Page 30 of The Triple Play

“Maybe she wants a little bit of everything,” he continued, watching me closely. “I mean, sharing’s not so bad. Wouldn’t be the first time we?—”

“She’s not a flame,” I snapped, jerking my head toward him, my voice dripping with irritation I was barely keeping under control.

Colton held up a single hand in surrender, all faux innocence and a cocky little grin. “Easy, man. It was just a thought.Optionsand all that.”

“Well think quieter,” I grumbled, tearing my other skate off my foot in one clean motion. “You two shits wanted to include me in this, but I’m not here to play nice. I don’t share unless they’re flames. I’m playing to fucking win.”

Cole glanced at me before shooting Colton a look I didn’t quite catch on to.

I pulled off my jersey and leaned forward on my knees, clad in nothing but my underclothes, and huffed out an irritated breath. “I want her,” I said, the words feeling like gravel in my throat, the admission nearly choking me. “I want her for myself, inmybed,alone.”

Silence stretched between us for a moment, nothing but mine and Cole’s heavy breaths from the workout and Colton’s somehow calm ones. But Cole’s low whistle cut through it, his brows raising. “All right then,” he muttered.

Colton snorted. “Guess it’s official. The race is on.”

Chapter15

Annie

I’d been avoiding all three of them.

Cole still had my number from when I’d messaged him about my bag back, and his texts to me over the last week had been left on read. Xavi had come into Smokey’s two days ago, and I ducked into the back like a coward, watching the camera feeds until he left. Colton, bless him, had followed me on my socials and sent me a voice note that I couldn’t bring myself to listen to, even though the preview read,“You okay, sweetheart?”and it had haunted me ever since.

I wasn’t avoiding them because I didn’t want to see them. That was the whole problem — Iwantedto, wanted to so badly that it freaked me out.

But Elliot had made everything so much worse.

His attempts to contact me had been almost nonstop. I’d picked up the first few times, responded occasionally, but he’d spiral so fast that I had to hang up. He’d left voicemails, called me, sent texts that twisted from apologetic to manipulative in a heartbeat.

I just want to talk this out, Ans.

You owe this to me.

Who the fuck even are you now?

You realize how much of a bitch you’re being?

I’d blocked him, but he’d use a different number. I’d block that one too, but it wouldn’t stop it. It was like trying to outrun a shadow I hadn’t realized had grown teeth.

The phone buzzed again on my nightstand as I stood beside my bed in my towel, the midafternoon light pouring through the blind-covered window behind me.

Unknown Number: What am I gonna have to do to get through to you?

I slapped it face down on the nightstand, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn’t know what kind of fucked-up, insane situation I had found myself in, but I needed out. I needed a reprieve, a distraction.

I needed something light, easy, with a smile and a dimple and a smart-ass mouth.

Fumbling with the zipper, I tore open my backpack and pulled Elliot’s folder out, the three napkins falling out into my hand. One from Cole, no number, that he’d done first before writing me my own with his phone number on it. One from Xavi, no number.

And one from Colton. Messy and scribbled with his number. God, I hadn’t even noticed it before, but he’d included a stupid little winking face on it, too. No wonder Elliot had gotten so angry.

When he’d done it, I’d rolled my eyes. But now, I clung to the stupid scrap like a lifeline.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I ignored the next buzz of an incoming text and typed Colton’s number in, hittingcall. This was stupid, absolutely stupid — I hadn’t even checked if they had a game tonight, had no idea if he’d be on the ice right now at practice or within reaching distance of his phone at all. My pulse skyrocketed the moment it started to ring.

Once.

Twice.

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