Page 16 of College Hockey Bully (Forbidden Daddy #15)

Chapter 16

Aiden

“Fuck you, Aiden,” Noah growls, throwing his body on the couch in our team rec room. “Fuck Scarlett, too.”

I ease off the pool table, striding across the room and getting in his face. “You want to say that again, asshole?”

“Come on, guys, can we get on for one afternoon? Fuck!” Cameron swears crossly, dropping his pool stick. “I hate how things are so tense these days.”

“Thanks to your little charity case,” Noah says curtly, although his tone is much softer than before. “We were all getting along until she messed with us.”

“For the last time, that was my fucking mistake. I had no proof and I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“You have no proof it wasn’t her, either,” Noah throws back.

He has a point but getting to know Scarlett is the only confirmation I need. “Get it through your head. She’s not the target. We should be putting our energy into finding the right culprit, instead of wasting our time messing with her.”

Noah’s eyes sparkle with malice. “You want us to lay off Scarlett because you wanna fuck her. Be honest.”

I pull back with a scoff. “You’re not fucking serious.”

“Am I not?” Noah stands, looking around at the other guys. “Is it just me, or does anyone else think Aiden has a thing for that traitor?”

“Nah, just you, bro,” Odean replies and the other guys nod in agreement. “Aiden would never betray the team like that.” He comes around to face me. “Look, you’re the captain. If you say stand down, I won’t hesitate to do that. But don’t get it twisted. Until you find proof that someone else fucked us up, I’m always going to believe it’s her.”

Several murmurs of agreement fill the room.

My stomach dips with disappointment. I don’t know how many of them—especially Noah—will truly leave Scarlett alone. Keeping her safe will be difficult when I can’t be in two places at once.

Which means finding who’s responsible. Fast.

As I walk back to resume my match with Cameron, I tell myself that I’m doing this to set Scarlett free and expose whoever is trying to ruin the team. Halfway into the game, when the memories come flooding back, it’s hard to ignore my third motive. Scarlett’s moans as she climaxed still stain my mind. I can still feel my cock pressing against her warm center, desperate to pierce that barrier and fill her with every inch. I wanted to come with Scarlett’s slick pussy gripping me.

I still want to come with her pussy gripping me.

But I can’t.

Sadly, the team is not my only problem. Mom’s ultimatum leaves me with a serious decision to make. Can I afford to lose three million dollars just like that?

A sudden beeping on my watch makes me throw the stick down. “You win, asshole,” I say to Cameron, who’s smirking at me. “Time for class, anyway.”

Something I wish wasn’t mandatory. Not that I’m not academically inclined, but I get restless sitting in one spot for too long. What Hempton needs is to add more physical courses to the curriculum, then I’d probably be on the honor roll with Scarlett.

As she crosses my mind, I pull out my phone, double-checking to see if she answered my last text message. No. I hope she didn’t take offence to my offer to pay her for helping me over the last five days. With practice resuming in four hours, my ankle feels as good as new.

Making a mental note to call her later, I tuck the phone away and spend the next hour trying to absorb the information from my cybersecurity lecture. Casey’s text message prompt of her upcoming party soon perks me up and not in a good way. It awakens the reminder of what Mom wants me to do.

It reminds me of what I stand to lose.

I no longer have feelings for my ex, but could I handle fake dating her until my twenty-second birthday? Even after what she’d done, does Casey deserve to be used like that?

The devil on my shoulder shouts a ‘hell yes’ in my ear. Being the brunt of my teammates’ jokes for months earns me that right to finally get back at her, especially when it’s for a worthy cause.

Three million dollars.

On my way back to Wolves’ headquarters, I spot Scarlett sitting on the lawn with a skinny, wild-haired girl and surrounded by books. Typical nerdy behavior . I don’t know why that makes me smile. I don’t know why I’m still lingering, watching her.

She wets her lips and sweeps her hair over her shoulder and I remember gripping a lock of it while I dry-fucked her. Remembering how she fucked me back, seeing how she came apart for me, it’s hard to connect her to the demure girl skipping through the pages of that large book. Now more than ever, she intrigues me, because Scarlett is capable of giving more of herself than on Sunday.

And I’d give anything to experience it.

