Page 35 of Call the Shots (For The Arena #1)
JUNE
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
By the time I was off my crutches, I thought Vernon would’ve returned to his disappearing act but that was wishful thinking. New flyers were posted around the Colo.
HOCKEY PLAYERS LATE TO PRACTICE WILL FACE DISCIPLINARY ACTION
Riley didn’t skip practice anymore because he was appointed for a new role—to count who wasn’t on time. The boys weren’t late before but the abrupt schedule enforcement by a smug freshman left everyone on edge. Tempers flared. Seriously, their coach needed to go.
In the second floor’s lounge, I went over information with Denali. “Vernon’s untagged himself from three separate posts, each captioned with Leelee.”
“Who has to be Riley, ” a new voice interjected—Elijah.
I shot a glance at Denali. “Does Elijah know? ”
“Why wouldn’t I tell him?”
“Because he’s Elijah,” I said, exasperated. “Elijah, you can’t mention this to anyone.”
“Why don’t we yell Leelee and see if Riley answers?” Elijah suggested.
I held up the sparse list of information we had on Vernon. “Because we have no idea if this is connected to misconduct?”
“Boring. I’m bored. You’re boring me.”
I rolled my eyes while Elijah slid into the seat next to Denali. No matter how many times I pointed out that Elijah needed to leave, Denali didn’t get the message, and I finally continued. “We found something new in the shredder—Marrs contacted him to say he hasn’t used the budget for his office?—”
“Which is crazy because his office is where roaches go to die,” Elijah remarked and described Vernon’s office as a filing cabinet, a stained desk, and a hole punched in the wall.
“Then why wouldn’t he use the budget?”
“I don’t speak for the inner thoughts of a dumbass.”
That was everything we had to work with. Basically nothing. Before my trip to Austin with my football friends, I wanted to get rid of Vernon. But that was looking more and more unrealistic.
Bear came from the stairs, a Boston Bulldogs baseball cap over his hair, resting his arms on the back of the couch. “June.”
“Forty, you’re late.”
“His jersey’s thirty-three,” Elijah corrected.
Bear didn’t take his eyes off me. Weird enough, he seemed almost…excited? Which was odd for Bear. “We don’t have anything on Vernon, so I was thinking…I have an actual apology for the Xavier thing.”
He caught my interest. “What is this leading to?”
“A field trip for the team. We’re stealing some shit.” Bear grinned. “Well, we’ll steal some shit back .”
My legs never felt shorter than when I was surrounded by the Gladiators, moving together in a gigantic, testosterone-fueled mass. Bear pulled open the door to the student center. “Xavier’s upstairs. He got an award for ‘commitment to the betterment of the community.’”
I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt, Bear chuckled, following behind me.
We walked into the celebration. Sparkling cider poured in paper cups, a big buffet of sandwiches from Gianna’s, and there was Xavier, one of the glass pottery awards in hand. The housing staff stopped celebrating to look at who strolled in.
“What is—June?” One of the juniors stared. “ June? ”
“June?” Xavier asked, stunned.
I ignored the pop ups of June? June? June?
and propped open the door to my ex’s office with the doorstopper I bought for him.
Scanning the room, I hummed under my breath.
Memories tugged at me. Buying things for my house and Xavier clicking his tongue, asking if I’d really use that before it inevitably ended up in his office.
“Bookshelf,” I decided.
“What do we do with the books?” Denali asked.
“Set them gently?—”
Bear started shaking the bookshelf and the encyclopedias crashed to the ground.
“Someone call security!” Xavier barked.
I motioned for Denali and Nick to haul the bookshelf away and they crab-walked it out of the office. “Technically, Xavier, I have five years to claim my items since I used an unauthorized, personal credit card. I read the bylines. Thanks for kicking me out of my house, now I’m taking your shit.”
Extension cords, filing cabinets that Bear dumped out, comfy guest chairs, keyboard trays, large and small white boards, coffee tables, floor lamps, table lamps, the two standing desks in storage, and the custom-made walnut desk that he convinced me I didn’t need for my house because ‘you’ll never use it. ’
“Not my awards!” Xavier panicked. “Don’t touch the awards!”
“I bought the laptop too…” I mused. “That was a birthday present though, it can stay.”
Furious, Xavier motioned the rest of the student workers away. “This is a personal matter, privacy is a cornerstone of our department!” Most of them didn’t budge, shocked at the display, and he whipped out his phone. “I’ll make some calls, I’ll pay you for everything, bring my furniture back.”
