Page 103 of Heart of Thorns
Maybe the police will have better luck with this one.
“Thorne, wake up.”
I open my eyes and groan. Bright sunlight streams in through the living room windows, creating a halo effect around Briar’s head. It takes a second to realize that I fell asleep, and I shoot upright.
“Whoa, easy.” She grasps my shoulders. “You okay?”
“I didn’t mean to…” The sound of snoring draws my attention.
Rhys is passed out on the other end of the couch, his mouth open.
She giggles. “Yeah, well, you did.”
Her laughter does something to me.
Something bad.
The feeling from last night, the sick-with-panic feeling, comes back. Briar being scared devastated me, and I’ve been doing everything in my power to help her. The same as she’s been helping me with my parents.
But that hasn’t really been working, has it?
None of it has.
This fake relationship isn’t serving its purpose anymore. My parents still want me to date other girls of their choosing—and even when I say no, like I did the other day, they tell me I should still have dinner with them as friends. Just in case.
And Briar…
All I can think about is her. Her expression. Her eyes. The way she bites her lip. Her perfectly timed scowls and scoffs. The little gasps she makes when she’s on the edge, and the whimpers as she comes. Her body tensing around me.
The smell of her.
The taste of her.
It clashes horribly in my mind when I realize I haven’t cast a single thought about my upcoming football game. Our opponents are formidable, but have I watched any of their tapes from this season? Have I done any fucking research?
No. Practice has been practice. But around it, when I should be leading my team through example, I’ve been burying my dick in her pussy. I’ve been trying to catch amaybearsonist.
So just… stop.
I take a breath. It’s like being on the field, with a minute left in the fourth quarter and one last play. One last decision to make.
I stand, forcing her to step back. “I was so fucking worried about you last night.”
She tilts her head. “I… I know. I’m sorry I freaked out.”
I can’t do this.
“Do you know what I’ve been doing at practice almost every fucking day this week?” I move around her, needing some distance between us. When she doesn’t reply, I tell her. “I’ve been asking subtle questions of my teammates. Checking if anyone had a freaking alibi for the night of the fire. Wondering if anyone was going to act suspicious.”
“Thorne—”
“My only dream is to make it pro, Briar.” I cross my arms. My stomach feels like it’s turned into a pit of snakes. “Football has beenit. And I know it’s not in the cards for me, according to my parents, but it doesn’t make the dream any less real.”
Her expression flickers. “I know that.”
“No, you don’t.” Panic constricts my chest. “I’ve been so distracted lately.”
“By me?”