badly. Had I really been trying to make him jealous?

No. Surely not. It was just the alcohol... Right?

My stomach lurched. I didn't want to admit it, even to myself, but I knew it was true... I had wanted to impress Jayce.

Fuck.

I hate that. Who the hell was I right now? I've never given a rip about impressing guys and yet, here I am, out in the chilly ass night, admitting to myself that I want a guy to like me. And not just any guy - but the most fucking pompous, narcissistic douche canoe I'd ever met.

Suddenly, I hear an engine roaring behind me and within seconds, my path is blocked by a huge motorcycle that's so dark I can barely separate it from the night.

"Fallon," Jayce says as he lifts the sleek helmet off his head and shakes out his beer-soaked hair. "I'm really, really sorry," he looks at me in honest anguish.

"Oh really? What're you sorry for, Jayce?" I challenge, crossing my arms over my chest. "Are you sorry that you just defamed me in front of our classmates? Or are you sorry that you're such an egocentric, sewer sucking shit head who thinks everyone is in love with him?" I retort, pleased by the wounded expression that takes over his noble features.

"I didn't..." He looks down at the asphalt as he nervously runs his hand through his beer-dampened hair. Ew. "I didn't realize what I was saying. I-I was upset."

"Oh, YOU were upset?" I fume in disbelief at his ignorance. "Apologizing is the only thing you suck at more than your own dick."

He continues to look at the ground, his head hanging in obvious shame. "Most of those people were drunk. They probably won't even remember."

My mouth drops. Was he honestly this indifferent?

"Are you serious right now?!" I yell at him, tempted to kick the shit out of his precious motor bike. "Jayce, you might as well have just have announced over the school intercom that you think I'm thirsty and needy! People have no idea who I am, which I'm perfectly happy with. But now, you've told everyone what to think of me. I hope you're fucking pleased with yourself, now that you just single-handedly managed to give me the reputation of a 'Jayce Solis fangirl.'"

He finally meets my eyes, "Deion had bet some of the team that he could get you to sleep with him tonight. He had set up a hidden camera and was going to make a video of you and him," Jayce clenches his fists and grits his teeth, eyes closing at the memory. "I had just found out about his plans and then I saw you dancing with him... I got so fucking pissed. I couldn't let him do that to you, and I knew you wouldn't believe me if I told you. I can't handle it when guys just..." he trails off, shaking his head slowly, as if he's trying not to think about something. I notice his hands curl into white-knuckled fists like he's keeping an avalanche of anger at bay. "I wasn't thinking straight. Getting you mad enough to leave was the only thing I could think of. I'm sorry."

I want to know what he was going to say, but I think I'm going to puke. How fucked up did someone have to be to try to exploit another human like that? Now, when I remembered Deion's smiles throughout the week, it made me shiver from the creeps. Part of me couldn't picture him doing anything like that... He had been so sweet in the small amount of time I'd spent with him. But, then again, I guess they all are.

Even though everything in me wanted to scream that Jayce was lying and trying to make himself the good guy, his eyes were filled with too much honesty for me to think otherwise. I suddenly understood the hatred in his eyes toward Deion and the pleading look Jayce had given me in the kitchen.

"You couldn't have just talked him out of it?" I say, my voice accusing. "Or done something else reasonable like, I don't know, break the camera?"

"Fallon!" He barks, clearly having had enough. "I didn't know what to do! It all happened so damn fast, I just knew I didn't want that sick perv to get his hands on you!"

I glare at him, even though his words are causing my heart to pitter patter pretty damn fast. I decide that I believe him. "Fine," I mutter, my arms still folded tightly across my chest. "Thank you for your so-called chivalry, but there's no way in hell I would've slept with Deion, anyway. So, you still humiliated me for nothing," I step around his bike and huff, continuing down the road.

The next thing I know, I'm letting out a shriek because my feet are suddenly in the air. Jayce sweeps me up in a fireman's carry like I weigh nothing, swinging me over his broad, strong shoulders.

"What the hell?!" I shout, slapping at any part of him that I can get my hands on.

"You're drunk, and I'm giving you a ride home," he says with finality.

"I'm not drunk!" I lie, hollering as blood rushes to my head. "Besides, you've been drinking, too. You'll kill us both!" I shout.

Jayce chuckles, "You didn't just watch yourself try to walk. And no, I've had one sip of beer all night. Alcohol isn't really my thing."

"Then what is? Slander and kidnapping?" I slice, giving up my attempts to get free.

He ignores me, plops me down on the back of his bike and hands me his helmet.

"Ew, no. It smells like beer," I say, handing it back to him with a scowl. This would be the perfect moment to run, but I decide that getting a ride home might not be the worst thing, especially since I can already feel the pain of blisters forming on my feet.

Jayce just glares at me. "You're wearing it. No argument."

I roll my eyes and shove the too-big helmet down on my head, gagging at the smell of beer and sweat.

Jayce smoothly mounts the bike and revs the engine. "Hold on," he warns.

I wrap my arms around his firm abdomen, ignoring the twist in my stomach as I realize this is the closest I've ever been to him and the most we've ever touched.

The bike tears through the night like a dagger. I instinctively tighten my arms around Jayce, my heart pounding as he continues picking up speed, the engine roaring. The freezing wind nips at my bare arms and legs, effectively turning me into a human popsicle.

I've never been on a motorcycle before, and I'm not too sure that I like it. We zoom past forests and houses, my insides feeling like they're going to come up out of my mouth at any moment.

After what seems like an eternity of anxiety and cold, Jayce pulls into my driveway. I see my mom, sitting on the front porch swing, taking a hit from a bong. Jesus.

She looks up at us and waves, holding her hit in until she's red in the face before letting it out slowly and asking between her coughs, "Tink! Who's the stud?"

"He's no one, mom!" I shout, ripping the helmet off my head before she can say anything else embarrassing. "He was just giving me a ride home." I shiver from the cold involuntarily.

"Did she just called you Tink?" He asks, stripping off his leather jacket and putting it around me. What a fucking gentlemen.

"Yes," I grumble. "My dad gave me the nickname when I was a kid because I was so small and blonde. Like Tinkerbell." I'm grateful for the warmth his jacket holds.

"Cute." He smirks, almost condescendingly.

"Nonsense!" Mom shouts, waving her hand. "I want to meet him. Plus, I made way too fucking many tacos." She dreamily wanders inside, leaving the bong on the porch.

"You should go while you still can. My mom is crazy. She'll interrogate you," I plead, desperate for him to leave already.

Jayce cocks an eyebrow at me. "You know, Tink?" I visibly cringe at his use of my family nickname, which elicits a smirk from his perfect lips. "Tacos just so happen to be my favorite food, and I'm starving." His stomach grumbles right on cue as he swings his leg off the bike and heads up my front porch steps, leaving me wrapped in his leather jacket, dreading whatever will come next.

Well.

Fuck.

~~~

Are you pro-Jayce or anti-Jayce at this point?? Gotta love the drama, amiright 😂 J is an ass. But a righteous one. And we love it. 💁🏼‍♀️

⭐️Tap the star if you're enjoying!⭐️

💬Comment your thoughts so far:)💬

♥️