and heading for their vehicles, but I don’t care who sees me. I love being in Eli’s arms. Feeling his mouth on mine. Knowing that he loves me. Knowing that he belongs to me.
There’s nothing better.
Seventeen
Ava
I’m at cheer practice chatting with Dakota and Lindsey before we start stretching when Cami and Baylee make their approach. I try to ignore them at first, focusing on Lindsey telling a funny story about a kid who almost blew up his backpack by accident in her AP Chemistry class, but when Cami clears her throat extra loud, I finally turn to her.
“Can I help you?” The hostility in my voice rings loud and clear. I should probably respect my cheer captain, but it’s so damn hard when I know so many horrible things about her.
Horrible things she’s done and said.
“So is it true?” Cami crosses her arms. Baylee copies her. Even their snotty expressions match.
God, they’re annoying.
“Is what true?” I ask, when she doesn’t further explain herself.
“That you’re actually going out with Eli Bennett?” Cami raises a single, skinny brow. Looks like she’s been playing with the tweezers too much, yet again.
Baylee thrusts her phone in my face. There’s a photo of me and Eli standing together with his arm around me inside Bulldog stadium, right before the kickoff. I look pretty cute if I do say so myself. That cropped t-shirt/jean combo totally worked. And I like the possessive way Eli’s hand is resting on my hip. Like he’s staking his claim.
“Did you actually screenshot this off my story?” I ask Baylee before I glance over at Lindsey and Dakota.
They’re wide-eyed and dead silent, watching all of this unfold in complete fascination.
“Yes. I did,” Baylee admits without shame as she drops her arm to her side, not embarrassed in the least that she’s completely tracking me. “I had to document this and send it to Cami. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it. You and Eli?”
“Picking up my sloppy seconds, hmm?” Cami says, smirking at me.
Rage flows through my veins and I curl my hands into fists. Tell myself to keep it together. She’s not worth the aggravation. “You were barely with him.”
“Long enough to know what he tastes like.” Cami takes a step closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Everywhere.”
I see black. Red. Without thinking I swing, my fist making solid connection with Cami’s jaw. She squeals and drops to the ground, clutching her face and writhing around on the grass. I stand above her, breathing hard, quickly coming back to reality, realizing far too late what I’ve done.
Oh. Shit.
“What the hell is going on here?” Brandy appears out of nowhere, making her way toward us. The entire team is circled around us, Baylee mingling with the rest of them, like she had no part in this.
It feels like I’m moving in slow motion when I swing my body in Brandy’s direction. “I, uh…”
“She fucking hit me!” Cami shrieks, leaping to her feet. Still cradling the side of her face with one hand and pointing at me with the other. “I want this bitch gone.”
“Now Cami—” Brandy starts, but Cami won’t hear it.
“No. No way. You can’t defend her. She fucking hit me—”
“Language,” Brandy interrupts.
Cami snaps her jaw shut, then winces like it hurt. I hope it did.
Oops. I shouldn’t think like that. I’m about to get in some major trouble. I know it. I don’t even really remember actually hitting her. It’s like it happened while I was in a blind rage, and I blocked the moment from my memory.
Taking a breath, Cami restarts. “Ava hit me in the face, coach. With her fist. And no matter what you say or how much you want to defend her, that’s wrong. It’s grounds for getting her ass—butt—kicked off the team.”
“She provoked me,” I say, my voice calm.
“What, like I asked you to hit me?” Cami taunts.
I’m about to lunge for her again, but Dakota and Lindsey each grab hold of my arms and keep me back.
“What exactly did she say?” Brandy asks me.
I don’t want to repeat it. I’ll get mad all over again.
“Just some silly stuff about her boyfriend,” Cami answers for me, waving her hand dismissively. “I can’t help it if I dated him first.”
Oh, that sets me on fire all over again, and I’m jerking against Dakota and Lindsey’s surprisingly strong hands, wishing I could yank all that long hair out of Cami’s head.
“Everyone, go stretch. Now. Baylee, please lead them,” Brandy commands. The other girls