The Captain Doesn't know I'm A Girl

Chapter12

NICO

My feet carried me right over to where they were sitting. I probably looked like a kid about to throw a massive tantrum, but I honestly didn't care.

"So you can talk to him, but you can't talk to me," I snapped, my chest tight. Behind me, I heard Liam let out a heavy, exhausted sigh.

"I choose to talk to whoever I want. Do you have a problem with that?" Her voice was smooth, rolling off her tongue with a natural, teasing edge that hit me straight in the gut, even though she was being completely rude.

I was standing there getting publicly disrespected, but my dignity didn't even matter at this point. I was ready to throw it all away for her.

"Yes, I do have a problem with that," I shot back, refusing to back down. My face hot with embarrassment, I needed answers as to why she was treating me like garbage in front of my entire squad.

She just stared blankly at me for a few seconds. Then, she completely turned her face, returning to whatever conversation she was having with Damian like I was a ghost. A sharp wave of pain and humiliation sliced through me.

Before I could do anything, Isabella appeared at my side. She had been waiting upstairs in my room, but I guess she came down to figure out what the hell was taking so long.

"What's wrong? I heard you shouting," she murmured, reaching out to hold my hand. I flinched and pulled away slightly. A sudden wave of panic hit me; I didn't want Jace's sister to misunderstand what Isabella and I were. I had no idea why I desperately cared so much about her opinion, but I did.

Isabella was my childhood friend. We were also s*x partners, but that was it. No strings, no messy feelings attached. She noticed me pulling away, her eyes narrowing as she followed my gaze straight to the girl ignoring me.

"Oh, Jade Silverman. You're here," Isabella said, extending a hand. She forced a rigid, plastic smile that didn't even come close to reaching her eyes.

Great. So her name is Jade.

"Hi," Jade mumbled carelessly, giving Isabella’s hand a brief, half-hearted shake.

I turned to Isabella, curiosity burning through my frustration. "How do you two know each other?"

"Well, Jade works with my modeling agency. Even though she was hired without an actual audition, meaning she basically stole a spot from people who earned it," Isabella sneered, a sharp edge of jealousy bleeding into her tone. The pieces immediately clicked in my head.

"Hmm, that sounds familiar," Nathaniel chimed in from the side, a cruel smirk on his face. "I guess the Silverman loves taking whatever they want, even if they have to cheat to get it."

To my surprise, Jade didn't snap. She just let out a light, genuine laugh that completely mesmerized me.

"You can't deny my beauty, Isabella," Jade said, her voice dripping with absolute confidence. "Even if I had auditioned, they still would have picked me. My dad just sped up the process." She laughed again, acting like the whole drama was just a funny joke.

Isabella went rigid, her face flushing red with anger. "You really have no shame, do you?"

"It's kind of sad you're only realizing that now," Jade shot back smoothly, tilting her head. "Be honest, Isabella. Even you would choose me over yourself."

I watched her, completely captivated by her smirk, her laugh, and that effortless arrogance. It felt incredibly familiar, like a ghost from my past. Then it hit me. She reminded me exactly of how Jace looked the very first time he played against me.

"That's enough, Isabella. Let's go," I muttered, grabbing her arm and guiding her firmly toward the corner where I had been sitting earlier.

"That's right, Isabella. Go to Daddy," Jade called out behind us. The way she emphasized that word sent a sudden, frustrating jolt of heat straight through my body. It made me want to hear her say it to my face when I am f*****g her senselessly.

She was barely doing anything, yet she had this terrifying hold over me.

I slumped onto the chair, poured a heavy glass of whiskey, and swallowed it in one burning gulp. Eventually, I stopped bothering with the glass entirely, grabbing the bottle and drinking straight from it to numb the frustration bubbling in my chest.

For the thousandth time, my eyes drifted back to her. She was laughing her heart out. I glared at them, wondering what could possibly be that funny, and since when Damian had become a comedian.

Damian was usually the quiet, brooding guy who kept to himself, but here he was, making her smile like that.

I snapped my head back toward Isabella, needing a distraction. "When is your next shoot?"

She blinked, looking completely caught off guard. I never asked about her work schedule, so the sudden question clearly confused her.

"The day after tomorrow. Why are you asking?"

"Is it a crime to ask a question?" I snapped coldly.

"No, it's just that you never care about this stuff," she sighed, shaking her head. She reached out to touch my arm, but I pulled back again, completely checked out. I pulled out my phone and typed a reminder into my calendar for the day after tomorrow.

"Nico," she called out, her voice dropping into a disappointed, cold tone. "I thought you wanted to have some fun upstairs. I was waiting in your room, but you never showed up."

"I'm not in the mood for that right now." The only things consuming me were a toxic mix of anger and bitter jealousy.

Right then, I noticed Jace's head dropping heavily onto the table. He was completely wasted. I walked over and tried to pull him up into a seat, but the second I grabbed him, he gagged and puked all over my clothes.

"f**k!" I growled, staring down at the mess on my shirt in pure disgust. I grabbed Jace by his shoulders to keep him steady and looked over at Theodore. "Tell his sister to come up to my room and check on him." It was a cheap excuse, but it was a way to finally get her alone.

"My sister is a man?" Jace slurred, letting out a loud, drunken laugh like he had just made the funniest joke in the world.

"Just shut up," I muttered, hauling him up. He wouldn't stop rambling about how his sister was basically a dude because she played hockey and her captain was a jerk.

I dragged him up the stairs, threw him onto the bed, and immediately went into the bathroom to wash the vomit off myself. After a quick shower, I pulled on a pair of low-hanging joggers, leaving my chest bare.

I was walking back into the bedroom, wiping my wet hair with a towel, when the door suddenly burst open.

There she stood, framing the doorway.

I couldn't tell if she was checking me out or if she looked irritated. Her dress seemed even shorter now, riding up her thighs, and she didn't even bother to pull it down. Without uttering a single word to me, she marched over and bent down to hoist her unconscious brother up.

I stepped closer, trying to find the words to start an actual conversation with her.

That was a massive mistake. As she leaned over the bed, her dress hitched up completely, leaving her blue lacy panties on full display right in front of my face.

My heart hammered against my ribs. I panicked, desperately hoping no one else was in the hallway to see this. But the worst part was my own body's immediate, betraying reaction.

A heavy ache formed between my legs, hardening instantly against the fabric of my joggers.

Fuck, this cannot be happening.

I squeezed my eyes shut, completely overwhelmed. I hadn't even been in the mood a second ago, making this sudden, intense reaction completely terrifying.