Nets and Lies(34)

“I like sausages, don’t you? I bet you can’t get enough of big, thick, manly sausages.” His buddies snickered.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I shook my head. “Wow, I’m so impressed. Did you come up with that all on your own?”

“Tell me, Jordan. Do you just get your sausages from older men, or would one of us do?”

My breath hitched in my chest. “What did you say to me?”

Damon’s fingers brushed across my thigh. “God, you must be hot for it all the time if you gotta get it from coaches too!”

Liquid fire shot through my veins. Before I could think better of it, I whirled around and grabbed the pitcher of ice water off the table behind me. “Go f**k yourself!” I screamed, as I dumped the pitcher of water on his crotch.

He bolted out of his seat, and I could only hope the stinging water pierced him like knives. “You bitch!”

Marcus appeared at my side, clenching his fists so his muscles bulged. “Is there a problem here?”

“Yeah, this bitch just poured water all over me!”

Marcus shook his head. “Nah, man. I think she was doing you a favor. I heard a little of what you were saying, and it seems to me that you’ve got a filthy mouth. I guess she was just trying to clean up your piece of shit ass!”

Damon stared at Marcus in shock. “Now you and your little bitches can get the hell out of here before I call the cops and file a sexual harassment claim on the four of you!”

The guys didn’t argue. They followed Damon out of the restaurant.

My fury melted and left me stung and hurt by their words. Now my reputation and what had happened with Coach T had managed to spread to the other schools.

“Thanks, Marcus,” I murmured.

“No problem, Jo.”

“Can you tell Manny I’m gonna cut out a little early? I’ll make it up tomorrow or this weekend.”

He nodded. “Yeah sure.” I started for the door, and he stopped me. “Listen Jo, I don’t know what all happened at school and stuff. But I just want you to know that I’m here for you if you need me.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Marcus. That means a lot.” I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

When I pulled away, he grinned. “No, that means a lot!”

I laughed. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

It wasn’t until I got into my car that I started crying. I cried all the way home. My mascara blinded me, and one time I almost hit a road sign.

After I pulled into the garage, I checked my appearance in the rear view mirror. I looked like a crazed raccoon with blackened cheeks. When I went inside, I found the house empty. A note on the counter told me Mom and her new boyfriend, Rob, had gone out for dinner. I sighed. Dinner could mean any number of things, and it usually meant she wouldn’t come home all night.

I started upstairs to my room. The answering machine on the end table flashed new messages. As I began taking off my shirt, I pushed the button to play them back.

“Everyone knows you’re a whore. You do anything that walks. You disgust me. I hope you rot in Hell for what you’ve done!”

The phone clicked off, and the machine played another message. “You’re a lying slut! I hope you go to jail instead of Coach T!”

There came a shrill beep followed by another message. “Listen bitch! You better stop lying about Coach T. If you don’t, you’re gonna find yourself in a world of hurt! It’s real hard to screw up people’s lives when you’re dead!”

With trembling hands, I turned the machine off. I didn’t want to hear anymore. Name calling was one thing, but now my life had been threatened.

Mom never came in that night, and I never went to sleep. I sat in the middle of my bed with her loaded .45 by my side until morning.

Chapter Eleven: Jordan

I felt like the walking dead the next day. Third period rolled around, and I dreaded going to the gym. It had become a freaking shrine to Coach T—the place where his supporters made pilgrimages. Obviously, I wasn’t a welcome visitor. I would have skipped out entirely, but I needed the credit to graduate.

I started into the locker room to change out when someone grabbed my arm. I shouted, both in fear and pain. Then I was dragged into the athletic room and thrown up against a rack of equipment. The metal cut into my back, and I screamed in agony.

In the middle of my scream, I heard the distinct sound of the lock clicking behind me. “Look, cut the shit and let me out. This isn’t funny!” I growled, as I rubbed my throbbing back.

I heard someone reach for the lights. They flicked on, and I gasped. “W-What are you doing here?” I asked.

The imposing 6’3, two hundred pound form of Carson Ridings stared me down with his dark green eyes. He was Kara Riding’s brother, but more importantly until Coach T, he was the only guy I had ever loved—or thought I’d loved. I’d lost my virginity to him when I was in the 8th grade, and he was in the 10th. When we were dating, I was too stupid and let him go off the deep end and slap me around. I’d dated him on and off for two years—until he left for college. That’s really when I began my pattern of dating guys who used and dumped me.

But it wasn’t the presence of the former love of my life that scared me. It was the smoldering look of hatred etched across his face. I shuddered. “Answer my question.”