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GoalieGod: But seriously, Reid has an industrial sized container of aloe vera if you need some…

I smile down at the phone, the sorority girls pretty much forgotten.

“So…” Twyler says, grabbing the ice coffee and a straw off the counter. “I hear you kissed Axel.”

“What?” Startled, my hand squeezes my cup of coffee, popping the plastic lid off and sloshing the hot liquid down the side. “Shit.”

“Nadia!” She frantically grabs a wad of napkins from the dispenser. “Did it burn?”

“No,” I say, ignoring the throbbing in my finger. “It’s fine.”

“Let me look at it.” She gestures. We’re still in the campus cafe, and she nudges me toward a chair. We both drop our bags and sit. Before I get my coat off she grabs my wrist, checking my hand.

“I mostly just made a mess,” I tell her.

“It’s a little red but I’m not seeing any blistering.” She frowns. “Give me a sec.”

She hops up and runs over to the counter, returning a moment later with a spoon. Popping open the lid of her coffee, fishes out an ice cube with a spoon and wraps it in a napkin before handing it to me. “Use that.”

“It’s fine, Twy.” I take the napkin and press it against my finger. “Thank you, though. You’re good at your job.”

“My internships with the hockey and basketball teams have taught me to be prepared for just about anything.” Tucking her hair behind her ear, she shoves her straw into the lid of her ice coffee and then leans in. “So Axel.”

Crap. Well, that distraction didn’t pay off. What do I say? He laid a toe-curling, tongue sweeping, set my lady-parts on fire kisson me in the middle of the bar? Oh, and then I crawled in his lap in a dark alley and rode him like a stallion?

“I promise it was no big deal,” I tell her. “He just saw Brent come into the bar and wanted to give him the idea that I wasn’t available.”

“No better way to prove that than with another guy’s tongue down your throat.”

I eye her. “You’re taking this very well for someone who made it very clear I’m not allowed to mess around with anyone from the hockey team.”

She takes a sip of her drink and sighs happily at the caffeine hit. “Reese told me Axel was just looking out for you.”

Was he? Was he looking out for me or just looking to get off. Not that I’m judging him. What Axel and I have going on doesn’t have the lopsided situationships of the other athletes I’ve chased. First, I’m not chasing him. At all. Second, we’re using one another. I mean, he asked before he kissed me.

No other guy has done that before.

I watch her closely. “And you’re okay with that?”

“What I’m not okay with is Brent showing up and bothering you.” Worry lines crease her forehead. “Have you thought any more about reporting Brent and CJ?”

The expression on her face is hopeful, leaving me no doubt to what Twyler wants me to do. “I still don’t want to.”

“I know. But what they did to you,” her voice lowers even more, “secretly recording you while you were having sex and posting it online on a paid subscription site… it’s not okay.”

I know she means well, but every time she talks about it. Every time I remember it, it brings it all back and I hate it.

“They took the video down.” I press the red area where the coffee hit my finger, trying to feel something other than shame. “That’s all I wanted.”

“They’re also supposed to leave you alone.” She stirs the straw. “And last night makes twice he’s been at the same place as you.”

“The first was a post-game party. He had more of a right to be there than I did. And there’s no reason to think I’d be at the Badger Den.” I wink, trying to lighten the mood. “Hockey players aren’t my thing, you know that.”

I’m not sure why I add that on. I guess I just don’t want any more drama. Or maybe I want to pretend that Axel isn’t getting under my skin. But most of all, I think that I know that even if Twyler is okay with me kissing Axel, she sure as hell wouldn’t be okay with me dry humping him in the back alley.

“I do, which is why when Reese told me you two were kissing I was surprised. But then I figured you guys may have just been inspired by us.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”