I haven’t spoken to Grayson the whole morning. I saw him at the university, but I couldn’t look him in the eyes. And rightfully so, what happened last night was so out of line I wanted to bury my whole body

six feet under.

He must think I’m fucking crazy. What’s worst is that he’s seen me.

I’m embarrassed and I had to take pills just to keep me from going crazy. I approach my locker, taking a deep breath. I unlock it, seeing my pale face in the mirror, touching it up even more with some makeup.

“You don’t need that junk on your beautiful face.” I jump as Brooks comes up from behind me, his face in view from my mirror so I didn’t need to turn around.

Instead, I look at his eyes from the reflection, “I would say good morning to you, but I prayed last night for you to spill coffee on your favorite pants.”

Brooks looked at me as if I was a completely different person, he wasn’t entirely wrong. I definitely never showed him the side of me he regularly saw when I interacted with others that I wasn’t a fan of.

“Ah, Adrianna, always a joy. You were never like that when we dated.

You choose now to be interesting.”

I scowl at him, kind of embarrassed to act out in public but I was infuriated.

It was like a slap to the face and Brooks was looking for a slap to the face.

“You always brighten my mornings with the sweet nothings you would whisper in my ear.” I smile sarcastically.

“Come back to me.” He groans, “We both know we miss each other.” We do?

I was seriously contemplating whether I should kick him where the sun doesn’t shine but then realized that he would probably cream at the thought of any part of my body touching him there.

I let my head wander for a while before I answered, “I’m with someone new now, Brooks.” I pulled away, finally turning to face him, closing my locker.

“Yes, I heard you’re dating the one and only Grayson Prince.” I flinch at the words being said.

“Yes, so I think if you know what’s good for you,” I rip his hand away from my waist and push it to himself, “You should stop gawking at me, touching me, talking to me, or associating with my friends.”

Brooks looked at me to ask if I was joking.

He laughs harshly, “You wanted me to be like that during our relationship, remember?” He stresses.

“I thought you wanted the whole world to know you were mine.” He adds on as I hold my arms together in front of my body.

“It’s too late.” I say with a look that would usually send many to the doctor’s waiting room.

“I did not lose you to fucking Prince.” He seethes in a way that made me jolt, like a damn snake.

Brooks exhales a long breath, he looks frustrated, “He gets whatever he wants with a blink of his eye. Please don’t be one of the things he takes for granted.”

I snicker, “Funny. So, it’s okay if you do it, but not if he does?”

“You’re acting like a damn idiot, I always knew you weren’t a damn scholar Anna, but being reused and recycled by a Prince isn’t a good look.” He snarls.

I didn’t want to hit him. I didn’t want to hit him. Oh, fuck it.

I take my hand, heavily swinging as my palm hits his cheek. I could feel the heat rise from his face, hoping that it would create a handprint.

Brooks stiffens.

“I really think you should remember who you’re fucking talking to. So, unless you want your dad’s business to file for bankruptcy, you will never speak to me again.”

I spotted Maya’s face in the distance staring, “If you keep staring at me, it’s going to earn you a broken nose or a bruised eye.”

He places his hand on his cheek, looking raged more than ever but he calms down, his eyes burning onto mine.

“I don’t care. I miss you, Anna. Give us another shot.” He pleads as I look at Maya’s scorned expression.

“Your girlfriend is waiting for you.” Brooks nods in defeat. “She’s nothing to me.”

“That’s what you said during the relationship, and you were having sex with her while telling me you loved me every night.”

Brooks silenced with a gulp, “Forgive me. Please. This time will be different.”

I didn’t want to entertain anymore, but looking at Brooks, he seemed like he really meant it. You don’t know how important something is before it’s gone.

He grips my wrist, flashbacks of the night we broke up flashed through my brain like a movie montage.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to touch you.” He jolts back.

“You can’t be happy with him,” He looks at me with passion, almost as if it was real.

No. I’m not.

“Yes, I am. Now please.” I walked away.

He runs in front of me, “Just come to my game tonight, for old times sake.”

I sigh, “Okay.”

I knew I was making a mistake, but I also believed in second chances. Brooks didn’t deserve me, and I knew that. But I thought about how he could still be a part of my life without any romantic relations.

He takes a step closer, his arm snakes behind my back pulling me in for a hug, and I hug him back, looking forward to seeing the whole hockey team staring.

Great. Just fucking great.

If there was one thing I knew, it was that this team had their captains back, and this was surely not going to go unnoticed.

It surely didn’t matter to Grayson since it was all fake. He shouldn’t care about what I do with my real love life. But still, he had to keep his act going.

I pulled away from Brooks’ embrace which made me feel like I needed to take an hour and a half shower.

I flinched as he smiled at me, “I’ll play my best for you.” I smile thickly, “You always do.”

I begin to walk to class as the bell rings, a tall, muscled body interferes as it pops out of the corridor.

What is up with the universe today? Can it just give me a break from testosterone?

But I knew those arms anywhere, the smell of Dior Sauvage cologne, Grayson Prince was gracing me with his precious presence.

“Glad to know that you can ignore me for a whole morning but have an intimate meeting with Brooks.” He says with a large scale of sarcasm.

“I wasn’t ignoring you.”

I was lying to him, yes, but I didn’t care.

“I don’t like liars, Dove.” He licks his lips, his silver eyes skimming my figure, making my problems with having a pale face disappear.

“I came to pick you up this morning, but it seems that one of your guards said you already left.” He pointed out as I looked at him, tilting my head. It was a reminder that I was only five foot five inches.

