Chapter 2: Mouse
870 Words
Lily's POV
"Running already, little mouse?"
The words hung in the air. I stood frozen by my car, keys digging into my palm, heart slamming. Drake stood close, eyes moving over me the same way they had from the bleachers.
"I wasn't running," I said.
His smirk deepened. "Sure looked like it." He took a step closer. "I know who you are. Jax's little sister. The one who hides."
Heat crept up my neck. "You don't know me."
"Not yet." He closed the distance, backing me against the car door. His breath was warm at my ear. "I could change that. Train you. Build you up so no one has anything to say anymore."
"Why would you do that?" I whispered.
His thumb pressed against my pulse point, slow and deliberate. "Because I want to." He dug a scrap of paper from his pocket and pressed it into my hand. His number, scrawled in dark ink. "Text me when you're ready."
Then he walked away. His truck rumbled out of the lot and I stood there in the quiet, still feeling the pressure of his thumb long after the taillights disappeared.
I didn't sleep well that night.
His voice looped on repeat. By morning I felt raw and restless in a way I couldn't shake. Classes blurred. I copied notes without reading them.
The cafeteria snapped me back.
I was crossing toward an empty table when Sarah's shoulder caught my tray. Food spilled across my lap and she didn't even flinch.
"Still flat and forgettable," she said, her crew already laughing. Jess pulled out her phone and got a photo before I could turn away. "Virgin vibes forever."
Guys at a nearby table laughed. I mumbled something but they were already walking off. I cleaned up in the bathroom, staring at my reflection under the harsh light. Same face. Same hair. Same girl who never said the right thing.
I pulled out my phone.
His number sat there, unsaved, like a question I hadn't answered yet.
Okay. When?
His reply came fast.
Tonight. 9 PM. Parking lot by the rink.
The hours dragged. I changed twice and settled on jeans and a plain tee. My roommate Emma glanced up when I grabbed my keys. "You okay? You've been off all day."
"Studying late," I said, and left before she could ask anything else.
The lot was dim when I arrived. His truck rolled in a few minutes later. He got out unhurried and looked at me the same way he always seemed to. Like he was already three steps ahead.
"You actually came," he said.
"You sound surprised."
"A little." He leaned against the hood. "Here's how this works. I train you. My rules, my schedule. You put in the work, you get results. Simple."
I held his gaze. "And what do you get out of it?"
He pushed off the hood and closed the space between us. His fingers caught my chin, tilting my face toward his. His thumb brushed my lower lip, barely a touch, and my breath fell apart.
"I get to watch you change," he said quietly. "Say yes, mouse."
The nickname should have annoyed me. It didn't. It settled somewhere warm and stayed there.
"Yes," I said.
His smile came slow. "Good girl. First session tomorrow. Don't flake."
The gym was off campus, empty after hours. He was already inside when I arrived, watching me walk in.
"Let's see what we're working with," he said. "Top off."
I blinked. "What?"
"Obey or leave, Lily."
My name in his mouth did something unfair to me. Hands trembling, I pulled my tee over my head and stood there in my bra and leggings. He circled me once, gaze steady.
"Good bones," he said. "We build from here."
Training was brutal. My arms shook through every set. Squats until my legs threatened to give out, his hands firm on my hips. "Deeper. Don't quit on me."
By the end I was on the floor, every muscle burning. He stood over me, expression unreadable.
"You didn't flake," he said.
"I told you I wouldn't."
Something shifted in his jaw. "Same time Thursday."
Jax texted that night asking about his game. Coming? I typed back yes and put the phone down.
I shouldn't want this. I knew that. But when Drake's text came the next morning — Mall. Noon. Time to look the part — I was already reaching for my keys.
He moved through the store with quiet certainty, picking without hesitation. In the dressing room he followed me in and zipped a dress up my back, his knuckles brushing my spine.
"Stop overthinking," he said. "You look good. Accept it."
I did. Barely.
Campus felt different after that. I stood a little straighter, moved with something I hadn't carried before. Sarah spotted me outside the lecture hall and her sneer arrived a half second slower than usual. It was a small thing. It still felt like something.
After the trail run that evening he caught my wrist from behind, spinning me against a wide oak. His mouth covered mine, firm and unhurried, one hand sliding to my waist.
"Mine," he said against my lips.
And then Jax called.
- Writer
