This chapter is from the away game.
Ps. I made a mistake with the last bonus chapter and said that Drayton knew she'd be moving. But he didn't find out until they snuck out during the away game. Sorry! I only figured it out when I went back and read through.

D R A Y S • P O V

"That's him, isn't it?"

She didn't need to answer. I could see from the look on her face that the fûcking piece of shit across the field is the one that had tried to assault her at the party.

I didn't need to give it a second thought. When we got in formation, I kept my sights set on him. Number 9. What a shit number. For a shit cunt. The tension was obvious in my shoulders and as soon as the whistle blew, I broke game play, charging towards him and ignoring the confused calls from my team mates.

Perhaps I'd get suspended, charged, maybe I'd get arrested. Who the fuck cares. I don't. All I know is, that asshole needs to be made to feel as helpless as he made Dallas feel when he cornered her in the bathroom. I don't know all of the details. I know that she got away so she wasn't entirely helpless. But he still put his hands on her, against her will. And he's going to fucking regret it.

And the look of his bloodied face when I'm finished with him, tells me that he might rather be dead. His face is a mess and it doesn't look like he's getting up anytime soon.

"You're in so much trouble Lahey!" Coach booms beside the assistant coaches car. "Go back to the hotel, go straight to your room. I'm going to have to fix this mess and then I'm coming to see you. Do not be surprised if you're charged with assault. Hell boy, I can't even promise you that your future won't be compromised."

•

The entire nights events play on a loop while I lay on the hotel bed. I'd showered as soon as I got back and hadn't gone further than putting on a pair of pants.

Waiting for coach to come back and let me know the verdict is a form of torture. I've been staring at the ceiling for an hour, going over the possible scenarios in my head.

Mom and Dad are going to kill me.

But despite the fact that I'm in a shit ton of trouble, I don't regret it. Seeing that little shit get what he had coming was priceless and the fact that I got to dish it out, even better. He hurt Dallas. He put hands on a girl that's too damn pure for anyone to hurt. I told myself that I'd never let anything like that happen to her and I failed. I just thank God that he hadn't gone further.

I think I would have killed him.

A firm knock on the door brings me out of my hazed thoughts and I jump up, ready to face whatever discipline that I've got coming.

"Hey coach." I give a small half smile and step aside. "Come in."

"This won't take long Lahey." He folds his arms with a huff and gives me sideways glance. "You're getting off light this time. But dammit if you pull a stunt like that ever again, I won't be saving your ass."

I'm at a loss for words. I genuinely don't know what to say but my mouth seems to open and close while I stare at him in confusion.

"I've informed the other team and the kids folks that you've been pulled from the team and suspended and bla bla bla so keep a low profile okay. I could get in a lot of shit for this."

"Coach, I - I don't know what to s-"

"Don't say a thing." He holds up his hand and shakes his head as though even he can't believe what he's saying. "Just don't do a thing like that. Ever again."

"I promise, I won't."

He gives a brief nod and then marches off down the corridor, leaving me to swing the door shut behind him.

I slump down into the bed again, barely able to comprehend what the hell just happened. He's just... letting me off? It doesn't make sense. Not in the slightest and I spend the next couple of hours watching the television, but not able to stop thinking about how coach had just given me a pass.

Maxon attempts to get me out of the room, telling me that most of the floor are going down to the lake where a bunch of coolers and beers have been stashed. I'm not risking getting into trouble when I'd barely been let off the assault incident.

About two minutes after Maxon has given up and taken off for the night, my phone starts to ring. I assume that it's him or one of the other boys asking me to come and join them, but even more disappointing.. it's my Dad.

"What's up?" I answer nonchalantly, watching the trashy soap re runs on the television.

"How was the game?"

I'd expected that he'd somehow caught wind of the fight. That's what I thought he'd been calling to talk about. So I'm relieved when the conversation is seemingly causal.

"Yeah, it was fine." I answer, throwing my hand behind my head. "We won."

"What's with the security footage of the girl arriving the other night with Grayson and leaving with you a couple of hours later?"

What the fuck?

If he's seen that, I wonder if he's seen the footage of me dragging her ass into the house a couple of weeks ago. That'd be hard to explain.

"It's none of your business."

"It sure as hell is if you're hanging around with another whore." He shouts through the phone. "What's with the blonde tramps Drayton?"

"She isn't like Emily." I snap. Who the fuck does he think he is? I wanna punch him in the face at the sound of him calling her names. "If you must know, I gave her a ride home. And she was just hanging out with Grayson. They're friends. He's seeing someone else."

"Mmm, Spencer." He murmurs. "I don't care what Grayson's doing but I don't want you wasting your time. Again."

I'm about to lose it. Fuck he infuriates me. But a soft tap at the door causes me to pause before I shout profanities down the phone line.

"I have to go!" I mutter as I stand up. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I throw the phone on the bed and open the door, not sure who or what to expect considering I'd thought the entire team had snuck off to some lake side shindig. So I'm surprised, yet not, when Dallas stands in the door way, looking beautiful of course.

