“I could walk you home,” he offers with a shrug. “Seems like my date took off.”
“Your date looked like she’d seen better days.” I pop my shoulder, feigning the confidence that I only wish I was feeling.
Coleson glares as he comes to a stop a few feet away from me. His jaw works before his smirk slips back into place. He jumps over the row of seats in front of him, leaving just one row between the two of us. His hands hit the back of the chair directly in front of me, and my pulse starts to stutter, fear taking over the unease.
“What’s your story?” he asks, his eyes moving like a predator assessing its prey, searching for any vulnerability. “From what I gathered, you’re a junior this year, but it’s your first term on campus.”
“I enjoyed doing school at home. Why would I want to spend more money and have to deal with more people if I didn’t have to?”
Come on, Kai. Hurry up.
“Interesting. So no boyfriend back home?”
“Nope.”
“And what about you and Grayson? Or maybe Weston? Seems like you’re getting pretty buddy-buddy with them. Are you a puck bunny or something? If you’re looking for a good fuck, I’m more than happy to offer my services.”
My blood starts to boil, but before I can say another word, Kai storms through the door of the arena. I let out a long breath that I didn’t know I’d been holding.
“I wouldn’t really say yourfriendfrom earlier would agree, given her swift exit.” I stand and start heading down the stairs, only for Coleson to stop me with his hand on my arm.
“You didn’t see anything.” His tone is cool and calm, but his eyes are anything but.
I nod, choosing silence as the best answer.
I quickly make my way down to Kai and can feel the tension coming off him in waves, which tells me that this will be quite an interesting drive to the apartment.
His gaze is behind me on Coleson, and he doesn’t say a word as I follow him to his truck. As we reach the door, I can’t help but take one last look back toward Coleson, who, unfortunately for me, is still glaring my way.
I don’t know what I walked in on, but I would be just fine if I were never near him again.
17
HARLOW
Kai drives like the road personally offended him.
One hand on the wheel. The other clenched so tight around nothing that his knuckles are pale. His jaw is locked in that way that tells me he’s not calm—he’s containing.
I sit in the passenger seat with my arms folded across my stomach like I can hold myself together if I squeeze hard enough.
The cab smells like my brother—laundry detergent and coffee, mixed with a faint trace of his cologne.
And still, I feel like I’m vibrating.
Kai’s voice slices through the silence. “You want to tell me why you were at the rink alone?”
Not a question. A demand disguised as concern.
My throat tightens. “I left the hockey house and just needed somewhere quiet for a bit. I didn’t want to bother you.”
His grip tightens on the wheel. “You don’t bother me.”
I stare out the window, watching campus lights streak past. “You say that. But you also look like you’re about to explode.”
Kai exhales through his nose. “I’m not exploding.”
He is. He’s just doing it internally, where no one can see.