“I left with Verina.” I stood taller, even if it did not help because he was six foot five inches of glory.

Seriously, as much as he was the bane of my existence, God must have taken his time on him. I’m sure there are some muscles on this man’s body that haven’t even been discovered.

He would be tested in a lab to see if he was supernatural or something.

But then again, I remembered that he cut a huge chunk of my hair in grade school, “Why are you ignoring me?”

I sent him a look that openly said, are you fucking with me right now?

“If you don’t know why I’m mad at you, you need to take this as a sign to reflect on your actions in the past twenty-four hours.”

“Is this really because of our fight last night?”

I’m glad that he skims over the fact that he watched me intently playing with myself while moaning his name.

I ignore him, walking away from him he catches up to me, “Oh, you have to get over that. We bicker all the time.” He makes a point as I continue to act as if he wasn’t there.

He walks in front of me quickly, like he was frustrated at my act of defiance, “We don’t want to blow our cover.” He whispers as I felt a bit of my control snap, “Couples fight!”

I walk closer, “This is far more believable than you thinking people will actually believe that we can stand being with each other for more than a fucking minute.”

Grayson stares back with an expression I can’t quite read again, “You doing something tonight?” He asks with a low voice.

I grow even more agitated than I thought was fucking possible. He was pushing all of my buttons all at once and repeatedly.

I hate how he dismissed everything I say like I’m a pop-up ad that deserves no attention and just gets crossed out.

“No!” I say with a ragged breath, swallowing.

“I’m just asking, Dove.” He smirks as I feel my fists forming. “And I answered your question.” I condemned.

Now I wanted to slap him as well, but I knew that would cost more controversy than my mental health could take right now.

Grayson rolls out his tongue inside his mouth, my annoyance has decreased from one action.

“We have a game tonight; I just want to make sure that you’ll be there.

It’s a home game, my family will be there.”

He pulls my arm, gently pushing me against a wall. “Especially August, and that means you really need to brighten up your spirits when you see me on the ice sweetheart.”

I push him away with a scowl, “I’m not going.” “What?”

“You heard me,” I dust off my shirt.

“Where are you going to be?” His eyebrows wrinkled, like he couldn’t believe what I was saying.

“None of your business.” I snarled at him.

“Considering you are my girlfriend; I have a right to know about your whereabouts.” He growled, looking a bit more frustrated than he was prior to my answer.

“I am not your girlfriend.” I snap back as he obnoxiously shakes his head.

“Oh yeah?”

He challenges, “How about we ask people here if you are?”

I gulp, “Grayson knock it off.” I looked at him, visibly seeing his need to prove he was correct, it only made me want to ruin things for him even more.

“I.”

“Will.”

“Not.”

“Be.”

“Attending.” “Your.”

“Game.”

I speak with conviction as his jaw tightens. Without warning, he grabs my waist and shoves me into a janitor’s closet, just as the bell rings.

Great, now I’m late for class.

Grayson’s large hands make me feel small, fragile. His touch is a mix of anger and need. I defy him, and he thrives on it.

I hate that I do too.

“You’re going to that game,” he growls, his mouth dangerously close to mine. I’m tempted to bite his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood.

“You can’t force me,” I laugh, trying to wriggle out of his grip, but he only tightens his hold. Damn, he’s strong.

I can’t help but wonder how that strength would feel if he were on top of me. I swallow hard.

“Do you have a thing for janitor’s closets, or…” I tease as he slams me against the door.

“Trust me, Dove,” he smirks, his eyes burning into mine in a way that makes me feel like he wants to leave his mark on me, a claim of dominance.

“If you go missing because I tied you up in here, no one would bother looking,” he murmurs, and I feel a smile tugging at my lips.

I smile. I shouldn’t, but I do.

His gaze drops to my hand, noticing the glittering diamond. A devilish grin spreads across his face as he examines it.

“Purity ring,” he rasps.

My throat tightens, making it hard to speak, so I nod.

“Fuck,” he whispers in my ear, his voice dripping with lust, sending tingles through my body.

His voice is thick, soft, laced with need.

He grips the nape of my neck, his fingers threading through my hair as he forces me to look into his eyes.

He leans closer. “You’re right. You’re not my girlfriend.”

I’m shocked that he admits he’s wrong, but my desire for his touch only grows stronger.

“You’re not my girlfriend,” he repeats in a rough whisper, his lips brushing against my ear, “but I’m the first man to watch you come.” His lips close around my earlobe, and I let out a soft moan. “My name was the first on your lips when you finished… which makes you mine.”

I’m torn between pushing him away and letting him consume me.

I crave his touch in ways I’d never admit, as my back is pressed against the closet door. The tight space only makes me want him more.

My heart races; he makes me feel alive. I want his lips on mine, his hands gripping my hair. I want him to tear my clothes off right here, right now.

Would he?

Would he cross that line?

Grayson pulls back, his eyes clouded with guilt and anger. He doesn’t want to touch me the way I want him to. He enjoys the game.

He toys with me. Like a cat owner dangling a string just out of reach, making me jump for it.

But I wasn’t a cat, nor a damn plaything.

“You will be at that game, Adrianna.” He sternly commanded as I looked back at him. I contemplated whether I should be the one to place my hands on his body.

But before I replied, he made a rushed exit outside the closet, leaving me alone with my filthy thoughts.

I was obedient to everyone else, except for him. Why should that change now?

The fuck I’m going to that game.