Page 35 of The Trophy

Most of the people are in the huge dining room where many of the Cove Knights are sitting at the long dinner table after coming in from the kitchen where we’re informed my sister has set up a “chili bar.”

“Let’s go put our chicken nuggets on the counter,” Blaze encourages me. “I’m going to try some of that chili.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you when Bay’s chili obliterates your taste buds and you can’t taste anything for weeks,” I warn him but don’t follow him into the kitchen when I almost run into Cole on the threshold.

The tall, blond defenseman is carrying a bowl of chili in one hand and a plate with corn bread and some salad in the other. “Lake,” he nods. “It’s nice to see you. It was about time you started to hang out with us a little more.”

Cole is one of the few people in the cool crowd I’ve always found approachable. If all the frat guys were as down to earth and nice like my sister’s best friend, I would have probably had a harder time refusing to pledge the Zetas.

Not for the first time I wish Bay was dating him rather than Topher.

“Congrats on the win tonight, Cole,” I smile. “You played a great game.”

“Thanks,” he smiles. “I do my best. We have a great team this year, with just a few exceptions.”

He doesn’t need to tell me who he’s talking about, the tension between Topher and the rest of the starting line was hard to miss, even without any serious incidents like in LA.

“Talking about the exceptions, have you seen Bay?” I ask, sure that if she isn’t by Cole’s side, my sister must be with her boyfriend.

Cole’s smile vanishes, turning into a scowl. “In there,” he nods toward the kitchen. “Enter at your own risk though, the view might put you off your dinner.”

I know exactly what he means the second he steps away from the threshold leaving me with a full view of the kitchen.

Topher is sitting at the kitchen table with Bay on his lap and sucking face doesn’t exactly describe what those two are doing.

Like Cole predicted, the sight does ruin my appetite. “Get a room you two,” I throw halfheartedly in their direction, as I set the bag with the chicken nuggets on the kitchen counter next to one of the slow cookers that contains Bay’s famous chili.

The only silver lining is that Bay is too busy making out with her boyfriend to notice that I brought food from outside. My sister is very proud of her chili and the fact that I can’t handle it has been a bone of contention between us since I can remember.

“Let’s go find a place to sit down, pretty girl,” Blaze smiles, carrying his own bowl of chili and a big piece of cornbread on a separate paper plate.

“Do you want a drink?” I ask him. “You have your hands full but I can get something if you tell me where to look.”

“There’s beer in that cooler,” Blaze points out to a large cooler set up next to the fridge. “There should also be water in there and some wine coolers. If you want something stronger, I can see what we have. I guess the guys didn’t bring out any liquor since we have an early practice tomorrow morning.”

“I’m happy with water, thank you.”

I make quick work of getting our drinks, doing my best to avoid looking at my sister and the Gamma president who seem so taken by each other that they’re oblivious to the other people in the house.

“Over here, Lake.” Blaze waves me down from the head of the table and I lower myself in the seat next to him.

Cole is sitting on the other side of me, with two girls on his lap, but as I look around the room, I see no sign of Luca.

“Did anyone see Luca?” I ask to no one in particular.

“I saw him just before you and Blaze got here,” Cole offers sheepishly. “He was headed to the backyard to, uhm… defuse a situation.”

I don’t get it. “What are you talking about?”

The answer comes from Jagger, the other starting defenseman. “He was trying to shake Bianca. That chick has her eye on the potential crown that could come with dating our prince and she won’t leave him alone.”

I don’t even think about how psychotic I might look when I rise from my chair so fast that it capsizes. I don’t care who Bianca’s dad is, I’ve had enough of her behavior. I could even ignore that she’s always rude to me, but I hate how she won’t leave Luca alone.

All eyes are suddenly on me and I know I look crazy and maybe it’s my insecurity making me react this way, since I don’t think Luca is interested in Bianca. I’m just sick of the mean girls of this world thinking they can have their way without any concern for who they hurt.

“I’m going to get Luca,” I announce, more to Blaze—who has just put the first spoonful of chili in his mouth—than to the rest of his friends. “He must be hungry.”

Blaze looks at me, swallowing fast before nodding. “I’ll come with you, if he’s with Bianca, he might need some help?—”

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