Page 1 of Bound and Blitzed

Chapter1

Avery

“She looks beautiful,”Mom murmurs beside me, lifting a flute of champagne to her lips. “I love seeing her this happy.” She pauses to sip her bubbly, but her eyes remain locked on my sister Raia.

“Me too,” I agree. It’s the truth. Raia beams with joy as she gazes at her fiancé—my best friend and teammate—Cohen Campbell. While I wasn’t ecstatic to learn they were dating a year ago, my feelings had more to do with their lying about it than anything else.

The truth is, Raia and Cohen are perfect together. If I had to pick a man for my sister, there are none better than Cohen because I know he’ll honor and love her. Similarly, my sister has never been as confident, happy, or settled as she is with Cohen’s engagement ring sparkling on her ring finger.

They’re giddy and in love in a way that I’ve yet to experience. As I take a sip of my own champagne and glance around the room, overflowing with Cohen’s and my Coyotes football teammates, Raia’s soccer teammates, our family and friends, I realize that I’m becoming the odd man out.

Cohen and Raia are tying the knot.

West and Nova have the sweetest baby girl.

Hell, even Talon, our kicker, is over the moon with his girlfriend, our Coach’s daughter, Leni.

Raia’s and my cousin Anna moved on with Raia’s ex-boyfriend Brooks. And her friends from boarding school are all here with dates.

It’s just me who is riding solo.

I may have a reputation for always having a flavor of the week, but I haven’t had anything real—meaningful and substantial—in years. Not since I broke up with my high school girlfriend Mila by cheating on her in a scandal that broke her heart, sent waves through our small community, and made me question my own self-worth. Yeah, I was young and, sure, Mila was going through a lot with mourning the loss of her parents. I justified it since we had grown apart and I had been planning to end things even before her parents’ accident.

But I handled it all wrong. And what kind of man does something like that to a woman—to a person—he claims to love?

Once we broke up, Mila lost her job with the Coyotes. And me? I somehow came through the other side as America’s Sexiest Man Alive. On the outside, things looked perfect, but internally, I drowned in guilt and shame for years.

Hell, some days, I still can’t look in the mirror.

I’ve tried to make amends. I cleared the air with Mila and wished her well as she moved on with hockey hotshot Devon Hardt. I strived to have stronger relationships with my parents and Raia. To be a better friend to Cohen and a strong leader for my teammates.

Yet I’m still alone. Still searching for something.Someone.

I sigh and polish off my champagne. Taking Mom’s empty glass from her hand, I say, “I’ll be back with refills.”

Mom smiles at me. “You look handsome, too, Avery.”

I snort. “You don’t have to say nice things to me. This is Raia’s night.”

Mom dips her head. “I know. But I hate seeing either of my babies struggle.”

I turn away before I say anything else. Is that what I’m doing? Struggling?

And leave it to Mom to recognize it while we’re in a room full of loved ones celebrating.

Shame nearly chokes me as I head to the bar. What does that say about me? I’mstrugglingwhile my sister is floating on cloud nine. It’s fucking gross.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Grandpa quips as I step up to the bar.

“Could say the same to you, old man.”

He snorts and indicates to the bartender that he’ll take another scotch. “And a pinot grigio,” he adds.

I lift the two empty flutes of champagne and the bartender nods, setting to work.

“Look how her eyes sparkle,” Grandpa sighs, smiling at Raia. “She’s practically overflowing with happiness.”

“They both are,” I confirm, noting the goofy grin on Cohen’s face as his brother Cooper clasps his shoulder.

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