Lexi nods. “Right? And we definitely need to add to our girl gang.”
“Girl gang?” I ask Griffin, who smirks.
“Yep. I introduced them to Blair after the game. The ladies took to her immediately.” The smug bastard watches me, knowing how I feel about the beautiful liar.
Clenching my fists below the table, I ground out a “Great” that has Bash and Griffin chuckling.
“Seriously, dude, I think the whole thing was just a weird coincidence. She doesn’t seem like the kind of chick who would have the time or inclination to trap a guy.” Griffin is always so sure about people. So ready to give them the benefit of the doubt, even if they may not deserve it. I admire his optimism, but I sure as hell don’t share it.
“I have to say, I agree with Griffin,” Bash says. “If she was really trying to lure you in, wouldn’t she at least have tried to speak to you after the game? The woman stayed clear across theroom from you. At one point, she almost hid behind a fern to avoid eye contact.”
That has the assholes laughing, but it makes me frown. She literally hid from me? I mean, I didn’t want to see her, and I still think she’s a conniving liar, but hiding behind a plant is a little extreme. I wasn’tthatbig of an asshole to her, was I?
The whole situation sets me on edge, and I spend the rest of the night listening to my friends talk. The women chat about Blair, the guys speculate about the season, and I’m silent. My mind is a turbulent mess of things I can’t control. My dad, the way his words and criticisms chafe, my absent mother, Blair, the curly-haired teenager who somehow reminded me of my younger self…
All of it is too much.
I stand, beer only half drunk, and clear my throat. “I’m gonna head out.”
Sebastian tilts his head, observing me. “You okay, man?”
“I’m good. Just tired. I’ll see you all tomorrow for the game.”
Everyone calls out their goodbyes, and I force myself to walk slowly out of the bar. Because I learned long ago that you can’t run from the things that bother you. Not when they’re rattling around in your head on a loop. All you can do is drown them out as best you can with women, alcohol, or the game that keeps you sane.
But what do you do when your coping mechanisms lose their appeal? The older I get, the less alcohol helps me forget, and the more it gives me hangovers that make getting checked into the boards even worse. And women? They’ve always been my go-to. But even they seem to have lost their appeal recently.
I guess I’ll just have to throw myself into the game. I can’t let anything jeopardize that. Which means Blair better stay out of my way, or I’ll do what I have to in order to protect my last sphere of peace.
I don’t care how nice the guys or their women think she is.
fourteen
BLAIR
I’d forgottenhow much fun it is to have girlfriends. And how noisy.
My phone buzzes on my desk for the umpteenth time, and I’m grateful no one else is around in the office. I can’t have them thinking I’m not pulling my weight or that I’m not dedicated. Because I am. Not only do I love this job so far, but I’m very,verydedicated to ensuring my little brother never has to worry about money or all the day-to-day stresses I’m constantly consumed with.
After the game the other night, Griffin introduced me to his wife, Mira. She and I hit it off immediately, and soon, I was chatting with Maddox’s wife, Isla, and Ryder’s girlfriend, Lexi. Then, somehow, I was added to a group chat titledHockey Honeys. They’ve been texting nonstop ever since.
It took me a few days to feel comfortable enough to really engage in the chat—I think I’ve forgotten how to have friends—but now, almost a week later, I’m bantering with the best of them. It’s nice. Really nice.
I hadn’t realized how lonely I’ve been.
Between the three of them and Adrienne, I’m suddenly surrounded by women my age who want to be friends and are actually willing to put in the effort to make it happen. And not only that, but Reed and Eddie hit it off so well, they’ve hung out twice already since the game.
Things are finally looking up.
When my phone buzzes again, I flip it over and scan the recent messages.
Mira
So when are we hanging out? I love my husband, but I need a girls’ night.
Isla
Soon, please. School is so stressful already.
