Page 63 of Vegas with my Brother’s Best Friends

The guy is a douchebag.

“You good?” Marcus asks from my right.

“I’m fine,” I mutter, turning back forward.

“You know how competitive he is. He’s probably fuming on the inside,” Tyler says from my left.

I shoot him a warning glare before directing my attention to the other team as they prepare to serve.

The ball sails over the net.

“Got it!” Ryan calls out from behind me before popping the ball up with his hands joined in one fist.

“Mine,” Tyler says before thrusting it up with his fingertips, lining it up perfectly for me.

I spike it down on the other side of the net, but it doesn’t hit the sand.

Aaron throws himself down and manages to get his hands under it, sending it upward for Derek to slam down on our side.

Marcus dives for it, but he doesn’t reach out far enough.

The ball hits the sand with a thud, and their team erupts in cheers again.

“Damn it,” I grit out under my breath as an overly pleased look crosses Derek’s face.

Some of the bridesmaids cheer, coaxing my eyes over in their direction.

Cassidy lightly claps with them, but she doesn’t look all that excited. I doubt she wants his team to win.

I tear my eyes away from her and look through the net, my jaw tightening at the sight of Derek staring at the bridesmaids. I can already guess which one he’s ogling at.

The fact that he’s the one who broke her heart and now he’s trying to show interest in her infuriates me. It’s like he’s playing some sort of twisted game with her heart.

I’m not going to stand here and let that happen.

Derek’s teammate serves the ball, and Ryan and Marcus counter, popping the ball up into the air above me.

“All you, Jackson!”

My eyes are still on Derek, and his eyes stray to Cassidy once again.

Frustration snaps within me, and I direct my attention up to the ball as it falls back down toward me. I jump up and slam my hand against it, spiking it down toward Derek with all my might.

He has no time to react before the ball strikes him square in the face. He grunts in pain and stumbles back so jarringly that he falls on his ass.

“What the hell, man!”

His teammates rush over to him to help him up as he grabs his nose, his eyes squeezing shut in pain like it’s broken.

I roll my eyes. It was a volleyball. Not a bowling ball.

Ryan jogs up to the net. “Derek, you good?”

Derek lowers his hand, his nose looking slightly red. “What was that about?”

All eyes shift to me, but I’m not intimidated. Certainly not by the likes of him.

“What? Me playing the game?” I question him.