Page 83 of Daring the Hockey Player

"That's all," Noah says, and he watches me as I head back inside out of the cold. I close the door, leaving him on the balcony. I chance a glance at the girls, and Amber's eyes are on me. She smiles faintly. It’s forced, like she's trying to have a good time, but she doesn't fit in. She sips at her glass of water while the other girls all have wine in front of them.

I shouldn't get involved. I'd pour her a glass, hand it to her, and tell her sister to fuck off.

But she's twenty.

Even if I drank when I was twenty, and she obviously does as well, this is one battle that's not my place to involve myself in.

I grab a beer from the fridge, and Amber stands, coming to meet me in the kitchen. It's just the two of us alone, although we're only a few feet from the guys. Their backs are to us, busy and not paying us any attention.

"Do you want something to drink?" I ask, holding the fridge open.

"Not much but beer and hard liquor," she muses. "Emerson already said she'd kill me if I had any wine. I didn't mention the punch earlier."

"Probably for the best," I say. I open a cabinet and search for a cup.

"What are you looking for?"

I find a metal travel mug and hand it to her. "Make some coffee," I suggest.

"I don't want coffee—" her eyes light up when it dawns on her what she could do. "Oh!"

I shouldn't be helping her find ways to drink and hide it from her sister, but we're not driving home. We're at a party and taking the subway home tonight. Plus, I'll be with her.

"You're too good to me," Amber says, leaning on her tiptoes, kissing my cheek.

I turn my head, my lips brushing hers for only an instant before we both step apart and glance away awkwardly. I run a hand through my hair as I head toward the guys, relieved none of them took stock in what happened, their backs to us the entire time.

But once glance at the girls as Amber heads over to tell them she's making a fresh pot of coffee, Emerson glares at me and stands. She pushes herself up from the table and heads right for me.

The air is knocked out of my lungs as she grabs my arm and drags me back outside onto the balcony, slamming the glass shut behind us.

TWENTY-ONE

AMBER

I should rescue Jasper.I watch as my sister drags him outside into the cold and onto the balcony. She is livid, and I'm not sure what just happened. I feel like I missed something.

Is it about me?

The coffee pot is taking forever. I can't waltz outside and use that as an excuse for why I'm interrupting whatever tongue-lashing she's giving him.

"Everything okay?" Ava asks, glancing at me and then at where I'm looking. She must sense my discomfort, or maybe she knows something that I don't.

"My sister seems pissed at Jasper," I say, waiting to see if either Ava or Kate chimes in as to why her sudden change in demeanor.

Did she say something to them?

"Is everything okay?" Kate asks, reaching for my hand on the table as I sit across from her. "She's just worried about you."

"That doesn't sound like Emerson," I say, pinching my lips together. The number of times my sister has called me or reached out before the fire is few and far between. We're worlds apart, like revolving around two different suns apart. Sometimes I wonder how we're even related.

My phone buzzes on the table, and I glance at the text from Charlotte.

Where did you go?

She only now realizes that I ditched the party. I love the girl, but she's a bit self-centered when it comes to boys. It's not anything new with Charlotte. She's always been a bit boy-crazy.

I glance at my phone, debating on whether I should respond.