Not when it drove Gemma into my arms.
She’s mine now and I’m not letting her go.
The darkness runs deep in me. It’s not just possessiveness over her. This is more than that.
I want to keep her to myself all the time. I wasn’t kidding when I admitted to her I fantasized about watching her through her bedroom window.
“Yeah…” My jaw works and I push off the fence. “Come on, let’s go over the next play with Coach before halftime ends.”
Carter follows closely, grating on my mounting agitation.
I need everyone to back the hell off.
More importantly, I need Gemma. I’m restless as fuck and she’s the only thing that’ll cure it. She’s like my drug and I’m taking hit after hit without control.
It scares me a little, how deep she’s burrowed under my skin and become my obsession. I thought I knew where I drew the line. When it comes to Gemma, I’m barreling across every one to get to her.
I throw myself into the rest of the game to get Gemma out of my head.
Twenty
Gemma
The tires crunch on the gravel as I pull up to Lucas’ house. A distinct wave of déjà vu has me pausing next to a pearl white Escalade. The scene is just like before: people spilling onto the property from every crevice of the house—on the deck, the wraparound porch, all the way down to the dock.
No brave (crazy) skinny dippers this time, the chill of fall firmly settled over Ridgeview.
This whole week has been raining on and off. The ground is soggy when I get out of the car, the dampness lingering like an oppressive fog in the air. The wet chill seeps bone deep, wrapping around me like inescapable tendrils of ice.
It feels like the rain might pick up again at any second, the sky ominous and heavy with clouds, no stars in sight.
Despite how badass I often feel in my leather jacket, it was not the right choice of outerwear tonight. Shivering, I hug my body.
Thanks for making me get out of my cozy sweats, butthead.
This is the second party I’ve been sent to so I can drag Alec home.
I wait expectantly for the sick gurgle in my stomach, but it doesn’t come on as strong as the first time I was here. I wonder if it has anything to do with the boat ride with Lucas that’s been confusing me since it happened.
Pushing through the crowd of drunken party goers still isn’t easy, upset stomach or not. I do a quick scan of the deck and come up empty on Operation: Alec Retrieval.
Everyone is celebrating the three day weekend.
Elena is playing beer pong with the same football player, his hands on her hips as he bounces to the hip-hop beat blasting from the sound system. She’s killing it. The shot she sinks is sweet as hell.
“Gemma!” Elena spots me and bounds over, abandoning the game. “Jackson, it’s all you for a bit, babe!”
The football player waves. “I’ve got this.”
“I’m so glad you came!”
“Don’t get too excited. I’m here to pick up Alec, that’s all.”
Elena gives me a dramatic pout. It won’t change my mind.
“Have you seen him around?”
“Inside, I think. Or check the porch, he was getting close with Sasha Pierce a while ago.”