Page 43 of The Puck Decoy

It’s only then that I remember something else about our brief relationship in high school. His jealousy over Josh. He couldn’t stand the fact that I had a friendship with someone older and hotter than him, that I always had his back, and never let anyone talk badly about him. It was always a form of resentment for him, and now he sees the real secret I was harboring back then.

When his stare finally lands back on me he sneers, “Well, now it all makes sense, doesn’t it? You certainly played the long game didn’t you?”

My entire body burns with embarrassment and no words come to my defense, not one, because what would I even say?

Thankfully, Josh is here to have my back. “Don’t fucking talk to her, Jockstrap, or this time it won’t be only your arm I break,” he warns, his words nothing but a depraved promise that makes my heart beat even faster for him.

I see his friends looking at us with a worried look in their eye, preparing for whatever is about to go down, but just as Joey looks as if he is going to grant himself a death wish, some other members of the team join the fray.

Archer strolls down the hallway with Alexander by his side, and Daemon on their heels, laughing and joking back and forth with his goalie until he reaches us, no doubt taking in the tension. He doesn’t stop until he reaches Josh’s side, Alexander and Daemon at his back, and when I look up at him, he takes in the look on my face and zones in on Joey.

“Do we have a problem here?” Archer asks, voice just as dark and lethal as my husband’s, in a tone I have never heard from him before, and I have to put my hand over Josh’s to stop it from shaking.

“I’m not sure, Gray,” Josh casually replies, cocking an eye at him, before slowly moving back to Joey. “Do we have a problem here?”

Joey’s friends have already stepped away, not having their friend’s back in the slightest, as Josh’s team came to have his, and when he notices, I see a deep anger there, before he finally relents. “Nope, no problem here,” he replies casually, looking between all of us, before finally settling on only me. “I’ll see you around, Hallie,” he adds, turning on his heel and moving to leave.

“Next time you see her around, keep fucking walking, prick,” Josh calls after him, his hand now harsh and brutal against my stomach as he holds me against him.

We all watch him leave and then before I can even speak, Josh has me spun around, my back hitting the wall, and him against me with his hands cupping my cheeks, forcing me to look up at him. “You okay, Tink?”

I’m already nodding, forcing myself to hold back my tears as I lie, “Yeah, of course I am.”

Josh glares at me, his thumb brushing back and forth on my cheek as he lowers his voice, “Don’t fucking lie to me, Hals, remember rule number two on that list of yours,” he muses, his anger barely restrained in his tone, yet still it brings me nothing but comfort.

“I’m okay now,” I admit in a whisper, and he searches my eyes for the truth, one I can’t give him. “I promise I’m okay, and you know I never lie to you, Peter,” I add, the deceit slipping through my teeth and praying the mask he knows so well holds better than normal.

His stare stays on mine, not relenting for a second, and ignoring everyone else around us, as he holds my gaze and waits for me to break, but I don’t. Not with him here giving me his strength, and I wish I could tell him that the only thing that could break me, is him.

“What’s going on?” Maddie rushes out from down the hallway, storming towards us like a woman on a mission, and when I break her brother’s stare to look towards her, I find Nova right at her back, both of them looking concerned.

“Nothing, I’m fine,” I lie, at the same time Josh says, “She saw Joey.”

Maddie looks between the two of us before she questions, “Jockstrap Jerkoff was here?” And all I can do is laugh, breaking the tension between everyone here as Josh laughs too, pulling me from the wall as he takes a step back.

“Yeah, but it’s fine. Josh scared him away with threats to break his arm again, both this time.” I playfully scold, only increasing my best friend's confusion.

“Again?” Maddie asks, flicking her stare between her brother and I, but Josh ignores her, nodding his head at Archer.

“Thanks for having my back, Gray,” he forces out, and I know it must be killing him inside to get those words out, which is totally obvious to Archer as he grins.

“What are teammates for,” Archer replies with a shrug. “You might hate me, but I’ve still got your back,” he adds, letting his eyes briefly move over to Daemon for a second.

“I don’t hate you,” Josh rushes to say, but Archer just raises his eyebrows at him, so Josh quickly corrects, “Okay so I admit I don’t like you very much, but I don’t hate you.”

He’s such a big fat liar.

Now it’s Alexander who speaks as he collars Archer with an arm around his neck. “Don’t worry, Peters, the weird fucker really grows on you, right Cap?” he asks, turning to Nova who stands protectively at Maddie’s back.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nova drawls with a smile. “I hate all of you, especially Peters.” Which only brings a smile to my face, as the others laugh.

Yet Maddie acts offended on Josh’s behalf. “Why do you hate my brother but not me?” she questions, and I already know Josh isn’t going to like his answer when his smile turns wicked and full on intent.

“Because I doubt your brother would let me do all the despicable things to him that you let me do, Princess,” he muses, and Josh’s hand on my hip tightens as he curses.

“Darkmore, I swear to fucking god,” he starts, making the rest of the guys laugh, and I know I need to end this little confrontation between them before it even starts.

“Come on, twenty-two,” I purr, forcing his stare back to mine. “Let’s get to the party so you can get me drunk and do despicable things to me too,” I joke in an attempt to keep up our ruse and distract him at the same time, and to my surprise it works perfectly as his eyes turn from anger to pure heat.

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