Wicked Dreams (Fallen Royals, #1)(44)

“Who told you that?” she snaps.

He laughs. There’s a circle around us, people eager to see what will happen with the king and queen of Emery-Rose.

Ex-queen.

I back away until I hit someone.

Eli murmurs in my ear, “He’ll hunt you down if you aren’t in his line of sight when he’s done.”

I grimace.

Riley grabs my other arm. “You came with Caleb? I thought you said you didn’t want…”

“You’re ridiculous,” Caleb proclaims. “And I’m sick of you, Amelie. We’re done.”

She glares at him, her mouth gaping open and shut like a fish desperate for oxygen.

He turns and searches for me. Eli releases me quickly, giving me a light shove between my shoulder blades. I stumble forward, stopping before Caleb, and tilt my head to the side.

“That’s one way to do things,” I say.

There’s a gleam in his eye that wasn’t there before. My stomach flips.

“Just the beginning.” He puts his arm back around my shoulder, hugging me into his side, and we walk toward the field. “One more thing.”

The football players have returned to the field.

Caleb and I stop at the edge—closer than they let any student, really—and he brings his fingers to his lips. His whistle is sudden and sharp, catching the attention of our team and half of Lion’s Head. Two players break away and jog toward us, tearing their helmets off.

“Yo.” Liam grins at us. “You two a thing now?”

“Yes,” Caleb clips out.

I stare at him, leaning away. “What?”

“I don’t really care to hear your protests right now. And that means one thing.” He points at Theo. “You. Don’t you fucking touch her.”

Theo salutes Caleb. “Yes, sir.”

Caleb grunts.

There’s yelling behind us, and one of the other football players runs over.

“Time to go,” he tells Liam and Theo. “Or else you’ll get benched.”

Liam rolls his eyes. “Yeah, right.”

Still, he puts his helmet back on, waving before he follows his teammate.

Theo glances from me to Caleb, scowling. “You haven’t seen her, have you?”

Caleb shrugs. “Haven’t really been looking.”

“Well, keep an eye out, would you?”

Caleb just shakes his head. “Yeah, man. I’ll keep an eye out.”

And then Theo is off, running back to the huddle, and Caleb stares down at me.

“I don’t know what dating you is supposed to feel like,” I admit. “And I don’t remember agreeing to it, either.”

He smiles, and we head back to the bleachers. We’d been sitting off to the side, but now the king retakes his throne. We walk right up the center aisle, and people make room for us.

He’s freaking royalty at this school. I didn’t understand it until now. I’m still mystified by it, even as a younger kid asks if he needs anything, and Caleb actually says yes.

Minutes later, the kid returns with a bag of popcorn and two sodas.

“Hey, Asher.” A guy in purple and black comes toward us, lifting his hand.

Caleb grins, reaching out and bumping his knuckles against the new guy’s. “What’s up, Bonner? You’re not playing this year?”

He chuckles. “Nah, had to have surgery on my knee at the beginning of the summer. Coach wouldn’t let me play.”

Caleb shakes his head. “Sorry to hear that.”

Bonner shrugs. “I’ve got the all-clear from the doc for lacrosse.”

“Glad to know I’ll have another chance to beat your ass on the field.”

Bonner’s gaze sweeps up and down my body. “I don’t think we’ve met. Matt Bonner.”

“Margo Wolfe,” Caleb drawls. “And let’s not fucking look at her like that.”

Bonner laughs again, scratching at the back of his neck. “Hey, Asher. No disrespect. You got yourself a beautiful—”

“I’m right here,” I snap.

A muscle in Caleb’s jaw jumps. He glares at Matt, the niceties ending abruptly, until Matt nods and stuffs his hands in his pockets. When he retreats back to the Lion’s Head side of the bleachers, Caleb finally looks down at me.

I wait.

“I’m not apologizing for that,” he mutters.

“I didn’t ask you to.” I find myself leaning closer to him. “I don’t like people staring at me.”

“You don’t like men staring at you,” he clarifies.

“Nope,” I say, sighing. “I’d pass on all types of attention.”

He rolls his eyes. “You better get used to it.”

After that, we lapse back into silence. Besides the uncomfortable quiet around us, and the glances in my direction, it’s easy to block it out and enjoy the second half of the game.

That is, until Theo catches sight of someone.

“Shit,” Caleb growls. He looks back at Eli, who’s two rows up.

They’ve both straightened in their seats.

“Who is he—”

Theo rips off his helmet, stalking across the grass.

Caleb’s hand twitches against my shoulder.