Page 83 of Wicked Serve

“We were both lying.” I spy a snow-covered bench and scoot towards it, careful not to fall on my ass. Cooper’s next snowball hits my shoulder as I pack one of my own. “And not just to you.” I throw the snowball. He twists, but it still hits him in the chest. I work to make another, swiping my half-frozen tongue over my lips. “And we are friends.”

“I don’t know, are we?”

“Yes,” I grind out as yet another snowball hits me. My next one smacks him in the face, to my satisfaction. “We’re friends. We’re about to die out here together because your brother is a psychopath, I’d say that makes us fucking friends.”

“Good,” he snaps.

“Great,” I shoot back.

“Get inside before you both freeze to death!” Isabelle shouts from the doorway.

“I’m sorry,” I say, finally. I inch closer to him, gritting my teeth against a particularly chilly gust of wind. “I’m not sorry about being with her, but I’m sorry we didn’t tell you. We tried to keep our feelings at bay, but...”

“It has a way of sneaking up on you,” he finishes.

I just nod.

He meets me in the middle of the porch and pulls me into a hug. I blink in surprise, hesitating before squeezing back.

“Did you mean what you said?” he says, quietly enough no one watching through the now-open door can hear. “She doesn’t think she’s as good as us?”

“Yeah.” I slick back my soaking wet hair. Hopefully once we’re allowed inside, Isabelle can sneak me into the shower, because this chill sure as hell won’t go away on its own. “And I’m sure it’s worse now, after what happened with her coach. She’s amazing, but she refuses to see it.”

“She hasn’t said much about it.” He steps back, glancing at the house. “I don’t even know if she’s going to keep playing volleyball.”

“She should.” I haven’t wanted to push her on the topic, but I know she still loves the sport.

“Thank you for telling me.” He shakes his head. “That’s just not true.”

“Of course not.” I rearrange the cuffs of my sodden sweater. “She’s way better than you, you bastard.”

He laughs—a real, deep laugh that I can’t help but join in on—and claps my shoulder. “Come on, let’s play Monopoly. I’ll even let you be the toy soldier.”

“There’s a toy soldier piece in Monopoly?” I ask as we enter the blessedly warm house.

Isabelle looks torn between kissing me and clawing my face off. I shake my wet hair at her. She sticks out her tongue as freezing water splashes her.

“You’re so—Coop, what are you doing?”

Cooper holds out a plastic bag filled with random objects, none of which look like actual Monopoly pieces. I haven’t played in years, but I know that much.

“Come on, man,” he says, shaking the baggie. “Best piece for you.”

Isabelle’s eyes widen. “Don’t take it, Nik.”

I glance around the room. Coach is clearly relieved that Cooper and I didn’t murder each other, and Richard actually looks pleased, as if we passed some sort of test. James is still scowling, but he raises his hand in a two-fingered salute when our gazes meet. Penny looks as if she wishes she could throw another snowball at Cooper’s face, and Sebastian and Mia are clearly holding back laughter. Sandra sighs and says something about idiotic boys as she leaves the room with Ryder’s girlfriend. I hope she’s fetching towels.

“Is it a trap?” I say.

“No,” James drawls.

“Not unless you want to be cursed,” Sebastian adds.

Cooper cocks an eyebrow. “Are you going to listen to those assholes, or me, your new best friend?”

Isabelle knocks his hand away. “Shush. We’re playing in teams again, and we’re going to crush you. Now hand over the button.”

Chapter 41

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