Page 7 of Arctic Titans of Northwood U: Volume 2

The night dragged on. The techno beat of the music pounded through me as I waited. Cole and Spencer were in a heated debate over Ali versus Tyson if both were in their prime. I had my own debate. If Avery Collins didn’t enter this house in the next ten minutes, I would have to march up to Caden and demand help. Or beg for it. Except, I had seen a couple of guys approaching Caden and getting a cold shower of his disregard. He was in a mood tonight.

My heart clenched and I bit my lip. I had absolutely no interest in the uppercuts Cole and Spencer mimicked to prove their individual points. Instead, I stared at the door. Walk in, dammit. Walk the hell in. Now. Three… Two… One. Damn. I rolled my eyes and turned away, licked my lukewarm beer, and decided to exchange it for a fresh one.

People shifted around as I marched to the open kitchen and poured myself a cold one. As I looked around, I decided to risk it. Caden. I knew him better than that goalie, so he had to be my link. Whatever his mood was, I could at least try and get Avery’s number from him.

I plastered on my best smile and walked up to him. His sullen face almost made me turn back. “‘Sup, Jones?”

“What do you want?” he asked.

I let out a descending whistle. “It’s nice to see you, too. Me? I’m doing great. You look ravishing tonight.”

“I’m not interested,” he said flatly. He looked to Sawyer for help, but the goalie was texting.

“That makes two of us,” I said, then bit my speeding tongue. “Can’t a guy just talk to you?”

Caden crossed his arms and leaned against the green and brown wall. “I’m not feeling conversational, Reed. What do you need?”

“Jeez,” I moaned.

“Besides, it’s not a good look, conspiring with the enemy captain,” he added testily.

“I’ve seen your game this season. It’ll take more to convince me that you actually care what this looks like.” I laughed to soften the blow, but it was one I couldn’t resist.

“Why don’t you walk away now while all your teeth are still in place.” Caden said quietly, seething.

I lifted my index fingers, one hand still holding my cold beer. “Because I need to humble myself by asking for your help.”

Caden stared at me. Not even a ‘go on.’ His lips were pressed into a tight line.

After a moment of awkward silence, I found my balls. “I would appreciate it if you could give me Avery’s phone number.”

“Why?” His frown was outrageous.

I rolled my eyes impatiently. “I’m trying to reach him about his car’s extended warranty.”

Caden wasn’t amused. But the goalie lifted his gaze and spared me a smirk. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?” He pointed somewhere behind me and my heart freaking tap-danced. I spun away from the moody prick and discovered my target’s expressionless face. He was holding the fake invite and an increasingly intoxicated frat bro was shaking his head while clasping Avery’s shoulder.

I marched toward him immediately, not even caring that I didn’t have an opening.

“…asked around. Nobody I know sent them, but you’re welcome to stay anyway,” the drunk host said.

I grinned. “So weird, huh? We all got these mysterious invites. It reminds me of Agatha Christie.”

Avery turned his cool, gray gaze to meet mine. It was all-consuming and focused like a needlepoint. “Reed.”

I shrugged and pushed myself right into the small group. “Let’s hope we all survive the night, huh?”

Avery tucked the invite into his back pocket. “What’s up?”

The frat bro sauntered away when a few of his buddies chanted the chugging call. “Hanging around,” I said. “Funny I should run into you.” I barely kept the smirk off my face.

“Why is it funny?” Avery asked, deadly serious.

“No reason,” I said, remembering that I was talking to an actual wooden doll who had wished to be a real boy. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to you last night.”

“That’s correct,” Avery said.

It was lucky I was an avid gym goer. Few people had the back muscles to carry the conversation like me. “You kind of ran away from me.” My grin softened the jab in my words.