Page 25 of The Puck Player

Duchess - Again, you’re disgusting but you have impeccable taste ??

I laugh, tossing my phone aside, focusing back on my order. I process through the checkout, filling out a gift note and then entering Aubree’s details when it asks for the address. I’ve neverbought sex toys for anyone before, but as Aubree reaches as far back as a year ago on my social media, I come to only one conclusion.

Fuck the friend zone.

Istayed up far too late, pretending I couldn’t hear Evie and Jake having sex, and stalking Alexander’s social media. So when I’m woken up the next morning to someone pounding on the front door, I stumble out of bed still half asleep. Making my way through the living room I note Evie is still in her room, so I switch on a few lights as I go, rubbing sleep from my eyes, as the door knocks again even louder. When I reach it, I hear a door open behind me, but I don’t turn around as I pull open the front door and find Ben waiting with a forced smile.

A smile that instantly drops when his eyes lift from me to whoever is over my shoulder. “Who’s that?” he demands, and I blink back a little, still struggling to find my senses after being woken up, and I turn to find Jake standing in nothing but his boxers a few paces behind me.

Oh holy hotness. He’s ripped from head to toe, almost as much as Alexander, and I’m sure the rest of the hockey team, and I stare a little before I force myself to snap out of it, just as Jake moves closer to me. “Bree, everything okay?” he asks, glaring at Ben as if he is a threat or something, and I’m guessing he forgot that my boyfriend was coming for a visit today. I open my mouth to reassure him, but Ben cuts me off.

“Yes, everything is okay! I’m her boyfriend, who the fuck are you?” Ben snaps, and my head whips toward him in mild shock.

Ben is never rude to anyone, and I barely ever hear him curse, and it takes me by complete surprise as I quickly stammer, “Ben, stop, this is Jake, he’s Evie’s boyfriend.” I take a step toward him, only to come face to face with my best friend, as she steps out of hiding. “Malorie?” I gasp, in confusion. “What are you doing here?” I ask, completely blindsided, as I stare between the two of them.

Ben never mentioned anything about bringing her, and yeah, I know they still talk and have been continuing our ritual of Saturday night dinner together in my absence, but I am still a little surprised to see them together. I love Malorie and I’ve missed her a lot, but I also really felt that Ben and I needed some time alone to reconnect. After witnessing all the fiery relationships around me these last few weeks, it’s obvious that we have been missing something, and I need to work out what.

“Surprise,” she says awkwardly, her smile not quite meeting her eyes, and all I can do is stare at her in shock. “Ben told me he was coming for a visit, so I thought I’d tag along, I hope that’s okay,” she adds, shuffling from foot to foot, and guilt slams into me.

“Of course it’s okay,” I reply, moving toward her and pulling her in for a hug, one that is stiff at first, but then she melts into it. “I’ve missed you,” I tell her truthfully, because even with getting to know Evie, Maddie, and Hallie, Malorie is still my best friend.

We’ve texted back and forth a couple of times since I left, but anytime I’ve tried to call her she has been too busy. We went from seeing each other every day, to talking only a few times a week, and it’s been hard to adjust. She didn’t leave my side after my mom and grandma passed away, and I guess I got used to having her there. Even if being here has allowed me to escape my grief a little, I still need her in my life.

“Yeah, missed you too,” she replies, pulling back from my embrace, and when I flick my eyes to Ben, he is watching us with a strange look.

“So we’re good?” Jake asks from behind me, and I turn to find him still ready to jump in, I smile gratefully as I drag Mal and Ben into the apartment.

“Yes, we’re all good,” I start with a laugh, gesturing between the two newcomers. “Jake, this is my boyfriend, Ben, and my best friend, Malorie,” I smile, glad to be bringing together some of my old life with my new life. “Guys, this is my roommate's boyfriend, Jake Harper, he plays on my dad’s team,” I add, and Jake also relaxes into a smile, holding out his hand that Malorie quickly rushes to shake.

