Page 121 of Cold As Ice

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The Penalty Box was swarming with Lakers fans, and the second we filed inside, a huge chorus went up.

“Fuck, it’s good to be alive,” Leon chuckled before slipping into a group of awaiting bunnies.

“Fucking dog,” Noah whispered.

“You don’t miss those days?” someone asked, and my sister’s boyfriend didn’t miss a beat.

“Like hell I do. Rory is all I’ll ever need.”

“You hearing this, Austin? Holden’s all—”

I moved past them and melted into the crowd.

I loved Rory, and yeah, we’d gone some way to clearing the air between us after our short trip to Syracuse, but I didn’t need to listen to that shit.

It was bad enough I got to witness Noah with his hands all over her on the daily.

“Austin.” A set of perfectly manicured nails slid over my arm.

Fuck.

“You look good.” Fallon gazed up at me, and I felt… nothing. “I was hoping we could—”

“Not going to happen.”

“But I’ve missed you. I’ve missed us, Austin.” Her hand found mine and she threaded our fingers together like she had some fucking claim on me. “Didn’t you miss me?”

Why?

Why the fuck did girls do this?

I didn’t want to be an asshole. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. But what part ofwe’re overdidn’t she get?

“Look, Fallon—”

“Is there someone else?” She blurted. “Because if there is, I’ll understand.”

“No, there’s no one else.” The words felt wrong.

They felt like a lie.

Fuck.

Fuck.

“You sure about that?” Her expression hardened. “Because you don’t look sure.”

“Fallon,” I let out an exasperated sigh. “This isn’t the time or place.”

“We could go somewhere. My place—”

“No.”

Hell no.

“I’m here with the team, and I meant what I said, this—us—it’s over.”

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