“You think you know him so well, Taylor. Think again. He’s been with everyone on campus. You’re not special.”
Only I know the real Drake Donovan.
“You’re just mad that he blew you off,” I hiss, my hands now fisted at my sides.
She rushes toward me, and before she can get a clean hit on me, I grab her by the arm and twist it behind her back. Breathing against her cheek, I yank it harder. “Keep talking shit about Drake and me, and the next time, I’ll break it.”
I’ve trained for this moment with my father. Everything I know about martial arts he’s taught me. He prepared me for people like Jackie.
Our fight ends with someone wrapping muscular arms around me. The scent of clean linen and Drake’s aftershave fills my nostrils. It’s a scent I love so much I’ve burned it into my brain. He drags me away from Jackie, my shoes screeching along the floor. Once we’re at a safe distance from her, he sets me on the floor, placing his hand on my shoulder to stabilize me.
“I don’t know if I should be mad or thankful,” I say through gritted teeth. Spinning around to face him, I suck in a deep breath. “I had that under control.”
He rolls his eyes and sighs loudly. “No, you didn’t. You were two seconds from breaking your teammate’s arm. And for what reason?”
“She said you fucked her. That bitch was bending over to show to me how you took her from behind.”
“You know I never…” His gaze lowers as he blows out a breath of air, tugging at the ends of his dark hair. “C’mon, Taylor. Why would you even entertain that shit from her when you know the truth?”
Tears flood my vision, but I do my best to blink them away. “It still fucking hurts, Drake. I shouldn’t have to deal with this shit. First, it was The Queen and now this? Is it going to keep happening?”
As I spot Coach Vaughn strolling over toward us, I slip away from Drake’s grasp and head toward the exit to the gymnasium. I don’t want anyone to see me cry. The tears are right there, ready to spill at any moment. It’s bad enough the entire gym just saw me literally kick Jackie’s ass.
I should have controlled my anger. My dad taught me better than to blow up the way I did. With Drake, I lose my shit. I can’t handle anyone talking about him.
He follows me into the desolate back hallway that leads to the women’s locker rooms. “Taylor, where are you going? You can’t run away from your team just because she’s jealous of you.”
I stop dead in my tracks and turn around to face him. When I look into his deep blue eyes, I can’t form another thought. Just having him here when I feel like I’m losing my mind instantly calms me.
Fisting his shirt between my fingers, I pull him to me. He closes the distance between us, and within seconds, he has my back against a wall of lockers. An awkward silence passes between us for a few seconds as we stand there breathing against each other’s lips.
“I hate her,” I spit out. “She’s doing this to get under my skin. I know I shouldn’t let her get to me, but she reminds me so much of that girl who tormented me when I lived in Texas. Those were some of the worst years of my life.”
“You came out of that situation on top,” Drake mutters and then takes my bottom lip into his mouth to suck on it. “I know you, Taylor. You’re not the person who walks away from a challenge. So, get your sexy ass back on that court and help your team pull this game out of the gutter before I have to bend you over my knee and spank your ass.”
“You’re such a bad boy,” I whisper as our eyes meet. “I like you spanking me too much to get my sexy ass back on that court.”
He laughs, slipping his fingers between mine. I don’t argue when he leads me down the hallway. And I don’t hesitate when he forces me to rejoin my team on the bench.
Drake finds his place among his friends in the stands, his eyes on me the entire time. Not once does he look away from me, and I play better because of it. Because I know that Drake will always be there to help me find my way. And I will always be there to do the same for him.
Chapter 17
Taylor
After the fight with Jackie and the tongue-lashing we got from Coach Vaughn after the game, I couldn’t wait to get out of town. I needed a vacation from Strickland University.
Drake had asked me to come to his game against Boston College. I promised I would come, and when Bex begged me to drive with her to see Preston play, I couldn’t say no to either of them.
I hate driving. It’s not something I did often when I lived in California. I don’t need a car in the city, though my dad insisted I have one for emergencies. So, we’re riding in the Honda Civic he bought me for my high school graduation. It’s a decent car that gets me from point A to B when necessary.
My driving skills are beyond rusty, which is clear by my shoddy driving, but Bex forced me to take the helm. She has a license but refuses to drive.
“You look like you will have a nervous breakdown.” Bex shifts in her seat and shoves her hand into the half-eaten bag of Cheetos. “Chill out, Tay.”
I shoot her a wicked look. “Are you serious, little miss I’m afraid to drive?”
She chuckles and then pops another cheesy snack into her mouth, speaking between bites. “It’s not that I’m afraid to drive. I just don’t like it. There’s a big difference.”
