Page 85 of Stick With Me
I turn and he’s standing there, elbow resting on the bar top, with a self-assured look plastered on his face. “Knolls.”
He chuckles, clearly enjoying getting under my skin. “Sorry to crash yourdate.” His smirk widens, as if he’s waiting for a reaction.
I knew he’d be here, but actually seeing him instantly kills my good mood. It feels like every time something good happens, Knolls is there to ruin it.
He always has to one-up me. It’s been that way since college—every time I achieve something, he finds a way to belittle me or do better.
We enter the draft together, but he’s the one who gets picked.
I tell him how I feel about Hannah, but he weasels his way into her heart.
I sign a million-dollar contract, and he signs one for three.
For once, I have her, our second chance, and he’s doing everything he can to ruin it.Our goal was to rub our relationship in his face, I remind myself.
“Nah, it’s all good. Eyeing her from across the room is as close as you’ll ever get to her again, so enjoy the view.” I tip my head in Hannah’s direction, unable to keep the venom out of my voice.
“We’ll see,” he says with a sardonic laugh. “You should enjoy it while it lasts.”
The urge to swat him away like a fly is strong. “Why’re you here, Knolls?”
“Oh, come on now, I can’t ruin the surprise, can I?” His voice drips with mock innocence. What the fuck is he up to now?
I keep my gaze fixed on the bottle of Macallan on the shelf in front of me, avoiding the smug expression I’m sure he’s wearing.
Luckily, the bartender finally makes his way down to take my order. Unluckily, Knolls is still hanging around. “Getting her drunk on tequila? That’s always a good move. Loosens the stick that’s usually lodged up her ass. She’ll fuck?—”
“If you value your new set of teeth, you’ll shut your fucking mouth.” My hands clench into fists.
He laughs, satisfied with his ability to get under my skin.
The bartender returns quickly with my drinks, and I drop a twenty in the tip jar before heading back to Hannah without saying another word to Knolls.
I loop my arms around her as I approach from behind, and she leans back into me. Placing the drink in her hand, I keep an arm around her, bending down to whisper in her ear, “He’s here.”
Her body tenses. “You mean the voodoo doll that I created and cut the legs off of after you fell asleep last night didn’t work?”
The sip I just took nearly spews out of my mouth as I suppress my laughter. “I’m afraid not.”
“Ugh,” she says, though her face relaxes into an easy smile.
“Let’s not let him ruin our night, okay? I already told him to enjoy the view of you from his side of the room.” My eyes drop down her frame, still tucked in front of me. “Might’ve let my inner caveman show?—”
She cuts me off with a quick kiss to my lips. “I kinda love your inner caveman.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. Our first speaker will be taking the stage in a moment.” The coordinator’s voice comes over the loudspeaker.
Hannah and I make our way to our table, which thankfully doesn’t include Knolls. Instead, Dylan Beck is on my right. He’s solo, but a couple of other guys from the league are there with their partners, along with my agent, Mike. He’s the one who coordinated our attendance.
“Hey, bud, good to see you,” Beck says, giving me a friendly pat on the back. He glances over my shoulder at Hannah, his brows raised in question.
Leaning back, I introduce them. “Hannah, you remember Beck, right? I played with him at Rumford. And Beck, Hannah,my girlfriend.”It really doesn’t get old.
His brows meet his hairline before he quickly relaxes his features. “Wow, so it’s finally happened? Good for you guys.”
“Thanks, man,” I reply, while Hannah exchanges equally polite pleasantries.
The announcer’s voice echoes through the space again, cutting off our conversation, but Beck leans in and whispers in my ear, “Happy for you, man.”
