Page 47 of College Hockey Bully

“I see you’re still involved in that extracurricular activity,” she greets me, and I smile.

“You didn’t answer my text message.”

“Because we already made a deal. Your little minions haven’t bothered me all week, so we’re even.”

“I still want to pay you.” I pull out my phone. “In fact, I’m sending it to your account right now.”

Her face scrunches with a deeper scowl that resembles the one her friend is still giving me. “I don’t need your pity, Aiden Hunter,” she replies curtly, resting her hand on the phone. “I’m not a charity case.”

“I’ve never once implied—”

“Have fun at practice. Go easy on that ankle,” she cautions me, turning and dashing off without waiting for my response.

With a deep sigh, I turn to resume my journey, then pause abruptly.

My ex is staring right at me.

Jesus. Can this day be done already?At least, it should be getting better, not worse.

“I’m late for practice,” I tell Casey in passing, although I still have an hour left.

“Who is she?” Casey demands to my back. I don’t answer. I hear her footsteps following me.

“Aiden Jamie Hunter, you answer me right now. Who the hell is that cheap-looking tramp?”

Her words bring me to a pause, and I bite back a cutting remark. I don’t need to have my ex target Scarlett, too. “Can you quit being insecure? She’s just someone who’s helping me out.”

My response soothes her immediately. She smiles, taking slow steps that I assume should be seductive. I suppress an eyeroll.

“If you wanted help with your assignments, you should’ve come to me, not run to a nobody. I have a team, you know.” She runs a finger around the collar of my shirt, then strokes down my chest. “I’m your woman. You should let me in on these things.”

“You’re not my woman—yet,” I add when her face curls into a frown. Calling Scarlett a nobody; at this point, Casey’s just begging for me to fuck with her head. A reward for her nasty behavior seems fitting to me.

“Yet.” Casey scoffs. “What are you waiting for, competition? Baby, you’re not my only choice. From the way your mom’s been checking in lately, I can’t help feeling I’m your only choice.”

She smiles, her eyes scanning my face. “It’s funny how she’s so desperate, but you’re playing hard to get. I wonder why.”

If Casey should ever find out my parents are using her, my dad will be finished. If he’s complaining about red tapes now, I can’t imagine what will happen when her dad is done sabotaging him.

“Look, we have plenty of time to figure out the next step. Six months to graduation, hockey season in full blast. I don’t know about you, but my hands are full.”

“Let me take some of that load off your hands, so we can be together,” she counters. “Just tell me what you need.”

I walk off, throwing over my shoulder, “Your impatience has never been attractive, Casey.”

“Oh, whatever. I can be patient,” she calls after me.

“Prove it,” I yell back.

She makes a frustrated sound before I hear her stomping going the other way. If only she knew my intention—she’drunthe other way.

Grave expressions meet me as I enter the locker room. Coach paces by the benches, chewing on gum so hard that I’m sure his jaw will hurt him tomorrow. Noah punches a locker with a drawn-out curse.

“What’s going on?”

Cameron stands slowly, his expression grim, his eyes trained on my feet. “I’m sorry, dude.”

“For what?”

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