Page 17 of Ice Bet

“Want a drink?” His gaze drifted down her body before he realized what he was doing. He quickly zipped his eyes back to her face.

She sighed like she was already bored with him. “I don’t need a guy to get me a drink.”

“Well, what do you need a guy for?”

I saw the wheels turning in her head. “Do it,” I whispered, urging her to take what she wanted. At least one of us could give a hockey player a run for his money, and I wascertainthis guy would do anything Sutton wanted, like purposefully touching her and letting her post the evidence online to irk her superstar NHL ex.

Good for her.

Bexley U parties were the same as they were at Rosewood. The only difference was the change of school colors hanging up in the windows and on the walls. Black and silver instead of red and white. I scanned the party, feeling more unlike myself the longer I stood alone. It was both exhilarating and daunting. At Rosewood, I was immediately greeted by everyone and offered a drink but only because of Gray. At least here I could be anyone I wanted without being in my hockey boyfriend’s shadow and his disapproval of my future dangling in the outskirts of my reach.

As far as I knew, the only thing Bexley U students knew of me was that I was the daughter of their beloved hockey coach—unless there were any figure skaters loitering around. They’d recognize me right away. After all, they’re anxiously waiting for me to join their team in a couple of months.

“You made it.” Sully found me a few minutes after Sutton left, and it didn’t take him long to give me a once-over with his glossed over gaze. “Now,thisis the Riley I know.” My black mesh tights suddenly felt a little suffocating, and my boots were heavy. Sully’s warm hand found mine as he slowly spun me around. “You came to slay tonight, yeah? Too bad Gray isn’t here to see what he’s missing out on.”

“I don’t think he’d care.” Gray wanted me for more than a short dress, despite what most thought. He wanted me for my name. He liked the attention I brought with my figure skating success because we were apower couple—his words, not mine. He always wanted the best, and when I was no longer the best, he no longer wanted me.

“Trust me. If he saw you, he’d care.” I smiled at Sully’s compliment. He took it and ran, pulling me farther into the party, like he wanted to show me off. “I wasn’t sure you’d come tonight.”

“I’m not going to stay long, but I told Sutton I’d come, so…”

Sully playfully nudged my shoulder with his. “Not one to back down on plans?”

Not unless it has to do with skating again.I may have been out of my element, but I’d done harder things. Making small talk at a college party was a breeze.

“Do you want a drink?”

“I can get it.” I smiled at his attempt to be a gentleman, but I knew better. I made my way through the chaos of the party in hunt of a fruity seltzer or something I could sip on without feeling the pressure to down the entire thing. A hand landed on my hip, and alarm bells went off until I realized it was just Sully. His whisper coated the side of my neck. “I refuse to let you get your own drink. All it would take is one shady guy to see you in that dress and spike it. Stay put. I’ll grab you one.”

Since I knew Sully, I let him fulfill his need to be noble. I stayed put, like he wanted, and I opened my phone to text the only person I’d kept in touch with after leaving Rosewood.

Me- I’m at a Bexley U party, and I have to admit, I miss my wing girl.

She texted back almost immediately with a picture. Underneath, it read,I miss you more!I felt a pinch of envy as I scanned the photo. It was a classic Mya selfie with her in the middle of a Rosewood party, wearing a tight dress, sans tights, ignoring that the New England states were heading directly for winter. A small wave of hurt replaced the envy as I zoomed in on the background and saw a hand that had touched every part of my body wrapped around one of my former teammate’s tiny waist.

“See? He’s a dick.” Sully’s smooth voice hit the side of my face, and I quickly shut my phone screen off. Heat slapped my cheeks. I wasn’t embarrassed. Instead, I felt shame. I seemed desperate, and that was one thing I was not when it came to Gray. “I hope you like this flavor.”

I grabbed the cup out of Sully’s hand and let the liquid burn my throat as I took a much bigger swig than necessary.Peach.“I’m not picky. Thanks.”

Sully stood beside me long enough for the silence we shared to become sticky. I shifted uncomfortably, regretting coming to the party, until he elbowed me gently in the ribs so I was forced to give him attention. I peered at him out of the corner of my eye and moved a piece of my hair that was in the way. “Yeah?”

He leaned his back against the wall. The party was loud and chaotic around us but his voice was as smooth as could be. “You’re different.”

I tipped my drink back and took another swig because I knew what he was reaching for. Gray’s teammates were there the night I took a fall in front of the entire arena, and they were part of the gasps when I didn't get up. “How?” I asked cautiously.

“You don’t smile anymore.” He looked at my lips.“Did Gray break your heart that badly?”

I was slapped across the face with embarrassment that quickly turned into resentment.Fucking Gray.It always came back to him.

“He didn’t break my heart, Graham. What is it with males and their cocky belief that they have such control over a female?”

Sully’s eyebrow rose at my snarky response. I watched the excitement take over his mouth as his lips moved into a smile. “Ooh, there she is.”

I was beginning to hate that he knew me from Rosewood. But I knew him too, and I had never seen him talk to a female he wasn’t interested in for more than three minutes. At nearly every Rosewood party, his face was buried in some girl’s neck. “I’m going to find the restroom. I’ll find you in a little bit.”

I moved through the party in an attempt to escape him. Sutton paused her grinding—ordancing—and furrowed her brows at me. I mouthed, “Bathroom.”

I didn’t have to go to the bathroom, but I wasn’t in the mood to talk about Gray, and I surely wasn’t in the mood to obsess over the ice bet that Sully may have been a part of. The only thing that Ishould’vebeen thinking about was how to get back to the girl Sully kept reminding me I was instead of worrying about the guys who frequented the ice more than I did.

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