Page 32 of Play Dirty (Villalargos University #1)

Chapter Twenty - Six

Nico

I roll the tension from my neck, my hand resting on the cool surface of the locker.

It’s game day, our first game of the season, and all I can think about is Shiloh.

The storm outside has long since stopped, but not the one waging inside me.

Today, we are up against Costa Mar; somehow, that makes the crowd louder.

As if Asher Santorellini wasn’t just found dead a couple of days ago.

The memory of that night slams into my head like a sledgehammer, bulldozing the barrier, spilling into me. The way her eyes watered as she looked at me as if I had something to hide.

I scoff at the memory as she rushed past me. Ironically, this time it wasn’t me who left, but her.

My hands twitch to reach for her; even now, they ache to touch her. To feel the softness of her curves beneath my rough skin, but whatever happened that night, she clearly regrets now. “Okay, boys,” Jensen's voice is low and serious. I turn to see him still sporting the bruises from that night.

Glasses hide the ugly black eyes beneath them.

“This is the first game, tension will be high on that field. After all, they lost their captain, but don’t count them out.

Because of this, they will play harder. Dirtier.

You know the motto: Head in the game. Cleats on the ground,” he pauses his hand reaching out for our team huddle. “Play dirty.”

With a ro ll of my eyes, I turn my body to face my team.

Ezra smiles as his hand moves over ours.

“Let’s go, SIRENS!” He shouts over the sounds of cleats stomping the ground.

The locker room is filled with testosterone and adrenaline, shouting, we lift our hands — shaking the tension from our limbs.

“PLAY DIRTY, SIRENS! PLAY TO WIN!” Ezra chimes in, slapping our backs as we head out the door.

The grass is still sleek and wet from the storm— somehow the sun shines. The crowd cheers, posters of encouragement and chants fill the bleachers. The conference opener’s voice spills from the speakers that surround the field.

“Opening game of the season, and it's a strong one. Villalargos Sirens vs. Costa Mar Titans.” He announces just as the Titans run up, dressed in their signature white uniforms with bold blue lettering, each wearing a black band around their arms. Their faces clenched tight in mourning.

The ref s ignals for a line-up. Costa Mar lines up like they are gearing for war, the keeper pounding his fist into his glove. One of the midfielders spits on the ground, grinning as he stares at me.

I suck in a breath, rolling my neck as I step forward, taking my spot in the central midfield. My cleats dig into the soil, as my eyes dart between their forwards and middies. Costa Mar is running a tight press—trying to choke out the source. Me.

Trying to leave us with no space to move and no time to think.

The new team captain, number 4, is on. Ezra and Thiago are sizing him up, ready for blood. This isn’t just an opener, this is a fucking grudge match. The sound of the whistle cuts through the air like a blade.

Signaling the kickoff.

Costa Mar moves with no hesitation, fast. White jerseys and black ones move towards the center mark with reckless speed. Number 12, their holding midfielder, lunges fast towards me like he wants my head, not the ball.

I shoulder into him, feeling the clash rattle up my spine, but I don’t fall. I pivot, dragging the ball back with the inside of my foot. I thread a sharp pass up to Ezra, who’s already cutting through the space. Proving why he’s the captain.

They are applying pressure— pressing high… too fucking high.

And that gets my blood fucking pumping. Good. Let them burn out; we are in it to win.

The ball swings towards Thiago, and he kicks it back to Zayden, who’s hugging the sideline. I drop back into the pocket between our defenders, two newbies who aren’t all that bad. I call for the ball with a lift of my hand.

Zayden sends it across the field, low and fast. It skims the grass and reaches me just as number 6 closes in. He doesn't go for the ball. He goes for my legs .

Studs collide with my shin as I shove the ball wide. I bite down the pain and don’t give them the satisfaction of my reaction. The ref doesn’t whistle, and the crowd continues to cheer.

We are giving them a game to remember…

Shaking off the pain, I adjust and turn the ball as quickly as I can, scanning the field. There is a small opening just behind their center’s back. I look over at Ezra, who sees it too. He takes off running.

I just have to make sure it’s one clean through ball, that’s all it needs to be.