“Fine. I’ll take twenty-five thousand for the desk.”
“Twenty-five thousand?! Dollars?! ”
“You’re right. Sentimental value. I’ll take a hundred thousand.”
“You’re out of your fucking mind?—”
I waved my hand. “I already upgraded my dorm, I don’t need any of this. Gladiators, you’re welcome to it, otherwise, it’s set for the Colo.”
Xavier stormed up to me. “Then why the fuck?—?!”
“Because I furnished your office under the pretense that we’d be running this department together. Since that didn’t happen, I’m letting you order your own shit.”
“Can I have the other bookshelf?” Montoya asked.
“Take it, honey. All yours.”
“You can’t have my fucking bookshelf—that baby-faced fuck?—”
I held up a finger to stop Xavier. “I was going to be very kind and stay away from the kitchen, but you’ve ruined it. No one talks to him like that.” I motioned towards the hockey players at the door. “The blender, the air fryer, the master mixer, the espresso machine?—”
“Not the espresso machine,” a student worker whimpered.
My ex fell silent, fuming, as the Gladiators finished cleaning the office, taking the last of the items, the curtains and a box of staples on the windowsill.
Elijah popped in. “The couch looks really nice…”
“I bought that couch, but I don’t think we can get it out of here.”
His grin widened and five Gladiators shuffled across the main room with the couch.
“No! Not the couch!”
Arms outstretched, Xavier blocked them from leaving. Bear chuckled and stood in front of his stepbrother. If looks could kill, Bear would’ve dropped dead from Xavier’s, but he didn’t waver. He shoved Xavier’s chest, and the couch was gone.
Only a photo frame remained on his shelf of awards. It’d be so easy to knock one of them over…but I hesitated. I didn’t buy him those. I didn’t have a claim to them. With a sigh, I picked up the frame and left.
I found Bear waiting for me, his smirk impossible to ignore. He was entirely too pleased with himself. I kind of loved it.
“How do you feel after burglary?” I inquired.
“We should do this again sometime.”
“This could be our nine-to-five. Destroy exes’ houses, steal stuff, and whatnot.”
“You have no upper arm strength. I don’t see how you’d be a valuable business partner.”
I threw a frown in Bear’s direction. “I have the breakup bangs. Chopped them myself with a pair of kitchen scissors, which makes me the face of the business. And I have a slogan. We’ll piss off your ex in forty seconds or less! ”
“Uh-huh,” he said, unamused. “You’re saying I’d do all of the work?”
“And look so good while you do it.”
The words slipped out, and Bear’s eyes darted to mine in surprise. Did I say good or so good? Because there was a big distinction between the two and my cheeks flushed with the realization that I most definitely said ‘so good.’
Heavy footsteps came from behind—Xavier, charging towards us. “You don’t get to?—”
“Take a deep breath and think about what comes out of your mouth next,” Bear warned. “Because I’m not in the fucking mood.”
“She has you on a tight leash, doesn’t she?” Xavier mocked.
In a flash, Bear grabbed Xavier, dragging him to the wall. I almost dropped the frame as I hurried after them. “Bear!”
Bear towered over him. “We have a lot of shit to deal with, and I’ll be honest, you’re not part of it. So this is the end. Adios, goodbye. I don’t want to see your fucking face again. Home, I’ll take it, here, I won’t.”
People streamed out from the housing department, we didn’t need another viral video. I touched Bear’s back. “Bear? Let’s go home.”
His eyes slid to mine, and his face softened before he turned to Xavier again. “If I catch you at Roman Villa, if I see you talking to June, the only way they’ll stop me from beating your ass is when they handcuff me.”
Stop Bear! Tell him to apologize! A part of me was internally shouting about the optics and how a fight wouldn’t do anything but stir up trouble. The other, much more persuasive part wanted to smile while Bear threatened my ex.
A security guard jogged up. “Do we have a problem?”
Bear raised his eyebrows at Xavier. “I don’t know. Do we?”
“No,” Xavier finally said through gritted teeth.
Bear and I left side by side and I couldn’t keep back the smile anymore. That was so sweet. I didn’t have to ask, I didn’t even mention it?—
I paused, thinking it over. “How did you know that was my stuff?”
“Huh?” He opened the door for me. “Uh…you yelled about it in Xavier’s office.”
Oh, right.
“But how did you know I could get them back?”
Bear fell silent. “Uh…I think Cleo mentioned it.”