Fighting the Fall ✔

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Eight

Dustin King

"Hook me." I held my gloves up over my face, ready for Lydia to hit me with her best shot.

"You hooked me." Instead, she winked flirtatiously.

"Nice try. Hoping to throw me off guard, are you?" It was working. I smiled but caught myself relaxing. Repositioning my gloves, I waited for her to strike.

"I'd never do such a thing." She shook her head innocently. I sighed and dropped my hands. "Okay, alright." She moved on her tiptoes, back and forth and sent a right hook my way. Predictable. I rolled my eyes.

"I saw that coming from a mile away, Lydia. Flirty comments won't fly in the ring. You'll have to find another way to get past your opponent's defenses." I realized too late how my words might have sounded. But Lydia didn't flinch.

"Oh, no worries. Those comments are strictly reserved for you anyway." Lydia took a step towards me. I was perfectly okay with that. I wouldn't want her flirting with any other guy. "So what's next, coach?"

"Coach?" I raised my eyebrows as she nodded. "Well, since you asked..."

"Yes?" She urged me along.

"How about a combination?"

"I can do that."

The remaining twenty minutes that we had consisted of practice, albeit sloppy practice. Neither of us could seem to pay proper attention to what we were doing. Our attention was only loyal to who we were doing it with.

"We should probably get heading to school." I took off my gloves and shoved them into my backpack. "Because, you know, the quadratic formula and all that is crucial for survival."

"Or... we could run away together, never look back."

I paused in the process of zipping my backpack closed. As tempting as it sounded, I really couldn't afford to let my GPA slip any further than it had.

"Or not..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

"It's tempting." Was I really entertaining the idea?

"Really?" She asked, taking my hand. Was this really something I wanted? I shrugged.

"You're tempting." I flashed a quick smile, throwing in a wink. She really did have no idea.

"I am?" Lydia teased, pressing her warm body flesh against mine. Her lips tickled my ear. "Am I now?" She whispered.

"No..." My breathing slowed, and I wondered if she could feel my heartbeat intensify. Dipping my head, I placed my lips against her neck, letting them linger as I breathed her in. I wanted her closer, impossibly closer. My hands, resting on her hips, begged for that. My entire body craved hers. "You're irresistible."

She let out a deep laugh, filled with lust. "Good..." She muttered, dropping her hands down to her sides. "Well I'm going to go take a cold shower."

Yeah. That's a good idea.

---

I dropped my gaze to the ground. I wasn't intimidated, but I wasn't up to provoking Casen today.

"I'd recognize that blonde mop anywhere."

I quickened my pace.

"Hey, King!" He caught up and, deciding that avoidance had already failed me, I turned to face him, straightening my stance.

"That's me."

"Can we talk?" He motioned to an empty classroom. Would I be stupid to follow him into a fight? Or was he just stupid for thinking he could beat me?