Reagan

We walk in to school together, my arm around Dainy, her hand in my back pocket. There was no time to talk earlier and school isn't the place to discuss shit unless we want eyes and ears on us the entire time, which we don't.

Truth is, I'm okay with not talking about stuff and letting my actions speak for itself, but Dainy would want to talk.

Females love to ‘discuss things’, name it, brand it.

I'm a man, I hate that shit, it's way too much effort. I know after practice today I'm going to be having the conversation with Dainy, but I'm hoping to do much more action and a lot less talking, unless it's her screaming my name.

I’ve never wanted the title of being Dainy's first, because I know I'm going to screw up, I always do. Dainy is a hard-ass when she wants to be and I run Liston High Private, I can't afford to be seen weak over a girl, at the same time I want to try things with Dainy. I’ve never had a steady relationship, this is going to be the first and isn't that the one that's the bumpiest.

I just hope I don't chase Dainy off while I'm still getting the hang of it.

We pass the first classroom to get to our lockers, but a quick look in that direction and I do a double take pulling Dainy back with me. I stare at the classroom then back at Dainy who still got that glint in her eyes.

“Is it me, or is the history room painted bright red.”

She slides her hand out of my back pocket and rubs my back, “It's red alright.”

Dropping my head, I watch her brown eyes dimple up when she smiles up at me. My fingers close around her hips, pulling her closer to my body. I bend down, kissing her lightly on the lips without releasing her from my clutches, glad everyone is seeing us. Yeah, I'm acting like a caveman. My dad would be so proud.

“Ms Nalen redecorated.” Dainy explains the ‘red room’ so matter-of-factly.

“Aha, I suppose it wasn't a choice thing.” I heard something about the jackass Principal forcing the teachers to do his job.

Ms Nalen has a mean streak that he shouldn't have tempted. Let's hope her revenge stops at screwing with the school property and nothing else.

My girl laughs, “Yup, I wonder what the cafeteria looks like.”

“Probably better than that.” I tilt my head to the bright red classroom as we walk toward our lockers.

After I slip my bag in my locker which is surprisingly still untouched since last year, I lean against it and watch Lucan give Dainy her bag to shove into her locker.

Which is opposite mine, five places down.

The girls’ walking in a group pass me with flirty smiles, which I reciprocate with a scowl. It's my nature to be moody and If they're hoping to see me change, well tough shit for them, because that is never going to happen.

I'm an Orniel, I don't trust easily, I don't smile much and I hell-to-the fuck don't live to please people. If shit is going down in our school, they know I’ll fix it. If someone steps out of line, hell I’ll be thrilled to put them in their place. If some asshole needs a beating, me and my boys would sort it out. If you need a happy camper, smiling mother fucker to flirt with you and be all friendly, you shit out of luck.

Maybe Lucan and Hugh will play the happy go lucky to get laid, not me.

Lucan heads over to me in long languid strides, “Hey man, the whole schools bitching 'bout you and Dainy.”

I frown, “So?”

“The guys in the team are shittin’ bricks at the mention of you getting in there.”

Punching his arm, I grin.

“Those fuckers should be, I don’t want Fern and Dillon talking anymore smack about her.”

“Thought as much. Can't wait for Sab to get his ass here.”

Sabastian Delroy is our old-time friend. Last year was a shitty year without him. Connor took it better than Lucan and myself but we understood why he had to leave. His dad put him in a boarding school in London for the year. His parents were battling it out for custody of Sabastian and his sister.

The press was camped outside his house for weeks. To say that his life was put through the ringer was understating the situation immensely.

The Delroy family own one of the biggest contraceptive companies in the world. No one makes better condoms, I know, tried and tested it many times.

Unfortunately, his father must have used the rejects ‘cause how he married Sabastian’s mother and had not one but two kids is beyond me. Sabastian's mother is a heartless bitch on a good day who couldn't stay sober for five minutes to say hello to her son.

Sabastian kept the shit quiet until his sister, Tatum, got hit with a whiskey bottle across her head and face. Sixteen stitches and two operations later, you’d never say the twelve-year-old had a scar on her cheek. Sabastian finally spoke up and Lucan, Connor and I set the bitch up. One call to my cousin, Kylie and the evil mother was toast.

We didn't plan on his mother cleaning up and fighting for full custody over him and Tatum. But Sabastian’s father did, so he put them in Boarding School and told the court that they were so terrified of their mother it was their choice to school abroad.

The court gave full custody to Mr Delroy, and this year we would all finally be back together. Only difference now is that I got Dainy.

Sabastian had her too for six months, it was Dainy's longest relationship and I'm not so sure it would've ended if he hadn't left.

Last 4th of July Sabastian came down for the holidays, he was watching Dainy rinse her hands in the lake. I wasn't sure why I was so curious that Friday, we never really discussed her before but I asked him about his feelings for Dainy. He shrugged it off and said it wasn't serious, that whatever they had was nothing.

I remember looking at her that hot sunny day and thinking how the hell could he feel that way, she was beautiful, not girl next door beautiful, but you just can't stop looking kind of beautiful.

She was wearing a yellow summer dress that was smeared in the front with paint, from painting the kid’s faces the whole day in the park. Her face was glowing.

Looking back on that day, the answer I got from him wasn't what I expected to hear, but what I wanted to.

Let's hope that's the case now because Dainy has grown, a lot since last year and she's mine now.

My claim to Dainy is fresh and word about us is still spreading around school. If Sabastian has feelings for Dainy, he'll have to step back or life is going to get very complicated. Dainy has enough on her slate warding off the trouble of the new girls. Making time for me is going to take up all her extra hours.

I don't want her adding Sabastian to the mix. He and I go way back and while I should say, that there's no woman good enough to come between me and my boys, even Dainy, I know that's not true because if there is a woman capable of that, it'll be Dainy Hallow.

Spotting the lady in question from the corner of my eye as she moves down the corridor to her math class, I don't stop her. We might be exclusive but I don't want to cage her, just yet.