The Wrong Quarterback (The Wrong Player #1)

Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

CASEY

“ W hy are we doing this again?” I moaned once we were back in our dorm, and Nat had forced me to start getting ready for the party the football team was throwing tonight. Parker had a bunch of post win interviews to give and had asked Nat to watch out for me until he was through.

Because evidently I needed to be watched out for now.

Although comparing it to Gray ditching me the first game because he was drunk and feeling sick, having someone go out of his way to make sure I made it home safe was certainly a different experience.

Something I didn’t want to examine too closely because it was another mark in the “Parker Davis May Be Perfect” column…and I wasn’t sure I was ready to believe that yet.

“Because you’re dating the star quarterback on the team, and he’s going to show you what a college party is supposed to be like. The exact opposite of that fuckwad,” she said, a little growl at the end of her sentence when she referenced Gray.

I bit down on my lip, dread and anticipation both flooding through my veins.

Nat giggled as she looked at her phone.

“And who are you texting?” I asked, setting down my brush and grinning at how twitterpated she looked just then.

“Hunter,” she sighed, clutching her phone to her chest. She and the lineman had been hot and heavy since that fateful party.

The one that I didn’t want to think about because it still made me cry…

“Maybe I should stay in. I think I’ve proven that parties and me just don’t go together,” I pressed when she turned to look at me.

Nat threw her phone down, her blond hair flying behind her as she rushed toward me and tackled me back on my bed.

“Listen, ma’am. We are going to this party. You are going to have fun. We are going to get drunk. And your smoking hot new boyfriend is going to show you the good side of life. Got it?” she said, waving her finger in my face.

“Get off me,” I humphed, pushing on her shoulders. She was a strong little thing.

“Say, ‘Natalie I’m going to let my gorgeous new boyfriend screw me silly, and I’ll get off,’” she said, raising her eyebrows up and down lecherously.

“What? No! And he’s not my boyfriend. I had a boyfriend, and I just dumped him for cheating on me. I can’t have a new boyfriend just a few days later!”

“Oh, girl. You’re in denial. Parker Davis is definitely your boyfriend,” she said, smirking at me as she finally jumped off.

“This can’t be real, Nat. It happened too fast. Nothing this fast can last,” I whispered. “I had years to build something with Gray. To build a foundation that I thought could last forever once we finally happened.” I stared out the window.

Natalie’s smirk faded, and she sat down next to me.

“I’m sorry he hurt you. I want to kill him for doing that.”

I kicked my foot out, staring at the pink polish on my toes.

“I think a part of me wonders what Ben would think about all of this, too. If he would be ashamed because I gave up on Gray so easily.”

Nat was quiet for a long moment.

“Obviously I never met your brother, but I feel like I’ve gotten a pretty good idea of who he was from what you’ve told me. And the kind of guy who loves his sister like that…he’d never be okay with a man treating her badly—his best friend or not.”

I opened my mouth to object. To say that maybe I hadn’t taken enough time to listen to Gray. Maybe he needed help with a drinking problem, and I’d turned my back on him when he needed me the most. Maybe I hadn’t been a good enough girlfriend…

It was like she could read my mind.

“You are not responsible for a man’s bad behavior, Casey. Now repeat that for me, right the fuck now.”

“I am not responsible for a man’s bad behavior,” I repeated obediently.

“Good girl,” she said, giving me a high five. “Now, get off this bed and start getting ready. We have a party and more orgasms to get to. Emphasis on the more orgasms , of course.”

I bit down on my lip, trying not to think about Parker’s capacity to give me more orgasms.

It was a losing endeavor, though.

So, I got ready for the party.

Nat opened the door, barely getting out a “Hey” before Parker brushed past her, his eyes zeroed in on me like he couldn’t see anything else. In two strides, he was there, his hands sliding around my waist as he pulled me in, his mouth on mine before I could even blink. He kissed me like he’d been holding his breath the entire time we’d been apart, and I melted, my hands gripping his shoulders, the world narrowing to the taste of him, and the feel of his heartbeat pounding against me.

