Page 16 of In It to Win It

“That was hilarious,” I say, smiling.

He grins. “It turned out pretty good. We practiced for weeks.”

I shake my head, amused and touched by the effort he and the others went to for Théo. He can’t bethatbad of a bad boy . . . can he?

He bends his head close to mine and whispers, “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

And then he’s gone. Stunned, I see him lying on the dance floor, Manny on top of him, having tackled him right out of my arms.

I let out a little screech.

Everyone else starts screaming, people scattering out of the way of the two men wrestling on the floor.

I watch in horror, shocked into inaction. “Oh my God! Manny, what are you doing?”

Théo charges up to them and grabs the back of Manny’s suit jacket, trying to drag him off JP. “What the fuck, man?” he yells at Manny.

“You fucking asshole!” Manny shouts at JP.

Jackson and Théo’s uncle Mark join in, trying to help Théo get Manny off JP, but then two more guys rush up . . . Wyatt, who lives in the same building as Théo, and another man, and they grab Théo to get him to release Manny.

“Hey!” Lacey shouts, marching up in her wedding dress.

Attempting to defend Théo, JP throws a punch. More screams sound as Wyatt staggers back, holding his face. Then they’re all shoving and wrestling with each other.

I throw a wild glance at Lacey, not sure what to do. Théo’s mom, Aline, has her, holding Lacey back from charging into the fray. Then Théo’s dad storms in and somehow breaks things up. The men are all shooting each other angry glares, shaking out bruised knuckles, and adjusting their clothes. JP touches his bleeding lip.

A hot gush of anger rises in me. I glare at Manny. “What the hell was that?” I demand.

He shakes his head, not meeting my eyes.

I turn to JP, unaccountably pissed at him too, with his bleeding lip, rumpled shirt, and mussed hair. My chest tightens and tears threaten. I’m not even sure what all the roiling emotions inside me are. I was terrified he was going to get hurt, and angry that Lacey’s beautiful wedding was being ruined, and now I’m relieved and . . . and feeling guilty. This might have happened because of me. “Fucking cavemen,” I mutter, covering my guilt with fury. “Good God.” I stomp back to the head table to grab my purse.

My bridesmaid duties are done. Lacey’s not throwing the bouquet, the cake has been cut and served, we’ve danced our duty dances.

I stalk across the ballroom to an exit, my legs unsteady from the rush of adrenaline, my cheeks burning.

“Hey, Taylor, wait.”

I turn to see JP. I throw my hands in the air. “What the hell was that? You hockey players are all nuts! I’m out of here.”

His mouth drops open as I whirl on a stiletto heel and march to the front of the hotel to wait for an Uber.

5

JP

I apologizea million times over to Lacey and Théo, even though I’ve done nothing wrong.

Nothing.

I met a fun, sexy woman, had a hotel quickie that I planned to turn into an all-nighter, danced with her a little, and . . . what the fuck? I get attacked on the dance floor!

How was I supposed to know that Manny and Taylor had been dating? I barely know the dude. Other than playing against him a few times, all I know is that Théo—the GM of the Condors, where Manny was playing—traded him away a couple of months ago.

I don’t know what’s going on between Manny and Taylor now, but I’m a little pissed that she was flirting with me and kissing me and, yeah, fucking me, if there’s still something between her and Manny. Jesus.

This is bringing back some ugly memories, and not just for me, because everyone else has their panties in a twist now, thinking I was trying to steal some other dude’s girlfriend.

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