This Round I'm Yours (11 page)

“I want you to go.” When he didn’t say anything, Lace’s tone sharpened. “Didn’t you hear me? I want you to go.”

For a moment, he believed her.

For one moment, his world came crashing down around him, and it was everything Silver had expected. The pain. The emptiness. The despair. He had fucked so many girls over, and now he was paying the price.

“You heard her.” The other guy was back on his feet. Standing next to Lace, he put a proprietary arm around Lace’s stiff shoulders. “We don’t need you anymore.” He turned to her. “Right, Lacey baby?”

And then she was being kissed.
 

Right in front of Silver.

He had the greatest urge to haul the guy off Lace and throw him out of the nearest window. He probably would have if Silver hadn’t noticed the way Lace’s fists were clenched against her sides. So fucking tightly her knuckles had become white, so fucking tightly it was as if she was doing her best not to get the guy off her as well.

When the guy pulled away, he appeared surprised Silver was still there. “You’re still here? Are you a masochist or something?”

Silver didn’t even bother looking at the other guy, his gaze on Lace completely. He needed to hear her speak, needed to see her eyes to be sure. “Wyndham.”
 

But she didn’t look at him, didn’t say a thing.

“I won’t leave until you tell it to my face that you want me to go one last—”

Her head whipped towards him, her voice shrill. “
I want you to go
.
Is that clear enough for you?”

Slowly, he nodded.

It was.

The whole time she had been speaking, she had been crying in her heart. The whole time she had been speaking, her eyes had said a different thing.

Help me.

Help me.
 

Help me.

Silver’s face hardened.
 

In front of him, a cry escaped Lace, and he knew she thought he believed every damn lie she had uttered.

Seeing her in so much pain nearly sent him in a rage, but he sought for control, knowing that he had to think things through. Lace was not a weak person, and if she was being made to do something against her will, it had to be something extremely bad.

Looking at Lace again, he said quietly, “I get it now.”

He hoped she would understand, but when he turned around and slowly walked away, he knew she hadn’t, knew with the way she cried and started screaming after him.

“Go! You think I care? Go and never come back!”

That was what she was screaming, but Silver’s love for her made him hear something completely different.
 

Don’t leave me. Please. Come back. Please.

Even so, Silver forced himself to continue walking, and it was the hardest thing he had done in his life.

When he reached the dorm’s lobby, he almost staggered to a stop, Silver needing to lean against the wall as his body nearly gave up on him. Even now, he could hear Lace crying inside his mind, and he knew it wasn’t his imagination.

Stupid little lamb.

Brave little lamb.

Taking a deep breath, he made a call to Derek Christopoulos, the son of the university’s founder and chairman. When the other man answered, Silver didn’t mince words, knowing he had no time. “I have a favor to ask.”
 

****

“Is he gone?” Alfred asked curtly the moment the door closed behind Lace and Grant.

“Yeah. Probably went somewhere to lick his wounds after Lacey baby broke his heart into tiny pieces.” Grant laughed and even looked at Lace, as if wanting her to share in his happiness.

Alfred smirked. “Guess that makes you an even better actress than I thought.”

Lace worked hard to keep her face expressionless, knowing it was better they didn’t find out how much she wanted to kill them. Her fury was the only thing that kept her moving, thinking. Everything else was dead, everything losing its meaning the moment she had seen Silver’s face harden.

Lace bit her lip hard enough to taste blood. It was the only way to keep herself from crying.

Even now, she didn’t have to close her eyes to remember Silver’s face when he saw Grant coming out of her room.
 

Of course he’d believe she was playing around
, she thought painfully. After what Drew had told her, she could see why it would be so damn easy for him to think that way.

Alfred checked his watch. “You should probably go now. You’ve got a big game tomorrow. I’ll stay here and make sure your girl keeps her mouth shut.”

Grant hesitated. “I could probably stay here…”

Alfred laughed. “Relax. I promise I won’t do a thing to your girl. She’s all yours, my boy.”

Grant’s gaze slid to Lace.

Bitterness rose inside Lace, but she knew whatever she said wouldn’t make Grant suddenly change his mind about the whole thing. Grant wasn’t just sick and obssessed. The worst thing about him was his cowardice, his weakness allowing someone like Alfred to take over his life completely.

She said flatly, “If he touches me, one of us will end up dead.”
 

Grant flinched.

Alfred only laughed. “See, Grant? The little bitch’s gonna try to kill me if I make a move.”

Grant stepped towards Lace. “Just don’t make him angry, okay? It’s going to be all right as long as…” He tried stroking her hair, but she jerked her head away, not wanting him to touch her.
 

His hand stilled, his face whitening at the look of betrayal on her face. Suddenly, he remembered the times he and Lace had been happy. The times she had looked at him like he could save the whole world…and more.

“Lace…” His voice faltered. Guilt tore into Grant as she continued looking at him silently. She didn’t need to say a word for Grant to know exactly what she thought of him.