We stayed like that until Nat began clearing her throat…loudly. Parker pulled back just enough to look at me, his lips curving into that irresistible smirk. “You look amazing by the way.” His hand lingered at my waist, fingers brushing the fabric like he couldn’t stand not touching me. Nat and I had decided to stay in our jerseys and mini skirts, and judging by the way Parker was looking at me—like he wanted to eat me—he was very happy about that decision.

“Don’t mind me,” Nat muttered across the room. “I’ll just be over here wishing it wasn’t socially unacceptable for me to pull out my vibrator right now. The two of you are HOT!”

Parker scoffed, and I laughed, but neither of us looked at her. We were both trapped in our own little world, a world I still didn’t understand how I’d ended up in.

“I don’t want to go,” he growled. “I just want to take you away and keep you to myself. Everyone is going to be looking at you.” He kissed me again like it was impossible to stop.

“No, sir,” Nat interjected. “Our girl is going to this party, and you are going to show her a good time.”

“ Our girl?” he asked, a weird, silkily dangerous undertone to his voice.

Nat gulped dramatically. “Sorry, sir…Daddy. I meant—your girl. Definitely your girl.”

I started laughing, and I couldn’t stop. Tears were streaming down my face as I bent over. When I finally stood up, Parker was staring at me…that awestruck look that I’d never understand there in his gaze.

“What?” I asked, wiping at my face and suddenly feeling self-conscious.

“I love the sound of your laugh, baby,” he murmured, and I flushed, because the way he said that sounded so…intimate. Like we were tangled together in bed.

Or maybe that was just wishful thinking…

Nat cleared her throat loudly. “Unless you want me to combust spontaneously into flames because of the sexual energy the two of you are giving off right now…you should probably go. But don’t worry, I’m happy to report she does not have a curfew. So feel free to keep her out as late as you want.” She grinned almost evilly. “And I do mean as late as you want.”

Parker looked faintly amused, and he sighed dramatically. “If we must,” he groaned, giving me one more kiss before he took my hand and started to lead me out of the room.

“Are you coming with us?” I asked, pulling on Parker’s hand so he would stop.

Nat grinned and did a little shimmy, holding up her phone. “Hunter just texted me that he wants…a little treat before the party,” she said, her eyes gleaming. “So, I’ll meet you there.”

Parker snorted, wrapping an arm around my waist as he buried his face in my neck. I shivered as his tongue licked along my skin.

“Okay,” I said, in a weird, high voice. “I’ll see you there.”

Parker dragged me out into the hallway. I pretended not to notice how…busy it suddenly was. Like word had gotten out that Parker Davis was here, and all the girls who lived in the dorm were out to present themselves. Some girls were walking around in skimpy towels, even though I was quite sure they hadn’t just taken a shower judging by the full face of makeup they were wearing.

But it was like Parker didn’t even see them. He didn’t respond to their waves or when they called his name. He just kissed the side of my head and walked me past them all.

What did he see in me? That’s all I could think as we walked. Even if this faded or burned out in a week…or tomorrow…for the rest of my life, I’d never understand what was going through his head right now.

Parker’s huge black truck was parked right in front of the building, in a clear no-parking zone. But there were no parking tickets on the dash. Even though usually the campus police had a ticket written if you even idled out front.

The rules were just different when you were a god, apparently.

He helped me into his truck and then walked around the front and got in. And I stared at him, finally having a chance to take him in, in all of his glory.

Parker leaned back in the driver’s seat, one hand gripping the wheel, his other arm draped around my shoulders as he pulled away from the curb. He was wearing a white V-neck shirt that clung to his chest and arms in all the right ways, the sleeves tight enough to show off the muscle underneath. The shirt brought out the depth of his tan, a rich warmth that contrasted with the light fabric, and I couldn’t help but stare as he shifted, his fingers absently tapping along my shoulder.

