Page 51 of The Puck Player

“Fuck no,” Everest snaps far too quickly, making Aurora roll her eyes, but it’s the small smirk tugging on the corner of Harden’s mouth that holds my interest.

“Truth or Dare, Daemon?” Griffin quickly asks, swiftly changing the subject to get off the topic of his best friend’s little sister, and Aubree’s stare collides with mine as if she is thinking the same thing as I am.

There is definitely something there.

“I think we’ve all had enough dares around here,” Daemon grumbles, sipping his drink, before looking around the room and eventually sighing, “Truth.”

Hmm not sure we want to open that can of worms, but hey.

Griffin isn’t deterred, as he smirks. “Who’s the top and who’s the bottom?”

Daemon rolls his eyes at the bullshit question, and I almost think he won’t grant him an answer, until he grunts, “Don’t ask stupid questions.”

I bark a laugh, as Archer looks completely offended. “I knew you gave off bottom energy,” I taunt him, and he cuts me with a warning glare.

“I do not,” he snaps, as we all laugh at his sulking face.

“Please, I hear you through the wall begging to be fucked every time you’re over at the house,” Josh drawls boredly, and I can’t say I blame him, I hear it every time they are here too.

“Kind of like your wife then, huh?” Archer snaps back, making Hallie blush. “Should I kiss her again, make her moan even louder for me instead? Or maybe we could join you next time, I hear we aren’t the only ones who like an audience,” he adds, and Josh tightens his hold on a now blushing Hallie in warning.

“Watch your mouth when it comes to my wife, Gray.”

Archer only smirks. “Oh, I’d love to, Peters.”

“Sounds like college is going to be fun,” Aurora chimes in, trying to lighten the mood, clearly a little tipsy, and Everest glares at her.

“You’re not fucking anyone,” Archer spits, pointing at her, as Aubree laughs, and he tilts his head between them. “In fact, get yourself a purity ring like Bree, lock that shit down until you’re fucking married,” he demands, and Everest nods in agreement, as Aubree laughs awkwardly.

“I’m not sure I’d recommend it,” she teases lightly, but Archer snaps his head in her direction.

“Is that right?” he smirks, staring at her knowingly. “Well, looks like you’re up, Troublemaker. Truth or Dare?”

Aubree’s eyes once again find mine instantly, like magnets, like she feels this pull between us just like I do.

“Dare,” she states boldly, still holding my stare, and a sense of dread settles in the pit of my stomach, because I know Archer Gray almost as well as I know myself. Which means I know exactly where this is going.

“Wonderful,” he beams excitedly. “I dare you to kiss Alexander.”

She doesn’t look surprised by his words, like she expected this just as much as I did, wanted it even, and fuck it tears me up inside, because I want it too, more than I have ever wanted anything, but not like this.

Aubree sits forward and places her drink on the table, at the same time I jump to my feet, and the slight frown on her face almost kills me. Yet still I turn and leave the room without looking back, because I didn’t lead her to see Ben’s true colors just so I could kiss her as part of a fucking game. No, I’ve made mistakes playing that game before, ones that didn’t have this high a price and were worth the gamble, but not this time.Not with her.

I rush upstairs, pushing past the other members of the team enjoying the low-key party and head out to the back deck of the house, but Aubree is there in an instant, calling my name.

“Alexander, wait,” she calls, panting a little as she joins me, searching my stare with her own, and I’m so close to the fucking edge that I am ready to snap. “Why did you leave? It’s only a kiss, it doesn’t mean anything, it’s just a game, right?” she asks, her words desperate, as if she needs my truthful answer more than anything, and I can’t deny it anymore.

“Is that what you’ve been telling yourself?” I ask with a scoff, my hands flexing with the need to fucking take hold of her and make her mine, and I can’t stop myself from grabbing her and slamming her into the side of the house. “That our kiss didn’t mean anything?” My hand snakes up around her throat, tipping her chin back so she can look at me, and her hand curls around it, holding me in place. “Are you saying that you don’t remember the feeling of my lips on yours?” I whisper against her mouth. “The taste of my tongue as it tangled with yours?” I breathe, bringing our lips just a breath apart.

Her heart is pounding against my arm, her pulse deep and heavy, as her eyes dilate. “So then why did you walk away?” she asks softly, searching my stare desperately, as if she wants this as much as I do, and I softly shake my head.

My eyes flick down to the purity ring on her middle finger, and I sigh, “I already told you, Aubree, I won’t kiss you again until you’re ready to be mine. Not in some game, and certainly not in front of all of our friends. So think about what you really want before you corner me like this again, because I only have so much restraint, and you’ve been testing it since the second I laid eyes on you.”

This time when I walk away I know she won’t follow, because the player never gets the fucking girl.

Alexander walked away. He had the opportunity to kiss me again, and he walked away, again. What’s worse? I understand why he did it. I’m not stupid, I can feel the tension between us, I know it’s more than the friendship we keep trying to force, hell, the lines are so blurred that I care more about him not kissing me, than my boyfriend fucking my best friend. How fucked up is that? Yet there is a part of me that yearns for him so deeply, that I’m not sure I can even describe it. I’m not familiar with the feeling, I’ve never had it before, so he walked away and I let him.

Since then things have been annoyingly normal. He’s been charming, friendly, flirty, and as helpful as he always is. Thanks to him, I’ve got top marks on my last two business assignments, and I’m even smashing my other classes too. It’s like Saturdaynight never even happened and I should be grateful, but instead I’m infuriated.

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