Page 32 of Puck You Not

“Yeah.I’m going to stay with Parrish until the end of the semester.”

“Longer,” Parrish rumbled, sending another thrill of arousal through me.

“I knew you were fucking him,” Sheena sneered.

Nash turned his glare on her.“You’re still here?God sake.Take a hint, Satanic Barbie.Go do your evil elsewhere and leave Avalon alone.”

She flipped her hair then crossed her arms, lifting her chin in challenge.

“Look,” I said before she could start spewing more crap.“I let it go when you dumped all my stuff on the lawn, even though I’ve paid more than my share of the expenses.But you going to my brother and sister and lying…?”

Because yeah, I’d gotten texts from my sister today telling me she didn’t have time for my bullshit problems.

“That’s unacceptable,” I continued.

“None of it is,” Parrish muttered.

I didn’t acknowledge that and just focused on Sheena.She needed to be dealt with once and for all, so she wasn’t a shadow looming over me for the rest of my time at Rustin.

“But…” I drew out the word for emphasis.“If you don’t stop, I’ll go to the administration about you.There’s no reason for you to harass me.Just leave me alone.It’s not your concern what I do.It’s not like Parrish is your boyfriend or that you’re in any way connected to the hockey team.I don’t think you even met Parrish before the other night.So if I’m with him or if I’m not with him, it doesn’t matter to you.What I do or do not do with him isn’t your concern.”

“He’s a star, heading for the pros and you’re…” Her scathing gaze raked over me.“A nerdy mouse.And you’re dating out of your weight range.Literally.”

A collective gasp seemed to go up around us, and I swore Nash and Parrish turned to stone.The verbal blow knocked me back in mortification, tears pricking my eyes.Sure, I wasn’t rail thin.And my hair wasn’t a cloud of golden corn silk around my shoulders.It was a muddy dark brown that tended to get in my way, so I always kept it in a long braid that hung over one shoulder.And no, I didn’t dress in expensive, fashionable clothes.When I wasn’t at the library working, I lived in jeans and T-shirts or sweatshirts.I had exactly two nice blouses and one nice dress.I didn’t glide; I usually tripped.I wasn’t part of the popular crowd.But…with Parrish, I’d forgotten all that.

“Nash,” Parrish said quietly.

“Yeah?”my friend snapped.

“Will you grab Avie’s stuff and bring it to my car?”Parrish didn’t wait for a reply before he swung me over his wide, muscular shoulder.

“Sheena…and I mean this with my whole being,” he growled, his tone deadly.“Fuck off andneverspeak to Avalon again.Because if you do, you’ll be the one ruined.”

She sputtered, and almost before I realized what was happening, he pushed past her and was out the door ofMidnight Java.A cheer went up behind us, and Sheena yelled.

“Parrish!”I cried when we were on the sidewalk and the door closed, muting the cheer behind us.“Put me down!I’m too—”

“Don’t you dare tell me you’re too heavy,” he growled, not slowing as he strode toward the student lot where he’d parked his car.His free hand smacked over my ass.“You’re fucking perfect, and that girl is just a jealous bitch.She wishes she could be as great as you.”

“That was fantastic!”Nash exclaimed.I craned my head to see him jogging toward us with his backpack over his shoulder while he carried mine.Parrish took it from him, not slowing a bit or showing any sign of his burden being too heavy.

It was only at the passenger side of his car that he set me on my feet.His hands came up to cup my face, and he leaned in.“Youshould besleeping with the captain of the hockey team.”

“I mean…technically I am,” I murmured, caught in the tractor beam of his gaze.Every ion of my body was drawn to him, my pulse thrumming through my veins and tension pulling in my core.

He slowly shook his head.“You know what I mean.”

“I do.”

“So do I,” Nash piped in.“And frankly, it’s too much information.Babes, call me later.I want all the blow-by-blow of what went down—without any private TMI details.Bye, Parrish.Take care of my girl or you’ll be sorry.”

Parrish broke our gaze to glare over my shoulder at Nash.“She’smygirl.”

Nash scoffed but took off the other way, heading back toward his apartment.

“Tell me there’s nothing between you two,” Parrish said.“I don’t want to be a jealous ass.”

“No can do, hockey god,” I said, and Parrish’s grip on my waist tightened.I curled my fingers on his cheek.“He’s my best friend.I love him, and he has a huge place in my life.But romantically.Not a thing.Also, he won’t admit it, but he has a massive crush on his roommate.”

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