“What?” I mutter when those piercing blue eyes turn to me.
His lips tighten for a moment. “The game tonight.”
“What about it?” The clock on the dash says it’s five twenty-eight. The sun isn’t even up yet, but the French Twist’s front window is lit up. Lucy’s already inside, waiting for me.
“My dad wants you to go.”
The Royal Pain forms between my shoulder blades. “Goodie for him.”
Reed looks like he’s trying not to strangle me. “You’re coming to the game.”
“Pass. I don’t like football. Besides, I have to work.”
I reach for the door handle, but he leans over the seat and grabs my arm. A rush of heat travels from his fingers, down my arm, and settles between my legs. I order my traitorous body to stand down, and try not to breathe in the spicy, masculine scent that reaches my nostrils. Why does he have to smell so good?
“I don’t care what you like or don’t like. I know you get off at seven. Kick off is at seven thirty. You’re coming.” His voice is low, rippling with…it’s not anger anymore, but thick with…I don’t know with what. All I know is that he’s too close for comfort, and my heart is beating dangerously fast.
“I’m not going to some stupid high school football game to cheer for you and your meathead friends,” I snap, shrugging his hand off my arm. The loss of his warmth sends an instant shiver through me. “Callum will just have to deal.”
I slide out of the SUV and slam the door, then hurry down the dark sidewalk toward the bakery.
* * *
I barely make it to school before the first bell. I only have time for a quick stop in the bathroom to change into my Astor Park uniform, and then I sit through my morning classes and fight to stay awake. At lunch, I chug so much coffee that Val finally has to cut me off, but at least I feel alert now.
I take my seat next to Easton’s in chem class and greet him with a reluctant hello.
“You were snoring in English class this morning,” he says with a grin.
“I was not. I was wide awake the whole time.” Was I, though? Now I’m not so sure.
Easton rolls his eyes. “Aw, sis. You work too hard. I’m worried about you.”
I roll my eyes back. I know the Royal brothers aren’t happy about my job. Neither is Callum, who wouldn’t quit frowning when I told him about it. He insisted that I should be concentrating on my studies and not splitting my focus between school and work, but I hadn’t budged. After I told him working was important to me and that I needed more than school to occupy my time, he’d backed off.
Or so I’d thought. It isn’t until the bell rings for my last class of the day that I realize Callum has made another power play behind my back.
A tall, lithe woman comes up to me as I’m leaving my math class. She moves with the grace of a ballerina, so when she introduces herself as the coach of the dance team, I’m not surprised.
“Ella,” Ms. Kelley says, her sharp eyes studying me. “Your guardian tells me you’ve been dancing since you were a child. What kind of training have you had?”
I shift in discomfort. “Not much training at all,” I lie. “I’m not sure why Mr. Royal told you otherwise.”
I think she sees right through me, because she arches a brow. “Why don’t you let me be the judge of that? You’re trying out for the team after school today.”
Alarm bells ring in my head. What? No way. I don’t want to join the dance team. Dancing is just a silly hobby. And…oh crap, didn’t Savannah mention that Jordan is the captain of the team? Now I really don’t want to try out.
“I work after school,” I say curtly.
Ms. Kelley blinks. “Work?” She says the word as if it’s a foreign concept to her. But I guess when it comes to having a part-time job, I’m in the minority here at Astor Park. “What time is that?”
“Three-thirty.”
She frowns. “All right. Well, my session doesn’t let out until four. Hmmm.” She thinks it over. “You know what, my captain will handle it—Carrington knows what we’re looking for. You can try out for her at three, and that leaves you plenty of time to get to your job.”
My panic triples. I’m going to be trying out for Jordan? Hell to the no.
Ms. Kelley notices my expression and frowns again. “Mr. Royal and I expect you to be there, Ella. Every student at Astor Park Prep Academy is encouraged to contribute something to this school. Extra-curriculars are a healthy and productive way to occupy your time.”
Damn Callum. The fact that she used the same phrase I gave him—occupy my time—tells me that he’s definitely behind this.