Page 2

PRESENT DAY

Atticus knew it was his own fault that everyone held a certain image of him. That didn’t mean he had to be happy about it.

He could pretend, though. Just for the night. Sulking about a negative reputation he had earned for himself over the years while attending Orion Harper’s surprise going away party wasn’t good friend behavior.

Three comments already, and he’d only been at the party for fifteen minutes.

Got your eye on anyone tonight?

Didn’t you hook up with him once?

Atticus Mills doesn’t let anyone tie him down, isn’t that right?

Atticus just smiled through it all, playing the part everyone expected of him. Slick grins and hungry eyes. That easy, fuckboy air he’d perfected years ago.

It didn’t seem to matter that he hadn’t slept with anyone in months. Hadn’t left a party with someone on his arm, hadn’t been spotted out and about with a new fling-of-the-week in ages .

It seemed as though the whole world had an image of Attie Mills in mind, carved into stone, and no amount of good behavior on his part could change that.

Atticus drifted toward the bar at the far end of the crowded room.

Julian Tate, rival setter for the Los Angeles Comets, had rented out the event space, and Atticus was impressed with the planning that had gone into the surprise.

As far as he knew, no-one had spoiled anything for the man of the hour.

He wondered if Julian had threatened people. Atticus wouldn’t put it past him.

The man in question was also at the bar, finally relaxing. Everything seemed in place as the last few invitees arrived. All that was left was for Ori to finally show up.

“I hate to admit it,” Atticus said, sidling up next to Julian, leaning casually on the bar. “But you did good. He’s gonna love all this.”

Julian smirked, eyes sly as he gave Atticus a once-over.

He would never say it out loud, but he’d always found Ori’s friend to be a little intimidating.

Julian was imposing, both on the court and off, with those broad shoulders and that piercing, brown-eyed stare that Atticus thought could maybe actually see into his mind and read his thoughts.

So very different from Ori’s sunny personality in so many ways.

“Thanks,” Julian said, tipping his glass of wine against his lips.

“Think he figured it out?”

Julian shook his head. “He’s weirdly easy to keep things from, never questioned anything. I’m more worried about Parker spilling something trying to get him here.”

Atticus laughed, accepting a beer from the bartender and taking a long pull from it.

It was cheap, and tasted truly awful. He made sure to snap a picture of the bottle, firing off a text to his twin that would have her eyes rolling for sure.

Sammie, beer snob that she was, hated when he pretended to enjoy the domestic shit.

“Theo will keep him in line, don’t worry. ”

Silence fell between them as Julian went back to his wine, and Atticus took the opportunity to scan the growing crowd.

Many familiar faces, as well as a few he only recognized from pictures Ori had shown him over the years they had played together for the Chicago Wildcats.

The man had a lot of friends. And it seemed as though every single one of them had turned out to see him off to California, where he would soon be playing for the Los Angeles Comets.

It was still jarring, thinking about Ori playing for a rival team.

Surreal that at the start of pre-season they had been practicing their favorite quick set together.

Trades were never exactly a fun experience, but the one that had resulted in Ori being sent across the country felt like a particularly nasty deal.

“Does he even know you’re here?” Atticus asked, eyes still scanning the crowd.

Julian chuckled. He’d flown in the night before from LA. “He doesn’t.”

“He’ll love that surprise then.” Atticus flicked his gaze from face to face, failing to find one in particular. He was glad Ori would have a familiar face among his new teammates.

“Looking for someone special?” A knowing smirk lit Julian’s face, his brows raised in question.

“Nope,” Atticus said, popping his lips around the word. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Julian nodded his head, pointing with his wine glass in the same direction. “He’s right there.”

Atticus couldn’t help himself, his eyes following his heart instead of his mind, his gaze finally landing on the person he’d been searching for.

Kai Reid stood off toward the edge of the milling crowd, a clear drink in his hand paired with a bored stare on his face as those clever amber eyes took in everything around him.

He wasn’t a wallflower. No, Kai wasn’t standing on the outskirts as someone shy, someone excluded and awkward.

Atticus knew the only reason Kai was even at this party was because he loved his friend, and he would weather pretty much anything for Ori.

