Page 10 of Play It Sinful

At least he’s not trying to hide that he doesn’t like me.

I cross my arms. “What are you doing here, Sean?”

“The same thing as you.”

Rage simmers in the pit of my stomach. “Why? Couldn’t cut it in the junior league?”

He gives me a condescending look and smirks. “I see you haven’t changed. As immature as always.”

“I’m not immature. I just don’t understand why you had to come to my top choice of school.”

“Hannaford U is my father’s alma mater, and my grandfather’s. But you already know that.”

I swallow a retort. I was hoping Sean’s career in pro hockey would take off and he would skip playing college hockey altogether.

“Just stay far away from me,” I grit out.

His brows arch, and amusement shines in his eyes. “You’re the one who came to me. I’m more than happy to pretend I don’t know you.”

Tears prickle my eyes. I can’t believe I let Sean get under my skin so quickly and humiliate me in front of strangers.

I pivot and walk away as fast as I can. I won’t let him see me cry.

SEAN

Fuck. What have I done? I’d sworn to myself I wouldn’t antagonize Ashley anymore, but it’s the first thing I did when I saw her. I guess old habits are hard to break.

“Well... that was interesting,” Alex Kaminski, one of the twins, chimes in.

“Sorry about that. Ashley and I have a complicated relationship.”

“It seems she doesn’t like you that much,” Logan adds, still looking in her direction. “She’s hot though. Is she only mean to you, or is that her personality?”

I want to lie and tell them she’s a bitch, if that’d keep them away from her. I hate that both of them were checking her out. But I doubt an abrasive personality would stop them. I get the feeling they aren’t looking for a girlfriend.

Ashley looks more stunning than I remember, and I hate that I still notice and appreciate that.

“It doesn’t matter. She’s off-limits,” I grumble.

Alex shrugs. “Whatever. There are plenty of fish in the sea.”

I’m in a bad mood now, but I try to keep it bottled inside. I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot with my teammates. The twins are also playing hockey here.

Ashley wasn’t completely wrong when she asked if I couldn’t cut it in the Swedish junior league. It wasn’t a case of sucking. I simply didn’t like it. Even though I lived in London for the past eleven years, I always pictured myself playing hockey for an American team. But when I was approached by the Swedish junior hockey league after I attended hockey camp in Stockholm last year, my ego got in the way. I should never have accepted their offer.

Even though I didn’t know I was coming here until the last minute, I received my acceptance letter to Hannaford U before Ashley did hers. When I finally made my decision, I told only Dad and asked him not to tell anyone. My bullshit excuse was that I wanted to surprise Ashley. I knew how hard she’d worked to get accepted here, and how stressed she was. I didn’t want to rub it in that I got in before her. The truth is, I didn’t want to be forced to do things to get ready for college together. I can’t believe Dad bought my excuse and kept my secret even from Marnie.

“Are you going to Ryder’s party on Saturday?” Logan asks me, bringing me back to the moment.

“Yeah, of course.”

The twins continue talking, but I tune them out as I search for Ashley in the crowd. I can’t see her anymore, and that makes my stomach tighten. I suppose that’s what guilt feels like.

CHAPTER 5

ASHLEY

I’ve been on campus for a few days, and I’ve seen my roommate only once. I suppose I got the golden ticket in that department. After doing the long-distance thing for a year, Tallulah—my roommate—reunited with her high school boyfriend and rarely spends the night here. Her boyfriend is a sophomore and lives in an apartment off campus. I’m happy to have my own space. Now I can invite friends over without worrying about disturbing her.

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