Page 3 of Pucking Possessive (Kings of Castlebrook #2)

I clear my throat, cutting her off because I have no words.

I stare at her because I feel something uncoil in my chest and lurch up into my throat.

“Are they serious? This has to be a joke. Adam hasn’t said anything to me.

” Actually, Adam hasn’t said anything to me about anything lately.

He’s always out partying or down at the casino.

To be honest, looking out for Lilac is a full-time job, so I haven’t really tried to hang out with him lately either.

“They’re always serious.” She lets out a humorless laugh.

“It’s just control. They think if they pick the guy, they can manage me better.

Adam agrees with them. He’s been weird about it, too.

You know he never cared what I do or with who as long as I wasn’t killing his vibe.

But lately he’s been showing up, trying to get me to go home for a long weekend to meet Vincent. ”

Well, that solidifies it. I’m gonna have to add killing my childhood best friend to my list of crimes. “And you’re just… what? Supposed to go along with it?”

“I guess so,” she mutters. “I thought about telling them I had a boyfriend, but, well…” She glances at me, eyes a little sad now. “That plan’s harder than it looks.”

I frown, but my brain is fucking short circuiting right now. “Why?”

“Because guys flake.” She shrugs. “They cancel. Disappear. Every date I’ve been invited to go on ends before it even starts. I’m starting to think I’m putting bad vibes out into the universe.”

I don’t say anything. I can’t say anything.

Because I’m the fucking reason.

Every flaked date? Every guy who bailed last minute or “forgot”?

That was me. A well-timed message. A quiet threat.

A look. A push in the hallway. Sometimes they mouthed off or said something about her not being worth that hassle of dealing with me.

Lilac is worth everything in this fucked up world, so they had to die.

Lilac doesn’t know any of this. She can’t know.

She smiles, soft and self-deprecating. “I know I’m not some beauty queen, but it’d be nice to get through one date without being ghosted. Maybe then Mom wouldn’t be disappointed, and Dad wouldn’t be pulling from his payroll to get me a date.”

“You are beautiful, and I won’t let you say anything different.” She really, truly fucking is. She’s fucking radiant. And none of them deserve to even look at her.

She looks up, big brown doe eyes narrowing. “You really think so, Callum?”

She’s serious because she called me by my name. “Maybe you intimidate them.” Or I do on your behalf, I add silently.

She laughs. “Please.”

She sobers a bit. “It’s probably for the best. I’ve never actually been interested in any of the guys who’ve asked me out. It wouldn’t be fair to use them just to get my parents off my back.”

She’s never wanted any of those fuckers who wanted her, and that’s the part of this conversation I’m going to replay over and over in my head tonight when I’m staring at the ceiling, watching her location knowing that she’s fast asleep in her dorm room.

“I’m just tired of them making decisions for me.” Lilac leans on the wall of the rink and instinctively I reach out to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes.

I study her for a beat. “You want me to deal with them?”

She blinks. “What?”

“Your parents. Hell, even Adam. This Vincent asshole. Anyone who tries to control you.” I lean in again, voice low. “Say the word.”

She lets out a breathy laugh. “Thanks, Callum. But I don’t need you getting kicked out of school because of me.

You know how my dad is. He’d call his connections here, and you’d be booted.

” I roll my eyes. I’m not the ten-year-old kid the Fairbanks brought in.

I have my own connections, one of them being Caiden Grey.

The richest, most revered bull rider in Castlebrook Falls.

I help him out and he helps me out. I never have to worry about someone like Mr. Fairbanks fucking up my shot in life.

I’d burn this whole college down for her.

The rink door creaks behind us, and Hayden Lockwood’s unmistakable voice echoes through the building. He’s going to crash out seventy-six times before our practice even starts today, I can already tell by the way he’s going on.

“I swear to God if I get the flu and don’t even get to sleep in the bed with my girl, I’m going to be a real problem.”

Lilac stifles a laugh as Hayden stomps around the rink, clearly headed toward the locker room to suit up.

My other teammate Tristan trails behind him, already bored as he asks dryly, “As opposed to any other day when you’re what? Not a problem?”

“Madi doesn’t want me to see or hear her puke,” Hayden ignores Tristan and continues to rant. “She said she doesn’t want me to get sick. But I want the flu. I want to suffer beside her. That’s romantic.”

Tristan, completely deadpan, says, “I don’t care.”

Lilac bursts out laughing.

“Is it too much to ask,” she says between chuckles, “to have a boyfriend that obsessed with me just to keep my parents away?”

I’m about to answer when she adds, “But not exactly like him. I’d rather lick the only stop sign in Castlebrook Falls than deal with Hayden Lockwood.”

I snort because once you get past the height, abs, and pretty face, he’s an absolute nightmare.

She sighs. “Someone should check on Madison. She’s probably going insane.”

“She likes it. She’s fine,” I say, smirking.

A voice behind us cuts into our conversation, “Lilac! Call me later! We’re planning a little adventure.” I scowl at the girl for taking Lilac’s attention away from me. My fingers itch to reach out and run my hand through my girl’s long hair as it swishes.

It’s one of Lilac’s figure skater friends, waving and grinning.

Lilac nods. “Okay! Let me just change and meet you out front. I think they’re getting ready to smooth out the ice, anyway.”

A whistle pierces the air. Coach Kav’s voice follows immediately.

“GREY! GET YOUR ASS IN THE LOCKER ROOM.” He doesn’t approach me though because a loud crashing noise comes billowing out of the guys’ locker room. Coach is half-way inside when I hear the whistle followed by him yelling again. “LOCKWOOD STOP FIGHTING WITH YOUR TEAMMATES!"

Lilac grins at me, already backing away. “Better go, Callum. Can’t have you benched for loitering.”

I watch her skate off, her light purple dress swirling as she moves. She doesn’t look back.

But I don’t stop watching.

Not until she’s out of sight.