Page 28 of That's Too Pucking Bad

“So,” I start, trying to keep my voice casual. “Do you know anyone with the last name Coburn?”

Maya glances up, blinking like she’s coming out of a daze. “Coburn? Yes, why?”

“Who is he?” I ask, trying not to sound too interested. Except I am.

Maya sits up straighter now, frowning like she’s trying to piece something together. “Zane Coburn. He’s the captain of the Ravens. Why? What’s going on?”

Zane. I swallow, my stomach doing this weird flip. Of course, he’s the captain. He has that cocky arrogance to him, and it makes perfect sense.

I hesitate for a second, wondering if I should even tell her. But then the words just tumble out. “Okay, um... so, remember that night at the Reaper Brotherhood’s initiation party? The one where I told you I met some guy in a red mask?”

Maya nods slowly, her eyes narrowing. “Yeah… you said it was just some random dude.”

“Well,” I take a deep breath, my hands tightening around the iPhone, “it wasn’t just some random dude. It was Zane. He’s the guy in the red mask. We… uh… we walked into the woods together and... he, uh, went down on me.”

Maya screeches so loud I’m pretty sure the entire dorm hears her. “WHAT?!”

“Shhh!” I glance at the door, my heart pounding. “Can you not scream?”

Maya’s eyes are as wide as saucers. “Remy, are you fucking serious? You’re telling me the captain of the goddamn hockey team, the most private guy on campus, went down on you at the Reaper party?”

I nod, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. “Yeah, I guess.”

Maya is losing her mind. She’s practically bouncing on her bed now. “Holy shit! How do you know it was him? Like, for real?”

“He showed up here last night, and then today at the library,” I say, my voice dropping. “He dropped this iPhone on the table, told me it’s for me, and then just sat there. Like a psycho.”

Maya’s mouth falls open. “Wait, wait, wait. He came to see you? Remy, this is a big deal! Zane doesn’t show his face to anyone. The dude’s like a fucking ghost. No one really knows if he’s the leader of the Reapers or just… like… some hockey god. But if he’s showing up to give you shit and making it obvious it’s him? That’s major.”

I blink, trying to process everything she’s saying. “Major? Maya, I have a boyfriend. This is not ‘major.’ This is weird. And also, I don’t want anything to do with him. He looks like trouble.”

Maya rolls her eyes dramatically. “Oh, please. Trouble is fun, Remy. You’re with Colin, the world’s safest bet. Maybe it’s time you lived a little.”

“I’m not trying to ‘live a little,’” I snap, pacing around the room. “I’m not trying to get involved with some guy who’s known for hooking up with random girls.”

Maya raises an eyebrow. “You don’t want to be on his roster? That’s what this is about?”

“Exactly,” I say, feeling the anger rise in my chest. “I don’t want to be just another hookup.”

“Maybe you’re not,” Maya says, shrugging. “You said he came to see you, right? He’s giving you phones and shit. Zane Coburn doesn’t just give anyone attention. The fact that he showed up here looking for you… it means something.”

I shake my head. “I don’t care what it means. I’m not doing this. He’s probably just messing with me.”

Maya leans back against the wall, smirking. “You can tell yourself that all you want, but I’ve seen that look before. You’re interested. And trust me, Zane Coburn doesn’t lose.”

I glare at her. “I’m not interested.”

“Yeah, okay,” she says, clearly not buying it. “Whatever you say.”

I toss the iPhone back into my bag, trying to calm down. “I don’t want to get involved with him. Colin is good for me. We’ve been together forever. And I don’t need chaos in my life.”

Maya snorts. “Look, I’m not saying you should go and dump Colin, but just... consider having a little fun. Zane’s hot, he’s into you, and he’s obviously not gonna back off.”

I sigh, collapsing onto my bed. “Fun always turns into drama with guys like him. And I’m not in the mood for that. It’s not my style.”

Maya laughs. “Drama’s part of the package, babe. You’ve gotta take the good with the bad.”

“Not this time,” I say, shaking my head. “Zane Coburn feels like too much trouble. Way too much.”

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