Page 5 of Away Game

Hitting the start engine button, I turned to look over my shoulder as I backed up and cleared the cars. “Except when it has to do with the one girl you can’t have, right?”

“It’s not like that, man.”

It was, but I wouldn’t call him out on it. At least not today. I didn’t want him to be a broody asshole for the rest of the day and ruin my time on the slopes.

3

Fin

“Did you see when I…”I blocked out Dean’s voice from the fire pit. He’d been going on and on since we all piled into my car after a day of skiing and snowboarding. If I had to hear him brag about one more stunt he pulled off, I was going to beat his fucking face in. He was one of those guys who were mediocre at everything they did but thought they were the best. Someone needed to set him straight, and I had a feeling by the end of the week, it was going to be me.

“If you grind your molars any harder, you’re going to do damage,” Oz laughed out.

“What am I supposed to do when I’m surrounded by a bunch of idiots?” I aimed my gaze in his direction. “Maybe we should invite him into the hot tub with us, and I can drown him.”

“Or maybe we should keep him far away from you.” Oz stretched his arms out along the back of the hot tub until one hand was skimming along the back of some girl’s back. He fiddled with the tie on her bikini top almost absentmindedly as he spoke. “What’s up, dude? I thought once you got out on the snow, you’d chill out some.”

I took a slug from my bottle of Jack and watched as Lo, with her eyes pinned on Oz, looked as if she was going to throw up. Oz wasn’t wrong. I thought a week away would be in heaven, but for some fucking reason, West was at my hideaway, and I was going to find out why he was here. And once I found out why, I was going to make his life miserable.

“I just need to get drunk, laid, sleep for twenty-four hours, and I’ll be fine.”

“Well, there’s plenty of women for you to choose from. The ratio is three to one. Shit,” he hissed. “Did you want me to invite Candy?”

“Fuck no,” I growled out. “She’d be an annoying bitch.”

“Then who do you want? You pick, and everyone will stay away. You know they will. And she’ll fall to her knees in front of you, begging to suck your cock.”

I was so over desperate high school girls—or girls all together for that matter. Not that I’d be telling Oz that little morsel of shame.

A girl shrieked, and then there was a splash in the pool. I turned my head back to look at Oz, sure whoever it was would be okay. I took another swallow of my whiskey as Oz jumped out of the hot tub and stormed off toward the pool. He dipped down and pulled out a soaked Lo. She was shaking and crying as he steadied her. Grabbing a towel, Oz wrapped it around her before he pulled Lo into his arms and guided her into the house with Danica on their heels.

I wasn’t sure when he’d ever get his chance with the girl he wanted, or if he’d ever get the nerve up once he finally did, but I wanted my friend to be happy, and Lo wasn’t his happiness.

More girls piled into the hot tub with me. They giggled and tried to look at me all coy like, but they weren’t fooling anyone but themselves. I sat and drank my Jack, watching everyone until the bottle was gone, and then headed inside. My head was swimming from all the alcohol, and my body was overheated as I stumbled my way to my room.

A buxom redhead with a tight shirt revealing she had no bra on stepped in front of me and blocked the way to my bedroom. “Get out of my way…” I couldn’t for the life of me remember her name. I’d seen her around, but she didn’t hang out with my crowd.

“Monica,” she supplied. Tilting her head, she smiled what I was sure she thought was a seductive smile at me. “I thought maybe you’d like someone to keep your bed warm tonight.”

“I have a fireplace for that.” I tried to push past, but she stepped in my way again and started to pull her t-shirt over her head. “Keep your clothes on.”

“I thought—“

“And there’s where the problem lies. You tried to think. Take the hint. You’re not wanted.”

“God, why do you always have to be such an asshole,” she let out a squeaky little growl. It was almost adorable.

“Because I am an asshole, that’s why.”

She put her hands on her hips and scowled at me. “Who are you going to find that’s better than me?”

Green eyes flashed before my eyes, but I pushed the thought away.

“Desperation is not a trait any guy finds attractive.” I stepped toward her slowly as I spoke. “Why don’t you dial it down a notch if you want to hook up with someone this week.”

“But I want you, Fin,” she whined. She thought if she whined like that, she would win points in her favor. “You’re the hottest guy in the whole school. The captain of the football team.”

“Oh,” I drawled out and sidestepped her to my room. “I see. I’m on your bucket list of guys to fuck. As flattering as that is, I’m going to have to decline. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go wash this encounter off me and then never think of it again.”

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