The hockey team’s house isn’t much further. It’s just off the square with historic charm and a wraparound porch. I’ve heard the freshmen have to dorm in the school’s housing for athletes on campus, but the rest of them live here like a frat house.
I blend in with the group of people entering ahead of me, planning to slip by Noah as he greets them. An arm stops me in my tracks once I’m through the door. Cameron grins at me, shaking his head.
He whips off his baseball cap and scrubs at his hair before putting it on backwards. “And where do you think you’re going?”
I gesture to the sounds of music and chatter down the hall. “The party I was invited to.”
“Wearing that? Noah, get a load of this.”
His teammate turns around and busts out laughing. When he recovers, he braces a forearm against the wall, subtly blocking me from leaving the entryway with his huge frame.
“What, is there some cover I didn’t hear about?” I lift my brows. “I thought girls got into every party here for free.”
“Hate to admit it, because fuckingElmwood, but you pull off the red,” Noah says. “You’re asking for trouble wearing that in here.”
“So? People have to exist all the time with fans of teams they don’t like occupying the same space.” I grin. “The Devils and Rangers fans, the Eagles and Cowboys fans—they manage. Mostly. Can’t you handle it like big boys?”
Noah opens and closes his mouth. Someone else comes through the door behind me. The guy takes one look at my Elmwood jersey and boos at me like a shitty ten year old. Or a sports fan.
“There. That.” Noah snaps his fingers. “We can’t have that. We’re celebrating tonight.”
“It’s for your own good. We’ll find you something else to put on if you want to stay.” Cameron cups a hand next to his mouth and shouts. “Easton! C’mere.”
“I’m good.” I flip my hair. “I did my makeup to coordinate with these colors.”
Noah snorts into his fist. He claps Easton’s shoulder when he rounds the corner from the hallway.
“What’s up? Did the beer run fall through? Brody texted to say it’s all good—Oh.” Easton spots me.
I wiggle my fingers in a little wave. “Hi.”
“Hey. You came.” His attention lowers and he lets out a rueful laugh. “And you’re wearing your brother’s jersey to a Knights party.”
Biting my lip around a smile, I twirl to show off. “I remembered how much you liked it the night we met. Told you that you’d love the outfit I picked out.”
He hums. “I’d like it more if it was on my floor.”
My mouth pops open. “Yeah, you wish.”
Cameron stands sentry at Easton’s side, smirking. “You’ve got two options if you want to party. Change…or change.”
I squint, making a show of tapping my finger against my chin in thought. “I think I’ll go with…option three.”
Offering an innocent smile, I flip them off. A huff of amusement shakes Easton’s shoulders. He prods his cheek with his tongue, eyeing me up and down.
It doesn’t bother me that his friends were joking around with me over this, but my stomach tightens. His expression says I’m a five-star feast and he’s fucking starving.
“Your call, E.” Noah smirks, slinging an arm across Easton’s shoulder. “But you’d better stick by her side in case she needs a bodyguard. You’ll have to fend off everyone here.”
Easton’s eyes don’t leave mine and a smug grin tugs at the corners of his mouth. “I can’t let you in here like that, sweetheart. Not while you’re wearing our rival team’s jersey.”
“And if I don’t want to take it off?” I challenge, mirroring his grin with a sassy one.
He gives his friends sidelong glances and comes forward, dipping his chin with a playful smirk. “I can work with that. What’s it gonna be? Take it off, or I’m taking it off for you and burning it in the fire pit.” He lowers his voice. “One way or another that jersey’s coming off, baby.”
A shiver works down my spine. I peer up at him through my lashes.
The idea of cocky hockey players pulling something like this on me would normally send me running in the other direction. But that’s the version of myself that’s been stuck by avoiding guys like Easton, instantly on guard to protect myself from getting hurt again by someone that doesn’t care about me.
