Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 162138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
“Ah.” He grins. “You watch football now?”
“Sometimes.” Another ghost of a smile.
I know Banks is her friend, but that bit of information stings. Knowing that she didn’t watch any of my games sucks. I understand why she couldn’t watch, and I can’t fault her for it, but it sucks. I remind myself that what they share is entirely different from what we have. I’ve known that from the start, which is why I never cared too much about them hanging out. Besides, it’s not like they ever hung out alone. And if Banks wanted to make a move, he would have done it by then. Who knows, maybe he did and got rejected. Either way, I’m not worried about him. We should probably invite him to the wedding. I’m sure it would mean a lot to her to have him there. As if she hears my thoughts, she looks at me briefly, and I know that’s what she’s asking. I smile and give a shrug. She smiles wide, my smile, only at me, before she turns to him.
“We’re getting married next Saturday,” she says, her words rushed. “In Chicago. It’s totally spur of the moment. We just decided like two nights ago, so it’s nothing big, but we’d love for you to be there.”
“Damn.” Banks grins at me. “I guess you got on her list after all.”
I laugh wholeheartedly. “It took a while, but yeah.”
I knew I’d dominate that damn list.
“Congratulations,” he says, smiling at the two of us.
“You should come celebrate with us,” I say. “Bring a date if you have someone.”
“Nah,” he says. “Just went through a pretty rough break-up.”
“Oh God.” Lyla rolls her eyes. “Every time you say that, it means one thing. Tell me you didn’t cheat on this one.”
“No.” His brows shoot up. “But she thought I did.”
“She thought?” She laughs lightly. “I don’t even know what to make of that.”
“I’ll tell you about it later,” he says with a laugh, as he looks at me again. “And I would love to go to your wedding.”
“I’ll text you the details.” I extend my fist for him to bump, and he does.
His brows hike up. “You have my number?”
“Did you change it from the time we were here?”
“No, same one,” he says.
“Then I should have it.”
“Huh.” He frowns, but it’s quickly replaced with joy. “Text me the details. I’ll be there.”
We say goodbye and walk away. Lyla puts her hand in mine again.
“You got his number from my phone, didn’t you?” she asks, eyes dancing when she looks up at me.
“You hung out with him a lot,” I say. “I did what I had to do.”
She laughs quietly, shaking her head, but doesn’t say anything. We’re not near the crowd, so we can stand here without causing a disturbance. I stop walking and hold her hand steady, so she stops walking and faces me.
“If the tables were turned, what would you have done?” I ask, because I’m genuinely curious.
Lyla’s jealous as fuck when it comes to me, and if she says otherwise, she’s a damn liar. It’s not a trust issue between us. I know she’d never be with anyone else and I sure as hell hope she knows I wouldn’t either. Still, the jealousy remains. I think it’s healthy. I don’t really care if it’s not.
“What would you have done?” I ask again. “If some girl was always around me and we spent hours together on the ice.”
She scowls and looks away. For a moment, I think she’s going to say she wouldn’t care. Honestly, I’ll leave it at that because of where we are and why we’re here. But she looks at me again, that fire in her eyes that instantly turns me on.
“I’m not sure what I’d do, but I know she’d wish she’d never met you at all.”
I laugh and dip to kiss her. “I think you may be a little crazy, Lyla James”
“Only when it comes to you,” she says, smiling.
I’m stuck on that smile for a long time, until I remember something. “Is your mic on?”
She pulls the material of her dress forward, checks, and looks mortified when she meets my gaze again. I burst out laughing.
“What, you don’t want people to know you’re so crazy about me that you’re jealous?” I grin, as I pull her toward the doors.
“It’s not funny.” She scowls, then drops her head to speak into the mic. “Please ignore that little lapse of judgment.”
I laugh again. I can only imagine them back in the SUV. They must be laughing their asses off. They’re used to serious jobs, so to them, this feels like a very well-paid vacation. My smile drops when we walk inside when I spot Jameson. I have never hated a person so much in my life. I’ve never been this angry. Even when my father didn’t show up for us when I knew he could, I didn’t feel this way. I remind myself to keep my face impassive. He glances up and waves when he sees me, a forced, fake smile on his face. I don’t even bother returning the greeting. By now, he has to know I know. Still, I can’t fucking believe the nerve of him saying hello to me like that.