"Oh," I feel the tension begin to dissipate at the sight of her. "Dallas hey. Look if you're here about earlier, I don't wanna talk ab-"

"I'm not!" She interrupts my attempt to persuade the conversation away from the topic that's been giving me a head sore all evening. "I mean, I do want to talk about it at some point. But not right now."

"Oh." I raise a brow and lean against the door frame, a little puzzled that she isn't here to grill me about the beating I gave that kid. I was sure that'd be the only thing to warrant a surprise visit. "What's up then?"

"At the risk of getting you in even more trouble than you already are," she takes a deep breath and her cheeks become a shade warmer. It's cute. "I wanna go out, I wanna have some fun and I want your expertise to make that happen."

I straighten up and stare at her in disbelief. That is certainly not where I'd been expecting the conversation to go. "You want me"- I aim a finger at my chest and try to ignore the heat in her eyes when she looks at my torso - "to help you have fun tonight."

"Ugh," she groans and turns an even pinker shade than she'd been before. Fuck, I adore that sexy sheepish smile she wears. "You're right. Terrible idea. Never mind! Forget I came!"

She turns to leave and although I'd been adamant that I didn't want to risk getting into more trouble than I'm already in, I'd do it for her. She only makes it about one step before I've made my mind up, determined to give her a night of fun mixed with a little reckless danger.

I grip her wrist and spin her around, feeling a surge of static electricity when her skin touches mine. It's hard to ignore but I do just that, smiling when she turns her head and gives me a wide eyed, curious expression.

"Just let me get a shirt on."

•

My aunt busting us in the pool hadn't been a part of my plan. It had seemed perfect when I thought of it. Let her feel a little bit rebellious and reckless while ensuring that she isn't caught and charged for trespassing.

But it's still been an incredible night more incredible that I originally thought it would be. It's almost impossible not to think about Dallas' naked body, flush against mine in the pool. Her firm boobs grazing my chest, her legs wrapped around mine and more importantly that we'd almost kissed, again. But this time, it hadn't been a game. Neither of us were trying to fuck with each other. But now that the moment is over and I'm sitting in my Aunts kitchen trying to keep an erection from pitching a tent with my towel, I remember that she's leaving.

Next year she's taking off to California. She'd dropped that little bomb when we'd been en route to my Aunts. I'd wanted to pursue her, see if I could win her over and while I attempt to do that, I've started to feel big things for her. But now that I know she'll be moving to another state, I wonder if it's best that I take a leaf out of her book and not get attached.

It might be a little late for that.

"Do you have a bathroom I can borrow?" Dallas glances at my aunt while she bends down and picks up her clothes.

Fûcking hell. Her towel rides up so far that I can almost see her ass. The back of her long tanned legs look like they need to be spread so that I can get between them.

I avert my eyes and take a deep breath while Cass gives her the instructions to the guest bathroom. Dallas tip toes out and apologises for the wet puddle that she's made, which just gives me a whole new series of agonising, vivid images.

"So who is she?" Cass starts wiping down the clean counter top. This woman has a cleaning complex. She needs help.

"She's a friend." I shrug and shift, willing the stiff to soften before it's obvious. "We established that."

"Oh please!" Cass rolls her eyes and gives me a pointed look with her hand on her hip. "She's gorgeous, she's your type and I just caught the two of you butt naked in my pool. Not to mention the looks."

"What looks?" I scoff. I love my aunt but she sure knows how to reach when she wants to see something. Just like she wanted to see my uncles faithfulness for the last three years even though we could all tell he was a cheating prick.

"Before your uncle slept with that slut of an ex"- She shudders at the words-"I happened to see you and Emily a couple of times. And you never once, looked at her, the way that you look at that girl."

I genuinely have no idea what she's talking about. The three of us had been in the same room for like ten minutes. If that. What could she have possibly seen? Apart from me battling an erection over the sight of cheer in a towel. If she's talking about the look that I get when I think about fûcking Dallas until she's shaking, then yeah. I never wanted Emily as much as I want Dallas.

"Don't argue with me either!" She points at me and once again starts to wipe down the counter top. "She gives you the same look. Especially when you told her that you let her believe she was skinny dipping in a strangers pool so that she could have fun without the trouble. The way that you looked at each other...." her sentence drops off while she stares out the kitchen window with a far off expression. Possibly remembering better times in her relationship.

I do feel for her.

I start to think that perhaps Cass had seen more in the look that I gave Dallas. It's a physical attraction, but it's more than that. It has been from the start.

"Do you think it's unrealistic to get strong feelings for someone.. really fast?" I murmur with my gaze on the ground.

"Na hun." She answers with a smile that I can hear. "When someone is right for you, sometimes you can feel it almost immediately."

