Page 58 of The Surprise Play (Nolan U Football #3)

WILY

Leaning my shoulder against the wall, I wait near the bathroom, far enough away not to be a creeper, but close enough that I can be by Satch’s side within seconds of her getting out.

I need to thank Sienna for arranging that jacket for her. I love that my pet name is plastered across my girl’s back. I’m kind of tempted to get a Coyote one made, and we can be that couple who wears matching clothes.

So cheesy, but damn if that doesn’t make me smile.

I can picture walking down the street with her in our matching jackets and can’t help a soft snicker, my smile growing wide.

“Hey, Wiles.” I slap a few hands and give out a few fist bumps while I wait for my girl.

She’s taking her sweet time, but I think she’s just nervous to dance with me.

I grin, shaking my head. She’s always so unsure of herself, but she seriously has nothing to worry about. I’m the one with the clompy feet and no rhythm. All I want to do is wrap my arms around her and sway like we did on the football field while people sing bad karaoke.

Is that too much to ask?

I smile at the question and glance at the bathroom door again.

“It’s going well, brah.” Tyrell stops beside me. “And so far, people seem to be cool.”

“Yeah.” I nod. “Maybe those douche nuggets who were hassling her left. She said she didn’t see them when I asked before.”

“That’s good. Now we can relax and just enjoy this thing.”

A smile stretches across my face as I go to give him a light fist bump.

But shit.

We spoke too soon…

Something crashes at the end of the hallway, and I whip around in time to see Satch stumbling around a waiter who just dropped an entire tray of food.

He frowns down at the mess, obviously muttering something, and she blurts an apology over her shoulder as she bolts toward the kitchen like she’s fleeing a crime scene.

I thought she was in the bathroom.

“What the fuck?” I race forward, jumping over the mess and glancing down the hallway. Three girls are huddled in the doorway of the den.

I take them in for a second, not even recognizing them until Jade turns to face me properly. I glare at her, anger firing through me.

Was it her?

Was it fucking them hassling Satch before ?

Jade’s face flushes and she bites her lips together before putting on a pretty smirk.

Growling in my throat, I’m torn between storming toward them, demanding to know what they did, and chasing after my girl.

But, of course, I have to go for Satch, so I run into the kitchen and notice the back door gaping open.

“Did anyone come through here?” I bark at the kitchen helper who’s just walked in.

She gives me a worried frown. “I’m not sure. Sorry.”

Shit, Satch, where the fuck have you gone?

Groaning, I race out the back door.

“Satch?” I call but get zero reply. The lights from the kitchen are illuminating the rectangular patch of grass back here, and I can’t see her on it. Turning right, I’m about to tear around the side of the house, hoping she hasn’t taken off.

“What just happened?” Sienna appears in the kitchen doorway. “Did someone hurt Satch?”

“I don’t know!” I fling my arms wide. “I can’t find her!”

“Someone said they saw her crying.” Sienna walks down the stairs looking just as worried as I feel.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

I run a hand through my hair, trying to think of all the best hiding spots around here.

“Can you check around that side of the house?” I point to my right. “I’ll go this way.”

“Of course.” Sienna veers to her left, and I turn for the driveway again.

Pausing at the edge of the house, I peer into the darkness, wondering if she’s hiding behind a car… and that’s when I hear a whimper behind me .

Spinning, I run for Zander and Sienna’s sleepout and press my ear against the wood.

A muffled sob reaches me, and I wrench the door open, stepping into the darkness.

“Satch?” I whisper.

“No.” She sobs. “Go away.”

“Baby.” I step forward, kicking my toe on something and grunting while I fumble for the light.

I don’t know where any of the fucking switches are in this place!

Yanking out my phone, I turn on the flashlight and sweep the room until I illuminate my destroyed girlfriend who is sitting on the end of the double bed, her arms wrapped around her as she tries to hold her torn outfit in place.