Doubt and regret filled his mind, but he also knew that it was too late. He was in too deep now, and he muttered before heading to the door, “Things will be better tomorrow.”
 

Looking over his shoulder at the other guy, he said quietly, “Don’t hurt her, Fred.”

“I won’t.” When the door closed behind the younger guy, Alfred sneered, “But that doesn’t mean I can’t rough you up.”

It was funny
, Lace thought, how she had been so crazy with fear earlier but now…afte seeing Silver’s face, after seeing him walk away from her…

She couldn’t even make herself feel the slightest bit nervous.

“I really want to fuck you up right now,” Alfred whispered as he closed the distance between them. Both of them were standing next to the windows now, and a part of her wondered if she should take the risk, just shove him out, and never mind if she ended up falling with him.

At least then it would be all over.

“I wanna see how far your pride will last…”

Lace willed herself to stay in control, to not let any of his words get to her.
 

“If you keep looking at me like that, you’re gonna force me to remind you again who’s the boss here. You want that to happen? Want me to force you to be on your knees and crying that you’re dying to blow me?”

They stared at each other.
 

A second later, the fire alarm went off, and everything became a blur. The sprinklers over them had gone off, releasing a powerful blast of water. Another moment, and the power had shut down completely. Shrieks of surprise were heard all over the floor as the entire dorm seemed to have been plunged in darkness.

“What the hell?” Alfred shouted.

Lace didn’t bother answering, heading straight to the door. When he tried to stop her, Lace shoved him away, snapping, “Can’t you see we have to go?” She threw the door open, and it was complete chaos outside. Everyone was rushing towards the stairs, some of them holding lit-up screens of their phones to light the way.

Alfred’s grip tightened around her wrist. “Don’t do anything crazy.”

There wasn’t any time to think as they made their way to the stairs. Everyone was panicking, and hysteria began to bubble inside of her. She and Lady Luck were never the best of friends, but wasn’t this too much?
 

Her position as coach in danger, Silver being taken away from her, and now she had to battle for her life?

A laugh escaped her, causing Alfred to look at her like she was crazy.

As she reached the first floor, something grabbed her from the darkness, wrenching her away from Alfred—

Silver.

His hand over her mouth, he pressed a finger over his lips, signalling her to be quiet.

Alfred was shouting her name from the main lobby, but the sound was fading, and she knew he would leave with the rest of the students. He might need her, but he didn’t need her so much that he would risk his life for her.

When Silver lifted his hand off her mouth, she whispered, “The fire?”

He nodded. “A ploy to get you separated.”

“How did you know?”

“I had a feeling your former team captain wasn’t the type to do something like this alone.” His jaw clenched. “So I made myself wait and when I saw another silhouette by your bedroom window, I made a move.” When she started to speak again, he shook his head. “We don’t have much time. I just wanted you to stop worrying. Whatever he wants you to do, do it.”

Lace’s mind was spinning, and a part of her still couldn’t believe that Silver was really here and that he wasn’t mad at her.

Silver’s gaze narrowed. “Lace.” He cupped her face.

His touch broke her.
 

Silver.

Silver.

Silver.
 

He was really here, really touching her, and he didn’t hate her.

Tears stinging her gaze, she pulled him down and kissed him desperately. Inside her mind, Drew’s words echoed, and she kissed him as deeply as she could, wanting Silver to know, to
feel
how much she loved him.

When Silver wrenched himself away from her, she wanted to die.
 

“
Wyndham
…” His face was harder now, his lips set in a thin line. “We don’t have much time, I told you.” His voice became tight. “Can you promise me one thing?”

Slowly, she nodded.

“When you go out there, I don’t want you to be afraid. I’ve got everything under control.” Silver breathed hard. “Can you promise me that?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” Before she could say anything else, Silver was already leading her back to the furor.

Lace panicked when she realized they were going to be parted again. “No, I don’t want to—”

Silver’s voice touched her ear. “I love you, Wyndham. Remember that.”

And then she was being swept away by the tide heading towards the main doors.

When she looked over her shoulder, there was no sign of Silver.

Outside the dorm, there was even more chaos, sirens ringing as more ambulances drove close. Looking up, she saw no signs of fire, not even a hint of smoke.

“Ma’am?”

Lace suddenly found herself surrounded by paramedics.
 

“We need to take you to the hospital.”

“I’m…”
 

“Lace? Lace! Thank God you’re all right.” It was Alfred, his voice filled with concern, but his eyes were wild and she knew he wanted to hurt her for making him worry.

The paramedic beside her said firmly, “Sir, we need to take her to the hospital.”

Alfred stuttered, “The hospital? But she’s—”

“Standard procedure, sir. If you wish, you may accompany the student to the hospital.”

Alfred slowly nodded. “Yeah…I think I will. I need to keep an eye on her, make sure she’s fine.”