His gray sweatpants were dangerously low on his hips, and every time he shifted, his shirt lifted just enough to reveal the hard cut of his Adonis lines, those sharp grooves that disappeared below his waistband. He was wearing a backwards cap, strands of his brown hair just barely brushing against his forehead. As if that wasn’t enough…he was wearing a chain—silver, simple, resting just above the collar of his shirt, catching the light and drawing my eyes to the line of his neck, his jaw, the stubble that he hadn’t bothered to shave.

He’d probably thrown that on without a thought, completely oblivious to the fact that he looked like he’d stepped out of some daydream.

“Keep looking at me like that and see what happens,” he rasped suddenly, grabbing my hand and placing it on his lap…and not just on his lap…on his enormous, rigid dick that was stretched down his thigh.

I almost fainted. It was a fact. My panties were completely soaked, and I was trying to count backwards to get ahold of myself. But then…as if my hand had a mind of its own…I squeezed.

“Fuck,” he growled, and the truck jerked, swerving up onto the curb with a hard jolt that threw us both forward. Parker’s hands flew to the wheel, steadying us as we narrowly missed a tree, the tires squealing as he got back on the road. He came to a stop, his chest heaving, hands gripping the wheel so hard his knuckles were turning white.

He turned to me, eyes dark and intense, his breathing ragged. “You don’t understand,” he said, his voice low, thick with something raw. “Everything with you is…more. All I want is for your hands to be all over me, every second. But, damn, you gotta give a guy a warning, baby. I’d like to make it to the house in one piece.”

Before I could answer, his hand slid up, threading through my hair, his fingers gripping as his lips crashed against mine, fierce and urgent, like he’d been holding back everything until now. He kissed me like he was starving, like he couldn’t get close enough, his fingers tightening as if he was afraid that I’d run away.

Parker pulled away, looking torn, like he was on the precipice of some major decision.

“Just one taste,” he muttered suddenly, as if he was talking to himself.

A second later his seatbelt was off, and he was lunging toward me, his hand sliding up my thigh, pushing up my skirt. He traced the edge of my panties for a second and then slipped past the material, teasing my slit with his fingertips before he shoved two fingers deep inside my core.

“Parker!” I gasped, my head falling back on the seat.

“You’re so fucking wet for me, baby,” he murmured. “You’re such a good girl.”

I whimpered, the praise soaking into my skin.

“Do you want me to finger fuck you, baby, give us both what we need?”

I gasped in response, and his answering sexy laugh almost made me come right then.

“Give me your words,” he ordered, sliding his mouth against mine, his tongue lazily slipping inside for a second before he pulled away to look at me.

“Fuck me with your fingers, Parker. I want it,” I whispered, dying a little as he immediately started pumping his fingers in and out, the corded muscles of his arm flexing as he moved.

“Yes. Please. Please. Please ,” I begged.

“Kiss me,” Parker said roughly, his eyes glittering in the dim light as he watched my reactions.

I whimpered, and his mouth moved against mine, my lips sucking on his tongue as he forced a third finger inside.

“You’re going to choke my dick, baby. Aren’t you? Your pussy is so greedy, squeezing my fingers so tight.” He laughed when I cried out again. “I know you want more,” he soothed. “I’m going to give you more tonight.”

He pressed his forehead against mine, forcing me to look at him as my muscles trembled, and I began to fall apart.

“That’s it. That’s my sexy, perfect girl. Come for me. Now .”

He swallowed my cry as I fell into an orgasm, hot waves of pleasure pulsing through my insides. His face was tense as I clenched around the slow, smooth movement of his fingers as he fucked me through the ecstasy.

I watched as Parker pulled his fingers from my core and brought them to his mouth, his fingertips glistening with my cum…and then he licked them off like I was his favorite flavor of ice cream.

“My sweet girl, giving me exactly what I want,” he purred. He sucked on his finger for one more second, before he kissed me softly. Tenderly. His lips slowly dragged over mine, and I once again moaned at the taste of…us.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he murmured as he pulled back, his gaze darting over my features like he was trying to memorize them.

“Fuck,” he groaned as he sat back in his seat and put the truck in drive. “I’m not sure that will be enough to get me through the night.”

His face was pained as he reached down and adjusted his dick, which was now like a living, breathing monster trying to escape his sweatpants.

