Page 67 of Ice Bet

“Yes, why?” My response was snippy, and everyone noticed.

“Can you introduce me to him?”Um, no.

Taytum snickered, and Claire pulled on her arm, hauling her away. I stayed put against the wall, waiting for Sutton to finish washing her hands.

“No offense”—Sutton turned the water off—“but I highly doubt that he will want anything to do with you if you’re wearing the number of the guy who continued to blast him all over the ice.”

My jaw hurt from clenching my teeth together.Who does she think she is? AndwhyamIsoirked?

“Trade me?”

I was struck speechless when she whipped her shirt off. Her boobs spilled out of a black bra.

“Are you that desperate?” I asked. I purposefully ignored looking at myself in the mirror because I knew my cheeks were red, and it had nothing to do with a pair of boobs in my face. “As if we would let him climb into bed with you!”

Sutton laughed loudly. Her hand flew to her mouth, and when I turned back to the girl, she was slowly putting her shirt back on. “Who said anything about a bed?”

I stepped forward, but Sutton’s hand fell to my arm. “Well, good luck with that!” she called over her shoulder before dragging us through the bathroom door.

Taytum and Claire popped up from the wall they were resting on.

“What’s so funny?” Taytum asked.

Sutton looked back and forth between us and shook her head after letting her laughter die down. “Nothing. Just some crazed puck bunny in there.”

What the hell was that?I didn’t even act like that with Gray, and there weretonsof puck bunnies that tried to get his attention—and apparently had succeeded.

“Let’s go! We have a poker game to gear up for.”

“Poker?” Claire asked, slipping her phone into her pocket.

“Yes,Little-Miss-Workaholic. When you were rehearsing in the studio last night after your shift, we were busy playing a little game of hockey with the guys.” Taytum paused. “Except for Theo. He wasn't there. I wonder wherehe was?”

We stepped outside, and Claire was quick to turn away from Taytum. She shrugged. “Beats me.”

“Liar,” Taytum whispered. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you!”

Claire didn’t deny lying, but she quickly said bye to us, and we watched as she crossed the street and climbed into her car.

Headlights crept around the swarm of fans as I nibbled on my lip. Every green shirt caught my eye, and I kept watching for the player that was harassing Aasher, though I knew that they wouldn’t go through the front doors like the fans—unless they had a large ego and liked the attention.

Which most of them did.

Sutton, Taytum, and I lingered over the curb of the sidewalk when people started to rush past us to get back inside.

“What’s going on?” Sutton asked.

“Hey.” Taytum grabbed on to a girl rushing past us. “Where are you going?”

Her response cut through the pounding of footsteps against pavement. “Aasher Matthews is about to get in a fight.”

I turned and put my endurance to the test. I may not have been actively skating, but I still stretched every single night, and it paid off. I was muscular from years in the rink, so I easily pushed through groups of college girls milling around and slipped underneath a few outstretched arms.

My heart sank.

Aasher, with messy damp hair and a flexing jaw, stood in the middle of a crowded hallway with too many sets of eyes pinned to him. There was an older man talking to him, but with the way Aasher’s fists were flexing at his sides, it was clear to everyone that he didn’t want to be standing there.

The crowd gasped when the man grabbed on to Aasher’s T-shirt, bundling the fabric between his fingers. I looked around, bypassing Taytum and Sutton’s gaped mouths.Where is my dad?

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