I shift my weight, flicking the ball with my dominant foot at the correct space to split the two defenders collapsing in. With that, Ezra is gone, tearing toward the box. A man on a mission, showing off as he runs circles through them.

The ball kisses the pitch once, twice, and then he’s on it.

He doesn’t stop.

He doesn’t fake. He fires.

GOAL.

SIRENS 1. TITANS 0.

I stay on the field for the entirety of the game, only taking water breaks when allowed. My body still hums with the adrenaline rushing through my veins. We scored another goal; it's starting to feel like a victory at this point.

Cheers erupt from the crowd as they rise to shout.

My eyes scan through the bleachers, and I spot her sitting beside Tatiana.

Black baseball cap on her head, trying to hide herself from me, as if she could ever.

It makes me smile, snapping my focus out of the game for a brief moment.

The blood continues to rush into my ears.

Costa Mar’s new captain is already storming toward me from midfield.

Shaking off the need that holds me rooted in place, I notice his clenched fist. When number 11 bumps into my chest as he walks past me, muttering something about Asher under his breath. “Don’t aim too high with Asher’s sloppy seconds.” He mutters, spitting on the ground beside my feet.

“What the fuck did you just say?” I bark, already turning around to face him. We both glare daggers at each other. “Don’t think that we don’t know the kind of filth you are.” His lips curl. “Or should I say bitch?”

His comment is enough to snap the restraints I keep at bay. Just as my fist swings back, Wyatt steps between us, high off the tension and adrenaline. “Back off,” he growls. I hold eye contact with their captain, not backing off from whatever dick pulling contest he’s holding. They want a war?

We’ll give them just that, but here on the field.

He’s a smart camper and continues on his merry way. We reset.

My calves burn, the sun drilling into the back of my neck. My black jersey sticks to my skin, sweat dripping between my shoulder blades.

Still, I press forward as the Titans try to jam the midfield, but they are too slow and too fucking emotional. I beat number 8 to a loose ball and dum p it wide to Wyatt, then cut across to receive the return. Quick touch, layoff, and recycle play.

That’s my rhythm. This is where I belong.

I look up again, and I see her. Shiloh, rising from her seat. Her hair is pulled into a loose ponytail through the back of the baseball cap. She’s not cheering, just watching. I nod, acknowledging her presence, so locked in the moment that I don’t notice the white jersey coming in hot.

I show off, of course, dropping my shoulder and spinning.

Too slow.

He slams into me mid-turn, knocking me off balance. My body hits the pitch with a sick thud, the wind punched from my lungs.

Then the sound of the whistle.

Costa Mar fans boo at the sound. I stay down, my palms flat against the grass, focusing on trying to expand my lungs.

I try not to look at her again, because if I do, I’ll remember her mouth on mine.

Her body beneath my hands. The way she cried against my skin and told me things with her tongue that she couldn’t with her words.

And I'll fucking break…

Right now I can’t do that… I need to play.

Shiloh

I look at Nico as he remains on the ground for a while before he rises to his feet. The final whistle blows, signaling the end of the game and the Sirens’ victory. The players don’t shake hands or even make their departure light. It’s a home game, so the crowd erupts in cheers and whistles.

The guys run up to each other and lift Thiago into the air. A tradition after scoring the win, but my eyes move back to Nico, who now leans into Zayden, holding the side of his ribs with a grimace on his face as he high-fives Thiago.

My phone buzzes in my hand.

Anonymous

There’s more secrets he keeps from you.

The ominous message sinks my heart and stomach into my ass.

My hands tighten around it, tension rolling through my body.

It’s been two days sin ce the locker room, learning about his abuse and hiding from him and my dad.

Learning that he felt the same way about me brought on a bittersweet feeling.

Relief that he felt the same, and shame that we both, in a way, played June. And that’s what hurts the most.

Despite Tatiana's intel that June was cheating on Nico, I found it hard to believe. It just didn’t align with June.

If only I could have kept her phone, that way I could find out who the mystery guy was.

Maybe then, I could speak with him and ask him all the questions that haunt me every day.

I look down at the screen. The words blend together before blurring.

So much has happened, and the semester just started…

I look at the Titans as they all cross the field and head towards the exit.

