Page 17

“Well, this is nice, isn’t it?” Aster said, looking around the table with a forced smile.

“Nice? Is that what you call having to bring someone as your date against your will?” Jackson grumbled before wiping some nonexistent crumbs from the tablecloth.

“I’m sitting right here, you know?” Thea narrowed her eyes and glared at him. “And believe me, I don’t want to be here either. I mean, gosh. Couldn’t you have combed your hair?”

“Seriously? You don’t want to be here with me? Because I vaguely remember you on your knees begging for me to take you to Reign and Devin’s wedding because you were desperate to meet your NFL husband.”

“Oh, please. You’re acting like that wasn’t a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was also very different because I actually wanted to go there. I don’t want to be here.”

“Why not?” He gestured in the party’s direction. “There are plenty of athletes for you to pick from. In fact, please go out there and pick your future husband because I’d really like some peace and quiet.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, looking away.

“I hate you,” she muttered, side-eyeing him.

“You know what? There’s this guy on the basketball team. I think his name is Carl or something. He’d be perfect for you. He’s seven feet tall.”

“Why would that be perfect for me? I’m only five-foot-three.”

“Exactly. It will be hard for him to hear you from up there. Means he wouldn’t be put off by your incessant whining.”

“Please just stop for two seconds,” Tanner said from the other side of Thea.

Aster leaned in to me. “This was the worst idea Tanner has ever had,” she whispered, and I smiled with a nod. I had nothing else to add. Frankly, I stopped caring about Thea and Jackson thirty minutes and ten seconds ago when my eyes landed on Britt.

My wife.

She might not know yet, but she’d soon find out. Wearing a different purple dress than the one I saw in her closet, she was still the hottest girl here, and I still wanted to take that dress off her.

Standing next to the cameraman, she watched with a placid smile on her face as Sienna interviewed the hockey team. Erik was close to her, but they weren’t talking, and the mystery between those two was a good distraction from my other, more serious issues. There was no flirting between them. No side glances. No secret touches, which only confirmed that Britt might have exaggerated how serious they were.

She hadn’t noticed me from across the room, as she was too engrossed in her work. A complete perfectionist, Britt had a way of closing out all the noise and focusing on the task at hand with ease. She rarely got stressed and always performed. It was one of the many things I admired about her. She was dedicated, smart, and so damn hot.

The dress she chose was tight and hugged her in all the right places. She looked good enough to eat, and I was starving. I licked my lips as I watched her and thought about all the things I wanted to do when I got her alone. We were married, after all. Fucking her in a broom closet wouldn’t be considered that bad. Maybe she’d like a good fuck from her husband.

I took a slow swig of my drink, taking in her curves as she talked to and smiled at every other person here. She’d been vulnerable with me after the game, and it almost felt like I had my best friend back, but after I told her the truth, we’d no doubt be back to square one.

“Hey guys.” Erik stood by our table, looking between us before his gaze dropped to me. He gave me a smile, but it wasn’t genuine. The venom in his eyes told me as much. I didn’t trust him, and I had no doubts he felt the same. “You having a good time?”

“I’d have an even better time if you asked my date to dance.” Jackson pointed at a shocked Thea.

“Jackson!” she squealed before giving Erik a trained smile. “Hi…”

“Erik.”

“Erik. It’s nice to meet you, but don’t worry, I’m not interested in a dance.”

“No problem. I actually came over because I was hoping to talk to Marty.”

Everyone at the table looked over at me with raised brows. I was as shocked as them. It wasn’t a secret that there was some simmering tension between us. The team had heard about the way I reacted when I saw Erik and Britt together at Covey’s Cantina, but I hadn’t talked about it any further with them since there wasn’t anything else to add.

“You mean Matty?” Thea corrected him with an almost bitchy tone. Thanks, babe.

Erik waved her off and continued to glare at me. What the fuck was he going to do? “Sure. If that’s what you want to call him.”

“Not a problem,” Aster said, grabbing Tanner by the hand and pulling him up. “We were just about to dance. Jackson, Thea. Why don’t you join us?”

Jackson’s jaw was tense as he looked at Tanner’s sister, but he rolled his eyes and grumbled, “Fine, but I’m only doing this because I think it’s important that Matty gets this talk out of his system.”

“What talk?”

He raised his brows as he stood, holding his arm out for Thea, who linked it with him without question. Their relationship was weird, but who was I to question it when the only two women I’d been involved with were Olana and Britt.

“You know the talk, but I’m not going to say it in front of company.” He gestured to Erik, and I groaned because he was right. There was a talk coming my way, I just hated thinking about it. They walked away without a second glance, so I stared at my beer and stroked the label with my thumb.

I could feel Erik’s eyes on me, but I had no intention of looking at him. I was, however, able to see him point in my periphery. “Mind if I take a seat?”

