Anger cracked like a whip inside me. “What does my father have to do with this?” I snapped.
Before she could respond, a soft voice said my name from behind Kate. “Micah?”
I lifted my gaze, clashing with a set of perturbed gray eyes. Her timing sucked. So much for keeping Mads off Kate’s radar. My girlfriend did not need the added drama Kate was bound to bring. “Mads, what are you doing here?” I didn’t mean for the question to come out as unwelcoming as it had. Fucking Kate.
“I could ask you the same.” Mads’s focus slid to Kate, her eyes narrowing to daggers of disdain. Kate and Kenna had been on the cheerleading squad together, yet there had never been any camaraderie between them. High and mighty Kate had treated Kenna like she was the maid who cleaned shit off her slippers. That rotten bully-like attitude was what made Mads loathe Kate with every fiber of her being.
“Kate was just leaving,” I said forcefully between clenched teeth.
Kate angled her body to the side so she could see both Mads and me. Her gaze volleyed between us, assessing before landing on my girl. “Mads, it’s been a long time.”
“Not long enough,” Mads gritted, her voice flat and strained.
“I can’t believe you’re still hanging around. But you always were panting after the Elite’s playboy.”
“Retired,” I warned. “And careful. She’s my girlfriend.”
Kate pressed her injection-puffed lips together. “Hmm. I guess desperate looks good on some of us.”
“Get the fuck out of here, Kate,” I hissed. “And don’t hold your breath on that drink. Better yet, do.” I didn’t wait for her response. Didn’t deem it worthy of my time, seeing as I was late and had places to be. Grabbing Mads’s hand, I headed toward the athletic building. Her fingers were stiff. “You can retract the claws,” I muttered when we were far enough away.
Mads’s chest heaved as she let out a breath. “That bitch. I can’t believe she had the balls to show up here.”
“She’s apparently a KU resident.” I kept walking, determined to put distance between Kate and Mads. Although, nothing was stopping Kate from coming back and harassing Mads during my practice. It was something She would do.
“Are you shitting me?” Mads bit out. “Kenna is going to flip when she finds out.”
Brock too. I wasn’t looking forward to telling him. “Is everything okay?”
She nodded, giving me a small smile as she tried to shake off her sour mood. “I came to watch you practice.”
“You did?” I couldn’t stop the stupid grin from appearing.
Her eyes rolled. “I do sometimes come to support you.” She leaned against my arm, moving into me, her fingers still interwoven with and clinging to mine. “Plus, I missed you.”
It had been a busy week, the hustle of classes picking up, which hadn’t left much time for us to hang out. “Didn’t I see you this morning?”
We came to the athletic building, and she eyed it cautiously. Mads had an expressive face, revealing her emotions. I could see without asking that she was remembering hiding out in the locker room. Pulling her gaze from the door, she glanced up at me and smiled softly. “That was hours ago.”
I bent down and kissed her lips, wanting to make her forget Sterling completely. She sank into me and sighed as I pulled away.
Her eyes grew somber. “Is she going to be a problem?”
I wanted to assure her that she didn’t need to worry about Kate, but when it came to those she loved, particularly family, she couldn’t help herself. If Kate started harassing Kenna or Josie, Mads would take it personally.
I flicked the end of her nose, keeping my voice light as I said, “Looks like we both have ghosts of the past rising up out of the graveyard.”
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
MADS
Ididn’t know what it was about Micah on the field, all sweaty and his uniform covered in dirt and grass stains. Maybe it was the way his ass looked in those tight pants. Or the way he shook his hair when taking his helmet off between drills. But dear God, it did shit to me that I had no right feeling in the middle of a football stadium.
Brock tossed another pass down the field, straight into Micah’s hands, and then the man took off like he was born to run, shoes kicking up dirt. Only a small section of the stands was sectioned off for onlookers, the rest of the seats empty. For the size of the stadium, seeing all the bare rows made it feel like a deserted ghost town. Weird and kind of eerie. I was used to the deafening cheer, the crowded rows of fans, and proud parents. Elmwood had always been a big football town. Kingsley University was no different. This was only their practice field. It would be a different atmosphere game day.
I sat in the middle of the bleachers, close to the opposing team’s tunnel. Doing a sweep of the stadium, I searched for Josie. She was supposed to meet me here but had texted earlier saying she was running late. With practice nearly half over, I wondered if she would make it at all. In light of the recent shit with Sterling, my motherly nature kicked in, and I couldn’t but wonder if she was okay.
Was something or someone preventing her from showing up?