"Dray Dray?" I snap my head in the direction of the small voice and spot my baby cousin standing in the kitchen door way. He's the man. And I know that I'll get in trouble for keeping him up but that doesn't stop me from opening my arms and letting the little dude beeline straight for me.

It's a welcome distraction from the heart to heart that I'd unintentionally walked into.

• • •

"Fucking unbelievable." Dad growls, walking into the house a few minutes after I'd arrived back at home.

Once again, the night hadn't gone according to plan. Dallas and I had fallen asleep in the park after she'd told me that she was the reason I wasn't getting expelled for fighting that predator on the field. She'd talked to coach and explained why I did, what I did. That meant a lot to me, especially because I know that she didn't want to tell people about what happened.

Getting caught was a major cock up but fuck it. That entire night was perfect. Dallas is fun, she's out going and when I suggest something that might seem a little wild, she hops on board, willing to try anything once it would seem. Fuck, I love that kind of attitude.

We got in a shit ton of trouble, but to be honest, it didn't phase me. I thought it would. But I suppose she made it worth it.

No.. I don't suppose. I know that she made it worth it.

Typically Mom and Dad attempted to throw some cash at the situation to ensure that I wasn't punished. A donation to the school always seemed to go down a treat. But na. Call me devious but I've already got a couple of ideas for how I'd spend a week off school. Especially if Dallas is suspended too. Which I know that she is.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Dad throws his keys down on the kitchen island and starts aggressively undoing the tie around his neck.

Rummaging through the pantry I feign disinterest in the conversation. I can hear the click clack of Mom's heels on the tiled floor. Her approach sounds cautious and I can already assume not to have her support on this one. Eh, I can't blame her. I did fûck up.

"Drayton!" Dad barks again, I know that having my back to him during an argument pisses the living day lights out of him. "You could have really fucked your career up!"

Good thing he never found out about the fight. Then I'd really be getting it.

"Drayton, honey." Mom interjects with her calmer approach. Good cop, bad cop. Typical. I know that she's just as pissed. She just prefers not to team up.

"Look, I went out. I was up to some harmless fun. It's not a big deal." I retrieve a pack of crisps and turn around to find them both watching me from the other side of the kitchen island. Mom's wearing a disappointed expression which is a stark contrast to the glowering fury on dear old Dad's face.

"Some harmless fun?" He bites with a sarcastic smile, his head shaking back and forth. "You've been suspended from fucking school, boy! That's on your record."

"Ya live and learn." I shrug and pop a handful of crisps into my mouth, attempting but failing to hide my amusement.

"I knew that fucking girl was trouble!"

"What girl?" Mom's curious face whips back and forth between the two of us.

I'm abruptly not as amused as I was before, returning my father's scowl tenfold. What a fucking prick.

"What girl?!" Mom slaps the counter top loud and repetitive to gain some attention.

"Forget it."

I throw the crisp packet on the island and start heading out of the room. Hearing my father talk badly about Dallas makes me irrationally angry. I won't listen to it. To the bullshit and assumptions. He doesn't know a damn thing about her.

"Honey!" Mom pleads for me to stop so I reluctantly turn around and fix her with a bored stare. "We have a dinner with the Jensen's tonight. We're heading over there in half n hour. Would you like to come?"

"No."

Before they'd even left the house, I had a bag packed with my I.D, my trust fund credit card and a sheer determination to continue the adventures that I'd started with Dallas. I just had to convince her that taking off to California with me for a couple of days isn't a terrible idea. I have faith though. She's got a free spirit. I know that she craves a walk on the wild side.

Plus I know that she's obsessed with that school she's going to.

"Hey Mom.." I skip the stairs two at a time and catch her and Dad as they're leaving. They're both dressed to the nines in expensive attire. They're going to a fucking barbecue.

Whatever.

"Yes Dray?" She turns around and gives me a quick once over, disappointment that I'm clearly not joining them is evident.

"I thought that it might be a good idea if I use this week productively." I attempt to use the most responsible voice that I can muster up. "I was thinking about going to Baylor and taking a couple classes, getting some applications sorted out. That sort of thing."

The approval in my father's face is obvious and I know that I'm more than likely about to be granted permission.

"That sounds like a good idea." Dad nods, him and Mom sharing a brief look to ensure that they're on the same page before the both of them set their sights back on me. "When will you leave?"

"There's a flight out in about three and a half hours. I'll be back on Wednesday."

"Good." Dad nods and gives me a quick slap on the back before he shuffles outside.

Mom gives me a warmer goodbye. I suppose I should feel a little guilty for lying straight to her face. But if I'd told the truth, there isn't a chance in hell they'd have let me leave. Only Grayson knows what I'm up to. I'd text him while I packed and briefly told him about the suspension and my plans, asking him not to tell anyone. He won't.

Now to continue torturing myself over the girl that I want, but can't have but don't know if I'd want her anyway because she's going to leave.

I'm pathetic.

• • •

Are y'all enjoying the bonus chaps? Tell me which scenes you'd like to see from Dray's POV. !

California baby