“Be my guest,” I griped.

He pulled the chair out, and when he sat, I could’ve sworn it buckled a little. He was a big guy, and his frame kind of reminded me of one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but I didn’t think he was break-a-chair kind of big.

“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.”

“Yes we have.”

“Mm-hm. Covey’s Cantina doesn’t count.”

I couldn’t help but glance over at Britt, and I clutched my beer a little tighter. She was so oblivious to everything.

“Why are you here, Erik?” I huffed out a breath. Frankly, I wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries with the guy who was trying to weasel his way into my wife’s heart.

“I just thought it would be good to talk,” he stated.

I adjusted myself so I was sitting taller in the seat, and glared at him. “Well, if you’re planning on changing sports this late in the game, then I’m sorry to say you’re too bulky to be a kicker. You need accuracy and precision. All things I hear you lack.”

“Oh, feisty.”

I pressed my lips together, holding back all the things I wanted to say.

“But you know I’m not here to talk about that. I’ve already signed an NHL contract, so I’m not wistfully dreaming about a team seeing any promise in me during my college games.” He took in a sharp breath. “Hope you aren’t either because that performance last week wasn’t great.”

“What do you want, Steele?”

“I think you know.”

“Do I?”

“Yes. I want Britt, and you’re standing in the way.”

Well, I couldn’t fault a guy for being so up front about it. Too bad he had no chance with her. I didn’t clam up, which was good, but it was probably also because I had bigger things to worry about. Like telling her the truth about our Vegas wedding.

“Am I? Why’s that? Are you trying to date her?”

“Would it bother you if I was?”

“Yes. Very much so.” I wasn’t in the mood for any bullshit, and this idiot was getting on my nerves.

Erik leaned back, taking me in with raised brows. “Wow… You two are more fucked up than I thought.”

“What are you talking about?” I was ready to push my chair back and throw a punch. I’d had enough of this shit, and this night, for that matter.

He let out a low whistle before turning his attention to my wife. Still so lost in her own world, she hadn’t noticed the two men who were obsessed with her sitting next to each other and watching her. “You and Britt. I don’t know what kind of star-crossed lovers bullshit you’ve got going on, but I’m here to tell you man-to-man that putting a girl like that on the shelf is a bitch move.”

He was so direct. I kind of liked it. Not that I’d let him know that.

I rolled my eyes. “I think you’ll find she’s the one that’s put herself on the shelf.”

Erik’s smile grew into a grin. “Because she thinks you’re in love with someone else. Now, personally, I think you’re an asshole for leading two girls on at the same time, but who am I to judge. I have a different girl in my bed every week, but at least I’m honest about who I am. You’re an ass because you put on this innocent-beta-boy persona when really, you’re just as much of an asshole as the rest of us.”

“I’m not leading two girls on.”

“Sure,” he drawled out. “That’s why you came to Covey’s Cantina with one girl and tried to leave with another.”

“That’s not what happened. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He raised his hands and let out another sarcastic chuckle. “All I’m saying is, if you want a girl like Britt, you’ve got to man up and be somebody.” His lip curled as he looked at me one more time. “I mean, look at you. How much have you drunk tonight? You’re supposed to be representing the best of the best at Covey U, and you smell awful. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

To be fair, I hadn’t. Seeing my father and being blackmailed kind of did that to a person. Not to mention the guilt I was putting myself through for not dealing with the Vegas situation sooner.

“Britt’s a smart girl, and clearly, you’ve said something to make her think you’re worth sticking around for, but all I’m saying is, that won’t last for long. There will be another guy just begging for her attention, ready to worship the ground she walks on, and you know what will happen? She’ll completely forget about you.”

I nodded. He was right. Britt was worth so much more than I’d been able to offer her so far, but he didn’t know the full story. Britt wasn’t letting me be with her.

“All I’m saying is, you need to either man up and be with her or let her go to get on with her life. She doesn’t deserve to be friend zoned, waiting to be called upon whenever you’re bored.”

“Do you want me to let her go so she can date someone like you?”

He let out a low laugh and shook his head. “Let’s be honest, she’s going to figure out sooner or later you’ve got nothing to offer. Then I’ll be right by her side, ready to pick up the pieces.”

My fingers gripped the beer bottle, and I was ready to swing it in his face. Like he said, I knew I couldn’t do a damn thing about Britt tonight because I didn’t want to make a scene in front of all these people. I needed to speak to her in private. Getting her alone, however, seemed to be the problem.

“Anyway, I better get going. Sienna and Britt are interviewing me soon.” He leaned in, and his face split into an almost sinister smile. “So, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go and spend some time with our girl.”

Erik winked, and that was it. Without a second glance, he was off, leaving me to contemplate my next move while he hung out with the only person I wanted to be with, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Not just yet.