Running from His Claim (Beauty and the Beast #2)

Chapter 17

I squealed as I ran off the bus. The team was already milling around outside, no doubt preparing to take a few more pictures. I didn't stop until I was behind Coach. He glared at them as the guys all laughed. I finally caught my breath, sure the threat was past, as Coach arranged us for the photo shoot. I endured it, stepping back from the team the moment we were done.

"Okay, on the buses people!" Coach boomed. "We need to get away from here before they come at us for beating them on their home turf" - the guys sniggered and whooped while the girls cheered - "and there's a law that states that I have to feed you before I take you home. So on the buses, now!"

It was completely unexpected. It was my fault, really, letting my guard down around these guys. I was hit by blasts of water from three sides. At first I just froze, getting drenched in literal seconds. Then I screamed, trying to get away from the deluge, but the three idiots had me surrounded. Even when I yelled threats at them, they just laughed and carried on. Finally they ran out of water. I wrung my hair out, still yelling threats at them. By now the whole team was laughing.

"How do I get on the bus now?" I protested. "Christian! Cole! Logan! Do something!"

The cheerleaders were laughing and taking photos of me. My cheeks burned as my full humiliation hit. There was nowhere for me to run. I couldn't get on the bus - I was dripping where I stood.

"Relax, Belle," Chris laughed, throwing an arm around me as he took a selfie.

"Yeah, it's not that bad," Leon laughed, and I growled at them.

"You're not prepared." Warren's voice was low but it drifted to me easily. There was no emotion in to but even I could hear the accusation in it.

I turned - on instinct really - to find him leaning over Ashley as they stood not two feet away from me. Everyone else's words became a distant buzz as I focused solely on him. He was too gorgeous to be real.

"I told you we can't keep rescuing her every five minutes," she responded testily. "Isn't that the whole point of this?"

I was surprised to hear her take that tone with him. I mean, they used to fight like any siblings, but I'd never heard her use such hostility against him. And instead of responding with authority as he usually did when she sassed him, Warren simply sighed and handed her his gym bag. I turned away, not needing to torture myself anymore.

"Maybe you can ride on top of the bus?" Randy was laughing as I glared.

Ashley suddenly appeared next to me. "Come on. Let's clean you up."

She strode past me towards the building as I gaped after her. When she turned impatiently to me, I finally registered that she was really talking to me and forced my feet to move. She waited until I caught up, my sneakers squishing uncomfortably, then silently led the way again. I glanced behind me - needing someone to confirm that this was happening - and saw Warren leaning casually by the side of the bus, toying with his phone as he ignored Coach, who was yelling for us to get on the bus.

"Need help, little sister?" Caitlin called, walking towards us from the cheerleaders' bus.

Ashley didn't slow down. Warren looked up as Caitlin passed him. He curled his fingers around her wrist, trapping her, and pulled her back to him. Then we were in the building and I followed the quiet Ashley into the bathroom. Once inside she turned to me, avoiding my eyes. "Here." She shoved the bag at me. When I took it she said, "Hurry. We don't want Warren to get into another fight with Coach today."

I nodded, though her words made no sense to me, then turned to the mirror and sighed. I took off my Tee shirt and wrung it in the sink, then set it aside and opened the bag. I was hit by Warren's scent and froze. This was his bag. These were his things. Oh sweet Lord...