Page 76 of Revenge Puck

“You aren’t thinking about taking him back?”

“God, no! And could we please try not to talk about him anymore?”

“Sorry. I just wish he would stop bothering you.”

What I mean is that if Riley stopped contacting her, then it might be easier for her to move on, to get over him, and fully be with me.

Kissing the top of her head, I tell her, “I should get dressed and get going.”

Slipping my arm free and climbing out of bed with Elle there is harder than it should be, but I make it to my feet. After fixing my pants, I look for my shirt and hoodie while Elle sits up in the pile of sheets, hair messy, lips pink and swollen, looking so sexy it hurts.

“I’ll text you when practice is over and then come pick you up. I left my car at the arena last night while I walked around the city.”

“I’ll be ready,” she agrees.

Once my shirt, hoodie, shoes, and socks are on, I lean over the bed to give her a kiss goodbye. “See you soon.”

When I start to pull away, Elle grabs my hand to stop me from walking away. “Thank you for last night. For tracking me down.”

“Thank you for letting me in.” I lean down to give her another kiss, and while I’m distracted, she strikes. Her quick fingers fish her panties from the front pocket of my jeans.

“Got them!” she announces proudly, waving the Bobcats thong like a flag. “You did promise to give them back.”

“Fine. Just don’t wear them tomorrow night. Or any panties. That’ll be my good luck,” I tell her with a wink, before I make myself walk out the door.

25

Elle

As soon as Preston leaves, I hop up to take a shower, then pack my things so I’ll be ready when he finishes up with practice.

Last night was…I don’t even have the words to describe it. But I decide to try around noon when I know Audrey will be taking her lunch break.

“Beauty Boutique,” she says when she answers the salon phone.

“Hi!”

“Hi yourself! You want to tell me why I got ten messages last night from Maya, Preston’s sister, just as I assured you she was, asking me the name of your hotel?”

“It’s a long story.” I flop down on the foot of the bed with a sigh.

“And I’ve got an hour to listen.”

“You have to eat.”

“I can hold the phone on my shoulder and eat my chicken salad sandwich just fine.”

I fill her in on the parts of the story that I can tell without giving away Maya’s secret. When I’m done, Audrey says, “So, you freaked out about catching feelings, left the game, and refused to tell the poor man where you were?”

“It was stupid, I know! But I didn’t think Preston felt the same way I did, that this…thing between us is real. Being around him, pretending it was all fake in public, it would’ve been too hard.”

“You were trying to protect your heart by ending things with him?”

Swallowing around the lump in my throat, I admit the truth to her and myself. “Yes.”

“Did he figure out which room you were in? I didn’t want to text you and ask in case it was supposed to be a good surprise.”

“Yes, he found my room. The clerk and manager told him since they recognized him.”

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