Page 26

I t’s safe to say that my entire weekend was a shit show. From Ben showing up unannounced, to Alexander hitting him, to my dad finding me at the hockey house, all of it a giant clusterfuck I wish I could undo, well mostly all of it. I wouldn’t change the breakup, or the sleeping in the hot hockey goalie’s bed, but the finding out the boyfriend had been fucking my best friend, and my dad finding me in one of his player’s hockey jerseys? Yeah, that I could have gone without. Evie thought the whole thing was hilarious when I told her, offering no sympathy at all, calling both Ben and Malorie a very colorful collection of names I couldn’t possibly repeat.

Which brings me to my ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend. Ben started blowing up my phone not long after I left Alexander’s house with my dad. It was call after call, all of which went unanswered, followed by a barrage of text messages ranging in pleas to hear him out, apologies for what he’s done, and blaming me for him having to go elsewhere for sex. It would all be laughable if I didn’t feel so betrayed, and he isn’t even the one I feel the deepest cut from.

I didn’t hear from my so-called best friend until Sunday afternoon, and even when I did, it was just a two word text message. I’m sorry . That’s it, that’s all it said. After over a decade of friendship, seeing each other through everything, all she had to say in response to me finding out she fucked Ben, and fucked me over, was I’m sorry. That was the point that I blocked them both, because it was in that moment that I realized just how little they truly cared about me. I’ll miss what I thought we had, but I won’t miss them, not when I have more pressing issues to deal with.

My dad was pissed after he found out what happened with Ben, but I’m pretty sure he was more pissed that I found solace in the form of his players. He cursed every single one of them out on the drive back to my apartment, and from what Jake told Evie, he had them practicing for nearly four hours on Saturday. I cringed a little at that, wanting to reach out to Alexander and apologize again, but I guessed he was probably pissed at me too since finding out who my dad is. I should have told him, I know that, but I didn’t mean for what started as a little joke to turn into this. Well, I didn’t mean for a lot of things to happen I guess, but here we are.

I haven’t spoken to Alexander since I was escorted from his house on Saturday morning, and even though I reached for my phone at least a hundred times over the weekend, I couldn’t bring myself to call him. Which is how I find myself nervously heading over to Hockey Row on Monday afternoon for our usual tutoring session. I can only presume it’s still on, since I haven’t heard otherwise from him, and butterflies are running rampant inside of me, as I reach the front porch of his house and knock on the door.

Only a few seconds pass before the door swings open, revealing a somewhat panting and shirtless Archer, but he smiles a genuine smile as soon as he sees it’s me. “Ah, the troublemaker returns to the scene of the crime,” he jokes, gesturing for me to come inside, and when I do, I spot Daemon sitting back on the sofa with his shirt half-open and his hair all messed up, as if Archer has been pulling on it. Quickly averting my eyes, I glance back to Archer, who just smirks knowingly, before nodding his head toward the stairs. “Prince Charming is upstairs, jerking off before you arrive,” he teases with a wink, and I’m not sure if he’s totally kidding. I hesitate a little and he laughs. “Relax, Bree, I’m just joking.” He rolls his eyes like I am the ridiculous one here, and I can’t help but smile as I make my way toward the stairs, more than used to being here now. “Don’t be alarmed if you see a giant python though, that’s just his cock,” he calls out to my back, as Alexander appears at the top of the stairs, and my blush is instant.

“Did he just refer to my cock as a giant python?” Alexander asks in amusement, totally not phased by the weirdness of his teammate.

“Yep,” I sigh, popping the P, not bothering to stop, as I push past him and head into his room.

I try not to let the memories of Friday night rush to the forefront of my mind, but my eyes flick between the bed and the carpet. The latter has been cleaned up, no evidence any blood was ever spilled there, and his bed looks as neat and tidy as it always is, except now I know what it feels like to sleep in it. I once again quickly avert my gaze, moving straight to his desk to set up. Alexander already has his laptop open on our agenda for today, with a few books pulled out to help me. So, I dump my bag to the floor, pull out my own stuff, and get to work.

I can feel Alexander's lingering stare, but I don’t ask him to stop like I usually would, instead remaining laser focused on the work in front of me, but of course that isn’t good enough for the arrogant asshole.

“So, a six-foot-five Navy SEAL, huh?” he begins, nothing but delight in his tone as he tosses my description of my dad back at me, and I cringe a little, turning to meet his stare. “Do you have any idea how many drills your dad had us run on Saturday? I’m still struggling to walk,” he complains with a groan, as he jumps up onto his bed, and I can’t hide my grin. “Oh, she thinks it’s funny, I’m glad my pain is amusing to you, Miss Callows,” he laughs, rolling his eyes. “Why the fuck didn’t you warn me you were Coach’s daughter?” he asks, more serious now, and I can’t help but feel there is a certain hidden undertone to his question.

I mean, why would it matter?

“In my defense, the rest of the team didn’t tell you either,” I reply, ignoring the hope that flares inside my chest at his question.

“Yeah, they really fucked me on that one,” he grumbles under his breath, before he sits up and clears his throat. “What about you? Are you good? You know, after everything,” he gently probes, and I nod with a sad smile.

“I’m okay, onward and upward, right?” I reply brightly, feigning happiness I definitely don’t feel, and Alexander nods.

“Right,” he agrees, looking like he wants to say more, but doesn’t, and I find myself wishing that for once I could read his mind. “Speaking of, my mother wants me to bring you to her birthday dinner in a couple of weeks,” he announces casually, and my eyes practically bug out of my head.

“What?” I ask, sure I misheard him, and he smiles playfully, as he slides off his bed, moving to grab his phone. Tapping away on it, he finds whatever it is he is looking for and then turns it so I can see.

