Page 6 of Die for You
When I manage to weave through the crowd, I grin at my friends. “Never been happier to see you assholes. Having a good time?”
Luke’s hand rests on Sienna’s hip, and Juliet extricates herself from Trey’s possessive serpent grip. “Great time. We made out with some hot masked men and rescued a girl from her crazy ex. It’s been a successful night.” She gives my arm a friendly punch. “Who was that?”
“She seems . . . cute,” Sienna offers. She’s never been a great liar.
“Doesn’t seem like your type.” Luke peers over my shoulder to search for Monica in the crowd. “Thought you were into more of the toned-down, quiet type of girls.”
“Quiet?” Trey grumbles. “If they were quiet, I wouldn’t hear them from my bedroom.”
We managed to convince Trey and Juliet to stay with us at the hockey house until graduation. He wanted to get a place of their own, but Juliet wants to stay close to Sienna until we all leave campus. Just wish they didn’t have to keep that damn spider in the room with them. Who keeps a tarantula as a pet?
“Yeah, I am,” I tell Luke. “She’s why.”
“Who is she?” Sienna’s brows furrow with concern. I’m glad Luke found a sweet girl—he deserves it.
“My ex.”
“You have an ex?” Juliet cocks a dark brow. “I thought you were a virgin.”
Everyone laughs at that, even her stoic boyfriend.
“We dated all through high school. I put up with her shit for way too long.”
“Don’t tell me she’s why you don’t want anything serious with anyone else.” Sienna pokes me.
Juliet loses interest, tugging Trey back to the couch and pushing him down to a sitting position before she straddles him.
When I don’t answer, Sienna adds, “Don’t let her ruin your chances with someone who could actually be good for you, Knox.” She peers up at Luke with a sugary sweet smile. “Love is worth it.”
“Gag,” Juliet calls before shoving her tongue back into Trey’s mouth.
Would I enjoy something like Sienna and Luke have? Sure. But that’s not going to happen. “I have more important shit on my mind than a relationship. Hockey, classes, graduation.”
“Just make sure when she shows up, you don’t miss your chance.” Luke tugs Sienna close by the hip, and she grins up at him. “Trust me.”
Easy for them to say when they’ve found the person they’re going to spend the rest of their lives with. Finn, Damien, and I have accepted our fates as perennial bachelors.
“Where’d Vanderbilt and Ashby go?” Luke scans the faces around us.
“Hopefully, they found a puck bunny for us.” The smile feels nearly as fake as the one I forced for Monica. Even after our win tonight, all I want is to head home and pass out, forget this night. I clap Luke on the shoulder. “See you back at the house.”
In a dark, quieter corner of the party, I finally find Damien and Finn perched against a wall, two puck bunnies grinding their asses on them. Damien’s mask is still fixed in place, but I can clearly picture his glower as he watches the girl in front of him, arms crossed, unimpressed. Finn’s head is bent back, eyes likely shut behind the mask.
“Anybody want to head home?” I call.
Finn’s chin slowly drops as if he’s stirring from sleep. Damien pushes off the wall, nearly sending the girl in front of him tumbling until he catches her by the elbow. But he doesn’t look at her as she whines. “Yeah, let’s get the fuck out of here.”
“We bringing a puck bunny?” I ask. Both girls perk up.
Damien is already heading for the door. “Nah, I’m good.”
The girls pout as Finn strides past them wordlessly.
“Assholes!” one of the girls calls at our backs, brows pulled low over her eyes.
“Maybe next time,” I shout, because even years later, I can’t stand it when a girl calls me names. Can’t let her think I’m really as shitty as she says I am.
I never managed to fix Monica, but she managed to break me.
