“Just friends,” I correct, and Jack nods after a moment in agreement.
“Friends, but she’s too good for you, Kane.”
“Ignore him, Jack’s a bit overprotective,” I joke, shooting Jack a questioning look before leaving them behind to go to the fridge I’d raided earlier. Now there are coolers that have appeared out of nowhere on the floors in front of the cabinets,but I don’t know who they belong to, so I stick to the pack in the fridge.
Jeez, I guess if the hockey team says there’s going to be a get-together, people come running.
I’m on my way back to Jack when Ellie pulls me aside to introduce me to some of her and Sara’s friends.
I’m glad I stayed. I try to scan for Jack every few minutes, but now there are too many people I can only hope to see his tall head at some point over everyone else’s. No wonder Nate and Dylan didn’t want to tell Coop.
The only problem is all of these hockey players and whoever else is here are so freaking tall.
My anxiety is starting to creep into the back of my mind that maybe I should’ve stayed with Jack because how do I know Bradley hasn’t just walked in and made himself feel right at home?No, that’d be ridiculous.Bradley’s a lot of things, but he isn’t stupid enough to show up here.
An arm slides around my waist and I smile, knowing it’s Jack’s way of getting me back for earlier. I know we’re just friends, but maybe it’s okay we’re blurring the line a little. It doesn’t mean anything.
Ellie swivels toward me, but her eyebrows knit as she looks above me, and her smile dims.
“How do you know Al?” she asks, and I turn my head to look up at Jack.
“We’re old friends,” Bradley says, giving her his most charming smile, and the beer I’m holding slips from my hand, crashing to hit the floor. The girl next to me shrieks as the beer splashes her, but I’m paralyzed.
Bradley.
Bradley.
Bradley.
Bradley’s arm around me.
Not Jack.
Move, Al. Don’t just fucking stand here.
Before I can even try to move, his hand on my waist tightens, holding me in place.
Alarms are going off in my head, but it’s too little, too late.
“Let me go,” I say, wishing I could shout the words, but it doesn’t come out louder than a whisper. Oh my god, I should have told Ellie everything. Jack was right.
His grip becomes painfully tight, and the warning in his eyes could not be more clear. “Angel, I can’t believe you didn’t tell your friends about me.” He turns to Ellie who is putting her phone back in her pocket, and I’m horrified I let my guard down. “She’s probably had too much to drink. Maybe I should just get her home,” Bradley says, but if he drags me out of here, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know how to put it into words how fucking terrified I am right now.
Bradley’s fingers have slipped underneath my sweatshirt, digging into my skin. I feel like I’ve gone back a year in time. I bite my lip hard, trying to keep this from escalating from bad to worse. Ellie’s smile is tense because we both know I’m not drunk.
“Actually, I’ll catch up with you guys later if that’s okay. I wanna hear more about Al’s guy,” Ellie says, without taking her eyes off him, but her friends who don’t understand are quick to make their getaway, one of them grumbling about the beer I spilled on her shoe.
“Oh, why don’t you tell the story?” he says, and I wince when his grip somehow tightens in warning. I’m not doing this. I got out before. I’m not trapped anymore.
“Freshman year,” I mumble, clearing my throat. I can do this. “We met freshman year, but we’ve been broken up for eleven months,” I say, finding my voice, and if we weren’t in a crowdof potential witnesses, I’m positive Bradley would’ve already knocked the air from my lungs.
Why is he here?
His eyes are murderous, but to my relief, I hear Dylan. “What’s going on here?” Ellie must have texted him.
“Al asked her ex to let her go, and he hasn’t,” Ellie explains, and Bradley’s quick to pull me against his front.
Dylan’s calm smile is misleading as he sizes up Bradley. “Dude, there’s no reason to make a scene. Just let her go, okay?”
