Bow Down To Your King

Chapter 21

ZEKE POV

Point Total: 0

I'm the right guy.

Julia had to know that. Not that we were going to fall in love, have a white wedding, and create a hoard of children or anything. But compared to the other feral idiots at St. Anne's, including Dorian, I was the best choice to fuck, especially with emotions involved.

I wouldn't ghost her.

I could be sweet.

What more could she want?

Besides, it wasn't like I lost my virginity on a field of daisies with the love of my life. No, I banged Christina Kent in the back of her father's Lincoln Navigator, pretending like I wasn't developing sciatica with every thrust. At some point, good enough is acceptable, even preferable to the teenage dream bullshit they fed us during purity lectures.

I just had to help her see that, see me in a serious way. So far, she giggled at my jokes, challenged my best attempts to endear her to me, and confirmed her date with the only other guy at St. Anne's that could keep her from me.

Goddammit.

I hurried across campus, willing away the stubborn boner she insisted on giving me before leaving the roof. She had kissed me, pushing her tits against me in the process, at the last moment. She was evil, diabolical, and for some sick reason, that was a bigger turn-on.

Apparently, dry humping for thirty minutes wasn't enough torture, or the kissing, or the handjob-

I shook away the dirty images forming in my head as I approached the library. There was no time to reminisce. Jared insisted I meet him after 'finishing' with Julia and I wanted the privilege of telling him to fuck off in person.

Depending on what was so damn important in the first place.

The library was packed, unsurprisingly, as so many of the students like to pretend they were dedicated to their studies, sending picture proof to their parents before slipping away to the basement where Dorian's host club waited.

I thought about confronting him, asking what angle he was playing, but that wouldn't win me any points with Julia, metaphorically or literally.

So, I headed up the large green staircase and ignored the girls whispering as I passed by.

Word must have gotten out by now, the King has lost his touch.

But not his crown, not yet.

Jared waited in a study room, reserving the whole glass box for one of his afternoon cramming sessions.

I stepped inside the fishbowl, frowning.

"You made it," Jared said, actually glancing up from his laptop and making eye contact. "I figured you'd blow me off."

I thought about it.

"We're not that close," I joked, forcing myself to chill. He didn't understand my infatuation with Julia, I got that, but he was the only person to stick around this long.

Maybe that deserved some loyalty.

He scrunched his nose and shook his head, "Jesus. I'm going to ignore you said that."

I shrugged, unfazed, "You're the one that brought it up."

Jared pretended not to hear me and turned back to his laptop, typing quickly. "How'd it go?"

"Good," I said, not wanting to elaborate. It was good but not good enough.

I thought he would ask more questions, prying into who did what and where, and how many points were earned, but he didn't.

I sat down across from him, wondering how long the meeting would take. I had a date to plan.

Before I could ask, he handed me a piece of paper. I stared at the names, dates, and color key.

You've gotta be kiddi-

"I spoke to some of the girls, you know, the ones you blew off, and most of them were willing to reschedule."

"And this is?"

"This how we get you back on track."

"I told you, I'm with, Julia."

"With her or working on her?"

I didn't respond.

"Look, no one is stopping you from being with Julia, just be with other girls while you wait for her to cave."

And have her find out about it?

I shook my head, "No, Julia has to be first."

"Why?"

"Because she's," I hesitated, knowing that anything I said would go in one ear and out the other, "Stubborn."

A challenge.

Jared stared at me, unblinking, then said, "The schedule starts on Monday. You should really consider keeping a few of your meetings. Otherwise, no one is going to help you next year."

"Including you?"

Jared sighed, "I want to. That's all I want to do, but you're giving me nothing. You spent the evening with her, doing god knows what, and did you even record it?"

I stared out the room, avoiding his accusations then said, "No."

But I had, and I felt disgusting for it. Usually, there was no need to record in secret, all the girls knew what they were there for.

Tricking points out of Julia was wrong, so wrong, but I needed reassurance.

Not that I'd use them.

He rubbed his forehead as if my negligence was going to send him to an early grave, "Did she?"

"What are you suggesting?" I asked, my voice sharper than I had intended.

Jared frowned at my so-called ignorance, "She knows you're king, right? She'd be stupid not to take advantage of that."

She wouldn't.

She couldn't.

I shook my head, eager to shove the idea aside, "She didn't know where we were going, for either date."

Julia was innocent, I was sure of it. Until Jared asked if she was ever out of my sight, and remembered her disappearing behind a corner on the roof, just for a second, long enough to set up her phone, long enough to trick me.

I laughed, lied again, and stood up to leave. My hand was on the door handle, ready to put the whole conversation behind me, but at the last minute, I grabbed the schedule, nodding at Jared on the way out.

Just in case.