Page 149 of The Puck Stops Here

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Astrid hung up the video call, Paige’s news rolling through her, as surprising as it was nerve provoking. Paige had caught feelings for Olly. The man who had jilted Bella and broken her heart…

It was a mess. A great big mess. But they’d tried to reassure her, encouraging her to come clean to Bella, too… But all the while Astrid had felt sick, because there she was telling Paige to be honest, when she herself had been far from it.

Though she could hardly come out with her own messy situation when Paige was in tears divulging hers… and tonight, Bella would learn of it too. So much for all these men getting their just desserts. It seemed the only ones paying the price were her girls. Bella for Chase and now Paige with Olly.

Meanwhile, in Astrid-land, she had her cake andwas eating too. Four orgasms and counting. She was bad, bad, bad. Not Paige.

And as the day came to an end, her guilt and her worry increased tenfold. Because Bella was now incommunicado. Paige had told her the news and Bella wasn’t speaking to any of them.

Astrid had called her, but she hadn’t picked up. She’d messaged and no reply.

And now she was fighting the urge to hightail it to her place with a mountain of red velvet cupcakes, threatening to set up camp until her friend let her in. But Chase lived right across the hall so that wouldn’t do.

If the guy saw her, Bella would have more than just Paige’s feelings for Olly to worry over, she’d have to explain away Astrid’s presence too.

So here she was, throwing random shit at her suitcase and praying her friend was okay – Friends plural! – when her phone buzzed.

Sissi

OMG! You did it! I can’t believe you broke the Ice King!

Huh…? Astrid stared at the text. Broke him? How?

Oh, God, the game! Grabbing the TV remote, she launched the streaming service playing the Titans game.

‘Not even the glare of the ice can tone that down,’ came the commentator’s voice over the noise within the arena. ‘Do you think it’s a new strategy from the Ice King?’

‘Ice King?’ the fellow commentator replied. ‘Lion King more like, just look at that orange glow and the attitude, he’s taking some serious stick for it tonight.’

Astrid covered her mouth. ‘Oh, God.’

Sissi

Did you hear what the commentator just said? Lion King!! Priceless

She glanced back up at the TV, her face scrunching over the sight of Aiden slamming the opposition into the boards, taking out another on the rebound too. The ref blew his whistle, ordering him into the box and Blake skated up behind, shook his head at his brother.

‘We can all take a guess at what Fury is saying to his brother now…’

‘To be fair, I’m surprised Ice hasn’t gone into the box sooner.’

‘I don’t know, Bob, seems the twins have had something of a personality swap. Blake without his Fury. Aiden losing his cool…’

Sissi

You are a genius! Karma Queen!

Karma Queen? Astrid felt a little sick. But this was what she’d come for, or thereabouts, and Sissi was getting what she’d been promised… a slice of payback.

Astrid

I try

Sissi

How did you come up with this?

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