Page 10 of Body Checked By the Defenseman

There is some tension between those two and it makes me wonder if they dated.

“Never have I ever been to a bonfire,” I say proudly. Everyone drinks but I am the only one who doesn’t because I am also way beyond tipsy since I’ve lied about twenty things I haven’t done.

Some of the girls make some bitchy comments about me, but I don’t really care. They aren’t my kind of people anyway.

When Luc and Macklin walk toward us, my heart skips a beat. What are they doing here?

“Can we join?” Luc asks.

Krista stands and offers her chair and then Luc pulls her into his lap.

I don’t know why I feel slack-jawed, but I do.

A girl grabs a chair for Macklin to sit. He’s clearly drunk.

He takes a seat. “So what game are we playing?” he asks the circle.

A girl answers, “Any game you like.”

Macklin ducks his head, laughing like he is shy at her insinuation. When he lifts his head, his eyes meet mine. He hadn’t noticed me sitting here before.

“Ruby?” he asks, his gray eyes wide.

“Hi, Mack.” I wave. “You remember Knox, Annie, and Briar.”

He nods to them by giving them a head tilt.

We loop back around the group. When the girl sitting in Luc’s lap says, “Never have I ever had sex in front of a bonfire.”

I choke on the sip I took of the Mike’s Hard Lemonade, and I break into a cough.

“What, have you not had sex at a bonfire?” Krista asks me.

I freeze. I can’t move or speak.

“Buzz off, Krista,” Knox says.

“Since when do you like good girls?” she snaps back at him.

“Fuck off, Krista, this isn’t the time. And maybe I like someone who is nothing like you for a reason,” he counters.

I begin to feel uncomfortable.

Mack stands from his chair and walks over to me. “It’s time to go,” he says.

“Excuse me?” I ask, completely flabbergasted.

“We should leave,” he tells me.

“Mack, I’m here with Knox,” I remind, and it’s as if he suddenly remembers Knox beside me. Knox stands.

“Hey, bro,” he says to Macklin, extending his hand.

Macklin shakes his hand. “Looks like you’ve got some girl drama, bro.”

My jaw falls slack. What is Macklin doing?

“Nah, it’s nothing. Krista and I are old news, and she isn’t over it,” Knox explains.

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