The Red Zone (The League, #2)

by Meg Reading

If it wasn’t already clear, Mae was the last person I intended to seek out in my time of need. Yet, somehow, I caught myself standing in her backyard peering down at her skimpy blue bikini covered body asking—nay, begging—for a favor.

Primarily because I hated him—oh, so fucking hated him—and there wasn’t a damn thing in the universe or beyond that could change that.

“I’d rather be trapped at the bottom of the ocean without an oxygen tank.” “Why suffocate down there when you could suffocate on my cock instead?” The smug grin he sported as he leaned against the countertop behind him and brought the glass to his lips was infuriatingly arrogant.

“I would rather never cum again than have him give me an orgasm,” I deadpanned.

When I finally peered up to sneak a glance at October, I was surprised when I found his attention was already locked in on my face. There was the faintest drop of sorrow in his eyes, almost like he knew his earlier comment had upset me.

Well, seeing Mae on her knees with wide eyes and an open mouth wasn’t exactly something I planned on seeing in this lifetime. Even more shocking was the fact that I wasn’t mad about it. Not one fucking bit.

“Can you back up so I can get your boner out of my face?” she snarled. “I do not have a…” I mumbled, looking down at my zipper. You’ve got to be kidding me.

“What do you suggest I do, then?” “You could stop breathing,” she replied flatly. “Then your new home would be a coffin, and I wouldn’t be subject to suffering through another ‘cordial’ conversation with you. It’s a win, win,” she muttered the last sentence with her fakest smile to date.

Knowing his stupid boy brain was caught in the wave of lust, I made my move before his football player reflexes could catch up. With a hand still on his chest, I pushed against his pecs and watched in amusement as he stumbled back into the deep end of the pool—with enlarged eyes, arms winding in circles, and all.

“I’m so sorry—” I twisted my neck, flickering my gaze up only to find my knight in shining armor was none other than my worst fucking nightmare. “Who the hell invited you here?”

“Of course, she did…” she trailed off. As her eyes surveyed around the room, she relaxed her posture and slumped back lightly against my chest. “You know she thinks we should fuck.” I coughed away from her face, choking on my saliva. “Excuse me?”

“Scarlett… she thinks we should have a hate fuck or something. She says it’ll ‘resolve our tension’.” Mae used air quotes, still surveying the crowd. Again, talking as casually as if we were discussing what we ate for lunch. What the fuck was going on?

It didn’t help that my dick was aching—aching—at slightest the mention of sex.

Instead of looking like a clown with oversized shoes, she somehow had a way of making them look like a new fashion trend. Man, I hated to admit how good she looked wearing my shoes… and there she was in my head again. This girl was going to be the death of me, I swear.

She thinks we should fuck. I was ashamed at how many times that sentence had slipped through my mind throughout the night.

I cut her off before she continued on with some line about how it was ill mannered to insult someone on their birthday. Too bad for her, because I was too intoxicated to give a shit. “And the fact that you’ve walked around here all night with a grin from ear to ear while you chit-chatted with other people. But the minute, the second, you lay eyes on me, your smile falls.” I took the last pull of whiskey from the bottle before lowering it down to my side. “Why is that, huh?” “Why do you care? I thought you didn’t like me.”

I want you to tell me what I did,” I prodded, peering down at her. “What did I do that’s so bad that you can’t even look at me when I’m around, hmm?”

“Tell. Me.” I argued, flinging my arm holding the empty whiskey bottle recklessly at my side. “I can’t.” “Why?” She hesitated, dropping her gaze to her hands as she twiddled her thumbs. A knot formed in my chest as I waited for her words to come. “Because I’ll cry.” Her lower lip trembled at the last word.

“This changes nothing between us. You know that, right?” “That’s not true,” I replied curtly. “You can continue making me the villain in your story all you want, but you’re done being the villain in mine.”

Those answers I thought I needed? I wished I’d never gotten them.

How she managed to trick me into this I had no idea, but my mind was already made up. Mae and I were going to fuck. One time. No feelings. No strings attached. That was it.

“You must be mistaken, because I’ve hated your guts the entire time.” “No, you haven’t. You just wished I was rearranging yours.”

“I hate you,” she moaned breathlessly against my lips.

“Fuck me. Please fuck me,” she begged with those big doe eyes that made my dick throb.

“I’d probably still have a crush on you like I did when I was five.” I threw my head back with a laugh, looking over to see a flurry of emotion pass over his face.

Standing in the tiny room alone, I realized I knew two things: Life changes fast. I was a goner.

Standing here like this, allowing me to be the person she ran to when she needed someone most. My Mae.

loud. I couldn’t sleep without him. Every breakfast and morning tea, I wanted him to be the person sitting at the table next to me. I wasn’t even shy about it anymore. I’d wake up extra early just to eat with him before he ran off to practice, only to crawl right back into bed, snuggling against his pillows the second he left.

I hated how she could be in the same bed, two feet away from me and I still felt like she wasn’t close enough. Was it even fucking possible to miss someone who was in the same room as you?

Abel puffed out his chest with a pleased smile like a proud as fuck boyfriend. A twinge of jealousy came over me. Not because he was proud of Scar, but because for the first time in my life, I wanted to be the boyfriend who got to wear the beaming grin when his girlfriend did or said something amazing.

“That’s the problem… I can’t figure out if I’ve hated her since we were kids, or if it’s just been a backwards form of love this whole time.” Scarlett smiled. “I think we both know the answer to that.”

“I can’t do that. I’m hanging out with Bobby.” My feet stayed planted in place. “Like fuck you are.” He was so jealous. And God, it was so fucking hot.

A cheeky smile transformed my face. “You’re hot when you’re jealous.”

“Touch. Her. Again…” I pulled back his pinky until a wail escaped his throat. “And I’ll break your arm next time. Do you understand?”

“Oh, my god. I’m so wet right now,” she blurted out in response.

“I’m done fucking around and I’m done picking stupid fights with you.” My tone was gravelly, but her eyes lit up as her back flushed against the door, and I reached over with my right hand to lock it. “You’re mine. Do you understand that?”

“But if I’m going to argue with anyone. it’s going to be you. So, when I say you’re mine, I mean it. Mine and no one else's.” “Okay,” she said breathlessly.

“Did you really break his hand for me?” “I’d do anything for you. Now get on your knees for me.”

When my body finally hit the ground, her face was the last thing on my mind before everything went black. My Mae.

“I love you.” He pulled back, whispering against my lips. “That’s a horrible decision on your part, really,” I countered, pulling back with a playful smile.

I rested my head against October’s shoulder and he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. “I love you,” I whispered softly. “Likewise.”