What the actual FUCK!

Anger rips through me in a wave so toxic, I can barely see straight. Those girls are finished. I fucking swear!

“What happened?” I manage to grit out as I try to approach her slowly and not act like the raging bull I feel like.

Flicking on the lamp beside the bed, I crouch in front of her, taking in the tattered top.

Sections of it have been torn apart, leaving her exposed and wounded.

And there’s a cut right through the black poodle that had been sewn onto her skirt.

The pink fabric is torn right up to the waistband, exposing the layers of petticoat underneath.

“Where’s your jacket?” I reach for her, but she flinches away from me. “What happened?”

She darts a look at me, and that vulnerable gaze is fucking slaying me right now.

She whimpers. “Mom spent hours on this outfit.” Her voice catches on a sobbing hiccup. It makes me want to fucking cry myself.

“She’s not… she’s…” I suck in a breath, trying to calm my raging emotions. “She’s not gonna care about the skirt. She’ll want to know that you’re okay.”

Satch shakes her head, covering her mouth with her hand.

She’s trembling from head to foot, and this is fucking killing me. “Baby.” I reach for her slowly, so she won’t flinch, and very gently rest my hands on her arms. “Did they hurt you?”

She sniffs and shakes her head, but I don’t believe her.

Rising a little higher, I check her neck and notice three red welts. Nail marks. They must have done that when they were tearing at her dress.

I brush my finger gently over them, and she leans away from me.

“I want to go.”

“Yeah.” I sigh, rubbing her arms. She’s shaking so much that she must be cold, but her skin is all red, and when I brush over her exposed shoulder, she’s hot to the touch.

She leans away from me, still grappling to keep her outfit in place. The shirt is totally torn down the front, exposing her bra. She must be so fucking humiliated right now.

I’m gonna end those bitches!

Jumping up, I pull off my leather jacket and drape it around her shoulders. She cinches it tight around herself, holding it together with fisted fingers.

I take a seat beside her and rub her back. “Why don’t you hide out here for just a minute, and I’m gonna go and?—”

“No! I’m leaving now.” She stands up, her voice trembling as she shuffles for the door. “I’m going back to my dorm.”

“But I can take you. Let me just?—”

“I can’t do this.” She stops, turning to face me.

Her expression is hollow, her haunted eyes making my chest hurt.

“You tried to convince me that it’s possible for me to fit into your world, but you’re wrong.

” Swiping a trembling finger under her nose, she sniffs and keeps going.

“Throwing a party like this just proves it. I don’t fit.

I never fit !” She shouts the last word, and I blink at her sudden ferocity.

I’ve never seen her like this before.

Holding my hands up, I slowly stand and walk toward her. “You do fit. People are stoked to be here for you. They were cheering you on. They want to get to know you.”

“No, they don’t! They’re just being nice to me because of you. Because they care about you. But I’m nothing to these people.” She points toward the house.

“You’re wrong.” I reach for her, but she bats my hand away.

It fucking hurts, but I get that she’s going through shit right now, so I raise my hands again and tell her gently, “Look, I get it, okay? There are some really bitchy girls in there, but they won’t be staying.

I wish I’d known who they were because I would have told them to get the fuck out that first time.

I shouldn’t have been trying to make you prove anything.

I should have protected you better. I’m sorry. ”

She doesn’t say anything, and I stand my ground, desperate to pull her against my chest and cocoon her within my arms.

Her chest rises and falls, her puffy red eyes glaring at the floor before she finally looks up at me.

“You get it?” she asks softly, then lets out a wispy scoff.

“How can you possibly get it?” The words wobble and shake out of her as she flicks her hand at me.

“Everybody loves you! You’re gorgeous and friendly and popular.

You have no idea what it’s like to be me because you’ve never experienced open disgust or repulsion before.

You don’t know what it’s like to do absolutely nothing wrong and get treated like an outcast.” She sucks in a ragged breath.

