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Chapter Thirty-Two

I didn’t want to read into it too much about what it meant that I’d asked Cassie to be my girlfriend. And I sure as hell didn’t want to think too hard about what it meant that she’d accepted.

Because it was Cassie.

Of course she’d done it to help me out, like I’d asked her too. It wasn’t anything more than that. If I let myself for even a second think it meant something deeper, then I was letting myself creep into dangerous territory.

Besides, it wasn’t like it was real, anyway. It was just one night, to save me from being bid off at the charity auction Coach demanded I go to in order to fix the bad press surrounding me and therefore, the team.

So why the hell did I feel like throwing up the whole time I was getting ready?

It’s just one night. It’s just pretending.

But people around us would think it wasn’t, and not only did I not mind the idea of that. I liked it. A fucking lot.

Shit.

“Are you ready?” her voice floated in from outside the bathroom door.

I let out an exhale, yanking at the cuffs of my suit jacket as if I could find some minor thing to tweak just to hide in here a bit longer.

The door opened, and all I saw was Cassie standing there in a shimmery rose gold dress that looked like it was made for her and her alone. I doubted it could sculpt to anyone else as perfectly as it clung to her.

I had one of those fucking cartoon moments where I actually did a double-take. Jaw dropped, eyes wide, the whole ordeal.

I remembered those scenes in the movies Maggie used to watch when we were growing up. I always thought they were corny as hell, but here I was, jaw on the floor, staring at Cassie without a single thought in my head, all because of that dress.

“You look—” I started, mouth dry. “Uh—”

“Do I look okay?” she had the audacity to ask.

Understatement of the fucking century.

“You look really pretty.” I cleared my throat, nodding in confirmation, but I couldn’t tear my eyes off of her.

Or her body.

“You look so handsome,” she said, running a hand along the sleeve of my jacket. “You always do, but I’ve never seen you dressed up like this. No wonder every girl’s in love with you.”

I couldn’t breathe.

How could she just casually spew that out, looking like she just stepped out of every guy’s most intimate dream and expect me not to grab her in my arms and kiss the shit out of her?

I can’t take her to the gala. Not when every man in the room would be staring at her the way I was right now. Not when she wasn’t mine.

“Not every girl,” I said, feeling in a daze.

But for tonight, I could pretend. Tonight, she was mine, and I could remind every bastard who stared at her exactly that.

“Oh.” She raised a blond brow. “ Most girls being in love with you isn’t enough for you? You need every single one?”

Actually, I just need one.

“Cassie,” I said, prepared to let everything tumble out of me. To get on my knees and beg her to be my date for real, not for some made-up, stupid event.

But her phone buzzed, and her attention went to the screen.

“They’re here!” A noise of excitement erupted from her, cutting off the deluge of emotional word vomit I’d just been prepared to release on her.

Jesus Christ, I would’ve ruined everything.

“Great,” I responded, wishing more than anything it was just the two of us driving there together, but knowing it was probably safer for me that it wasn’t, considering that I was apparently a fucking liability when it came to this girl.

We’d agreed, or should I say, Cassie had agreed that we should carpool with Maggie and Brody, who had apparently worked through their shit and finally were getting out there for a first date.

I was happy for Brody. I really was. But on the other hand, I had the lingering fear that Maggie was going to break his heart.

Maybe it was just in our blood to hurt people the way our dad had hurt us. It was part of the reason why I never bothered seriously with any relationships before. When you looked at the statistics, what was even the point of trying?

I think Maggie guarded herself the same way, though we went about it in drastically different manners. She was fine with hanging out with someone for a while and bolting before it got too serious. But me? I felt like something was broken inside of me because I knew how many beautiful women were out there. Hell, I’d had them throw themselves at me, but none of them—not a single one, had ever appealed to me.

Until now.

Cassie opened the front door, welcoming Brody and Maggie inside. I loved the sight of it. I could almost imagine it all being real. Being permanent.

Cassie being here, with me, for good. The two of us having our friends and family over.

I shook the thought out of my head. Cassie and I might not be anything real, but it looked like Maggie and Brody were definitely entering into that territory.

They stood side by side, so close their whole bodies touched as they walked in. He had a hand resting on her back, and what shocked me more than any of it—Maggie didn’t pull away.

As happy as I was for them, I was jealous as hell. Brody got to touch her, to be with the girl he wanted in front of everyone, no pretenses. Meanwhile, I had to stand next to Cassie and pretend I wasn’t losing my fucking mind.

They looked good together, though. Maggie was wearing a sleek black dress with a slit down the leg, her hair done up with a few dark strands framing her face.

“What the f-, Cass. You look so beautiful, ” Maggie gushed, circling around Cassie, examining every inch of her the way I wished I could.

“Stop.” Cassie hid her face, embarrassed by Maggie’s attention. “ You look stunning. You both do.” She looked over to Brody with a knowing smirk.

Brody beamed with pride.

“Look at all of us here together, going to an event. Who would’ve thought?” He said the last part, looking over to me with a knowing look of his own.

Maggie and Brody both knew the deal about why Cassie was going with me tonight, but apparently Brody thought I had other intentions.

I rolled my eyes at him, he wiggled his brows, glancing between me and Cassie. I shot him a scathing look, demanding he shut up before Cassie noticed, when Maggie’s words had my head whipping in her direction.

“We’re totally going to find you the cutest guy to flirt with tonight.”

I stiffened. “What the hell, Mags. Did you forget the point of this evening?”

“Yeah, yeah. Cassie’s your secret cover story.” Maggie rolled her eyes dramatically. “But is that really more important than her landing a cute hockey boy?”

“Why would I want to do that?” Cassie asked teasingly. “You told me all hockey boys are sluts.”

I reared back.

“Her words.” Cassie held her hands up in defense. “Not mine!”

“I’m personally offended.” Brody held a hand to his heart and winced. “I can’t believe you would say that, Mags.”

My thoughts were still reeling, wondering why my sister was hellbent on ruining my fucking life by trying to set Cassie up with random men.

“Oh, you all know it’s true.” Maggie rolled her eyes. “But come on, we’re going to be late!”

She tugged on Brody’s arm with a familiarity I hadn’t seen her display with any other guy.

“I’ll drive?” Brody chirped over his shoulder, looking all too pleased to be led away by my sister.

“Yeah fucking right.” I snorted but still felt stiff and uncomfortable at the prospect of the night before us.

The last thing I needed was to be driven around to an event I didn’t want to go to, where every guy in attendance would be trying to steal Cassie away while my sister fucking helped.

Driving gave me a sense of control. It kept me focused and calm. And I knew I’d always have a way out if I felt the need to leave.

Besides, Brody was a shit driver.

We walked behind Maggie and Brody, Cassie by my side, but even that wasn’t enough to calm me. Not when she looked so beautiful, it hurt to think about it.

As always, she seemed to know exactly how I was feeling. It was like her own superpower.

“Don’t worry,” she said teasingly, her hand coming up to touch my arm lightly, and I swear to God that little touch was enough to ignite me completely.

“Worry?”

“About what Maggie said. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“I don’t?” I asked, shoulders loosening in relief.

“Of course not. I’m your girl for the night,” she said, winking before turning to climb into the passenger seat.

For the night.

It wasn’t enough.

Not at all.