Page 1 of Scoring with my Bestie's Ex

Chapter one

Bella

I should be married right now.

I should be on my honeymoon, giddily shopping in all the stores in Italy.

I should be looking forward to luxurious bubble baths and bringing my husband breakfast in bed.

Instead, I’m here.

My gaze is unfocused, so much so that I can barely appreciate the beauty of the sparkling lake I’m walking next to. Birds sing, and occasionally, a butterfly flutters by.

I’d see none of this in the busy city. But somehow, the quiet stillness of this small town makes my thoughts even harder to get rid of.

I’m so caught up in thoughts of what my honeymoon would have been like that I don’t see him coming. I step off the path just as he does the same to avoid me.

We run into each other with a smack. I bounce off his hard chest and lose my balance.

“Whoa!” A hand grabs my elbow, steadying me. “Easy. You okay?”

I focus my gaze, straightening. “Yes, I’m… Aaron?”

He steps back, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “Bella! It’s been a while. How are you doing?”

I open my mouth and shut it again. Really, I should give a causal ‘fine’ and find a way to get back to the cabin. But I can’t even bring myself to lie right now.

Instead, I ask, “What are you doing here?”

“The team’s coming out to Castleton for some team building,” he answers easily.

His dark hair is ruffled by the wind, his brown eyes shining with genuine pleasure to see me. I always forget how tall he is—I have to crane my neck to look into his face.

He wears a thin T-shirt that molds against his muscled chest and abdomen. His jeans are slung low on his hips. Hmm. His whole look screams ‘off the rack.’ Not that it’s a bad look. Then again, Aaron’s one of those guys who would look good in a potato sack.

His smile is still in place. He’s got such an open, honest face that it’s hard to remember why I should be wary of him—he is my best friend’s ex, after all.

“Ah. So we should expect a raucous hockey team to disrupt the tranquility soon,” I say, nodding.

Aaron is a well-known player on an NHL team. I don’t know the details. I’ve never been a hockey fan. I just don’t see the appeal of it.

“Hopefully not too much disruption,” Aaron answers. “Are you here alone?”

“Ellen’s with me.”

Ellen, my best friend.

Aaron’s ex.

She’s the only reason I’m here. She insisted that it would help me feel better. I don’t know what she was smoking when she thought I’d like a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. Sure, the lake is pretty but I’m not a sporty person.

“Ah. Ellen. Good, I’m glad that you’re not alone after…” His smile slowly fades. “I saw what happened on Facebook. I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you.”

Heat rushes to my face. Of course, he knows what happened.

“Go on. Ask me,” I challenge him, throwing my hands in the air. “I’ve been bombarded by questions from everyone in my family and Steven’s too. Why not you? You must be curious. How much of it is true?”

Aaron holds up his hands. “It’s none of my business.”

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