Page 83 of Head Over Skates

There are strategically placed barriers and trenches at the outdoor paintball place she rented out, creating an epic battle zone that looks straight out of a war movie.

Bunkers and barricades are scattered throughout the place, providing the perfect spots for ambushes and sneak attacks. A thick layer of vibrant, splattered paint already coats portions of the ground.

"Emily! Over here!" Shannon calls out, waving me over behind a barricade. I scurry over, dodging a few stray pellets on the way.

"Having fun?" I ask with a grin as Leigh Tate loads up her gun next to us.

"Are you kidding? This is the most excitement I've had in years!"

Leigh chuckles, “So you don’t feel guilty we didn’t bring the boys?”

Leigh and Shannon have become close friends ever since Cyrus started play dates with Leigh’s son, Aiden. The boys go to school together along with Titans defenseman Paul Nagel’s son. The three boys are inseparable, and are currently having a pool party at Paul’s house while us ladies pummel each other with paint balls.

“Heck, no!” Shannon replies.

Leigh high-fives her. “Amen sister. I’m usually the one setting up pizza and cake while they have all the fun.”

A big glob of teal paint splats near us.

I look over to see Maggie doing her best Rambo impression, screaming at the top of her lungs, “I’m comin’ for ya, suckaaas!”

Where did all this aggression come from? Oh yeah. It’s just Maggie being wild as usual.

“I’m on your team!” I cry from across the way. “Don’t shoot.”

“Why are you over there conspiring with the enemy, then?”

I yell back. “We’re just talking.”

“This is no time to talk, soldier.”

I’m starting to think Maggie’s taking this a little too seriously.

Suddenly, the gate from the armor room bursts open. In stride a group of rowdy hockey players, led by none other than Sawyer and Hendrix, all of them geared up with paint guns poised and ready. I spot Owen immediately, looking as handsome as ever, despite his mischievous smirk.

"What are you guys doing here?" I demand, trying and failing to hide my amusement.

"Crashing the party, obviously!" Sawyer hollers back. "You didn't think we'd let you ladies have all the fun, did you?"

Griffin, usually the level-headed one of the guys, lets out a battle cry and runs past his buddies, shooting paint everywhere. I honestly don’t think he even cares about teams. He’s shooting everyone.

With that, chaos erupts. Bright splatters of paint start flying in every direction. I duck behind the barrier, laughing uncontrollably as Maggie gets nailed square in the chest by a vibrant red splatter from Sawyer's paint grenade. She lets out a dramatic gasp, clutching at her heart like she's been mortally wounded.

"You'll pay for that, playboy!" Maggie hollers, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She scoops up a handful of neon green goop and flings it back at him with impressive aim.

This is going to be an all-out war zone, paint splattering every surface. For a few wild moments, we're all kids again, carefree and living in the moment without a care in the world.

"Quick, we need a plan of attack!" Shannon urges Leigh, eyes alight with competitive fire. I meet Owen's gaze from across the room, his beautiful blue eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that makes my breath catch in my throat. A roguish grin tugs at the corners of his mouth as he winks, the simple gesture sending a flutter through my chest. For a fleeting moment, the rest of the world fades away, and it's just the two of us, just like in the movies.

The paintball battle rages on around us and it might as well be in slow motion. How can I even pay attention with Owen's gaze burning into me like that? He arches an eyebrow at me, a silent invitation. Before I can overthink it, I'm on my feet, dodging a few stray paint pellets as I make my way over to him.

"Come here often?" Owen murmurs as I approach, his voice low and sexy.

"Only when I’m about to get married," I quip back. "Aren't you afraid of ruining that pretty face?"

He lets out a low chuckle that sends a shiver down my spine. "You’re with it."

Before I can respond, Owen's hand finds my wrist, giving a gentle tug as he leads me away from the chaos. My breathcatches in my throat as we duck around a corner, suddenly shielded from view behind a barricade. He crowds me back against the wall, that roguish grin of his sending my heart into a frenzy.

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