Page 26 of The Trophy

I cross my arms over my chest. “You know what they say about too many cooks, right?” I retort, without moving from my spot leaning against the kitchen island. “But if you want to go, I can take over. Don’t you have a game to get ready for?”

The Gamma president comes to grab the meat in question, his brown eyes full of poorly disguised contempt. “Go figure. Rather than being happy for your sister, you’re jealous that she’s in a committed relationship when you are not.”

Motherfucker.

Thank fuck the chef knife Bay was using to chop her veggies is out of reach or I would be very tempted. “My relationship status has nothing to do with why I’m not happy for Bay. My sister is the most awesome person on Earth and she deserves better than a rich boy douche bag like you.”

All pretense of civility between us falls away when Topher snarls. “Can you even hear yourself? I know exactly why you’re so bitter, Lake.”

I open my mouth to tell him not to ever call me Lake again, but he charges on.

“You’re jealous because you wanted me and I chose the prettier twin. And you have some nerve calling me a rich douche when you’re literally fucking a prince. If there was a gold digging 101 class, you could fucking teach it.”

My mouth opens again, but this time in disbelief.

“You can’t be serious, Topher. I’m not seeing Luca because he’s a prince.”

His laugh is harsh as his eyes rove over me from head to toe. “Right. And if things don’t work out with Luca, there’s always Blaze. His father is a one star general, so he isn’t doing too bad.”

I clench my fists, barely keeping my temper in check. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”

His smirk has a cruel edge but what cuts the most is his teasing tone. “Oh, but you know exactly what I’m talking about. Even Cash isn’t a bad prospect, as long as he gets drafted. Be careful though. If he doesn’t get picked, you’d be stuck with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. It can sound fun at the beginning, but once the novelty wears off, you’d be living paycheck to paycheck.”

I can’t believe this asshole.

“Stay out of my love life, Topher,” I snarl. “We both know that the reason why I’m not happy for Bay isn’t jealousy. The reason I don’t like you is that I see through your nice guy act. You’ve been good to keep your mask on in front of my sister, but your true colors are starting to show. This is why you and Bay have been fighting so much lately. Or did you think my sister wouldn’t confide in me? It’s only a matter of time before she sees that under that prep school educated, rich boy veneer, there’s nothing but a selfish prick who leers at other women the second Bay isn’t looking.”

My provocation falls on deaf ears. “Maybe the reason you and I clash is that we aren’t so different, Lake. But I’d be very careful with my teammates and not give up all the goodies. Leave a few tricks up your sleeve if you don’t want them to throw you away when they’re done passing you around.”

His words hit me square in the chest. “I’m not a puck bunny.”

Topher barks out a laugh. “Coulda fooled me. If you wanted them to take you seriously, you should have waited before spreading your legs for all three of them. Or did you think I didn’t know? The reason you hate me is that I see through you, Lakyn. You’re the boring, mousy twin. No one would have spared you a second glance before Bay gave you a makeover. And you’re the slutty twin too. You hate me because you want me but you know you don’t stand a chance. Bay is the better version, you’re just destined to be left on the shelf and you’ll have to watch me and Bay live the life you secretly want but you’ll never have because you’re not enough.”

He’s wrong.

It’s true that she’s always been the brightest star, not only between us. Bay shines and turns heads everywhere she goes, but she’s so generous and loving that I could never resent her or be jealous of her.

“I wouldn’t book a wedding venue yet,” I react. “One day soon, Bay will see the real you. Do you think she’s still gonna be excited to meet your family when I tell her about the disgusting challenge you have going on to choose the new team captain?”

I know I hit a nerve when his smile fades. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

It’s my turn to laugh. “Oh come on, Topher. The guys told me everything. You tried to play for who slept with me first and when you realized that wouldn’t work, you decided that the one who managed to tie me down, would be captain.”

The first crack in Topher’s arrogant veneer shows when he looks around the kitchen, as if to make sure that Bay hasn’t returned.

“So what? The Greek system thrives on challenges like this one. It’s not like the Zetas don’t compete for who gets engaged first or who gets the biggest rock on her finger.”

He’s right. “That’s one thing, but you know better than me that you suggested that dare to hurt me. First you wanted to turn the entire thing into a race to getting in my pants, and when it didn’t work, you turned my love life into a sick game for yours and your frat brothers’ entertainment. Bay might know how the Greek system works, but she’ll see that your intentions were malicious.”

I know I got him when he lowers his gaze.

I should know Topher isn’t easily defeated. “That’s probably true,” he says, his cool and collected smile firmly back in place. “But you won’t tell Bay about the dare.”

I snort at his words. “The fuck I won’t. That’s exactly why I came here so early.”

He moves fast, flattening me against the kitchen island. “You won’t breathe a word of this to Bay, or I’ll destroy you and your boyfriends.”

His fingers are closed over my chin, digging into my flesh and forcing me to look into his expressionless brown eyes. “If you tell Bay, I’ll leak to the press all the dirt I have on you and your guys. From Luca’s threesomes, to the fact that three players are fucking the same girl. I’m going to say that the three of them are tag teaming you. Imagine the frenzy that would cause. The press would pay me a pretty penny to get dirt on Prince Luca. His father would force him to leave Star Cove. Or do you think that Luca left Yale out of choice after winning the Frozen Four last year? The King didn’t like the constant negative press. He’s trying to get the parliament of Montebello to turn the republic into a constitutional monarchy, like in the UK. Any scandal involving the crown prince would hurt his chances.”

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