Page 49 of Ice Cold Rival

Kenzie leaned over to kiss my cheek. “Thanks for a fun night.”

I kept my hands locked around the steering wheel, so I didn’t drag her across the car and onto my lap for a real goodnight kiss. “Night, wifey.”

She went inside, and I stayed parked in front of her house until I saw the final light go out. Her bedroom. I drove home on autopilot, thinking about how much I’d changed since my senior year of high school.

How much I was trying to change now.

I pulled into the driveway and sat there staring at the dark house where I’d found a life outside my family’s money. Why was I still letting it control me? I’d spent the last couple of years exclusively choosing self-absorbed women, but not all of them were like that.

Kenzie wasn’t like that. She didn’twantto be in a relationship, so why was I holding us back on the chance she’d change her mind? Even if she did, I trusted her.

I trusted her.

“Fuck.” I slapped my hand on the steering wheel and put the car in reverse. Apparently, we were both trying out new things. Tonight was supposed to be about her—about her needs and wants without anyone else getting in the way.

But right now,Ineededher.

17

Ibrushed my teeth, crawled into bed in my comfiest pajamas, and told myself I wasn’t going to cry over a homeless kitten. The tears threatened, burning behind my eyes, but I’d spent years forcing myself to respond in a certain way. I was good at it.

The easiest way to keep unwanted emotions at bay was to change the subject, a little trick I’d learned from my mom. My mind naturally moved to its favorite topic—Reece. I spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about him. Way more than I’d ever dedicated to Toby.

When Reece wasn’t around, I was constantly marking things I wanted to tell him. Wondering what his opinion would be about TU’s new zero tolerance rule. Wondering if he already knew about the illegal Pokémon gambling ring happening in Kerry Hall.

My relationship with Toby started out that way, but after years of him not engaging, I stopped wondering. When he was out of sight, he was out of mind.

Reece was never out of mind. I rolled over, suddenly too warm, and wondered what he was doing right now. What had made him so sure relationships weren’t for him? I could understand if he was talking about women like Amanda. She was part snake, and that was being unfair to the snake.

At least she’d been leaving me alone lately. Or maybe I hadn’t noticed her passive aggressive tactics while focusing solely on my fake boyfriend who maybe wasn’t as fake as I’d thought. My obsession with Reece had surprising benefits.

A tinkling noise came from the direction of my window, and I sat up abruptly to stare at the sliver of darkness between my curtains. My first thought was hail. Thunderstorms popped up all the time in north Texas, but hail usually arrived with rain and thunder, which were conspicuously absent.

Another round of soft tinkles made me get up and grab the closest weapon I could find—my sociology textbook. Not the best, but I wasn’t prepared for late night intruders. I crept to the window, raised the book with a shaking arm, and threw the curtain open.

On the other side of the glass, Reece jumped back, dropping his handful of gravel. I let out the air I’d been holding and tossed the book backwards onto my bed, where it promptly bounced off and landed on the floor.

Reece grinned and mimed opening the window. I crossed my arms and pointed toward the front door. He shook his head. The standoff lasted ten seconds before I rolled my eyes and unlocked the window.

He hopped through as if he’d done it a million times. Maybe he had. I wasn’t going to dwell on his past indiscretions.

“What are you doing?” I hissed at him.

“I thought I’d give you another thrilling new experience.”

“By getting arrested when I called the police? Which is what I should have done, by the way. You’re lucky I’m the stupid horror movie heroine instead of the smart, sassy one.”

Reece toed off his shoes and headed to the bathroom. “You are the smart, sassy one, wifey. Never let anyone underestimate your death order in a horror movie.”

“What a strange motivational phrase. Why are you here again?”

The water turned on, and he raised his voice over the flow. “I knew I wasn’t going to see you tomorrow, and I decided it was bullshit. I’m staying the night.”

“You decided, huh?” My group project people had finally agreed to meet tomorrow night, so I’d have to miss Reece’s second game against Belcourt. Honestly, I was kind of disappointed too, but after the way he’d dropped me off earlier, I wasn’t expectinghimto care.

He didn’t close the door, so I followed him inside, where he was busy scrubbing his hands. “Why is your gravel sticky? You know what, I don’t want to know.”

“Why didn’t you call me to come unlock the front door?”

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