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PRACTICE KIND OF GETS my mind off Veronica for a few moments, but once I’m in the locker room and taking off my jersey, someone lets out a low whistle behind me.

“What the hell happened to your back?” Montoya grins when I glance over my shoulder. “Looks like you went a few rounds with a wildcat.”

A few guys crane their necks to see. Right. The scratches. Veronica did that. She raked her nails down my back so hard it hurt like hell, but I didn’t mind it at all because it was kind of hot. Really hot, actually.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I say, grabbing my towel.

Montoya laughs. “Yeah, I totally would. Who is she?”

“Someone you don’t know,” I say, which is true enough.

The guys move on to arguing about the weekend, and I tune them out, because I’m stuck on the fact that I let Veronica mark me at all. I never let a girl do that. There was one a while back who got her nails into my shoulder, and I caught her wrist and pulled her hand off me before she could leave a mark. I don’t even remember her name now, or her face, or anything about her, and I definitely didn’t wake up thinking about her the next morning.

But Veronica did it and I liked it, and I don’t have a clue what makes her different. Why her, of all the girls on campus? She’s not the type of girl I’d usually go for, but she doesn’t act like others or like I expect, which makes her get under my skin. Who’d think a calm-seeming student would claw my back like that?

Two people pretended to bail right away yesterday, since I was the one who planned out the whole thing as Supreme wanted a personalized approach, which is only done for special people, and I was sure she’d be next. I had a whole speech ready to convince her to stay, but she didn’t even flinch at the dares, so maybe I shouldn’t have toned it all down as much as I did for her. And everyone else—the fake recruits—in that room was always easy to read.

The guy across from me couldn’t stop sweating when he first joined the society, and the girl who danced on the table likes attention, even though she pretends otherwise. But Veronica looked bored and curious all at once, and she did every dare anyway. I waited for her to at least crack, and she never did. I’m still not sure what to make of it, which is exactly why I can’t get her out of my head.

The fire inside her is the whole reason she’s still in this, and maybe she’s curious to know who from her family was a member. Supreme probably wants a girl who’s too stubborn to quit before she gets her answers.

And if I lose her, I’ll lose my shot at the inner circle, which is the only reason I’ve put up with a year of the society’s nonsense, so I have to play it right and I can’t let whatever I’m feeling get in the way.

A WEEK GOES BY, AAAAND Veronica has been avoiding me. She either won’t look at me at all or she gives me one-word answers if I ask her something. It’s driving me crazy. I can’t figure out if she’s playing me or if she just couldn’t care less. Is it really possible she’s completely forgotten about us?

But tonight I have a game to play, and I can’t afford to get distracted. Still, I check the stands constantly, and suddenly, I spot her in the crowd. A grin breaks out on my face. She came. Interesting.

The last home game, she picked the library over watching me, and I played like shit because I was looking for her. But she’s here now, and that’s all that matters.

Maybe she couldn’t help it. Maybe she thinks about me as much as I think about her, which is pretty much nonstop. Or she just wanted a night out and nothing more interesting was happening. Who knows? But she showed up, and I’m way too excited about it.

If she really felt nothing, she wouldn’t bother coming. She can pretend all she wants that she doesn’t give a shit about me, because I’ve got time, and I’m nothing if not patient when the prize is worth it.

When the whistle blows, I focus on the ball. She’s here, so I need to show her what I do best. Walton wins the ball in midfield and slides it up to me, and I slip past the defender and shoot at the goal. The keeper dives, but he’s a moment too late, and the ball hits the net. The crowd goes crazy and someone screams my name. I turn toward where Veronica is and punch a fist into the air.

Oh yeah. I’m going to show her everything. She won’t be able to look away from me.

When Montoya breaks down the wing and whips a low cross into the box, I get there first and push the ball into the net. Two nil. Montoya jumps on my back, laughing. Is Veronica seeing all this? She has to.

With nothing left to lose, our opponent rushes forward, and I manage to block a dangerous shot. Their striker sends the ball at the post next, and everyone sucks in a breath before our keeper grabs the rebound. I glance up at Veronica just to make sure she’s still here. Yep, she is. Good.

After the break, I barely get any chances, and I miss the two that I do get, sending the ball over the bar. I grit my teeth. What I need right now is another goal. It would be perfect.

When Walton threads a ball between two defenders, I end up one-on-one with the keeper. I wait for him to lean one way, then roll the ball past his outstretched hand into the far corner.

Hat trick! Yes! Fuck yeah! The crowd shouts and screams, and the guys mob me by the corner flag, piling on until I can barely breathe. I feel as if I’m on top of the world, and I can’t help but grin.

I break out of the pile and look up at Veronica. She’s clapping, and I can’t wipe the smile off my face. There’s just no way she’s not impressed. Anyone would be.

For the rest of the match, I play as if I’m untouchable, because I am. Every time the ball comes to me, I want to do something that she’ll remember. I pirouette away from a challenge, leaving the defender reaching for empty space, and I can hear gasps of amazement and more cheers.

After the final whistle, once the celebrating dies down, I glance toward Veronica. Impressing her is really nice, but I need to make another move. And I think I know exactly what to do.

Veronica’s roommate, Aniyah. I caught them talking earlier this week, and I’m pretty sure Aniyah isn’t ignoring her and doesn’t hate her like everyone else. And a girl with a real friend doesn’t need a secret society or me, so Aniyah has to go.

The corners of my lips quirk up. I have an idea about what to do.

Chapter 16