“Do—do you want me to help you with that?” I asked shyly, reaching for his cock. He grabbed my hand and placed it on my leg, preventing me from touching what I really wanted.

“We’re never going to get to the party if you get anywhere near him right now. I’m riding the edge, baby. Let’s not try to kill me. I haven’t even felt your perfect cunt yet.”

I blushed and looked back at the road, ignoring his smug glance as I fidgeted in my seat like I hadn’t just had an orgasm.

“You meant ‘it,’ right?” I finally asked after a second, gesturing to his dick.

Parker grinned, the effect so stunningly sexy that I forgot what I’d been talking about for a moment.

“No. My dick is definitely a ‘he’ and has his own free will. I’ve always thought I had control…but since I met you.” He winked at me. “I’ve stopped trying to hold him back. I’m pretty sure I’ve had a non-stop erection since the moment I saw you.”

I gaped at him and then stared down at his still very hard dick.

He put an arm in front of it. “Give him some space, baby. He can only take so much.”

I snorted, squirming around once again, trying to relieve the ache I felt every time he opened his mouth…or I looked at him…or basically anything happened with Parker Davis.

“Tell me something real about you,” I suddenly blurted out, when the sexual tension in the truck felt like too much. “Tell me something that I couldn’t read online or hear about you around campus.”

He glanced at me and then looked back at the road, tilting his head as if he was thinking hard. Another slow grin graced his lips.

“My family believes in love at first sight,” he finally said softly, as if he knew the words would freak me out.

Because that word…it shouldn’t be anywhere near us right now.

But I guess I had asked him for something.

“Every male in my family, for as long as I’m aware of, has known with one look that their girl was the one. I never thought it applied to me. Imagine my surprise…”

His words died off…and judging by the laughter in his blue gaze, he was waiting for me to ask him to finish.

But I didn’t, ignoring his chuckle and remaining quiet for the rest of the ride until we pulled into the driveway of the house next to where the party was.

“This is my place,” he said, gesturing to the small white house.

“You live alone?” I asked, surprised. I guess I had assumed he lived with Jace and Matty.

“I like my space, and they don’t always keep the best track of the girls they bring home,” he said. “I’ll give you a tour later. I don’t want Jace to decide to hunt us down. He’s texted me twelve times asking where I am.”

I moved to open the door, and he growled. Literally growled. “Stay right there,” he ordered, hopping out of the truck, and then jogging around to help me out.

“Are you trying to kill me?” I asked, repeating his earlier words back to him. He kissed me again…like he couldn’t help himself and then leaned in, so his lips were brushing my ear.

“I’m trying to make you fall in love with me.”

With that announcement, he grabbed my hand and led me next door to where music was blaring out from the open front door, and Jace was leaning against the threshold, staring at his watch dramatically.

“Welcome, fellow Inner Sanctum Members ,” he said, throwing his arms around both of our shoulders. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

“What did you just call us?” Parker asked, sliding Jace’s arm off my shoulder so that he wasn’t touching me anymore.

Jace snorted and glanced at me. “Do you think he would like Core Crew or the Loyalty League better?”

“I was more fond of No Drama Llamas , actually,” I said with a smile.

Parker frowned, like he didn’t like that we had an inside joke.

"I like her," Jace announced to Parker as he led us into the house. “I say we keep her.”

“That’s the plan,” Parker whispered in my ear, and I must have been crazy because I could have sworn I heard one more word after that. It sounded an awful lot like... forever .

This party was completely different from the others. As soon as we stepped through the door, a guy in a jersey handed Parker a beer, nodding at him respectfully, and, to my surprise, he handed me a mixed drink, like we’d just stepped into some exclusive club.

Parker stayed close, one arm wrapped around my waist, guiding me through the crowd, his touch firm and steady. People flocked to him the second we walked in, like he had some kind of magnetic pull. It was a stream of handshakes, pats on the back, and knowing grins thrown his way, but his focus never wavered. Every time someone tried to drag him into a conversation or grab his attention, he’d pull me closer. If he did decide to talk to someone, he didn’t let go, his fingers tracing slow, absent-minded circles on my side, like he was marking his territory while he spoke. He played with my hair, his fingers brushing my shoulder. He also made sure to include me in every conversation, even if it was something he had to have known I wouldn’t have a clue about…like football.

