Page 42 of Blood Sport

“I can handle her, I promise,” I interject, waving off their concerns with my hand. “There is nothing for you guys to worry about. She can think what she wants about me, but I don’t want to create tension between you all and her as well.”

“Just know that we have your back,” Jaycee says from across the table, a smile on her red-painted lips. “And I know for a fact that you could fuck her up in a fistfight.”

I burst out laughing, shaking my head. This is why I love my friends. I know that no matter what, they will always have my back, and it’s comforting.

Thankfully, the topic of conversation steers away from me and Jaylen to other random things going on in our lives. I try to focus as they talk about their classes or the shit assessment they had to do, but my mind grows foggier with each fruity cocktail I consume.

Perfect. That’s what I wanted.

When there is a lull in conversation, I raise my glass. “Does anyone want another drink?”

Candie says yes but Rylee and Jaycee decline since they’re only halfway through theirs. When I step off the stool, my legs wobble a little, but I manage to keep myself upright and walk through the throng of people to the bar. The scent of BO and cheap perfume assaults my nostrils, and I fight back a gag. Squeezing between the people mingling near the bar, I reach the front and order two more drinks, ignoring the sleazy smile the older man bartending gives me.

A soft tap on my shoulder forces me to spin on my heels, ready to fend off whoever it is that wants to talk to me, but I’m met with a familiar face.

“Evie,” he says with a smile. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“I could say the same to you, Preston.”

His short blonde hair is spiked up with some type of hair product and he’s dressed in a button-up shirt and chinos, every bit the typical preppy rich guy. I haven’t seen him since the night I hung out with him at my brother’s apartment a week ago. It’s not often that I see him without Miles.

Wait, Miles—

“Don’t worry, your brother isn’t with me,” Preston says as if he had read my mind. “I came with some friends from class and happened to see you walk past.”I breathe a sigh of relief. “Well, it’s good to see you. How have you been?”

“Good,” he says with a nod, shoving the hand not holding his drink into his pant pocket. “Actually, I did approach you for a reason.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, all good,” he says, nodding slowly. His eyes dart from side to side as if he’s looking for something—or someone—before they settle on my face. “I just wanted to ask if you’ve seen Roman this past week.”

I pause, blinking up at him. “Roman?”

“Yeah. Have you seen him recently? He hasn’t shown up to practice since Monday and he won’t answer any calls or texts. It’s like he’s dropped off the face of the earth.”

That doesn’t sound like Roman. For as long as I’ve known him, he’s always been attached to his phone, making sure to answer any texts or calls he’s received, even at the worst of times. It was something that used to annoy the hell out of me. But hearing that no one has been able to get a hold of him for days is a little out of the ordinary for him. Not that I care what he’s doing after the way he’s been treating me, but it is a little weird. It must concern Preston enough that he thought to ask me—the ex-girlfriend—if I’ve seen him around.

I shake my head. “Not since a few days ago. It wasn’t the… most pleasant of interactions, but he was okay when he left.”

I’m not going to mention the details of Jaylen threatening him. It’s not something Preston needs to know.

Preston pulls his hand out of his pant pocket to scratch his head, a confused look overtaking his sharp features. “Hm. Okay. That’s weird but thank you for trying to help. I’m sure he’s just gone back home for a few days and hasn’t gotten around to checking his phone.”

He doesn’t sound confident with his words because even I know there is no possibility of that being an option. We both know Roman answers his phone even when he’s at home.

“If you see him around, let him know I’m looking for him, yeah?”

I nod, even though there isn’t a chance of me running into Roman again after what happened the other day, but I won’t tell Preston that. He wants reassurance, so that’s what I’m going to give him.

Wherever he is, I’m just glad that he has finally stopped texting me.

“Of course,” I lie and put on the best fake smile I can muster when my face feels slightly numb from the alcohol.

The sound of glass tapping against wood draws my attention to the drinks behind me that the bartender has placed down. He makes sure to give me another creepy smile before I turn back to Preston, but as I do, I catch a flash of brown messy curls over his shoulder. My eyes follow the head through the crowd of people, watching as he ascends the staircase with a petite blonde girl hot on his heels, a smug grin turning her mouth upward.

I fucking knew it.

I had a feeling Jaylen would be here tonight, but it seems he’s not alone.

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