Page 9 of Tangled in His Game

“Shut up,” I mutter.

What have I just done? Yeah, I want extra points whenever I can get them, but if it’s something hockey-related and Victor will be there... Ugh!

Did he know about this? Is that why he sat down right next to me? But why would he assume he could distract me enough?

I’m letting a random guy mess with my head, and why? I don’t even know.

The class is over before I even realize it. Victor flashes me another smile as he gets to his feet. Greg and Vanessa wait for him. A few other students linger too. I guess everyone wants to know what’s going on.

Victor sitting next to me. Me volunteering for a hockey game.

I run my hand over my face. Who knows what everyone will be saying now? Victor is probably being weird because he wants to get in my pants. He’s always surrounded by girls, so he wants to add me to his endless list, even if he thinks I’m not worthy of him.

Why else taunt and tease me like that? I don’t think he expects me to snap at him and cause a scene to get myself kicked out of Emberwell. It has to be something else, and he doesn’t care what his friends will think. Vanessa will be mad because I’m pretty sure she wants to be his girlfriend, but he’s probably already slept with her and doesn’t give a damn.

As I collect my things, my fingers close around the pen Victor touched. I stare at it for a moment too long, then stuff it into my bag.

I think the professor mentioned something about tickets, so maybe I won’t be anywhere near Victor. Besides, if he’s playing, he won’t have any time for doing stupid things or trying to irritate me.

It’s possible he’s just mad I don’t react to him the way he expects people to react. His smirk flashes in my mind. Ugh, what if I’m doing exactly what he wants me to?

Overthinking, Noemi.

Stop overthinking.

I get to my feet. The classroom is almost empty, and everything is going exactly how it should. I’ll get my extra points for volunteering and the professor might like me more too.

It’s a win in my book. Victor is an irrelevant nuisance, like a pesky fly I need to swat away. He can’t hold me back.

No one can.

Chapter 6

I’M RELIEVED BECAUSEI only have to collect stats on the attendance and tickets, so I mostly have to stay at the entrance. Victor is nowhere near me because he has to prepare for the game.

But when my part of the job is done, I stand in the hallway, undecided. I can go home. There’s no reason for me to be here. I don’t care about hockey, and I care even less about Victor.

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