“Huh?”
“Never mind. Don’t you have a bus to catch?” She nods her head, swinging her ponytail toward the open doors of the charter bus. Most of my teammates are already on board. Is she trying to get rid of me or change the subject? Maybe both.
“Right. They’re taking us back to the hotel.”
“And then?” Her friend is the one who asks that question.
“Then, I guess some guys will go out and celebrate our win.”
“Well, have fun,” Elle says to me with a smile, like she’s assuming I’ll be going out too. I don’t usually. Maybe I would if she came along. That’s doubtful thanks to a bunch of asshats on social media. It doesn’t mean I’m not going to try to convince her to not only come, but to keep this plan of ours in motion. She may be the only thing that gets me through the finals and into a contract extension.
“I’m guessing such a true Bobcat fan like yourself wouldn’t want to join us?” There, I asked it as a question to give her a chance to let me down easy. No wonder I don’t date. This shit is stressful and confusing, not knowing what the woman is thinking about me at any given moment.
“The Warhawks was the first jersey I was ever gifted, so I could probably put aside my loyalty to the Bobcats for one night.”
Is that a yes? It sort of sounded like a yes.
“Okay. How about I send you a message with the details when I know them?”
“Sure. If you want.”
“See you then?”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
Great, now her maybe sounds like a no. But with a final nod, I force my dress shoes to haul my ass over to the bus steps and climb up them without glancing back at her like a hapless fool.
Once I’m seated on the bus, I have a view of her from the tinted window. And when I see Riley coming at her with all the fury of a pissed off hornet, slitting his throat with my skate’s blade begins to look even more appealing.
7
Elle
“You have a date tonight with a big, hot hockey player!” Audrey points out the obvious as soon as Preston steps onto the bus.
I’m still staring after him in a dazed awe. “He’ll probably forget about me once he’s surrounded by women in whatever club they all decide to celebrate in.”
“What? No way! He is smitten.”
“We just have a common enemy. That’s all,” I assure her and myself. I will not let myself feel special because another hockey player spoke to me. Just because Preston doesn’t like Christian doesn’t mean he isn’t the same when it comes to being a womanizer.
Except, Christian said Preston doesn’t ever date.
Isn’t that the whole reason the photo of us kissing blew up? Because it was so unusual for anyone to see him near a woman?
Despite Preston’s claim that it’s been a while for him, I still find it hard to believe. If nobody sees him date, that doesn’t mean he’s not doing it secretly.
“I can’t fucking believe you!”a familiar voice shouts, drawing my attention back to the player entrance and exit. Christian isn’t just yelling; he’s storming over to where Audrey and I are lingering by the fence.
“Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be him, Elle?”
“Uh-oh. Looks like someone is jealous,” Audrey singsongs loud enough for Christian to hear.
“Well?” he demands when he’s standing in front of me, a tall, angry volcano ready to erupt. I’m sort of glad there’s the chain link between us, while also…giddy to have evoked such a reaction from the man who shattered my heart as if it were made of cheap glass.
I would’ve been happy with getting a glare from him in response to the photo of me and Preston kissing. I didn’t think he would care enough to make an actual scene.
But I know the effect on him is more his fear of Preston than his jealousy.
