First and Goal (Moving the Chains #1) Read Free

than pity and male chauvinism. “I don’t need your help, so go play white knight to some other damsel in distress.”
    He steps up to me, forcing my head to tilt in an effort to maintain eye contact. He’s got at least a foot on me. His voice is soft, his words meant for my ears only. “Until you start standing up for yourself, I’m going to keep defending you.”
    I narrow my eyes at him and cross my arms over my chest. “What makes you think I require defense? How do you know all the rumors aren’t true? Maybe I like all the attention.”
    He tips his chin down until his warm breath fans across my face. “No, you don’t. And I know the rumors aren’t true because that’s not you.”
    Mustering all the courage I possess, I push my finger into his solid chest in a paltry effort to clear my personal space. “You don’t know a thing about me.”
    His eyes roam over my face, and he rolls his lips in between his teeth. He slowly nods his head, then turns to walk away without another word.
    His buddy just shakes his head, laughs, and follows his master down the hallway as a good little sidekick should.
    Jess turns to me, her eye brows climbing into her brown, neatly trimmed bangs. “I know you’re not into the whole chivalry thing on account of being a feminist and all, but was that really necessary? He’s so freaking hot, and he’s one of the few people who ever lifts a finger to defend you. He seems like a nice enough guy, and have I mentioned how hot he is? You’re the only girl I know that would send him scurrying away. Unless, you know, you were trying to get subtly closer to him. Because if you were, I’m so proud of you!”
    I try to catch my breath after that little encounter before I speak. It seems this year could be a game changer in more ways than one, and that’s got me on edge worse than the impending doom of bio. “Oh, grow up. He just pissed me off. I’m not some insipid waif who can’t fight my own battles. Besides, haven’t you ever wondered why he’s one of the few people to defend me? It’s obvious he’s a horny, disgusting jock like the rest of them. He only wants to edge out the competition. He was trying to step up his game just now. You know, get on my good side, so I’ll spread my legs for him.”
    “Or, maybe he actually likes you and doesn’t want to share.”
    I stare at her with a deadpan expression. She cannot seriously believe the words that just came out of her mouth. “Are you fucking kidding me right now? You said it yourself, he’s freaking hot. I’m freaking me. We’ve gone to school together since freshman year, and he’s only spoken to me when he has to. He barely interacted with me until after all the rumors started. He doesn’t like me; he just thinks I’m an easy target. You don’t have to have any actual interest in someone to be sexually attracted to them. Hell, jocks are so perverted they’ll take whatever they can get. Look what happened with Nevaeh Winters last year.”
    “That was a totally different ballgame, and you know it.”
    “It was a prime example of how those man-beasts operate, is what it was.”
    “Yeah, yeah, whatever. So how was it?” She bounces up and down eagerly as we make our way toward class.
    “How was what?”
    She rolls her eyes, easily ignoring my bitchy tone. “Touching him? Are his pecs rock hard? I bet he smells like sex.”
    “Don’t make me throw up in this hallway, Jessica. I’ll do it. You know I will.”
    “You might be a bit more chill if you’d just fuck the guy instead of hating him, Evie. You said it yourself,” she mocks, “you don’t have to be interested in someone to be sexually attracted to them. He’s fuckable and interested, so it’s time to move on already!”
    Move on. Yeah, right. Since seven o’clock this morning, I’ve had six unsolicited offers for a date. And by date, I mean sex. So much for the hope that summer break would’ve dampened the rumors that have been going around