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“Be very careful with your next words,” I sneer, “they might be your last.”
“I’ve said similar things about other girls before,” he croaks, “you’ve never minded.”
I release him and he falls lamely to the ground before picking himself up.
“I mind now.” I tell him, the threat still clear in my voice. “What the fuck do you want?”
He rubs his sore throat gingerly before reaching into his bag. “To congratulate you on winning the bet,” he tells me, with an insincere smile. He pulls out a roll of cash and extends it towards me. “And to give you your cash. Ten grand, as promised.”
I stare at the bills in his hand for a long moment before grabbing them and stuffing them in the pocket of my shorts.
“Do I need to threaten you or do you understand what’ll happen to you if you don’t stay silent?”
“No, I’m crystal clear. ” he answers, miming a zipper closing movement over his lips, “My lips are sealed.”
He walks away and I watch him leave quietly, unease spreading in my gut. I turn towards Phoenix and see that he’s also watching him go with a calculating look on his face.
“Rogue’s right,” he says, “You need to tell her.”
“He won’t say anything. He knows what’ll happen to him if he does.”
“If you want something longterm with her, you can’t hide this from her.”
“Who says I do?” I ask, and the question sounds hollow even to my own ears.
“Rhys,” he says, leveling me with an unimpressed look, “this is going to blow up in your face.”
“I’ll keep a close eye on him and make sure it doesn’t.” I reply, walking off to practice and leaving him to trail after me.
???
32
Rhys
Over the next few days, I don’t spend much time far from Thayer. We start our mornings with one on one practice, then get breakfast and head straight to class together from there.
When our different schedules do separate us, we inevitably link up in the food hall for lunch. We see each other in the halls or study periods and head to team practice together.
At night we’re just as inseparable. Since the party at Devlin’s house five days ago, we’ve spent every night together.
Bellamy’s mom Trish is in town spending time with her injured daughter so we’ve slept at my place in order to let her use Thayer’s room.
My inability to be separated from Thayer is the reason I find myself sitting on her couch surrounded by her friends and Trish, participating in what’s turning out to be a very competitive and cutthroat game night.
Thayer’s standing, gesticulating wildly as Six and Nera try to guess her charade. I was banned from being her partner by the girls who’d claimed I’d spent enough time with her over the past few weeks and it was their turn, so all I can do is watch uselessly and try not to yell out ‘Carli Lloyd’.
It’s so obvious, I guessed the answer five minutes ago.
Still, my gaze tracks her every move. The way she puts her hair behind her ear, the way her hands move frantically, encouraging Sixtine’s every guess.
The way she laughs with abandon, the loud and melodic sound warming my chest, especially on this cold mid-November night.
I can't pull my gaze away from her. Not when she shines so bright that she’s all I see.
I lean in to pick up my glass and am raising it to my lips when I catch Trish watching me, a knowing smile on her face.
We were late to game night, delayed by a quickie we’d had in the shower, so when we arrived I was only introduced to her in passing before we were ushered in.