Ben just glares at him in contempt before replying, “Maybe Jake should go and put on some clothes.”

I cringe a little at his tone, as Jake drops his hand with a smirk, and I swear he flexes a little, only making my boyfriend’s face redder as I focus on him. “Ben,” I scold his name, but the two men remain in a stare off, before Evie appears at her bedroom door.

“What’s all the commotion?” she groans, flicking her stare around as she stands in nothing but Jake’s jersey, her hair a sexed-up mess piled on top of her head. “Oh, Ben, you’re here,” she adds with a welcoming smile, as if she already knows him, before flicking her stare to my best friend and frowning a little as she looks from me to her. “And you’re Malorie, right?”

I sigh, still smiling through the tension, as I add, “This is my roommate, Evie.” My introduction is pointless since I’ve told both Ben and Malorie all about Evie, and when Ben still doesn’t drop his stare from Jake, I step in front of him and focus on my roommate.

“Evie, can you please start the coffee machine? I think we all need a cup,” I start with a shaky laugh, pleading at her with my eyes, and she looks between us all before she nods, making her way to the kitchen. “You come with me,” I grit beneath my breath at Ben, grabbing him and dragging him to my room. “Mal, we’ll be back in a minute,” I toss over my shoulder, only just capturing her frown before she turns it into a smile and nods gently at me.

“You two take your time,” Evie yells after us, clearly sensing the wrong kind of tension, and I offer her a neutral smile and wave of my hand.

I wait until Ben and I are in my room with the door closed behind us, before I stare at him in question. “What the hell was that?” I ask, annoyed at him for being so rude to Jake, but he looks at me in exasperation.

“Don’t curse, Bree, it’s beneath us,” Ben snaps, his eyes flying around my room in nothing but distaste, before he adds, “You’ve certainly settled in with your new friends.” His tone suggests his approval of their suitability to be my friends is less than stellar, and his words are paired with a slow appraisal of my body, and I suddenly feel insecure in my pajama set. “Isn’t that a little revealing to be walking around in,” he continues, and I swear I feel the hot flush of embarrassment all the way down to my toes.

“I couldn’t sleep last night so I didn’t wake up until I heard you knocking, I didn’t have time to get dressed,” I reply sheepishly, moving to grab an oversized sweater off the back of my chair and pulling it over my head. Only once I’m covered up do I continue. “And why did you bring Malorie? I mean, I’mreally glad to see her, but I could have come to visit her anytime, this weekend was supposed to be about us.”

Ben looks as if he doesn’t hear any one of my words as his eyes zero in on something behind me, and it’s only when I follow his stare that I see what he is looking at. Alexander’s jersey is on my desk with his last name showing clearly, and before I can stop him, Ben is storming towards it and snatching it up.

“Who does this belong to?” he questions instantly, and I wish I didn’t have to lie to him, especially when I have done nothing wrong, but Ben would flip if he knew how relentless Alexander was in flirting with me, even if he is just a friend.

“One of the guys from the team lent it to me in case I wanted to wear a jersey to last night's game. Evie, Maddie, and Hallie were all wearing them so he gave it to me so I wasn’t left out, but I didn’t wear it,” I tell him, praying he doesn’t hear the dishonesty in my tone, but it appears he is too angry to withstand reason anyway.

“And why the fuck would he do that? Doesn’t he know you have a boyfriend?” he yells, and I know the guys in the other room will be able to hear him right now.

“Yes, he knows, Alexander is a friend and he plays on my dad’s team,” I reply gently, not rising to his petty argument, pulling the jersey from his hands and tossing it to the floor without giving it a second look. “Now will you please calm down and actually act like you are happy to see me,” I plead, and only then do his eyes soften.

“I am happy to see you, pretty girl, of course I am. I’m sorry, it’s just been so hard to be away from you,” he sighs, pulling me into his arms, and I relax instantly in his familiar embrace.

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