Page 112 of Stick It
I hate everything about this situation, and worst of all, I don’t know how to change it. Short of giving Kyle what he wants—me off the team—there is no other solution. No way to stop him and his minions from coming after me again.
“Come on,” Jax encourages, as if sensing my plummeting mood. “It’ll be fun. Then we can go home, and I’ll kick your ass at COD.”
I scoff, “You mean, I’ll kickyourass.”
Once Coach has debriefed the team and everyone is showered and changed, we all pile into The Stanley. It is loud, packed with the usual Friday night crowd of students, hockey fans, and locals. The team walks in like they own the place, everyone patting backs and high-fiving. The energy is contagious.
Unlike last time I was here, I’m dressed casually in black leggings and matching ankle boots, and a cream-colored loose, flowing top. Since I wasn’t playing tonight, my hair is down,swishing around my shoulders as I push onto my toes to see behind the bar.
I spot Wren immediately, serving the three-person deep crowd surrounding her. At the commotion of the team’s entrance, she looks up, scanning the crowd until she sees me. I wave, and she grins before going back to work.
“I’ll grab us a round of drinks,” Jax says. The crowd divides like the Red Sea to let him through. Flanked by Griffin and Ethan, with Finn ahead of us, lapping up the attention, we make our way through the crowd and toward the booths at the back of the room that quickly emptied as soon as the team walked in.
I end up sitting beside Ethan, with Griffin opposite. Finn initially diverted to talk to some of the guys at another table, but he returns when Jax appears with beers for each of us before claiming the open spot at my side.
It’s not long before the puck bunnies start circling. I catch sight of the blonde who is always hanging off Finn, and groan. Hearing it, Ethan glances my way before following my line of sight.
“Selena incoming,” he announces as the bunny’s—Selena’s—gaze lands on Finn with the precision of a sniper homing in on his target, and she starts moving this way.Great.
Dressed in a crop top and skintight leather pants that I swear give her a fucking camel-toe, she slides right up to him, oblivious to anyone else at the table as she presses her hands against his chest like she has every right to touch him.
“Congratulations,” she purrs, batting her fake eyelashes at him. “You looked incredible out there tonight.”
Not, youplayedincredibly, but youlookedincredible. Does she even know the rules of hockey? How the game is played? Or is she too busy eyeing up every person on the ice like they are pieces of meat for her to drool over?
Finn catches my look of distaste, before giving her a tightsmile. “Thanks, Selena.” He doesn’t pull her onto his lap or even shift over for her to sit beside him. In fact, he barely acknowledges her, but she doesn’t take the hint. Instead, she leans closer, fingers tracing over his shoulders.
I take a sip of my drink, forcing my gaze elsewhere. I try to engage in the conversation happening around me, but like passing the scene of a car crash, my eyes keep flitting back to Finn and Selena.
She’s squeezed herself into the end of the booth now, and I watch with a morbid curiosity as she angles her body so her breasts are pressed against his arm. She drags a pink-polished nail over the cord of muscles on his arm, slow and deliberate. My nostrils flare. The sudden desire to grab her by her perfectly straight hair and wrench her away from him is potent and unwelcome. Finn isn’t mine, and I’m not even sure I’d want him to be. Not that it’s an issue.Hedoesn’t want to be mine, so it’s a moot point.
Catching me staring, Finn must read something in my expression as his emerald green eyes darken. I quickly look away.
My gaze accidentally collides with Griffin’s instead. He arches a questioning brow, glancing back and forth between me and Finn knowingly. I scowl at him before focusing on my drink instead.
“I was thinking…” Selena’s voice pierces through the deep rumble of male tones. I tell myself not to listen, but it’s like I’m attuned to her voice. I can’tnotlisten. Or look, apparently, as my gaze slides in their direction. Selena is twirling a strand of blonde hair around her finger, staring up at Finn with lust-colored love hearts in her eyes. Oh no, wait. It’s green dollar signs I see in her mud-brown depths. My bad. “We should celebrate your big win properly tonight.” Her voice drips with suggestion. “Just the two of us.” She bats her eyelashesseductively. “It’s been a while since we… I’ll do that thing you like?—”
My glass hits the table harder than intended. I’m pretty sure I just threw up a little in my mouth.
It’s not my business,I tell myself. Finn can do whatever the hell he wants.
And yet, there’s an acrid burn in my gut.
As if sensing my inner turmoil, his eyes flick toward me, sharp and aware. The bastard smirks. It makes me want to stab him with the nearest sharp object.
And then, just to drive the knife in deeper, hetouches her.
His hand skims down her back, featherlight, before settling on her hip. His fingers flex, a slow drag up and down over her bare skin.
It’s calculated.
A test.
Because he knows I’m watching.
Selena practically melts into him, pressing closer, her lips brushing his ear as she murmurs something I can’t hear. Something ugly curls in my chest. My nails dig into my palm, jaw locked so tight it aches. I shouldn’t care.
Idon’tcare.
