Page 17 of Made for Cyn
Bemused, I follow everyone as we circle back around Jig who says, “All right, huddle up.”
Pressed between a burly dude who stinks of sweat and a girl who passes me sidelong glares, I look up in surprise when Jig says, “LB, what’s the deal?”
My skin prickles when all eyes turn in my direction, and with my brows low over my eyes, I mutter, “I don’t know how to play this.”
His eyes widen before narrowing, and I squirm under the look because I have no idea what he finds so fascinating about my statement. Thankfully, he moves on, this time giving me specific instructions, and I try to get into the game, but mostly I flounder around as everyone runs around me, shouting and laughing.
It’s the other team’s chance with the ball, and thankfully I’m on the sidelines for this one. I’m daydreaming about Cyn’s devilish smile when a commotion breaks out, and I glance up to find Jig confronting another student.
Jig’s silly smile and dancing eyes are long gone and he glares at his opponent with a fierce scowl. The other guy inhales and puffs out his chest like a rooster as Jig steps up, but another student intervenes, grabbing the other guy’s arm and whispering in his ear.
Jig steps back with a vicious smile and the guy turns away, but I watch as he looks back at the last second, and Jig stretches his mouth wide, baring all his teeth.
What the? Thankfully, the game resumes, and I’m feeling particularly useless and desperately grateful that the hour is almost up. I’m guarding some girl who towers over me and takes this game quite seriously when the ball flies our way, and she raises her hands to catch it.
I can’t say for sure, but I think she does it on purpose when she brings her arm down and slams it into my face. My eye immediately stings but she ignores me and grabs the ball, spinning with it tucked under her arm.
Stunned, I watch her go before my skin burns with annoyance, and I run after her with gritted teeth. When she’s within my reach, I grab her around the waist and tug on the damn flags viciously, as I’ve seen the others do.
She struggles out of my grip, but I have both flags in my hands when she’s free, and she slows to a stop when she realizes it, shooting me a frustrated glare before dropping the ball and stomping off.
Although strangely proud of my efforts, it all fades under the throbbing in my eye, and clutching it with a grimace, I turn with a weak smile when Jig calls out, “LB! That was so hot!”
He has a massive grin on his face as he strides toward me, but it fades when he spies my expression. With a frown, he pulls my hand away, raising my chin, and inspecting my eye.
His face is blurred by my tears because it stings like a motherfucker, and I squeak with surprise when he pulls me into his side and hugs me gently to him.
For a moment, I’m stiff as a board, relaxing when he doesn’t push further, only to hunch back up when Cyn says behind us, “Well, isn’t this cozy.”
Jig chuckles and turns us toward Cyn, who drops his heated glare from Jig to me, his ire fading when he, too, spots my eye.
Stepping forward, he grabs my chin and looks me over, demanding harshly, “Who did this?”
His tone makes me shrink and I murmur uncomfortably, “It was an accident . . . football.”
Chuffing, he steps back, his gaze dropping over me once more. Tingles break out where his eyes trace over my skin, down my legs, and back up before landing on my face.
Sucking in a breath at the heat reflected at me, I shiver when he turns to Jig with a frown and snarls, “Are you done?”
Jig smiles wide, his blue eyes alight with humor and drops his arm, stepping away with his hands raised in the air playfully.
Backing away, I look at Cyn once more, taking in his beauty. His dark hair hangs over his brow, accentuating his pretty eyes lit from within. The band tee he’s sporting stretches his sizable chest and since I can’t help myself, I return the favor and glance down, stopping at his package, which I can’t really see and back up.
When I come back to his face, he’s looking at me once more, and the heat in his eyes singes my retinas. Warmth fills my cheeks and I turn away quickly, stalking to the locker room, but I can’t resist and glance back to find his eyes glued to my ass.
With a small moan, I escape behind the door, bewildered by the ache in my core. With the way he looked at me, I’m not sure he wouldn’t gobble me up and leave me begging for more.
???
After school, I meet up with Iris by her car. She glances up, then back to her phone before her eyes gravitate to my face, where I’m now sporting a shiner, my first ever black eye. I’m not sure if I should be proud of it because I got it playing a real-life game, a high school ritual, or annoyed, but it is what it is.
“What the fuck happened? Who do I need to beat up?” she snarls, stepping from her slouch against the car.
“No one,” I mutter, exasperated. “It was an accident. Football.”
“Oh. Thank fuck I didn’t have to take PE this year.”
Sliding inside, I listen as she chatters about some altercation with a chick in her geometry class, but my mind is far away on Cyn’s glittering eyes as he looked at me. Although I’m clear on what I’m supposed to do—stay away from him—my body is not on board.
