Page 65 of The Friend Zone

Bay shakes her head. “No, Toph. Why would I lie to you about something like that?”

The dipshit is so sure of himself, it’s almost funny.

“You’re just saying that to hurt me and to embarrass me in front of my friends.”

There’s no mirth in Bay’s laugh. “No babe, believe me. I was just being honest. If I wanted to embarrass you in front of allourfriends, I’d say that Ryker and Jagger made me come. That Cole was dangerously close to giving me an orgasm with one kiss. You? You were too selfish to think about anyone’s pleasure but your own. And you’d rather say that there was something wrong with me, than trying harder to make things good for me. If I wanted to embarrass you, I’d say that out of the four men I slept with, you’re the one with the smallest cock.”

Topher moves faster than lightning. I swear to God, if he moved this fast on the ice, he’d have no rivals.

“You lying little bitch,” he seethes, grabbing Bay’s wrist. “I’ve been too nice to you maybe. If no one ever showed you where your place is and how to respect your man, I’m going to be more than happy to teach you that lesson. You filthy little slut, you’re no better than the puck bunnies you used to look down on, you know that right? Who else have you fucked other than Ryker and Jagger? Cole? Tucker? Did you let the whole team have you when I wasn’t watching?”

Fuck, no.

The way he just spoke to Bay would be enough to make me want to kill him, but when I see the way he grabs her, trying to manhandle her?

I fucking snap.

The irony is that I’m not even the only one who rushes toward Topher. Ryker and Jagger are right behind me, Luca, Blaze and Cash stand up from their seats on the couch and advance toward us.

Tucker, Corey and most of our teammates either stand up or yell at him to let Bay go.

Lakyn is advancing toward him like a fury from hell. But I’m faster than all of them.

Blind rage expands in my chest, burning with the heat of a thousand suns and I’m on them in a heartbeat.

My body acts faster than I can mentally catch up with, more furious than I’ve ever been.

I hear the noise of my fist colliding with Topher’s face before I even realize what I’m doing.

Adrenaline almost takes away the pain of the impact as I feel my knuckles splitting as they make contact with his jaw.

I can count on one hand the fights I’ve had on the ice and usually it’s over before things can get too heated and too much damage can be done on either side.

Right now I’m bloodthirsty. I want to kill Topher for every single tear he has caused Bay to shed. For being a shitty boyfriend, for cheating on her, for not protecting her when she trusted him with her heart. Most of all, for putting his hands on her without her consent.

I manage to get in a second punch, smiling when I see the blood filling his mouth.

But our teammates, who a second ago were ready to hit Topher just as much as I was, pull us apart. Or more accurately, they rip me away from him.

“Dude,” Cash has his arms wrapped around me in a deadlock. “He’s not worth it.” He whispers in my ear.

Blaze, puts himself between me and the motherfucker while Luca and Jagger are lifting him off the floor.

My eyes search for Bay and relief floods my insides when I see Ryker and Lakyn checking on her.

“He just took me by surprise,” Topher snarls. “Let me finish what that asshole started.”

Luca shoves him down on one of the couches, immediately in his face. “Basta! (Enough!) Calm the fuck down. You weren’t even invited to this party. We should have kicked you out hours ago. Go get yourself cleaned up and then I’ll have security escort you out. You’re lucky I don’t call the cops.”

Topher doesn’t back down. “You want to call the cops? Good, do it. So I can press charges against Cole for assaulting me.”

The nerve on this fucker. Before I can tell him to bring it, Luca puts him in his place.

“Ah, no. Cole acted to defend Bay after you assaulted her. And you’re also trespassing since you were never invited and you’re not welcome in my house. You have a choice, Mumford. Go now, or I’ll personally throw you out.”

Topher stands up on shaky legs and I’d be lying if I said that I don’t feel a perverse satisfaction that I hit him hard enough to make him unsteady on his feet.

“Fine, fine. I’ll go. But Bay, you and I aren’t done talking about our relationship. Andyou,” he says pointing a finger at me. “Effective immediately you’re evicted from the Gamma house for breaking the bro-code I invoked.”

---