“So stop standing there acting like you understand! Because you don’t !

” She screams the last word at me before another sob pops out, and then she’s running from the garage.

I’m frozen still by her wrath.

Or is it her agony?

The torment on her face. What she just screamed at me.

I can’t move for a second.

All I can do is stand here, my chest heaving as I try to process this shit.

Fuck. She’s right.

I don’t get it.

I’ve never been treated like that before.

“Shit,” I whisper under my breath and take off after her. “Satch!” I run onto the driveway just in time to see Zander’s SUV pulling onto the street. “Satch!”

I chase after it, but Zander stops me when I reach the curb .

“Was she in there?” I shout, shoving him back when he rests a hand on my chest.

“Sienna’s taking her back to her dorm,” he calmly explains, as if it doesn’t hurt like a bullet through the chest.

“Fuck!” I shout, kicking the freezing sidewalk.

“I’m sorry, man.” Zander gives me a sad smile. “I don’t know what went down, but?—”

I growl, stalking away from him and back into the house.

My eyes rove the partygoers. Most of them are oblivious to what happened to my girl, but they are about to fucking find out.

Shoving my way between people, I soon see those three demons laughing around the drinks table. I can’t believe they had the nerve to fucking stay. Even after I’d seen them huddled in that doorway snickering.

Approaching like a freight train, I stop just in front of them, and it’s taking everything in me not to manhandle these bitches out of here.

“Oh.” Jade turns around, feigning like she’s only just noticed me. “Hey, Wily.”

Her glossy smile is flirtatious, and a fresh wave of rage bubbles through me. And it only gets hotter when her friends turn to check me out and I spot the viper. The fucking viper !

My eyes flash at her and she swallows, quickly looking down at the glass in her hand.

Snatching it out of her grasp, I thump it onto the table behind her and snarl in a low, dangerous voice, “Get out.”

“Excuse me?” She tries to look like the innocent victim, but I’m not putting up with this shit .

They terrorized my girlfriend. I don’t know exactly what they did other than ripping her dress and scratching her, but… fuck.

Those nail marks flash through my mind, and it takes every ounce of control not to snatch their arms and haul them out of this party.

Instead, I have to settle for yelling in their faces.

“Get out!” I look across the three of them, and they actually have the fucking audacity to look surprised by my request. “Get the fuck out of my house!” I point to the door.

The people around us go still, every head turning in our direction as whispers travel throughout the party.

Jade blinks, swallowing and darting her eyes behind me.

Humiliation smothers her and she flicks her hair over her shoulder, trying and failing to look unaffected.

“Are you seriously going to make me tell you again?” I growl.

They jump sideways, scuttling into one another and clumping together at the end of the table.

“GET OUT!” I roar, and finally they get a fucking clue and yelp, scurrying out of the house like they’re being chased by a swarm of bees.

People clear a pathway for them, and the sudden silence that follows my outburst is overpowering.

I can’t take this shit.

There’s no recovering from this point, so I thrust a finger at the door. “Party’s over! Get out! Everybody just get out!”

People gape at me, no one moving an inch as I stand here glaring at them all .

“Time to go, people.” Tyrell starts clearing the room, ushering partygoers calmly to the door while Zander heads into the living room to do the same thing.

Although the upstairs has been roped off, Carson jumps over the barrier and heads to the second floor, making sure the house is completely empty.

It takes fifteen minutes, but soon all we’re left with is my football crew and Nylah. She stands beside Carson, shooting him a worried frown, and I pull out my phone, trying to call Satch.

It goes straight to voicemail, and I throw my phone onto the couch with a snarl before plunking onto the cushions and glaring at the karaoke machine.

So much for making my girl’s night.

I was trying to do something special for her, and it went to complete shit.

The others start slowly cleaning up around me, and I know I should give them a hand, but I can’t move.

All I can do is sit here stewing and waiting for Sienna to get back.