Page 77 of Mine to Take

Even the thought of that makes me want to plow my fist through something.

Preferably River Thompson’s face.

There’s no way that douchebag deserves her.

He doesn’t even deserve to look in her direction.

Remembering how he’d allowed another girl to maul him in front of her…

It pisses me the fuck off.

She’s better than that.

Deserves better than that.

After Sabrina, I didn’t bother with relationships. They seemed like more work than they were worth. Especially once I hit college. Division I hockey is no joke. It’s more like a full-time job. Add school to that, and it doesn’t leave much time for anything else. My only interest in the fairer sex was to release a little steam.

And for the last three years, that’s worked well.

There are plenty of groupies on this campus that are happy to have no-strings-attached sex on the regular.

Or blow me.

They never meant anything.

And they sure as shit didn’t rent space in my head.

All I can say is that Willow is different.

She’s so fucking perfect.

And if River doesn’t realize it, he doesn’t deserve her in his life.

If I have any say in the matter, he won’t.

Willow might not realize it yet, but she belongs to me.

Those thoughts only make me more anxious to see her. I grab my backpack from my locker and swing toward the door.

“Hey, where are you off to?”

I glance at Ryder as he drags a T-shirt over his head.

Things are still…weird between us.

What I don’t know is if he’s aware of it.

I’ve considered broaching the subject. But the possibility of coming off like a whiny bitch is what continues to hold me back.

When I remain silent, lost in the tangle of my thoughts, he pops a brow. “Mav?”

I hitch the backpack higher on my shoulder. “The library.”

He laces up his shoes. “Maybe I’ll come with you. I have a test to cram for, and Jules is out with Carina.”

With a frown, I digest that tidbit.

So if Juliette’s busy, he can make time for me?

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