Page 97 of Holding Penalty

Mollie blushes, waving away Noah’s boast. “I’m happy to be away from my job for a couple days. Let’s not make that the topic of conversation,” she laughs.

“How long have you two known each other?” Hayden asks.

It’s rude, but I kind of tune out their conversation when Piper and Hallie dancing come into my line of sight.

Piper inviting her sister out to meet me like this has to mean something, right? At least it could mean something—right?

I’m overanalyzing every little thing that might be a hint to Piper’s real feelings and intentions like I’m a damn middle schooler with my first crush.

Choosin’ Texas by Ella Langley comes on, drawing a rush of even more people onto the dance floor.

“Oh, I love this song,” Mollie says.

A devious look sparks on Adriano’s face. He stands, drawing himself up to his full height. He holds his hand out toward Mollie. “Do you like dancing to it, too?”

Mollie’s expression softens as she looks up at Adriano. Noah’s hardens.

“I never have before,” Mollie replies, bashfully.

Adriano smirks. “First time for everything.”

A smile slides onto Mollie’s face. A deep frown carves onto Noah’s.

Mollie slides her hand into Adriano’s. He leads her off to the dance floor, spinning her before planting his hand on her waist and swaying her to the music.

He keeps a respectful distance between their bodies, but that doesn’t stop Noah’s gaze from boring into them the whole time, or his knuckles from turning white as he grips his pint glass concerningly tight.

Piper and Hallie get back to our table. They must have snuck an extra drink or two in the meantime, because they’re both looking flushed and acting less inhibited. Hallie especially.

They’re hunched together, whispering and giggling. And what really piques my interest is how they keep stealing glances at Vaughn.

“Piper, don’t,” I hear Hallie whisper sharply to her sister, right before Piper signals to the goalie.

“Vaughn, guess what?” Piper’s shit-stirring grin splits her face.

“What?” Vaughn asks, guardedly.

“Piper!” Hallie admonishes in another sharp whisper, which her sister pays no heed to.

“Hallie wrote a book about you.”

Now that catches the attention of everyone at the table. Even Noah stops glaring at Mollie and Adriano.

Vaughn fixes a blank look at my wife, his eyes blinking slowly and heavily. “Excuse me?”

Hallie buries her face in Piper’s shoulder. “It wasn’t a book. It was a Wattpad story.”

“It was like sixty chapters,” Piper says. “It was a book.”

“What pad?” Vaughn asks, bewildered.

“Wattpad,” Hallie explains, still smothering herself in Piper’s shoulder like she’s too embarrassed to face all the eyes on her. “It’s a website where you can upload fanfiction and original stories.”

“And … why did you write a book about me?”

Hallie’s face is scarlet with embarrassment as she finally brings herself to face Vaughn’s bewildered glare.

“Do you remember Callum Steiner?” she asks.