Page 87 of Ice Bet

His back was to my dad, which meant I could read his lips perfectly.

Gray leaped forward like a lion, and the next thing I saw was Aasher’s bloody smile as they hauled Gray to the sin bin.

“Well, that was interesting,” Sutton whispered from beside me. “I think you have some explaining to do.”

I shushed her and spent the next half of the game sweating in the stands, praying that my dad didn’t kill Aasher.

* * *

My hands were shaky as I stacked my poker chips together, waiting for Aasher to walk through his apartment door. The girls and I left the game the moment the buzzer sounded in an attempt to avoid Rosewood’s student section. Mya had texted me a few times, but I didn’t respond because I wasn’t sure how to answer her questions about Aasher.

We weren’t together.

But we weren’t apart either.

And what if Gray stuck around to confront Aasher?I wouldn’t be surprised. Gray didn’t like to be embarrassed, and not only did Bexley U win the game, but Gray lost his cool on the ice.

“What’s got you so quiet, Duster?” Ford pretended to act concerned, but I think everyone at the table was dying for information. “Worried about Aasher?”

I shifted in my seat.

“Why would I be worried?” I asked, knowing that it was complete and utter bullshit.I was wearing his freaking jersey.

Emory snorted under his breath, but no one answered. Instead, Ford hummed theJeopardysong.

“Where is he?” I finally asked, slamming my poker chips onto the table.

Berkley sat down beside Sutton and put his arm around the back of her chair. “Coach called him into the office as we were leavin’. Said he’d be home in a few.”

Oh god.

“I wonder what they could be talking about?” Ford asked in a singsong voice before kicking me under the table. I kicked him back, but he didn’t even flinch.

Taytum, who refused to follow her brother’s commands of her not coming over to play poker, mumbled, “He’s probably wondering why he was in the sin bin so many times.”

I started to sweat the more they talked. Words were ping-ponging across the kitchen table, but the only thing I thought about was what the hell my dad was talking to Aasher about and why it was taking him so long to show up.

What if he went back to avoiding me?

“I’ve gotta pee,” I announced, standing up abruptly and leaving the conversation. I needed to get my thoughts straight and simmer my nerves. I sucked in a deep breath and pulled out my phone, wondering if I should have texted Aasher. There were multiple texts from Mya and one from my mom, gently probing on the drama that occurred with me sitting with my oldfriends.I quickly texted her back and told her I’d chat with her tomorrow over lunch.

I clicked my phone off and stared at myself in the mirror.

My blue eyes were bright with life when I thought about Aasher’s hand splayed on my back as he pulled me in close and told me I was his, but they dulled a second later with questions that were unanswered. Our interactions were fickle at best. There was undeniable chemistry between us, but my guard was up. Rightfully so. I pushed loose strands of hair away from my cheeks and breathed in and out, fogging up the glass.

It was dangerous to be trapped in my head with thoughts of Aasher. Before our bet, I was ready to take him down, along with the team. I wanted to bring them all to their knees, Gray included. But now, I was afraid that he was tied up to the bench in the locker room with my dad breathing down his neck because he found out that one of his most trusted hockey players was finger-fucking his daughter instead of keeping her away from the hockey team.

Shit.

I cared about Aasher.

I cared about his future.

And surprisingly, I cared about the hockey team’s season, and it wasn’t only because my dad was the head coach.

My fingers dug into the sides of the sink as I dropped my head. The poker game was about to start. The dealing of cards was beginning, and I knew I needed to get back out there. As soon as I spun around, I flung backward with a gasp. The porcelain cut into my lower back, and my hand flew to my chest.

“Hiding?” Aasher shut the door with his foot and dropped his bag down to the floor before advancing in my direction.

---