I didn’t want to keep comparing them, but I couldn’t help it. Gray had treated me as an afterthought at the two parties we’d gone to together, like he was doing me a favor when he paid attention to me instead of his friends. Parker treated me like I was the center of everything. Like I was the reason he was at the party to begin with.

Girls looked over with wide eyes, whispering to each other, a few of them bold enough to try and touch his arm, brushing against him as they passed. But Parker shifted subtly, every time, occasionally pushing their arms away when they didn’t get the hint.

And I kept thinking…there’s got to be a catch to this.

Parker was talking to some of the players on his team, when I tapped him on the arm. He immediately leaned over mid-sentence to see what I wanted.

“What’s up, baby?”

“I’m going to go to the bathroom,” I murmured to him.

He nodded, looking around. “Okay, let me get the key from Jace or Matty.”

“I can just wait in line,” I whispered, and he shot me an incredulous look before glancing around again and spotting Matty.

“Yo, Matty. I need a key,” he called, and his dark-haired other best friend nodded from the kitchen and headed our way.

Did they have to apply to be a part of this friend group? Because if the criteria for the Loyalty League was this kind of beauty…there was no way that they’d even look at my application.

Matty was the same kind of gorgeous as Jace and Parker, the kind that turned heads every time they walked into a room. His black hair fell just past his ears in a perfectly tousled, effortless style. His eyes were a light, Caribbean blue, the kind that seemed almost unreal against his tan skin. They were piercing, intense as they studied me, making me nervous, like he could see right through me, and he knew I didn’t belong. Like Parker, his body was a work of art, strong but lean, and even his movements had this easy confidence, like he was never in a hurry but always in control.

The three of them were unreal.

“What’s up, Parkie-Poo?” Matty said with a grin, and I watched as they did some kind of male friendship handshake—or at least that’s how I would describe it.

“I need the key to your room, Casey needs to go to the bathroom,” Parker told him.

Matty studied me again. “Are you going to introduce me? It feels like we’re moving a little fast—my toilet is a very sacred thing as you know.”

Parker scoffed, and Matty grinned. The two of them…were a lot together. And it just got worse when Jace appeared, pushing his way between Parker and Matty so he was front in center.

I gaped at the three of them, feeling a little bit…light-headed.

“Ooh, are we doing introductions? I can do them,” Jace said excitedly, gripping Matty’s neck and shaking him a little like some kind of really hot puppy.

“Casey, this is Matthew aka Matty aka Sir-Grouch-A-Kins aka The Third Amigo,” Jace said before anyone could get a word in. “Sir-Grouch-A-Kins, this is Casey aka the love of Parker’s life aka the fourth Inner Sanctum member.”

I was speechless, waiting for Parker to say something—to dispute what Jace had said and tell them we were just getting to know each other. But Parker said nothing. Literally nothing. He just grinned…almost proudly…like that’s exactly how he would have described me himself.

Matty reached out to shake my hand, and Parker smacked it away. “No touching,” he growled, and Matty and Jace looked at him amused, before they both burst into laughter.

“No touching,” Jace repeated, in a sort of Cookie Monster voice as he continued to laugh hysterically.

Parker sighed in mock exasperation and held out his hand. “Can you give me the key?”

Matty made a big show of getting it out of his pocket and presenting it to him like it was the Holy Grail.

And now I was a little nervous to use it, actually. I had a feeling Matty didn’t miss much. What if I forgot to flush or something?

“Thank you, Sir-Grouch-A-Kins,” Parker said, and Matty scowled at him.

“Can we please not make that a thing?” he groaned. “We can’t encourage him like that.”

“Ooh, speaking of encouragement,” Jace began. “One thing before you go. Casey, what’s the difference between peanut butter and jam?”