My eyes meet Greyson’s, Asher's best friend and the new captain.

The look he gives me is enough to make my hair stand on end and a shiver crawl up my spine. His green eyes drill into me.

Whore.

Liar.

He held his accusatory gaze until he wasn't physically capable of retaining it. I didn’t like it; the feeling made me feel ill. I wrap my arms around myself, phone still in my hand, when Tati’s voice pulls me from the trance.

“Hey, I have to get something done for tomorrow's meeting.” She collects her bottle of water and umbrella before she rises to her feet.

I almost forgot. Tomorrow, we have girls' night like every Sunday back at the Delta Kappa house. A way to offer bonding and also gather information about the hunt. It’s mostly where the girls overshare about their experience, but I definitely won’t be sharing anything about Nico.

He’s mine.

No one wi ll get to hear the delicious feeling of his touch, the way he smells like night breeze and weed. All masculine. All fucking mine.

“Okay, I’ll just hang out at the dorm. I want to try to pack up some of June’s things for her mom.”

Tati smiles, her eyes darting towards Wyatt a little too much. “Tati, is there something going on between you two?” I nudge my head towards Wyatt, realizing he’s standing by the tunnel and watching us like a hawk, before he turns on his heel and steps inside.

“We fucked.” She blurts out. “It was so good, I’m going for seconds.”

My eyes widen, I wasn’t expecting that, just like I’m sure she’s not expecting to hear I fucked Nico.

Not once, but twice in the same week. And like her, I also want more.

So much more, but I keep that to myself.

Not wanting to hear any judgment, I’m already doing enough of that myself, I shrug playfully. “Hey, nothing wrong with a little fun.”

She arches her brow. “Fun doesn’t even cut it, girl.

It was everything, the only issue is E.” She frowns.

It’s been months since she and Ezra split, and it’s not like Wyatt and E are good friends.

They tolerate each other at best. Ezra screams Daddy—an old man trapped in a twenty-one-year-old’s body.

While Wyatt is the resident fuck up, flamboyant, rich boy.

He is the poster child for a man whore with a temper problem.

Exactly Tatiana's type.

“E?” I ask, needing to know more.

She looks back into the tunnel before she lets out a breath. “I don’t want things to be weird between us. He was pretty bummed when I dumped him.”

Before I can reply, a shrilling sound interrupts our conversation.

Buzz…

The Blog Post

Fuck!

Before I can explain myself, I feel the burning glare of Tatiana .

“You’re fucking Nico, Shi?” The questions drag my attention away from my phone. My instinct tells me to lie, but the truth comes out instead. “Yes.”

“Shi, we don’t even know if he’s responsible for June.” She mutters, the look on her face is more disbelief than disgust.

“The cops cleared him early on.”

“His alibi was his fucking roommate. C’mon, Shi.” She snaps. Her anger takes me by surprise, or maybe I am a bigger scum than I originally thought. “Tati, it just happened, it wasn’t something I planned.”

She scoffs. “I would hope not. He’s fucking with your head, Shi.

This is grief eating at you. He’s a liar.

” She points at me, her finger feeling like the barrel of a gun.

“You said this yourself, so many times before, or was it all deflection because you are the liar?” She raises a hand, dismissing me.

“Let’s just take a breather,” Tati breathes, putting her bag over her shoulder and turning away, leaving me alone in the bleachers as she disappears amongst the crowd.

I’m not sure what the fuck just happened and why Tati is so pissed.

Is she mad about the fact that I kept her in the dark or that she didn’t find out first?

Buzz .

Anonymous

The truth always comes to the light. Do you feel better, Shi?”

My heart thumps in my ears as I scan the guests, trying to find someone suspicious, but all I see is Nico, already cleaned up. Dressed in sweats and his leather jacket over his grey hoodie. Helmet in hand.

My body moves on its own accord, making sure to keep a safe distance as I follow him into the parking lot.

Thankfully, we parked sorta close. Waiting inside my car, I listen for the purr of his R1 an d wait for him to be safely ahead before following the man with all the secrets.

If he won’t tell me the truth, I’ll follow him until I find it.