When he finally pulled back, the gymnasium was going absolutely insane.
"What was that?" I breathed.
"Sending a message." His eyes flicked toward the Westside section, toward Marcus. "Making sure everyone knows you're mine."
Mine. Not "with me." Not "dating me." Mine.
Like I was a possession.
The high from the kiss evaporated, replaced by cold reality.
"I need to get my stuff from the locker room," Kai said, releasing me. "Wait here."
Then he was gone, jogging toward the locker room with his team, leaving me standing alone on the court.
Sophie appeared at my elbow. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know," I admitted.
"That kiss looked pretty real."
"It wasn't."
"Aria"
"It wasn't," I repeated firmly, even though my lips still tingled. "It's all for show, Sophie. That's all it is."
But as I said it, I wondered who I was trying to convince Sophie or myself.