Parker and Matty sighed almost simultaneously. “Just tell him you don’t know so we can get this over with,” Parker whispered—loudly—to me.

“Um…I don’t know,” I replied obediently, and Parker’s hand slid from my waist to my ass as if that had turned him on.

“Only one has nuts,” Jace crowed, throwing his arms in the air and pumping his fists up and down…similar to the touchdown celebration he’d done on Saturday.

I giggled, and Jace grinned.

“Alright, let’s get you to the bathroom,” said Parker…sounding grumpy.

Jace’s grin only grew wider, and I was a little afraid of the mischief he was plotting right at that moment.

Parker led me away from his friends, holding my hand the entire time down the hall, not releasing it even as he unlocked Matty’s door.

“You can’t go in with me to the bathroom,” I told him…and a hint of a blush appeared on his cheeks.

“I know that,” he scoffed.

I raised an eyebrow…because did he?

“I’ll wait right here,” he said dramatically…as if it was a hardship.

And there went my stupid heart again. Because why did he have to say the cutest things?

I used Matty’s very clean bathroom—making sure I flushed and left everything exactly as I found it—and went back out to the hallway. Parker was further down the hall, a few of his teammates talking to him. A bottleneck of people had formed around them, and I sighed, wondering how I was going to get back to Parker.

I locked eyes with Parker, and he said something to his teammates before moving to push his way toward me. I was about to try and push through, too, when my attention snagged on two girls right in front of me, their voices carrying over the noise.

“She’s such an idiot,” one of them muttered, rolling her eyes as she watched Parker. “I mean, seriously, does she really think she’s special? Everyone knows Parker isn’t a one-woman guy.”

My stomach twisted, an icy prickle spreading up my spine. I shifted back, hoping they’d move, but they just kept talking, voices low and smug.

“Didn’t you hook up with him?” the other girl asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

The first girl tossed her strawberry-blond hair over her shoulder, a satisfied smirk spreading across her very pretty face. “Yeah, right before school started. I have his number too. I think I might shoot him a text tonight, you know, see if he’s down for a repeat. He was so fucking good. His dick is huuuge…and he knows how to use it.”

The second girl laughed, nudging her. “Maybe I can come along. They say Parker can go all night.”

Their laughter grated, every word hitting like a fresh wound, the confidence in their voices sinking into me like ice water. I fought to keep my expression neutral, but inside, my chest was aching .

Parker was suddenly there, his easy smile stunning me as I gazed at him. The girls were now looking at me, too, twin smiles on both of their faces because they’d realized I’d overheard.

I let Parker take my hand, and he led us out of the hallway and back into the main room, which seemed to have gotten three times as crowded while I’d peed. He led me to where Jace and Matty were, and I glanced around the room, stiffening when I caught sight of Hunter on the couch—Nat nowhere to be seen. There was a girl on either side of him, and he was taking turns making out with each one, his hand feeling up their breasts right in front of everyone.

I quickly pulled out my phone, texting Nat to ask where she was. She had told me she and Hunter had decided to be exclusive. Had something happened when he’d stopped by…because this wasn’t looking exclusive…

Nat: Ugh. My cramps started, and I’m crampy and crabby and miserable. Have fun without me, though, and tell Hunter I love his dick.

The text made me sick…for more reasons than one.

I snapped a picture of Hunter and sent it to Nat, because she needed to know.

I couldn’t help but watch Hunter some more as I waited for Nat to answer…and I also couldn’t help but think…if one of the offensive linemen was like this…then what was the star quarterback like?

I stood there, panicking, noticing again all the women who were staring at Parker, Jace, and Matty like they would do anything to have them. Like their life’s purpose was to get into bed with them.

Was this stupid…to think that Parker may be serious about us? To think he might be—mine…

He’d seemed to know right where he wanted to go in the library. Was that his usual spot? Did the passenger seat in his truck usually have a girl writhing on it? Had he kissed a girl on national television in the past…

“Hey, what’s going on? I can feel you freaking out,” Parker murmured, concerned, as he tipped my chin up to look at him.

