Page 17 of Broken
Chapter 6
ANNIE
It turned out that Izzy had been right. At least so far. Over a week had passed, and we hadn’t heard hide nor hair from Micah and Ryder. Whatever Tucker had said and done was working. Not that I trusted it to last forever, but I didn’t mention it to Izzy. She was stressed enough.
Today was the first home game of the football season and her last year as captain of the dance team, and she was seriously over-worried about the first pep rally performance. The whole school was pumped up, red and black covering the halls and banners. I was in black shorts with a red Sharks T-shirt while Izzy had her hair in some fancy messy bun with red and black scrunchies, a red skirt, black Sharks shirt, and red and black bangles on her wrists. She even had on bright red lipstick to top it off. If I cared more about fashion, I’d feel underdone.
Grabbing our books for our last class before the pep rally, we shut our neighboring lockers just as the guys came up behind us.
Jet slid his arm around my waist, curling his fingers at my side as he pulled me back against his chest, and Tucker wrapped Izzy under his arm, taking her books.
Jet reached for mine, but I shook my head, and he smirked, planting a gentle kiss below my jaw instead. My knees wobbled when he swirled his tongue along my neck.
“Babe,” I hissed, which, apparently, just made him do it again.
Tucker laughed. “I get it, man. Seeing Izzy with this lipstick on makes me want to throw her over my shoulder and take off for my truck.”
Izzy’s eyes popped wide before she gave him a challenging grin. “How about after the pep rally?”
“Holding you to that.” Tucker’s eyes darkened, making Izzy blush. He leaned down. “I’d kiss the hell out of you right now if it wouldn’t get that bright red all over me. Besides, there are other places I’d rather see it.”
He looked down at his jeans. Izzy just flushed brighter while I choke-coughed. I was so not used to those two together yet, but I knew it made my sister happy. That was what mattered. And Tucker, despite his faults, was a hell of a lot better than Zane. He’d actually been pretty amazing so far.
“Ready to head to class?” Jet asked.
“Yep.” I slid out of his hold to take his hand. “See y’all at the pep rally.” Jet and I headed off down the hall while Tucker and Izzy went the opposite way. We took our seats in Coding class, one we’d held off on taking so we could do it together this year. Mrs. Larson was attempting to get us started on our projects, but only ten minutes in and the football players, cheerleaders, and dance team got called out for the pep rally. It was just chaos after that.
As soon as we were dismissed, I rushed off to the gym, finding Tucker waiting for me at the doors. Following him through the crowd, we headed up the bleachers when some girl grabbed his wrist, pulling him to a stop. She looked up at him, everything she was promising way too clear. I bristled, ready to pounce, because hell no did some chick get to go after my sister’s man, when Tucker yanked his wrist away.
“Fucking touch me again,” his voice growled. “Everyone in this school knows I’m with Izzy by now.”
The girl shrunk away, and I followed Tucker the rest of the way up the bleachers. We took a seat by one of the beams along the back wall.
“What?” Tucker asked, and I startled, not realizing I’d been staring.
“Nothing.” I shrugged, looking back out at the crowd and at the empty chairs on the gym floor set up for the football players. “Just impressed.”
“They know better.”
“Probably not, but keep it up, and most of them will soon.” I tossed him a side look with a grin, catching his deadpan stare, and I laughed just as the music started to play.
The cheerleaders came out first, Megan and Emma right in front, and I cheered back, pumped for my friends. A couple of cheerleaders spread out a banner, and as soon as the cheer finished, the football players burst through, Jet leading the charge. I practically drooled. There was nothing sexier than seeing my man in uniform.
His eyes scanned the crowd, and he winked when he found me. My heart skipped, and I blew him a kiss, sitting back to watch as the dance team came out next, when I saw Zane send Izzy a wink from the football lineup. She flushed, ducking her head as she turned away.
I gaped, my insides already fuming. “Did he just–”
“Yes,” Tucker growled, his jaw set, and I knew there might be some shit going down later. Brushing it off, I sent Zane a glare as the next song came through the speakers.
I crossed my fingers, sending up a little prayer that her dance would go as well as Izzy hoped. I didn’t really think she had anything to worry about. She’d been the captain for three years now, and it was always amazing, but her nerves got her like this every year. She was determined to be the best, for herteamto be the best.
She always nailed it.
If Zane didn’t just get up in her head.The dick.
But it was flawless as always, especially for Izzy. Tucker and I stood up, whooping and hollering the second the number ended. As soon as the dance team left the floor, Coach Riojas came up to the podium.
“That was an awesome performance. Thank you, ladies. Now, I won’t stand up here forever and hog all the time. Let’s get right to it. We’ve got an amazing team this year with so much talent that will be out on that field. It’s going to be a great season. And to pump y’all up, I give you Breaker Ridge’s star quarterback, Jet Thanos.”