Mum - Annual reminder that under no circumstances are you allowed to miss your mother’s birthday, not even if you’re dead or in jail

Mum - Oh and bring that beautiful friend of yours, Aubree, I want to meet her.

My brain feels like it short circuits as I read her words. She wants to meet me. Sinclair Striker wants to meet me.

“Why the hell would she want me at her birthday dinner?” I gasp in wonder, not really looking for an answer, but Alexander smiles anyway.

“I’m guessing because she has brunch with our lawyer, Jeremy, on Monday mornings, to go over any issues that may have arisen,” he states firmly, and embarrassment sets my cheek aflame.

She knows about Ben, about what Alexander did to him.

Shit.

“I’m sorry,” I cringe, once again apologizing for the shit show that was Friday night, but Alexander scoffs in annoyance.

“Aubree, please stop apologizing for that fucking idiot, he doesn’t deserve it,” he commands, the no-nonsense tone of his voice making me swallow thickly. “It isn’t the first time I have been in trouble, and it won’t be the last, I’m sure my mother just wants to meet the girl I risked my neck for,” he adds firmly, and my heart jumps to the back of my throat.

“Won’t she be mad?” I ask carefully, honestly not caring all that much about his answer, because the memory of what he feels like wrapped around me is still too fresh in my mind.

“Mad?” he repeats with a laugh. “No, she’s bailed me out of jail before,” he muses, and I should be surprised, but instead I only smirk.

“Of course she has.”

“Yeah, I went to the dock to take our boat out, but I was drunk and took the wrong one, and crashed it into some rocks.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Another time, I broke into my headmaster’s house, stole his Porsche and took it for a joy ride. I got expelled for that one, well until my father paid to make it go away, that is,” he adds with a wink.

“So you’re a criminal,” I tease, and his smirk is truly wicked.

“I’m so much worse than that, love, but you already knew that.”

And just like that things between us go back to how they’ve always been, a bond that dances along the line of flirting and friendship, and it feels both good and infuriating.

The rest of the week follows the same pattern. I see Alexander at lunch, during class, and at tutoring. I attend his game on Friday as usual, and we all hang out and grab dinner after. It’s nice, normal, and completely and utterly maddening, because not only is there no longer anything in my way when it comes to him, but now I also know what it’s like to kiss him. A feeling that is consuming me whole, and I swear every time I am in his presence my purity ring practically burns through to my bone.

My purity. Such a stupid concept now when I think about it, because who came up with the notion of virginity being important? God? Society? Does it even matter? I made a decision when I was still a child, one that at the time affected my future, a future I chose based on other people’s expectations. So what do I do now that I know it’s not the future I want anymore? And it’s not because I find myself wanting Alexander, although that is part of it, but also because I realize I was in no place to make such heavy decisions about my adult life when I was still a child.

It’s only now that I realize just how many decisions I made in the past to please my mother and grandmother, and not just them, but Ben too. I’ve always put them first, their wants, their needs, but what about me? What about what I want? What I need? Which right now is apparently a tall, blond asshole, who has quickly shown me what it’s like to be put first.

It’s Saturday afternoon, and I haven’t heard from Alexander since last night. It’s a thought that has me spinning the ring on my finger in irritation for even noticing that. I mean, how did this happen? Just under three months ago I didn’t know he existed, and now he has somehow become an integral part of my life, and not just him, but his friends too. I like talking to Jake over the morning coffee he always makes for myself and Evie. I enjoy eating dinner with Archer and Daemon on Monday nights. I like watching Nova and Josh get annoyed when they aren’t getting enough attention from Maddie and Hallie, and hell, I even like watching them all slam other guys into the boards during games as my dad yells at them. I just like them, knowing them, spending time with them, and I will myself to believe that’s all it is, that I like Alexander’s friendship, and nothing more, but I know it’s bullshit.

Because every night for the last week I have dreamed of that kiss, so damn the playboy asshole for making it so fucking good.

By the time Evie and Jake get home a couple of hours later, I am going out of my mind with boredom, having already completed all my homework in an attempt to distract myself. Evie looks her usual happy self, whereas Jake is practically limping.

“My dad is still punishing you guys?” I ask, and he nods as he throws himself onto the sofa.

“I think he’s trying to see how far he can push us before one of us dies,” he replies with a grunt, and I can’t hide my smile.

My dad has been breathing down my neck since he ‘rescued’ me from Alexander’s house last week, and has not stopped texting, calling, and even showing up here all week. I’d probably be annoyed by the whole thing, if I weren’t just so pleased to be getting to spend so much time with him. There is no longer a rift between us and it feels good, despite him grumbling every time I mention one of his player’s names.

“You coming with us tonight, Bree?” Evie cuts in, tossing Jake a drink, as she takes a seat beside him.

“Where are you going?” I ask in confusion, and they share a look.

“Just drinks at my house,” Jake confirms, like it’s no big deal, and it isn’t, but it kind of feels like it is. “Archer’s siblings and a couple of their friends are in town for a visit, so it’s low key, just us and a few guys from the team and their girlfriends, and stuff,” he adds, clearly trying to downplay things, and Evie nods in agreement.

“You will love Aurora, Archer’s sister, she’s all sunshine and rainbows, it’s totally adorable,” Evie gushes, and I nod slowly. Feeling slightly awkward that this is the first I’m hearing of it, and I know she sees it, because she jumps up and moves toward me. “Come on, it will be fun. Maddie and Hallie will both be there, we can get drunk and talk shit about the men in our lives,” Evie pleads, knowing she doesn’t have to work too hard to get me to agree.

“Erm, babe, I’m right here,” Jake complains, and Evie rolls her eyes, ignoring him.

“Pretty please,” she begs. I finally nod and she squeals.

Looks like I’m going to another party at Alexander’s house.

What’s the worst that can happen?