None of them grew up in the lap of luxury, and yet, each of them seems to understand me more than anyone in my old life ever did. Like me, they were constantly watched. Judged. Living like that, with eyes on you all the time, makes you feel trapped, confined. Somehow, they found each other, and now, I’ve found them.
Rubbing my hands together to warm them, I continue watching as they finish the routine exercise and turn back to start pushing the training sleds back the opposite way.
The rest of the team is already long gone and only Gio, Lex, and Nolan are left. To my surprise, their coach hasn’t taken a break once. The man stands on the edge of the field and watches them, calling out to the guys when he’s ready for them to break up their routine and jump into a new exercise. The guys don’t argue. They merely turn and follow their coach’s next torturous command.
My leg bounces against the metal flooring and after so many hours, my ass is numb. I’m starting to wish that I’d accepted Lex’s offer for me to take his SUV back to the carriage house earlier when they’d shown up in the storage room Gio had pulled me into in the midst of my mental breakdown.
The story he’d told me, about his mom… his confession about how he feels about her, it sits inside of me like a warm flame.
My friendships at Silverwood Prep hadn’t been nearly as deep. Avery had been my best friend, but even she had no idea of the secrets that I’ve kept hidden for the past three years. If I’m honest and I look past the fact that she slept with my boyfriend,she probably had her own issues too. Things I know nothing about.
Our friendship was built on mutual surface-level annoyances and proximity. I didn’t hate her, but I also haven’t really felt that saddened by the fact that we no longer talk.
Some people come into your life and they’re only meant to be there for a single moment in time. She was a season, whereas I suspect that the Scorpion Kings are meant to be far more. I can’t let them go. Even if they were to cut me off, turn their backs on me, and tell me it was all lies—their presence has left deep grooves in my soul in a way that no one else has ever even touched.
“All right,” Coach calls out, lifting a hand as his balding head shines with the lights that were turned on as the sun dipped below the horizon some time ago. “That’s enough.”
All at once, the guys halt their running and I chuckle lightly as Gio collapses onto the green, his chest pumping up and down as he tries to catch his breath. Lex looks ready to drop next to him, but somehow remains on his feet. Only Nolan appears somewhat unfazed by the rough exercise.
“Be here bright and early tomorrow,” Coach says as he marches away from the boys and goes to the bench to pick up his own duffle. “Shower. Clean up. Eat clean tonight. If you want a chance to redeem yourself at the next game, I better see the three of you working your asses off for the next several weeks.” He pauses and points over to Gio. “Anddon’tbe late next time or I’ll make you stay another hour late to make up for the time.”
Gio groans as he leverages up to a sitting position. I wince at the sheen of sweat that coats his face. It soaks the front of his shirt, turning the fabric darker and forcing it to cling to him. Lex reaches down and offers his hand. G takes it and lets himself be hauled onto his feet.
“You got it, Coach.” Gio lifts a hand, but hobbles a bit as he moves for the sidelines.
Grateful that my time here is done, I get to my feet and head for the stairs that lead out onto the field. The guys wait for me as Coach heads off.
“No one should be in the shower rooms,” G says, glancing at Nolan, and I remember his scars. The old white lines and ridges of his back that mar his otherwise perfect skin. Has he always avoided using the showers at school because of them?
“Yeah.” Nolan shakes his head, and several droplets of sweat fling off him and towards me.
“Ew, gross!” I cringe away from him and wrinkle my nose as I get a whiff of their overworked bodies. Pinching my nostrils shut, I give all of them a baleful look. “I think you should shower as soon as possible,” I say. “You stink.”
“Oh yeah?” Gio’s tone has me backing up as I swivel to look at him. Already creeping closer, he puts his hands out on either side of him as if he’s planning to come in for a big hug. “You don’t want to smell like me, Prep Girl?”
I shake my head fervently. “Don’t even fucking think about it, Playboy.” I back up and he moves forward. “Gio. I mean it— No!” A squeal of disgust leaves my lips as he dives for me, wrapping me in his arms and dragging me against a sweat-slick and smelly body. “Ugh.” I gag.
Gio laughs, the sound loud and free as he lifts me up and swings me around. He really does smell bad, but as the wind whirls around us, stealing some of it away—I realize it’s not so bad being in his arms. It was nice in the storage room too.
The old me would have shoved him away and told him to take a hike. She would have refused their peace offerings. She wouldn’t have trusted and she certainly wouldn’t have let herself accept their help.
New Juliet doesn’t have that luxury, but more than that, she’s getting closer to admitting that maybe… it might be time to let someone else in. After all, if I’d been alone when I’d been taken—if they hadn’t come for me—then there’s no telling where I’d be now. Probably six feet under, pushing daisies.
“Come on, G,” Nolan calls as he and Lex start walking towards the end of the field. “I’m tired and starving.”
Gio releases me and bends over, shaking his head back and forth like a dog. More sweat droplets fly at me. With a grunt, I shove at his side and push myself away. “Asshole,” I mutter as I stalk after the others.
Gio’s amusement echoes behind me as he follows a moment later. I grunt when his arm lands over my shoulders and he jostles me into his side. “Awww, come on, you know you like me.” His teasing only makes me roll my eyes, but still—as he walks with me towards the entrance to the locker rooms, I don’t push him away a second time.
Half an hour later, the guys are showered and changed and smelling far less like body odor and wet socks. Together, the four of us exit the school and head for the parking lot. As we step onto the sidewalk, my heart begins to pound.
The lights at the back of the lot flicker just like they had the night I’d been taken. There are a few cars left, but as I scan the darkened grounds, the sense that we’re being watched burns into my brain.
“Jules?” Nolan calls for me, and I instinctively move closer to him and Lex. “Are you okay?”
I nod even if I don’t feel it. Partway to the cars, he stops and turns towards me. I freeze, but don’t look at him. My head turns, back and forth, moving, scouring the parking lot. Searching. Waiting.
“Hey.” No one steps out of the shadows. No cars or vans come screeching into the lot. Still, I can’t help the paranoia. If ithappened once, what’s to say it won’t happen again? Nolan cups my elbow and turns me to face him, blocking my unimpeded view of the grounds and forcing me to look at him.
