Page 68 of Hating On Riot

But I need to give her space. We need space. Our heads need to be in the game. A week without assignments will be, in Arie’s words, heaven-sent. Damn, when she said those words, she stole my heart all over again.

Girls who say words like heaven-sent, butthurt, bucko, and sated are my cup of tea. Yum.

Once the group pays and they part ways, with Arie climbing into Coop’s truck, I follow them to where we’re all meeting—in the back parking lot behind the library and the gym.

I park next to Coop’s truck and climb out. I approach the group, keeping my distance from Arie.

Coop runs the show, and it’s a nice change to be the spectator rather than the boss. With my size and my reputation, I’m always volunteered for stuff I’d rather not do.

“Okay, does everyone have the app open?”

Everyone nods.

“Good. We’re all red dots on the map. Remember, no drive-by tagging. Too dangerous. We’re all on foot. Go from house to house. Be alert for booby-traps. Don’t get trapped in tight spaces. No eye shots. Automatic disqualification. Crotch shots and boob shots are fair game.” He glances at his watch. “The game starts in five minutes. Professor Wilson seems to think this will take a week, but let’s get this done today so we can have this week and next without assignments, ‘cause, you know, that’ll be fucking heaven-sent!” He eyes Arie with a cheesy but somehow confident grin.

Everyone whoops and hollers. We raise our blasters and tap them together, amped up for the game to begin. Before we do, I jog to my truck, grab a brown bag off the floor, and hurry over to my team.

“Pass these around. Put them on. I’m not taking any chances with our eyesight.”

‘Thank-yous’ all around as everyone puts on their safety glasses. “Where’d you get these from?” Emily asks.

“I swiped them from the science lab,” I smirk. “Where else would I get these birth control lenses from?”

The guys chuckle. The girls roll their eyes. Except for Arie. She’s quiet. Too quiet for my own good. Damn it, she’s still pissed off at me. Will be even more pissed when I give her the news.

“Em, you’re with me. Cooper will have Arie’s back.”

Coop and I texted and realized this was my chance to get the four-one-one on Hope from Emily. Great minds think fucking alike.

Arie surprises me. Of course she does. She’s happy with the change of plans. There’s a wide smile on her face, and she’s rocking on her heels, hands clasped behind her back, looking adorable as fuck while holding a blaster and wearing those God-awful lab safety glasses.

I want to wrap her in my arms so badly. To kiss the top of her head and beg her to give me time to be vulnerable. To show her and tell her about my insecurities. The last time I did so, they stayed with her. I could never take those words back. The ones about never being good enough for my parents. That my brothers will always have their love and attention while I’m the third wheel.

Had my brothers not pressured me to keep playing rugby at my top-notch best, had they not gotten on my case day in and day out to show up for class after the entire school and Arie witnessed my punishment at the hands of her brothers, with my swollen face, split lip, black eye, and limp, I would be working a dead-end job, clocking in and out for the man.

What a fucking shitshow that would’ve been. I detest authority as much as Merrick and Grayson do, which is why they have their own business.

Arie goes to stand by Cooper. Everyone pairs up.

“Does everyone have their six targets?” Coop asks, taking the reins and making me proud.

Boy, I wish Hope were here to witness his take-charge attitude. Oh, wait, she will be. I smile, proud of myself and my advance planning. I’ve given Hope access to the app.

Our phones ping simultaneously.

“Okay, folks, the game has begun.” Coop raises his blaster. “May your steps be light as fuck so your targets don’t see you coming. May your trigger finger be fast. Duck, but don’t run. Chase those motherfuckers down and blast them to oblivion!”

“Here, here!”

“Boo-ya.”

“Go, Coop!”

I stare at Arie. She’s looking up at Cooper with something close to devotion. He looks down at her with the same expression. A tingle starts in my lower spine and shoots to my brain, startling it.

Was I wrong about them? Did Cooper feed me a bunch of bullshit about him and Hope? Fuck me, another question percolates in my mind. Who the fuck is this Sean dude who keeps texting my girl, asking when they can meet IRL?

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