The dark-haired girl catches me staring and gives me a look that sends an instant chill down my spine. Still frowning darkly, she nudges Scarlett, who also frowns when she sees me. To my surprise, she gets up and hurries over to me. I try not to stare too hard at her, especially with how those jeans are hugging her curves. She does own tight clothes, after all.

“I see you’re still involved in that extracurricular activity,” she greets me, and I smile.

“You didn’t answer my text message.”

“Because we already made a deal. Your little minions haven’t bothered me all week, so we’re even.”

“I still want to pay you.” I pull out my phone. “In fact, I’m sending it to your account right now.”

Her face scrunches with a deeper scowl that resembles the one her friend is still giving me. “I don’t need your pity, Aiden Hunter,” she replies curtly, resting her hand on the phone. “I’m not a charity case.”

“I’ve never once implied—”

“Have fun at practice. Go easy on that ankle,” she cautions me, turning and dashing off without waiting for my response.

With a deep sigh, I turn to resume my journey, then pause abruptly.

My ex is staring right at me.

Jesus. Can this day be done already? At least, it should be getting better, not worse.

“I’m late for practice,” I tell Casey in passing, although I still have an hour left.

“Who is she?” Casey demands to my back. I don’t answer. I hear her footsteps following me.

“Aiden Jamie Hunter, you answer me right now. Who the hell is that cheap-looking tramp?”

Her words bring me to a pause, and I bite back a cutting remark. I don’t need to have my ex target Scarlett, too. “Can you quit being insecure? She’s just someone who’s helping me out.”

My response soothes her immediately. She smiles, taking slow steps that I assume should be seductive. I suppress an eyeroll.

“If you wanted help with your assignments, you should’ve come to me, not run to a nobody. I have a team, you know.” She runs a finger around the collar of my shirt, then strokes down my chest. “I’m your woman. You should let me in on these things.”

“You’re not my woman—yet,” I add when her face curls into a frown. Calling Scarlett a nobody; at this point, Casey’s just begging for me to fuck with her head. A reward for her nasty behavior seems fitting to me.

“Yet.” Casey scoffs. “What are you waiting for, competition? Baby, you’re not my only choice. From the way your mom’s been checking in lately, I can’t help feeling I’m your only choice.”

She smiles, her eyes scanning my face. “It’s funny how she’s so desperate, but you’re playing hard to get. I wonder why.”

If Casey should ever find out my parents are using her, my dad will be finished. If he’s complaining about red tapes now, I can’t imagine what will happen when her dad is done sabotaging him.

“Look, we have plenty of time to figure out the next step. Six months to graduation, hockey season in full blast. I don’t know about you, but my hands are full.”

“Let me take some of that load off your hands, so we can be together,” she counters. “Just tell me what you need.”

I walk off, throwing over my shoulder, “Your impatience has never been attractive, Casey.”

“Oh, whatever. I can be patient,” she calls after me.

“Prove it,” I yell back.

She makes a frustrated sound before I hear her stomping going the other way. If only she knew my intention—she’d run the other way.

Grave expressions meet me as I enter the locker room. Coach paces by the benches, chewing on gum so hard that I’m sure his jaw will hurt him tomorrow. Noah punches a locker with a drawn-out curse.

“What’s going on?”

Cameron stands slowly, his expression grim, his eyes trained on my feet. “I’m sorry, dude.”

“For what?”

“The scout from New Jersey, he’s not coming,” he replies, and I drop my bag.

“Why the hell not?”

“I got a call from his agency,” Coach speaks up. “Apparently, he received an email from an anonymous source, stating that the Wolves are a bunch of violent bullies. Apparently, you’ve all been harassing an intern.” His stern glare moves around the room. “The source stated that the intern was too shaken up and afraid to come forward, but there was enough evidence sent to convince them.”

I drop my butt to the nearest bench.

“Coach, I don’t get it. Not that I’m admitting to anything, but so what if there was some harmless bullying here and there? They’re scouting our talents, not our manners. We’re among the best of the best.”

“The agency is an anti-bullying advocate, Hunter. What’s worse, you’re accused of bullying a woman. Not a good look.” His pointed finger swings around at all of us. “If I were you, I’d get my shit together before you blow other opportunities like this.”

The buzzing from murmurs increases as Coach leaves the room. The entire team is staring at me.

“Still think that little traitor is innocent?” Noah asks, his eyes sparkling with triumph.