Page 35

A chill spreads through me. “And you think he did it?”

His silence is louder than an answer.

I grip his wrist. “Eli—”

“I don’t know if he’s innocent.”

The weight of that settles between us. I don’t know what to say.

“I’m waiting for confirmation from Mr. Coleman,” he says. “One of my dad’s lawyers. He’s supposed to be digging deeper. But until then…” He trails off, running a hand down his face. “It’s just a waiting game.”

I try to wrap my head around it. The way he carries himself, the sharp edges of his personality — it all makes sense now. He’s been living with this uncertainty, this storm of doubt, and I don’t think anyone knows what he’s going through.

I squeeze his hand. “Who else have you told?”

A humorless laugh escapes him. “Just you.”

I stare at him, chest tightening.

Then I move.

I shift onto his lap, straddling him, the fabric of his jersey bunching between us. His hands find my hips automatically, holding me there, like he needs the anchor.

His eyes flick to mine, something unreadable behind them.

“You’re getting hard again,” I whisper.

His grip tightens. “You’re on my lap. What did you expect?”

I bite my lip, shifting slightly, and his breath hitches.

“You sore?” he asks, voice low.

“A little,” I admit. But I don’t stop moving.

His jaw locks. “Sienna—”

I sink down onto him and rock my hips.

His breath punches out, his hands flying to my hips as he groans, his head tipping back against the couch.

And just like that, everything starts again.

Eli’s parked across the street from my house, engine off, the only light coming from the dim glow of the streetlamp.

It’s late — almost four a.m. — but neither of us has moved to leave.

My legs are draped over his lap, my back pressed into the passenger seat, and he’s kissing me like he has no intention of stopping.

Deep and slow, like he’s memorizing every inch of my mouth.

His hands slide up my thighs.

“You keep making those noises, and I swear to God, I’m gonna fuck you again right here,” he mutters, his lips brushing against mine.

I squirm when his fingers trace higher, grazing exactly where I’m still sore from earlier.

“You wouldn’t,” I challenge, though my voice betrays me.

He groans, head falling back against the seat. “You really wanna test me, baby?”

I don’t. Not unless I want to end up bouncing on his lap in the middle of a quiet suburban street.

I grab his wrist, stopping him before he goes further, and he huffs out a laugh. His forehead drops against mine, his breath warm against my skin. “You better get out of this car, Sienna,” he warns. “Or I swear, I’m gonna make it real fucking hard for you to walk inside.”

I shiver, my legs tightening around him before I reluctantly start to pull away. “Fine,” I mumble, shifting back into my seat.

He watches me with that cocky smirk, eyes hooded. “Still good for tomorrow?”

I nod. “Yeah. Wait — tomorrow?”

He tilts his head. “The gynecologist. To get you checked out.”

I blink at him. “A doctor? That’s…” Odd , but I just tilt my head at him. “I’m already on birth control.”

“I know.” He shrugs like it’s nothing. “I just wanna make sure you’re okay. Because I’m realizing something, Sie.”

I narrow my eyes and almost laugh. “What are you realizing, Eli?”

His smirk returns, a little sharper this time. “That I’m gonna be fucking you a lot.”

Heat slams into me, my thighs clenching together. “Jesus, Eli.”

“What?” He grins, completely unrepentant. “I’m being responsible.”

I shake my head, biting my lip to keep from smiling. My heart’s still racing, my skin buzzing, but I force myself to focus. “So…” I hesitate, suddenly nervous. “If you want to keep doing this then… does that mean we’re exclusive?”

He gives me a look like I just said something stupid. “Yeah.”

My stomach flips. I nod, playing with the hem of his jersey. “And… what about Caleb?”

His smirk deepens. “I’ll handle it.”

Something about the way he says it makes me shiver. I don’t push. Instead, I just nod. “Okay.”

Eli studies me for a second, then reaches into the back seat. “Here,” he says, pulling out a small cooler.

I stare at him as he pops it open, fishing around inside. “What is that?”

He pulls out a Diet Coke and hands it to me.

I blink. Then I burst out laughing. “You just have my favorite soda sitting in a cooler in your car? What the fuck, Eli?”

He nods, smiling. “Gotta stay hydrated after fucking the life out of you. You sure you don’t want me to come in?”

I hesitate. For a second, I actually consider it. But I shake my head. “Thanks for the Diet Coke. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He watches me, like he’s considering arguing. But then he sighs. “Tomorrow.”

I climb out, shutting the door behind me. He waits until I make it to my porch, then flashes his lights twice before pulling away.

I stand frozen like a lovesick idiot as I watch him drive off, then I immediately cringe at myself. I shake it off, open the door, and step inside.

The house is quiet. Mostly dark, except for the faint light coming from the kitchen. I lean against the door for a second, exhaling. My whole body is still thrumming, and I—

“You weren’t picking up your phone.”

I jolt upright, eyes snapping toward the kitchen. My dad’s standing by the counter, a bottle of water in his hand.

Shit.

“I was out with friends,” I say quickly, trying to sound casual.

His eyes flick over me, unimpressed. “Friends? Really?”

I nod.

His gaze drops to my hoodie. Eli’s hoodie with his name and everything.

Fuck.

I freeze. Then I slowly cross my arms over my chest like that’ll somehow make it disappear.

Dad just scoffs. “You were with Eli?”

I open my mouth and then close it. “We were just—”

“Talking?” he finishes dryly.

I clear my throat. “Yeah.”

He huffs out a laugh. “Right.”

There’s a long pause. I shift on my feet, wondering if I should just run to my room. But then my dad sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “You’re an adult, Sienna. You’ve always had a good head on your shoulders.”

I straighten a little. “So…” I trail off, feeling like I’m back in high school again.

He levels me with a look. “So, just be careful with those Blackridge Ravens.”

I frown. “You’re their coach. You can vouch for them.”

“For some of them,” he mutters. “Not for my daughter.”

I open my mouth to argue, but he’s already pushing off the counter. “Lock up,” he says, heading for the hall.

I crack open the Diet Coke and take a long well-deserved sip. I should feel guilty by how tired my dad looks. Maybe a small part of me does.

But mostly, I’m just thinking about Eli.

And Caleb, and the fact that I lost my virginity to not one but both of them. Tonight was one I’ll never forget.