Slow It Down

Part 14 •REWRITTEN•

Because the moment the door shuts, and the celebration continues in the locker room, I hear her name.

And everything inside me goes still and violent at the same time.

"Yo, you know Kayce's little sister goes here?" someone mutters, low enough that he probably thinks no one will hear. I recognize the voice instantly, despite his attempt to speak lowly, like he thinks being quiet makes him subtle. He's a junior that runs his mouth more than his routes. I'm pretty sure his name is Dylan, but I'm not entirely confident, considering he's a wide receiver who spends more time sitting on the damn bench than playing on the field.

A few guys snicker nearby. One of the guys walk up next to him and elbows him lightly.

"Yeah, Lilah or something, right?"

The casual way they say her name sends a flame of anger crawling up my spine. I freeze, jaw tightening as I glance toward the cluster of guys hanging out in a small circle near the showers. Some of them are sprawled out on the bench, relaxed and entertained.

Another guy—someone newer, lanky, with a sharp jaw and a permanent smirk that's a little too practiced—lets out a snort. This one I don't know too well.

He's newer to varsity, hangs towards the middle of the social pack. His name is Daniel, but he goes by Danny. People know of him, they just don't know him well. But I notice him now, because he's the one who speaks up.

"Mhm," he says, nodding his head casually. "Supposedly real easy to take home."

The laughter that erupts around the room is loud enough to make my vision blur with rage. It sounds like half the team joins in. A few freshmen keep their heads down, smart enough to stay out of it, but most of the room is listening now.

Someone even throws in a mocking "Wooo!" like they're hyping her up, or enjoy the idea.

My fingers curl around my gear, grip so tight my knuckles pop. I shove it into my locker before I end up launching it across the room at someone's fucking skull.

The lanky kid, Danny, shrugs like it's nothing, the smirk plastered on his face only growing. "That's what I heard, anyway."

Heard. The word lodges itself in my skull. Where could he have possibly heard that?

I scoff at them. They clearly don't know Lilah, yet they're talking about her as if they're talking about an average girl at a bar. Not Lilah—who can't even say the word penis without turning red. Not the girl who second guesses herself over everything. Not the girl I shouldn't care about and somehow still do.

If I didn't care, I wouldn't feel like tearing the room apart. I wouldn't be so pissed off and want to crack some of their skulls together. Maybe that will give them more brain cells to figure out how stupid it is to be talking about Kayce's little sister in front of Kayce's best friend.

Their voices overlap as multiple guys speak up, the conversation spiraling faster now that it's started. And as if what they're saying isn't bad enough—it only gets worse.

Someone's voice speaks up.

"Guess Nate broke her in first."

The laughter spikes in the group. My blood turns ice-cold. The name hits harder than the rest—sharp and familiar, as I recall Lilah mentioning him. And the recognition of his name slices through whatever restraint I had left. My eyes snap fully toward the group, locking onto Danny just as I catch something flash behind his expression. There is a cocky, mischievous glint in Danny's eyes.

More whistles and chuckles come from the group, only egging on the topic of conversation.

Another guy chimes in—loud, joking, and as clueless as the rest of them. "Damn, maybe I should hit her up next."