Page 13 of The Puck Player

“Well, well, well, what are we talking about over here?” Alexander questions, arriving in the kitchen and coming to a stop far too close beside me, and when I flick my eyes up to meet his, they are shining with mischief.

“Oh just Bree and her purity ring,” Archer offers up, like he thrives on the chaos of other people’s misery, and I snap my head around to glare at him, but all he does is wink at me like we are sharing some inside joke. If we are, I’m not in on it.

“Interesting,” Alexander muses slowly, his eyes now fixated on the dainty gold ring that takes up residence on the middle finger of my right hand. A hand that just so happens to be wrapped around my drink and in clear display for them all to see. “A shackle to the infamous sky daddy, huh?” he adds with a smirk, and I can’t help but huff a laugh at his description, that is until he meets my stare and adds, “I thought you didn’t like me and weren’t going to come to my party?” he muses, with a cockyarch of his brow, and this time Evie doesn’t attempt to hide her laugh.

It’s not lost on me that everyone in the kitchen is watching our interaction, we have their attention despite the thump of the music surrounding us, and for some reason it annoys me. As if they think we are in some cat and mouse chase that he is inevitably going to win. My irritation only grows when a group of girls across the room call his name. It forces me to look in their direction, but Alexander doesn’t spare them a glance.

“I don’t like you and this isn’t just your party,” I clap back, and that insufferable smirk of his only grows, as his teammates laugh, no doubt enjoying the show.

Alexander isn’t deterred though, as he lets his eyes drag over every inch of me until I have to fight the urge to fidget beneath his appraisal, not stopping until he is settled back on my hand. “Hmm, and the drinking you don’t like to do?” he adds, like he believes every word I said to him the other day was complete bullshit, and just to spite him I bring the cup to my mouth and drain the contents in one go.

“Apparently, sometimes the company I keep calls for the numbing of my brain that only alcohol can provide.” I aim to keep my words light, but something tells me from the way he meets my stare that he can somehow see the sadness in my eyes that I try to hide from everyone.

“Then it sounds like you need to cut that boyfriend of yours loose, so the tendency to drink in bars and at parties subsides.” He doesn’t wait for my response, before sliding past me into the kitchen to grab himself another drink.

The guys all offer him a tip of their drinks, as he grabs himself a bottle of tequila and a small pink can from the fridge, as those same girls from a moment ago once again call his name. Still not sparing them a look, he heads back towards me, his eyesholding mine, as he thrusts the small can from the fridge into my hand.

“Let me know if you need saving from him like you did those jocks,” he whispers, dropping his head to my ear, before disappearing back the way he came. Only once he is gone do I look down and freeze, as I take in the can of pink lemonade he gave me.

My favorite drink. He bought my favorite drink. What the fuck?

A bitter taste coats the back of my tongue, as Evie moves back to my side and grabs my cup. “You look like you need another one,” she mumbles, and all I can do is nod, as she quickly moves to make me one.

“Come on, let's escape the testosterone in here,” Maddie cuts in, slipping from Nova’s arm and grabbing a bottle of something before coming to my side. “These Flyer boys are always high on their own bullshit,” she adds, lowering her voice, and Hallie laughs as she abandons Josh and joins us.

“I heard that, Princess,” Nova calls out to her back, but his girlfriend only rolls her eyes, before turning and smiling sweetly.

“You were meant to, Charmer.”

Then Evie joins us and all three girls are pushing me from the kitchen towards the back of the house, until we spill out onto a back deck. I’m surprised to find it mostly empty considering how busy the party is, but I’m not surprised to find a hot tub at one end of it. I roll my eyes as the girls lead me past it to the bottom of the garden, where there is a fire pit surrounded by chairs. We all take our seats as I gratefully accept my drink from Evie, only for all three of them to stare at me expectantly.

“Well, what’s the story with you and Alexander?” Hallie asks instantly, and Maddie nudges her with her elbow.

“Hals, you can’t just ask her outright, you’re supposed to warm her up to the subject first,” she scolds, as her friend looksat her in confusion, before she adds, “But come on, Bree, give us the dirt, because clearly we are missing something.”

I open my mouth to deny, protest, skate around the subject, but Evie beats me to it. “Reign met her in a bar before she came to campus, and now he’s been bugging her since she got here,” she starts with a knowing smirk, and I take another deep gulp of my drink hoping it will relax my tense muscles. “I think he’s obsessed with her.”

“He is not obsessed with me,” I quickly interrupt, but that just makes all three of them focus on me with keen interest. “He flirted with me and my friend at the bar, then saw me in class and flirted again. I told him I have a boyfriend and that I’m not interested, and well, he just hasn’t given up yet, but he will, he will get bored and move on.” I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince me or them, but they certainly don’t look convinced.

“Girl, I’m married and even I can appreciate how hot Alexander Reign is,” Hallie replies with a laugh, and Evie holds her glass out in a cheers motion to agree with her.

“And he’s rich, likeinsanelyrich,” Evie reminds me, and I force myself not to roll my eyes.

“Yes, as you told me, and also a whore if I remember your description correctly,” I toss back, sipping more of my drink as Evie smirks.

“Also his dick is fucking huge,” Maddie offhandedly adds, but as all our eyes snap in her direction, she quickly looks away. “At least that’s what I’ve heard.”

Hallie stares at her like she is trying to read her damn soul before she mutters, “Okay, we are so coming back to that.” Before she once again focuses on me. “So tell us about your boyfriend Bree.”

Which is how I find myself getting drunk and making friends, while we all talk about how we ended up with our guys. I am hooked on the tension of Maddie and Nova, laughing at theidiocy of Hallie and Josh, and swooning at the sweetness of Evie and Jake, while also feeling like my own story doesn’t match up. By the time we head back to the party I have achieved what I wanted, and everything is feeling a little less, and I dance and drink some more until the memory of why I was sad has almost faded completely. If only the numbness could last.

The girls disappear back to their guys, and I do not want to stick around for their love fests, so I snag yet another drink, though it isn’t needed, and stumble back out to the deck, as the party starts to wind down. Which is where my luck runs out.

“Oh for fucks sake, not you again,” I scoff, finding Alexander sitting in one of the chairs, as I move to lean on the rail of the deck. “You really are stalking me,” I add more to myself than him, sipping some of the drink in my hand, as I bear witness to his insufferable smirk.

“Aubree, as much as I would like to be guilty of the crime of stalking you, this is my house, remember?” He sips his own drink, once again letting his eyes drag over every inch of my bare skin, so much so that I can’t help but shudder, and when I scoff again, he chuckles, rising to his feet and moving to join me at the rail. “How much have you had to drink?” he questions, like he has the right, and I roll my eyes at his audacity.

“Enough to give me the boldness to tell you to fuck off and mind your own business.” I pair my words with the draining of my cup, just to exaggerate my point, hoping it will encourage him to actually fuck off, but of course he doesn’t take the hint.

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