Even the tedium of social interaction.

Atticus felt something tighten in his chest. Kai looked gorgeous .

Shoulder-length dark hair pulled back in a low bun, hiding most of the pink that tipped the ends, exposing the soft lines of his face and the slender tilt of his neck.

He wore a black blazer over a simple gray shirt, tailored to perfection in a way that emphasized his slim waist. Atticus’ mind chose that moment to provide a vivid recollection of how it had felt to grasp that waist. Soft skin under his hands as Kai writhed above him…

A sharp laugh pulled Atticus out of the memory. It was probably for the best.

“Ori told me you had it bad,” Julian said, laughter still lacing his words. “I didn’t realize it was this bad.”

Atticus could feel a pout pulling at his lips as he finally tore his eyes away from Kai. “ Ori is a little gossip.”

Julian snorted at that. “More like he blurts things out before he thinks better of it.”

Atticus grinned as Julian brought his glass back up for another sip. “Does that mean he told you about the time he and I hooked up on the floor of the practice gym court?”

Julian nearly spit out his wine, choking a bit and coughing loudly. Atticus laughed, patting him on the back, not failing to miss the flash in the other man’s eyes. Something he would almost label as jealousy.

“You’re as bad as he is,” Julian said after he finally gained control of his breathing.

“Hey.” Atticus let his expression slip into a mischievous smirk. “Maybe the two of you could recreate the moment while you’re here. He still has a key to the gym!” A pause as he let his grin turn a little more teasing. “Who knows, maybe for you it’ll turn into more than a hook up.”

Julian’s face turned an adorable shade of pink. Atticus thought it looked good on him.

“Maybe you’re right about him being a little gossip,” Julian said, frowning into his wine before side-eyeing Atticus. There was that fire that always made Atticus squirm a little. And sure, maybe he’d earned it with that comment.

Julian looked as though he were about to say something when another voice yanked their attention away.

“Who’s a little gossip?” Bowen Kelly, wing spiker for the Cats, beamed as he slung an arm around Atticus’ shoulders. Julian narrowed his eyes at the question.

“If I remember correctly,” he said, “you are.”

“Me? No, never. I’m offended, Tate!”

Atticus shoved his teammate’s face away.

“This is another one that’s missing the brain-to-mouth filter.

” Bowen only laughed, releasing his hold on Atticus and running a hand through dark hair that curled around his ears.

His early grays streaked through and shone in the low light of the bar, glinting along with the ring pierced through one dark brow.

A ring he always forgot to take out before practice, only remembering whenever Coach Rodriguez chewed him out for it.

Bowen’s laughter was infectious, it always was, and neither Atticus nor Julian could resist grinning along with him.

“When have I ever gossiped?” Bowen asked, feigning hurt as one hand pressed over his heart. Atticus pinned him with a bored stare.

“Oh.” Bowen’s expression turned sheepish. “I guess I did tell the entire bus that time you hooked up with those two models when we played that tournament in Paris. ”

Atticus continued to eye him as Julian snickered next to them.

“And there was the time I accidentally told coach about you and that one chick in his office.”

Atticus raised a brow.

“And that other time that I tweeted about your walk of shame the morning after the Hawks shut us down.” Bowen frowned and rubbed his chin as Atticus nodded. “Maybe I do gossip a lot.”

Atticus patted his back. “It’s okay, we love you despite your flaws.”

“Not to victim blame here,” Bowen said after a moment, eyes playful as he poked Atticus. “But you make it too easy. You give us too much to talk about!” Bowen turned to Julian, who raised a brow. “He’s a menace. Especially abroad. We can’t stop him, so we don’t even try anymore.”

Atticus knew his friend was teasing, knew that Bowen didn’t mean any harm. But he struggled to laugh along, struggled to keep a frown from forming on his face.

Because it hurt. Maybe not a lot, but enough for Atticus to bring his cheap beer back to his lips to hide his dismay.

Sure, his past was full of casual hook-ups and short-lived flings that he hadn’t even attempted to hide.

But he’d thought that his team, the people he spent more time with than anyone…

he’d thought that they would have at least noticed a difference in his behavior by now.