Page 13 of Ice Bet

“You can’t just storm into our apartment,” I said, letting my words trail off at the sight of Sully flopping onto the couch. He took up the entire length of it.

“She’s right. Let’s go.” Aasher was standing near the door, appearing impatient with his flitting gaze and loud sighs. I almost said, ‘Never mind, you guys can stay,’just because he was agreeing with me, but the truth was, I didn’t want them to stay, and I surely didn’t want to catch his scathing gaze on my legs again.

“I thought you had plans tonight.” Ford put his hand on his chin and looked around the apartment and our lack of plans. “What were you two ladies getting into?”

We didn’t have plans.

Not a single thing was planned other than watching Netflix on the couch. Our course load was light right now because it was still the beginning of the semester.

“You know…” Sully got up from the couch. “I haven’t seen you at any of the parties, Riley.”

I shifted along the wood floor. There was a chill in the air, and I was certain it was because my warm and snug apartment felt cold and disturbed with unwelcome guests inside, but if Aasher said something about my outfit already, I wonder what he’d say if my nipples suddenly appeared through my shirt. I crossed my arms. “I’m not much of a party girl.”

Sully tilted his head. “You used to be. You two should come to the next one.”

Pass. “I was only invited to Rosewood parties because of Gray. You know how he was.” He liked to flaunt me in front of his teammates.

Ford’s eyebrows furrowed. “Well, I don’t. Explain.”

I immediately felt insecure. My chest tightened, and sweat beads formed on the back of my neck. Aasher had moved into my kitchen and leaned with his elbows propped on my counter, waiting for my explanation.

I had just enough confidence to muster up four little words. “Can you guys leave?”

Ford strode closer and looked me dead in the eye with pure sincerity. “Sore subject. I’m sorry, Duster.”

“It’s not a sore subject,” I lied. It was obvious. Gray wasn’t the love of my life, but our breakup was brutal, especially on top of everything else.

“He’s a dick. I never liked him. The way he treated you…” Sully’s sentence drifted, but he inched closer to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ford. They shared a questionable look when neither one of them moved.

“The way he treated her?” Ford’s curious gaze stayed pinned to me. “Now I’m really interested.”

Everyone was waiting for me to speak up. My mouth grew dry, and my palms were sweaty. I wished for a black hole to appear beneath my feet so I could vanish, but instead, Aasher appeared like some mystical, egotistical hero to save me. His hands fell to his teammates’ shoulders, and he pulled them apart like the splitting of a tree. “That’s enough. Out. All of you.”

“Aw, come on.” Ford suddenly sounded like he was from Texas with the hint of a Southern drawl. “We were just getting to the good stuff.”

If it were anyone else who swooped in to ease me of the embarrassment of Gray’s breakup, I would have been thankful. But there was something about Aasher that provoked me. I was willing to self-sabotage myself just to go against him.

“I’ll tell you what happened.” I changed my tune quickly, skimming right past Aasher’s double take. My brain was yelling at me to retreat, but I didn’t listen as I hauled myself up onto my kitchen counter, letting my legs dangle below. “My breakup isn’t a secret.”

Sutton snapped her head to me so quickly I felt the breeze of her hair. She was just as perplexed as I was at my behavior. “My boyfriend—”

“Gray Loretto.” The name flew from Sully’s mouth, and there was a wave of recognition that moved through the room. Everyone knew Gray Loretto. He was the best player Rosewood had. The humblest too.

Berkley mumbled, “Enough said.”

I continued on with my explanation that Ford asked for. “We dated for about a year, but then he broke up with me at a party by pulling one of my best friends into his lap and making out with her in front of everyone.”

“Wait, in front of you? He knew you were there?” Sutton’s jaw dropped. She didn’t know the wholestory, but now she did.

Of course he knew I was there. He was the one to invite me. It was his way of proving that he would rather be with someone who shared his same goals. He wanted to be with someone who wouldn’t choke under pressure like I did in the rink. Those were his exact words.

My confidence wobbled when silence filled my apartment. My poised explanation lacked the courage I had minutes before, so I looked over at Aasher, hoping his haughty gaze would have the same effect as earlier, but his green eyes were soft around the edges instead of firm with impatience. He stood back with his arms crossed over his chest,watchingme.

“Oh, he knew,” Sully answered for me. I released a shaky breath, pulling myself out of the strange sense of sadness I felt. He walked over to me and placed his hand on my knee, giving it a gentle squeeze.

I felt Aasher’s scathing eye on us before his cool tone hit my ears.

“Did you know he was going to do it, Sully?”

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