Page 23 of The Trophy

Luca nods. “Yeah. When he said that, I stupidly told him that you had been with each of us. I swear I didn’t mean it in a douchy way. I was just trying to get him to back off. We were arguing because we all had a shot with you, and I thought if Topher knew that, he’d find someone else to torment.”

For as much as Luca’s attempt to get Topher to back off was misguided and backfired spectacularly, I see the honesty shining in his blue eyes.

“Right. So Topher knows I slept with each of you.”

They all nod again, wearing matching scowls on their faces.

“Ok,” I exhale. “It isn’t ideal that the douche knows I slept with you, but he was bound to find out that I like all three of you anyway. Star Cove is a small town and campus is an even smaller environment. He would see me with each of you out and about and he might be an asshole but he’s smart enough that he would have figured out that I’m seeing all three of you. But at least he doesn’t know that it happened in the same night. I can only imagine the filth that would come out of his mouth if he knew.”

Rather than looking relieved with my reaction, the guys still look uncomfortable.

“Wait? Did he know that all three of you spent the night in my room?”

“Fuck no,” Luca rushes to reassure me.

“Then why do you all look as uncomfortable as if you were forced to wear skates two sizes too small?”

Another beat of silence and they look at each other again in some sort of silent communication.

“Guys?” I cross my arms over my chest, tapping my foot on the weathered tiles of our little private deck.

I’m equally worried about what they might say next and annoyed because today so far has been a shit show from the second I woke up.

This is what happens when I don’t get my coffee first thing in the morning, the entire day feels like an uphill battle.

Luca finally breaks the silence. “Bella, things got out of hand, but we want you to know that we didn’t want any of this.”

“Any of what?” I struggle to hide the frustration in my voice. “What happened?”

Blaze’s green eyes are full of fierce determination. “Fuck it,” he bites out. “When he caught wind that we had all been with you and that we were fighting about who would get to see you next, Topher thought it would be fun to make it a bet.”

I don’t understand. “A bet?”

“Yeah,” Blaze confirms. “Whoever wins the race to your heart and gets to call you his girlfriend, becomes team captain.”

Wait, what?

I stare at the three of them like the proverbial deer in front of headlights.

I blink repeatedly, opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water, at a loss for words. “What the fuck?” Is the only thing that comes out.

Cash advances toward me, extending his hand to grab mine, but I step out of his reach. “Baby, I know how this might sound. I’m sorry. We are sorry. We don’t even know how it happened. One second we were arguing about who got to take you on a date last night and next we knew, Topher convinced everyone that competing for you was no different than competing on the ice.”

When I don’t say anything, Blaze chimes in. “We tried to tell the team that this was a private matter and it should have nothing to do with choosing a team captain. Cole and Jagger backed us but Topher can be very persuasive and as frat president he has a lot of influence on most of the guys.”

“A lot of the seniors and the newest recruits on the team look up to him. Most of us live at the Gamma house and Topher can make their lives more comfortable or harder on a whim. It came to a vote and we lost.” Cash explains.

I keep looking at them, trying to make sense of this crazy situation.

“Bella,” Luca’s blue eyes are soft, full of concern. “Please say something. We swear we didn’t mean for this to get so out of hand?—”

I finally find what I want to say. “So Topher says jump and you just ask how high?”

Cash runs a hand through his blond hair. “No, it’s not like that. Hockey is important to all of us and it’s not like we weren’t going to try to get you to choose between the three of us anyway, we?—”

I glare at him and Cash Hanbury might be a big, insurmountable wall when he defends his goal, but luckily for him, he knows when to stop talking.

“And how is this going to work?” I ask, my tone so sarcastic that even I could think this is my sister talking and not me. “Are you going to report after each date with me? Are you keeping score? Or do I just announce my choice when I’ve made up my mind?”

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