Page 34 of Fractured Faceoff

He nodded, his expression serious. "We can come up with a story, rules, all of it later tonight. Where are you staying? I'll swing by with dinner. Chinese still your favorite?"

"Watch it, Crowder," I warned, narrowing my eyes at him. "I'm not going to fall for that charm."

He smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You're the only one who hasn't," he said. "But I'll wear you down."

I snorted, rolling my eyes. He always knew how to push my buttons.

Sitting down at my desk, I rubbed my temples. The weight of the situation pressed down on me. I didn't want to think about this right now. I was too worked up. A decision like this could have consequences, and I needed to be sure I understood them before diving in.

Jared leaned across my desk, his presence impossible to ignore. "Think about it, sugar," he said softly. "I know part of you wants to get back at her too."

I snapped my eyes to his, anger flaring in my chest. "I've let my anger at my sister go a long time ago," I said sharply. "And for you to try to use that against me… You're a piece of work, Crowder."

"I apologize," he drawled, looking slightly abashed. "I meant no offense." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Having said that, I'm aware that while you may have moved on, she's strung you along just like me."

I stared at him, torn between frustration and understanding. He wasn't wrong; Ava had always known how to keep us both tethered to her whims. But did that justify this crazy plan? I didn't know.

"Just think about it," he repeated gently.

I sighed deeply and leaned back in my chair, the day's events swirling around in my mind like a storm.

For now, all I could do was consider the possibility and try to untangle the mess Ava had left us both in.

I leaned back in my chair, staring hard at Jared. “Then what?”

His eyes locked with mine, and I saw flickers of green in his amber eyes. I hated how beautiful they were. How they seemed to draw me in even when I wanted to push him away.

“What do you mean?” he asked, a hint of confusion coloring his voice.

“When is it over for you?” I pressed, my voice steady. “Let’s say we do this. When does it stop? How much hurt does she need to feel before you're satisfied? And when you are, then what? We break up? We go our separate ways?”

Jared opened his mouth, but before he could respond, a knock on the door interrupted us. The door swung open, and Nikolai Volkov stepped in.

Nikolai looked like he had stepped out of an action movie. His hair was a tousled mess of dark curls, and his chiseled jawline could cut glass. He had that rugged yet refined look that made all the girls scream at him and throw unmentionables on the ice, making him seem both approachable and intimidating at the same time. His eyes were a piercing blue, sharp and alert as they took in the scene before him.

“Am I interrupting something?” Nikolai’s deep voice filled the room, his accent thick and unmistakably Russian.

Jared straightened up and stepped back from my desk, running a hand through his damp hair. “Just wrapping up,” he said smoothly, giving me a look that promised this conversation wasn’t over.

I forced a smile for Nikolai’s sake. “No, you’re right on time,” I said, pushing thoughts of Jared aside for now. “Have a seat.”

Nikolai nodded and moved further into the room, settling into the chair across from my desk with an ease that belied his size.

As I shifted my focus to Nikolai’s session, I couldn’t shake the feeling of Jared’s eyes on me, burning with unspoken words. But for now, there were more pressing matters at hand.

“Let’s get started,” I said briskly, determined to push aside the turmoil brewing inside me. There would be time to deal with Jared and his crazy plan later.

The day wentby in a blur. I had a surprisingly good session with Nikolai. Despite his savage violence on the ice, he rarely started anything off it. I couldn't help but think there might be some daddy issues there, but that was for another day.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, I found myself no closer to figuring out what to do about Jared's proposition. The pros and cons swirled in my mind like a storm.

On one hand, helping Jared meant taking a stand, asserting control over a situation Ava had always manipulated. It felt like a chance to finally break free from her shadow. But the cost? It could blow up in our faces, causing more damage than either of us anticipated.

Plus, a small, petty part of me did want to get back at both Ava and Brody, and Jared would be the perfect person to do it with. Brody never considered Jared a decent hockey player, and Ava strung him along. If they did pretend to date…

It would piss both of them off.

I glanced at my phone, seeing a few texts from Brody. I ignored them and started packing up my things. My thoughts kept circling back to Jared’s words.

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