When Brie and I walked into English the next day, we were both surprised to find Taylor already at the back of the room next to our seats.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mumbled under my breath.

“I think it’s sweet. He definitely has a thing for you.”

Just as she said that, Taylor waved us over and I shook my head. “I am not sitting next to him.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s not like he’s going to try anything during class again.” She rolled her eyes and started to climb the steps towards him.

“I hate him,” I practically growled and followed behind her.

Brie snorted. She knew I was lying.

Okay, so I didn’t hate him. That was a lie. Why was he even sitting there? He usually sat a few rows down with the rest of the guys from the team. Why the sudden change? What would they think if they saw us sat together again?

I pushed that thought to the back of my mind and begrudgingly took my usual seat next to Satan himself. A charming grin spread across his face. I wanted to punch him.

“Umm… Isn’t your seat down there?” I began to pull out my notes from the previous day.

He shrugged. “Needed a change of scenery.”

“That makes zero sense. We have the same view?”

“But I can’t see you from all the way down there.” He winked.

I rolled my eyes and started to move. Taylor grabbed my arm and pulled me back down. “I promise I’ll behave.” He grinned.

“Fine. But keep your hands to yourself and don’t even think about speaking to me.” When he didn’t say anything, I felt the need to warn him further. “I mean it, Taylor.”

Brie made a noise beside me, and after I nudged her to keep quiet, I stared straight ahead, waiting for Mr. Smith to begin the lesson.

Halfway through class, Taylor nudged my arm. I had to give him his dues; he’d kept word on his promise and behaved appropriately. Up until now.

“What?” I whispered, still focused ahead.

He leaned into my side, causing me to stiffen at the closeness.

“Don’t forget to take notes for me.”

I glared at him and he chuckled.

“Do I make you nervous?” he asked.

“No,” I said quickly, wishing the ground would swallow me up.

“Is everything okay, Miss Henderson? Do you need something?”

I adverted my eyes to the front of the room and shook my head. “I’m fine, Mr. Smith. Sorry.”

I could hear Taylor’s muffled laughter beside me and decided it was better to just ignore him, especially after the previous day.

“I still think you should go out with me,” he said a few moments later, and I dropped my pen on my desk.

“Give up already. Your charm won’t work on me,” I told him.

“Are you sure?” he said, so slowly it was almost hard to comprehend what he had said. “I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be.” I felt his hand slide to my knee. Shocked, I glared at him, but Taylor had a poker face, his expression as blank as the sheet of paper in front of him.

I wanted to kill him.

As if reading my thoughts, he winked again, his hand creeping higher. I quickly squeezed my thighs together and jumped out of my chair. “Stop. Just stop.”

“Okay, you three out.”

My eyes darted in Mr. Smith’s direction and I clamped my mouth shut. My face heated under his annoyed stare and I swallowed hard.

“Sorry, Sir. It won’t happen again. I—”

He pointed to the door. “Out. Now.”

I glanced at Brie, then at Taylor. Brie rolled her eyes and began to pack up her belongings without a word. Taylor casually stood up and began to make his way down the stairs. Laughter followed my every movement and I hurried to get out of the class and away from it.

What the hell? Did that really just happen?

“That’s it! I’ve had it with the two of you,” Brie yelled as soon as we made it out into the hallway, away from the stares and whispers. I was still shocked, pissed that we’d been kicked out of class again. My mouth hung open as I openly gawped at them both.

Me? What the hell did I do? I told Taylor no already. It wasn’t my fault he refused to take that very specific no for an answer.

“It’s his fault.”

“It’s her fault.”

We both yelled in unison.

I turned towards Taylor and narrowed my eyes in annoyance.

“How the hell is this my fault?” I whisper-yelled through gritted teeth. He was really starting to annoy me and I hated how thoroughly gorgeous he looked while doing so.

“If you’d just said yes in the first place then I wouldn’t have to keep asking you,” he said, rolling his eyes as if it were that simple.

“Or you could just take my no and move on,” I hit back.

“And what if I don’t like that answer? You can’t expect me to take it and quit.”

“Are you crazy? Were you dropped on your head as a baby or something? I already told you. I’m not sleeping with you.” I huffed.

“Excuse me?”

“I said I’m not sleeping with you.”

“Did I ask you to?”

“You didn’t have to! We all know what you’re like and how you don’t do relationships. Just ask any girl here.” I waved my hand and only dropped it when I realised my point was void because only Brie was with us.

“Maybe I just wanted you to be my friend,” he said quietly, his eyes falling downwards.

Well, that shut me up.

“Well, shit,” Brie whispered. “Now I feel bad.”

I glanced at Taylor and caught his lip curling up at the side.

Oh, he was good. Too good. But I knew different.

I turned to Brie. “Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare feel sorry for him. You know exactly what he’s like. Bang ‘em and leave ‘em, remember?”

“There you go again,” he pointed out, rolling his eyes. “Sex, sex and more sex. Is that really all you think about, Lola?”

I turned on my heel to face him. The scowl on my face only amused him even further. “You’re exhausting, you know that? I can’t even believe—”

“Shut up!” Brie yelled, forcing me back down to Earth. “Both of you just… Shut… Up. And you,” she yelled again, turning her attention solely to me. “Do us all a favour and jump his bones already.” With that, she stormed off, her long auburn hair swishing with every powerful stomp her tiny feet made down the hall.

“Wow,” I said, just as the door closed behind her.

“She’ll get over it,” Taylor said, cutting through my surprise.

Was he really still here?

“About that bone jumping, though…”

“Will you seriously just let it go? I refuse to be one of your play toys, Taylor. And I refuse to believe that you just want to be my friend.” I couldn’t deal with this right now. I’d heard more than enough for today.

I turned to leave, following in the same direction as Brie. I had a whole two hours to kill before my next lesson. Great.

“Wait!” he called after me. I didn’t stop. “We’re still on for tomorrow, right?”

Shoot.

I had forgotten that we’d arranged to meet before second lesson tomorrow. Taylor wanted me to go over his English assignment before handing it in.

I chewed my lip. “I don’t know. I don’t think it’s such a good idea now,” I admitted. When I eventually turned to face him, I wished I hadn’t. He actually looked a little cut up by my words. But that was Taylor all over. He was a game player. On and off the field.

Oh, who was I kidding? Even if he had gotten me kicked out of class twice, I was still going to study with him. I was a complete sucker. Suck–ah.

“Of course it is. It’s the best idea I’ve heard in…” He paused for a second as if weighing it up in his head. “Scrap that! Up until a few minutes ago, it was the best idea ever. Now it’s a close second.” He grinned.

I planted a hand on my waist and jutted my hip. “Oh yeah? And what’s the first best idea?”

“Bone jumping, silly. Don’t you ever listen?” He rolled his stupid, beautiful eyes again, mocking me, winding me up even further.

I shook my head. “You really are a pig.”

He’d asked for it now. Two could play his game. I would make him stew until the last minute and let him know who was the boss. Taylor was good at playing games, but this time he was playing the wrong game with the wrong girl.