Page 38 of Force Play

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“What do you want, Matthew?” I ask, crossing my arms.

His response is just to laugh. “Always so serious.” He places a hand on my shoulder. “Lighten up, Luc.”

My shoulders tense before I firmly shrug him off me. “Look, I don’t know why I’m over here because I have no desire to talkto you. If you need something, let me know now because I’m walking away.”

Matt stops me before I can. “Have you thought more about what I said?”

“What do you mean?”

“About living with me.”

I scoff. “Matt, you have a fuckinggirlfriend.You know, the woman you cheated on me with? Besides, I have somewhere to stay. I already told you I was moving in with Ari.”

He rolls his eyes. “You hate Ari.”

“No, I don’t,” I bite back, growing more fired up by the second. “I hated how he went about things the night we met him, but I never hated him. In all honesty, the only thing I hate right now is that he was fucking right about you from the very start.”

“I’ve changed,” he slurs, stumbling over his feet.

“You’re hitting on me while literally having a girlfriend. You haven’t changed a goddamn bit.”

Matt looks more annoyed. “I’d change for you then.”

I laugh derisively. “Oh, really? Did you know this is the club we came to for New Year’s last year? The one where you told me you had to work in the morning, but you were really spending it with Anna? If you wanted to change for me, you would’ve done it when we were together. But you didn’t, Matt.You didn’t.”I jab him in the chest. “Because you don’t want to change. Now, go find your girlfriend or something. I’m done with this conversation.”

I leave Matt reeling as I stalk off toward the VIP section again. Instead of returning, though, I head for an empty hallway. I need to chill out before I can join my friends again. I’m too pissed off right now.

The hallway seems to lead to an employees-only area, so I don’t venture all the way back, just far enough that I can be somewhat alone in the dim lighting. I close my eyes and rest myhead against the wall, willing myself to calm down. I focus on my breathing and try to empty my mind.

But I’m not alone for very long.

“You okay?” I hear a voice say as they step into the hallway.

“Ari?”

He quickly strides over to me, coming to a stop directly in front of me. “Are you okay?”

“How did you know I was over here?” I ask, more curious than anything about why he followed me here.

Ari sighs. “I saw you talking to Matt, so I kinda kept an eye on the situation since I know he’s a prick. Then I saw you come over here instead. The rest of our friends are too drunk to really know what’s going on right now, so I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

It takes a few moments for the words to register.

Ari Morgan, the man who’s never liked me, was actuallyworriedabout me.

He watched me with Matt and then followed me to make sure I was okay.

We haven’t been living together long, but he’s been showing me glimpses of a different side of himself.

He isn’t exactly who I thought he would be.

I take a deep breath and finally reply. “Yeah, I’m alright. Just needed a minute to calm down after talking to him.”

“Did he say something to you?” Ari asks with an edge to his tone.

“Calm down, Casanova. He was just trying to get me to move in with him again.”

I watch as Ari clenches his teeth and balls his hand into a fist before releasing it. “He’s an ass.”