Page 42 of Never Your Girl

Thanks. That means a lot.

ColdAsIce17

Anytime. And hey, if you want me to send a strongly worded text or an army of angry emojis, just say the word.

Me

LOL. Tempting. I’ll let you know.

ColdAsIce17

I’ll be here waiting.

For the first time all day, the tension in my shoulders loosens. Ice has no idea just how much his words steady me, but maybe that’s okay. Some things are better left unsaid. For now, anyway.

I step up to the counter, ready to place my order, when a familiar voice catches my attention.

“Just the person I was hoping to run into.”

I turn to find Garret, fresh from practice. His damp hair curls against his temples, and he’s wearing a hoodie with sweatpants. It seems to be the unofficial uniform of college hockey players everywhere.

“Hey.”

He steps closer, his expression troubled. “There’s a rumor going around that you’re seeing Sanderson.” His sharp gaze searches mine as disbelief fills his voice. “Tell me it’s not true.”

I force myself to nod, knowing there’s nothing else I can say. “Yeah, it is.”

Garret’s jaw tightens. “I don’t understand. I thought you couldn’t stand the guy.”

My tongue darts out to lick my dry lips. “It’s complicated. We were keeping things quiet.” I retreat a small step, needing a little bit of distance. “Just kind of feeling out the situation.”

“I was kind of hoping there might be something between us.”

I blink, thrown off by his admittance. We’ve had a few classes together over the years and have always been friendly, but it was never anything more than that. At least, not on my end.

Awkwardness descends as I shift. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. I thought we were just friends.”

A mixture of hurt, disappointment, and anger swirls through his eyes. “Guess I was hoping we could be more,” he says quietly.

Before I can figure out how to respond, a strong arm slides around my waist and hauls me against a very solid chest.

“Hey, babe,” Bridger says, his voice hard.

When he rests his chin on my shoulder, I’m hit with the faint scent of sandalwood and cedar. My pulse skyrockets, and I don’t know if it’s because I want to slap him or because his proximity does funny things to my insides.

I’m really hoping it’s not the latter.

Garret’s eyes flash as his upper lip curls. “Sanderson.”

“Akeman,” Bridger acknowledges in a clipped tone, his grip tightening just enough to make my heart stutter. “Thanks for keeping my girl company.”

“Strange, she never mentioned you,” Garret says before glancing at me again. “Guess I’ll see you around, Holland.”

I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. By the time I gather my thoughts, Garret’s gone, leaving me alone with Bridger and the warmth of his body pressed against my backside.

“You’re welcome,” Bridger says, his lips brushing against my ear in a way that’s way too intimate for my liking.

I whirl around and shove at his chest. “What the hell was that about?”

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