“I’ll be there too!” Lottie exclaims, pulling my friend into a hug as if they’ve known each other for years.
Aanya steps out of her hold, taking in her loud outfit and running a finger along the jewelry adorning her slim neck. “Iloveyour necklace”
“Thank you! I made them, actually. This one is?—”
The redhead laughs again, resting her palm against Tieran’s chest. He smiles down at her, and it makes something inside me wither. He deserves someone he can be with out in the open, someone who can appreciate him fully, and that can’t be me.
Another laugh scrapes against my skull like nails on a chalkboard.
Ishouldn’tbe here. If Chapman got wind I attended a party at the home of a player, he’d find a way to use it against me. I’m sure of it.
Taking a cue from the Irish, I decide to slip out undetected. I briefly tell Aanya and Lottie I’m going to use the restroom. The lie rolls off my tongue easily, but I know if I tell them I’m going to leave, they’ll try to get me to stay.
I can’t have Tieran, but I don’t want to watch someone else crack on with him either.
The night air is balmy as I slip out of the flat onto the street, heading toward my side of town. I’ve only made it halfway down the street when someone falls into step next to me.
“Nice night,” Tieran observes.
“Go back to the party, Tieran.”
“I think I’ll walk. I could use the fresh air.” He shoves his hands into his jacket pockets, walking alongside me.
“Is there anything I can say to get you to go back?” My attempts are futile. I know that once he’s decided on something, he goes after it with singular focus. It’s why he’s such a force on the pitch.
“No can do, boss. It would be unwise of me to let youwalk home alone wearing that dress.” I look over at him, and he makes no move to hide his obvious perusal. My stomach tightens, and I’m suddenly glad for my skimpy dress, enjoying the admiration from him.
We’re both quiet; the only sound is my heels clicking against the pavement as we turn onto the high street littered with shops, bars, and people milling about.
“Did you have fun the other night?” Tieran asks, finally breaking the silence.
I glance over, hesitant to answer, afraid it might say too much. But I’m weak, and the words are coming out, unbidden. “I never want to do it again…” His face falls slightly. “But,” a glimmer of hope straightens his shoulders, “yes, I had fun.”
He holds his hand up to his head, cupping his ear. “What?” I say.
“I’m just waiting for you to say I was right,” he gloats.
“You’ll be waiting a long time, then.”
“I’m a patient man.” There’s an insinuation to his words that makes me flush with heat.
I look over at him and his blue eyes are glowing under the lamppost lights. “Shouldn’t you be getting back to your friend?”
“Who?”
“Red hair, leggy, sumptuous curves.”
“I certainly could. She made it clear the invitation was open.”
Jealousy ignites as we pass through a crosswalk. “What are you doing here then?”
“I guess I’m a martyr for wanting what I can’t have.” His brazen admission makes me stumble on my heels as he reaches out, steadying me with hands on my waist. “Careful, Hellfire. I’d love to hear your whinging if I had to carry you all the way home.”
We’re standing in the middle of the road, his hands on my waist, bright blue eyes suddenly serious as they peer intomine. The eye contact is intense—charged with a tension so palpable, I can feel it coursing under my skin.
A car horn blares, causing me to jump and step out of his grip as I scurry to get out of the road, Tieran hot on my heels.
“I’ll be fine on my own.” He needs to stop following me, stop texting me, stop doing things that make it really difficult to dislike him. Tieran Stone is poisoning my bloodstream, and I don’t know how to rid myself of him. He is…everywhere—at work, on my phone, on my mind—his presence makes me feel electric whenever he’s around.
