Page 75 of Wicked Dreams (Fallen Royals 1)

“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.