Page 57 of Scrimmage

I grind my teeth. “I’ve already told you it was just sex.” I return to my text.

Stay away from Barnes.

It was the wrong thing to say. Ashland shoves her phone into her back pocket and immediately puts her hand on Barnes chest, giggling at whatever he's saying. She puts her middle finger up on the back of her cup inconspicuously. I swallow, trying to get a fucking grip. We aren’t a thing. I’ve had sex with her and that’s it. The whole point of coming here was to not give a shit.

My mind wanders to the Weekender last year. The first time I met her. No wonder I hated her. She left me standing in the woods like a fucking idiot, but, man, banging her against that tree was the best sex I'd ever had. It was like my dick had a compass and was compelled to her. The Universe willed her back into my existence to torture me. Her hair was different, but I see her now.

“Approach or don’t, but don’t ruin everyone’s time because you’re only hard for Ashy.”

“I was looking for you,” a soft voice says behind me. Fuck.

Alexi glances over my shoulder and gives one of those charming smiles. “Hey there, Heather.”

“Hey.”

I roll my eyes and turn around as Alexi abandons me to talk to Heather’s friend.

“Sorry, got side tracked.”

“Oh, it’s okay. I was just gonna get another drink.”

There’s a suggestion there. A drink. If I get her drink then I can go over there and just see what’s happening.

I snatch her cup. “I’ll get it.”

I storm across the beach. Just a beer. That’s all I need.

“Hey, Barnes.” I lean my arm on his shoulder.

“Oh, Armory. Want a refill?”

I completely ignore Ashland, and she effectively ignores me. Penny is talking to Troy, flirting heavily. The two of them are so careless.

“Yeah, sure. Give me a beer.”

Ashland taps Penny on the shoulder, handing over a bottle of whiskey. I recognize it as the one Barnes keeps in his personal stash at parties.

“You two better slow down,” Barnes chuckles. “You’ll be topless in the lake in no time.”

“Good thing we have great tits,” Ashland giggles. Barnes looks at her like she’s a piece of fucking meat.

“Great ass, too." He hands me the cup like it’s an inconvenience.

“Yeah?” Ashland turns around. “You think?”

He puts the cup to his lips and drags his eyes over her body. “Oh, I think.”

She smiles at him, and I fucking hate it. She has never smiled at me.

“So you came here with Alexi?” he asks, nonchalant. It’s like I’m not even fucking standing here.

“Yeah, he invited Penny, but we’re a package deal.” She messes with her hair and bites her lip, oozing sex.

“Damn fucking right we are,” Penny giggles.

“What a fucking package.” Troy grins. “So I guess Daemon snagged himself two dates instead of one.”

They descend into laughter. “We aren’t his dates."

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