I bit my lip, having trouble meeting his eyes. “How many of the girls here have you hooked up with?” I asked, the words rolling out of me before I could stop them.

Parker’s eyes grew wide. “Why are you asking that?”

“I mean…it’s a lot, right? I’m over here a virgin, and you’ve been the biggest manwhore on campus. Haven’t you?” There was a feral panic to my voice, like I was unraveling.

Parker nodded at Jace and Matty, and they stepped away, taking the crowd of people that had gathered with them.

I glanced over at Hunter again, and Parker’s gaze followed. “Fucking hell,” he growled, his eyes shooting daggers at his teammate.

Before he could answer anything, there was a commotion by the front door, and Nat stormed in, eyes blazing, her feet stomping against the floor like war drums.

She must have sprinted the entire way to get here that fast.

A murmur rippled through the room, but Nat didn’t slow down, her gaze locked onto her target: Hunter.

“You fucking asshole!” she screamed, her voice cutting through the noise. Without a second of hesitation, she stomped over and launched herself on his lap.

Hunter’s eyes widened, clearly caught off guard, but he didn’t have time to say a word. Nat’s fist shot out, landing a solid punch to his nose with a force that echoed in the room. He barely blinked before she hit him again, the second punch landing right on his cheekbone.

“Get it girl!” I thought I heard Jace yell.

Blood trickled from Hunter’s nose, a crimson streak cutting down his face as he tried to steady himself, looking at Nat with surprise. Before he could respond, two guys jumped in, grabbing Nat by the arms and hauling her back, though she was still writhing in their grip, spitting every curse word she could think of.

“You arrogant, lying son of a fuckwad!” She kicked out, trying to land another hit, her eyes blazing as she twisted against the guys holding her.

I broke free of Parker’s grip, rushing over to her side. Nat’s face was pale, her chest heaving, but she wasn’t crying. There was just a fierce, unfiltered anger radiating from her, like she was holding herself together through sheer fury alone.

“Nat,” I said softly, reaching for her hand as she finally stopped struggling. She looked over at me, her breathing rough, but she let out a small, sharp breath, her shoulders dropping just a fraction.

“I’m fine,” she muttered, her voice thick with frustration, eyes darting to where Hunter was in the kitchen now, trying to clean up the blood dribbling from his nose. “Can we go back to the room?”

“Of course,” I told her.

Parker was right by us then, a tic in his cheek when I told him I was leaving. “We need to talk,” he said as he walked with us out of the house to drive us back home.

“We’ll talk…later,” I told him, my arm wrapped around Nat. She shot me a questioning look but didn’t say anything.

Parker and I stayed quiet the short drive back to the dorm, but Parker kept looking at me every few seconds, as if he was willing me to talk.

We got to the dorm, and Nat and I got out. “I have practice in the morning,” he said to me frustratedly. “We really should talk tonight.”

“I need to be there for Nat,” I told him, even though with the weird hand gestures she was making, she was encouraging me to talk to Parker.

He nodded stiffly and went to get back in the truck, pausing at the door for a moment before he turned and suddenly grabbed me.

“You’re not allowed to second-guess me either, Casey. Add that to the list,” he growled before his lips devoured me like he was trying to take my soul as well as my heart.

When he released me, my breath was coming out in gasps.

“See you tomorrow,” he murmured, watching me as I walked with Nat inside the dorm.

“He’s intense,” Nat giggled, and I nodded, leaning against the door for a second as I willed my legs to move. “He also gives me hope,” she said. “I didn’t trust my instincts with Hunter, but I’m not wrong about Parker. He’s craaazy about you.”

“I hope you’re right,” I told her, deciding not to tell her about my freakout since I was the one that was supposed to be there for her tonight.

“I’m always right,” she answered as she pushed me towards the stairs.

I glanced over my shoulder to where Parker was still sitting in his truck, staring at the dorm door like he wanted to beat it down. We locked eyes through the glass, and I sent him a wish right before I turned the corner.

Don’t hurt me.

I don’t think I can survive you.

I didn’t see what his response was.