Page 78 of Puck Prince

“You tell me. You’re the one pissed off that you’re not getting all my attention.” She stands up but doesn’t face me.

I fist my hands at my sides. “I should get all of your attention. You’re supposed to bemygirlfriend. We’re supposed to be dating. It doesn’t look good when you flake out on games and then cozy up with every guy on the team except for me at the afterparty.”

That makes her spin around. “I didn’t flake out on the game!”

“No? Then where were you?”

Callie’s eyes shift a little, her stance less defensive. “I was working. With Miles. After he got hurt.”

“Miles came back to the bench.”

“I wasn’t feeling good.”

For the first time, she spits that line without looking in my eyes.

She’s hiding something. Deflecting the question. But before I can pick at it, she shoots a question at me.

“Anyway, why do you care where I am and who I’m with? It’s not like you invited me down to the bar. If you cared about the optics, you could’ve sat with me and bought me dinner and… whatever other crap boyfriends usually do.”

“I… needed a minute. Don’t turn this around on me!” I snap back. “You drive me crazy, you know that?”

“Oh, trust—the feeling is mutual. I don’t know why I thought this was a good idea.”

“Fake dating me?” I ask.

“That. And moving to Houston, working with hockey players—” Her mouth opens like she’s going to say something else, but she stops herself. Recalibrates. “All of it.”

“So you regret everything?” I ask, moving to stand right in front of her. My heart rate is picking up. Her chest is rising and falling, brushing against mine with every inhale.

“Maybe I do.” Her breath fans across my lips.

It tastes like cherry.

“So let's call it off.”

“We signed a contract.”

“After the charity ball, then,” I offer up, wishing I could take it back as soon as the words are out of my mouth. “After that, it’s all over.”

There’s a beat of silence while the air around us thickens. It’s intoxicatingly dangerous.

“Is that what you want?” I ask.

“Is that whatyouwant?” she retorts.

And I swear her chin tips up towards mine.

I tip mine down, and I can physically feel her pressing into me. Leaning up towards the kiss that we know is about to happen. But the moment crashes to the ground when the elevator dings, and we hear the guys clamoring into the hall.

“You should go,” she blurts out, hiding her face from me.

“Yeah. You’re right.” Gritting so hard I wonder if I’m gonna crack my teeth, I turn and shuffle my way out of her room.

I don’t say anything else. I don’t even look back. We both know why.

Because if I do, I won't leave.

25

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