Page 30 of The Puck Player

“Mac and cheese, my mom’s was my favorite, but now I have to settle for the fast food variety,” I grumble, wondering what I would give to have one more of my mom’s homemade meals. “But hey, you said the food is amazing, right?”

“Well, it’s not quite your mother’s cooking, but I’m sure it will hit the spot,” he replies gently, and he was right.

When we get back to the table Alexander glares at everyone before Archer quickly jumps in with a ridiculous story, about how he once broke down Nova’s door and covered him in fish guts, that I’m sure they have all heard before. Clearly it’s only for my benefit, but it does the job of changing the subject and effectively moving us on from Ben’s awkward departure.

As it turns out,lunch with Evie and some of the Flyers ends up being the only good part of my day. When I got back to the apartment, Ben and Malorie were nowhere to be found,and it was another hour before they showed up. Malorie was strangely quiet, not bothering to retell what she did in order to calm him down, and Ben was overly apologetic to the point of being slightly annoying. Evie texted not long after to say she was staying at Jake’s house, which given the tension at lunch, I can’t say I blame her. So the three of us settled in for a little less than awkward movie night, before I set up the sofa with some sheets for Ben, and headed to bed with Malorie.

All night I couldn’t sleep, just tossing and turning with an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach that I couldn’t place, and when I woke up this morning and Ben made an excuse about work forcing them to leave early, I felt relieved. I watch them move in sync as they pack up, as if I were on the outside of our little three-way friendship for the first time ever, and unlike the last time we all said goodbye to one another, I don’t feel any sadness. Like last time, Malorie promises she will call me, even though I know she won’t, before she excuses herself to go and wait in the car.

Ben watches her leave, before turning to me with a resigned smile. “I really am sorry about yesterday, pretty girl,” he purrs, pulling me in close until our bodies are aligned. “It just makes me crazy to think about other guys coveting what’s mine,” he adds, sliding his hands down my body, gripping my hips so he can push against me. His arousal is thick between us and he eyes me closely, as if testing my reaction to him.

My mind flicks back to hearing Evie and Jake, to catching Archer and Daemon, and I can’t help but wonder, is it really that simple? Does the ring on my finger even mean anything if I don’t truly believe in it? Maybe I haven’t been waiting for marriage, but for someone to make me feel something worthy of taking that next step, and since being here I feel as if that person isn’t Ben. So am I the problem? Or is he?

“Maybe the next time I visit I can show you just how much you mean to me,” he adds suggestively, his meaning not lost on me, and it’s nothing like the way Alexander lets his innuendos hang in the air between us, and all I can do is force a smile. A smile he must mistake for agreement, because he leans down and kisses me in a way he never has before, it’s insistent and urgent, as he shoves his tongue in my mouth and groans. “You have no idea how much I want you,” he grunts against my lips. “You’re mine, Bree, forever.”

Those last four words sound more harrowing than they ever have before, and as I pull away, I keep my forced smile in place, as I nod my head toward the stairs. “You better go, you don’t want to keep Mal waiting,” I breathe, and I swear he almost rolls his eyes before he catches himself.

“Yeah, well, you’re more important to me than her,” he grumbles, and I shake my head, as he leans in for another swift kiss before pulling back. “I’ll be back soon to show you how much, my pretty girl.”

His parting words stay with me long after he leaves, and I wish they could erase the way he acted yesterday, but they don’t. Instead, that embarrassment of how he not only treated me, but my friends too, lingers for longer than I care to admit, and without Evie around to distract me, I fall into a pit of despair. For the first time in months my grief feels deeper than ever, because all I want to do is curl up in my mom’s arms and have her make it all better. She would always know what to say to me whenever I needed advice, and anytime Ben and I had a disagreement, she would also find a way to make it better. Without her I feel so incredibly empty, and feeling more alone than I have in months, I curl up in my bed and cry.

I’m not sure how much time passes as I let myself fall apart, but when my phone vibrates on the nightstand, I debateignoring it, but then it goes off again and again, and I groan as I swipe at my stupid tears and lean over to grab it.

Alexander - Hey Trouble, just checking in after yesterday. Hope everything is okay.

Alexander - I promise this is just a check in and not a preempt to dick pics

Alexander - Not that if you wanted dick pics I wouldn’t oblige, because I would

Alexander - I’d just need a bigger phone first ??

Alexander - Oh and if you’re reading this Ben, then I’m just joking

Alexander - I would never buy a new phone just for dick pics

I can’t help but laugh as I read his messages, each one more ridiculous than the last, and just so totally him that I find myself genuinely smiling for the first time all day. Not that I would ever give him the satisfaction of knowing that, and after what he saw yesterday, I feel the need to revert to our usual form of communication.

Aubree - Has anyone ever told you that you’re annoying?

Aubree - Oh and the only person who cares about your dick around here is you

My messages are read instantly, and I ignore the feeling it evokes within me, as I watch the typing bubbles appear and disappear before his first message pops up, followed quickly by a second.

Alexander - I recall a certain troublemaker calling me annoying a few times,

Alexander - Does that count?

I don’t even get a chance to respond before another two messages quickly follow.

Alexander - Oh and I thought lying was a sin?

Alexander - You might want to remember that before saying you don’t care about me and my dick

This time I huff a laugh as I read his messages, not sure if they are maybe a little too intimate given the current subject, yet still I find myself replying, enjoying our little game of back and forth.

Aubree - Murder is also a sin but here I am contemplating

I expect my joke to land well, but as with everything else in life, he is much better at this than me.

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