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Brick glanced at O’Neal and then scoffed. “Yeah, sure she is.”
He stalked off, his bare feet slapping the pavement.
Only when Auden turned around and saw O’Neal’s face did he register what he’d said.Girlfriend.Shit. “O’Neal, sorry, I—”
She waved a hand, clearing her expression along with the air in front of her. “It’s fine. I know you didn’t mean that. But if it gets you off the hook with your coach, use it.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Wow, that guy is adiiiick.”
Auden smiled at her emphatic use of a word she would’ve never said a couple of months ago.
“And you, my Sweets, are brilliant,” Len said, shaking out his punching hand and grinning. “The way you took him down? When you asked if he started the relay?” Len laughed. “God, it was perfect. I adore you, O’Neal Lory.”
O’Neal blushed bright pink. “Thanks.”
Auden’s chest squeezed tight. He was so fucking proud of her. She’d stood up for herself with such ferocity, not shrinking at the implication that she’d slept with both of them. He walked over to her and without thinking, pressed a kiss to her mouth. He pulled back and looked down at her, cradling her chin.
“He’s right. You were perfect.”
She gave him a little nod and let out a long breath, like she’d had to pump herself up to max capacity to survive what had just happened and now all that energy was rushing out of her. A slight tremor went through her body.
Concern washed through him. He released her face and cupped her shoulders, trying to read her eyes. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I just…do people like, know, what y’all do? I felt like he was seeing…everything.” She wet her dry lips. “Like I was naked and he was picturing everything I’d let y’all do to me.”
Auden winced inwardly, hating that she’d felt that exposed. “It’s not public knowledge, but he’s…friends with a woman we…from last year. She might’ve told him some things.”
“Right.” She blinked, and for the barest part of a second, he thought he saw tears there, but she looked down quickly. “Yeah. So that didn’t feel great.”
Auden rubbed her upper arms, an uneasy feeling moving through him. “I’m sorry. He’s an asshole. I should’ve cut him off at the pass. But try not to let him get to you. None of it is his business, and you have nothing to be ashamed of. Like you said.”
“Like I said. Sure.” She made a humorless sound in the back of her throat, and then something dawned in her expression. She pressed her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes, her whole body curving inward. “Oh God.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, worried she was going to pass out or something.
She stayed silent for a long moment but then lowered her hand and looked at him, a haunted expression on her face. “You know, if I had died in that fire, guess what would’ve been all over me?”
“O’Neal…” Auden said, dread filling him.
“Two men’s DNA,” she finished.
Len gave Auden a worried look. “Hey, no talk of dying in fires, okay?”
She shook her head and backed away from Auden, her posture closing to them. “I can’t believe this.”
“Shaq,” Auden tried again, trying to pull her out of the spiral he could sense coming.
But she was undeterred. “All that time my grandparents were keeping me on lockdown, so scared I’d follow in my mom’s footsteps. All those times I tried to convince them that I wasn’t her, that I could be trusted to do the right thing, that I wouldn’t let silly things like boys or relationships distract me from my plans.” She gave them each a look. “Well, maybe they were right to keep me locked down because look what happens when I’m left to my own devices. Hell, maybe even God has an opinion. I mean…almost dying in a fire is a pretty dramatic warning.”
“Don’t,” Auden said, a pleading note in his voice. “Please don’t do that. What happened last night was…”
Beautiful. Amazing. Perfect.
“Another kinky college hookup for y’all. One of many,” she said, not giving him a chance to finish his sentence. “Another girl for a teammate to tease you about in the locker room. No big deal.”
Lennox made a sound of deep displeasure. “O’Neal—”
She shook her head again and lifted a hand. “I’m not mad—well, maybe a little at myself. I’m not blaming either of you. You never sold me a lie. If anything, you tried to talk me out of it. I know what I asked for, and wouldn’t take back that decision. I think I needed to maybe…veer off the road for a little while to see what it was like, to be a little reckless. But…” She took a breath. “I’m not built for this to continue. I’m not some cool chick who can brush off guys like Brick looking at me like that and not feel it.”
“Fuck, Brick,” Auden said, wanting to drag the dude back over here just so he could get the pleasure of punching him too. “Don’t let him—”
