Page 41 of Ice Block

He snorts out a laugh and shakes his head. “What I’m trying to say is that she’s going places. And if you don’t make a move soon, you’re going to get left behind.”

Goddammit. I will never admit that I do, in fact, like him, but he does make a couple of good points.

“Are we done now?”

“You can thank me later, Vladi.” He winks as he pats me on the back, standing up to hopefully go annoy someone else.

My thoughts are running around like they are stuck in one of those damn corn mazes our social media coordinator made us participate in last fall. I take another drink of my beer, cracking my knuckles on my free hand. I want her.Badly.I don’t want to see her with another man. I don’t want her tobewith another man, but she is currently standing next to fucking Carlos and touching his arm as she laughs at his jokes. I chug the rest of my too-warm beer, sweat pouring down my face despite the breeze, as I try, but fail, to control my rage. I swear to God if he so much as touches any part of her again, someone else will have to steer this boat back to shore while I dump his lifeless body overboard.

I take a deep breath, staring at the expansive blue water surrounding us. It’s like ice in liquid form. Seems appropriate, given the damn heat.Would I even know how to love her?I don’t know how to love anyone. I don’t even know if I love myself. What I do know is that she deserves someone who can love her in a way she’s worthy of. Someone who can protect her. Care for her. Embrace the chaos of her. I want that person to be me. My eyes cut to her again, her laugh raising goosebumps. I’m just not sure if I can.

27

maggie

Flirting with Carlos is exhausting. Sure, he’s hot, but more in a ‘one-time hookup on vacay’ type of way. Not in a ‘marry me and fuck me for the rest of my life’ way. But, as I watch the brooding man sitting at the back of this boat, the one who, for some crazy reason, Idowant to marry and fuck me, I realize that laughing at Carlos and his not funny jokes is really getting under Vladi’s skin. He has not taken his damn eyes off me this entire boat trip. A slow, smug smile spreads across my face.Good.He deserves to sit back there and sulk after what he said. I am Maggie fucking James goddammit, andno oneowns this body but me.

Howdarehe accusemeof not thinking more of him than a one-night stand. The few drinks I’ve had are doing nothing to calm my shaky hands. My inner bad-ass bitch fuels all my anger into laughing at Carlos’ most recent joke—‘What do you call a seagull that flies over the bay? A bagel’ -trying so hard not to roll my eyes. I barely manage to stay focused on the task at hand, laughing like it’s the funniest joke in the world while sneaking glances of the goalie Iwant to punch in the face, then fuck hard enough I see stars.This is a totally normal, and not at all weird feeling, right?

“Heeeey Mags,” Olivia says in a sing-song voice as she grabs my arm, “why don’t you come sit over here with us for a while?” It’s more of a demand than a request as she drags me over to where Hayes, Zack, and Kara are sitting around a table on the giant-ass yacht we’re on.Seriously, how much money does Hayes make?“I think you’ve had enough to drink and enough time fake flirting with Captain Carlos.”

“I was not fake flirting.” I flop down as Liv releases my arm, nearly shoving me into the seat. “He was…witty. Charming in fact.”

“Maggie,” Zack says, “I know I haven’t known you that long, but that was the fakest laughing and flirting I’ve ever seen in my life. And Larsy and I have seen our fair share of puck bunnies trying to flirt with players-” He stops as Kara whacks him on the arm, his hand immediately massaging the abused limb. “Geezus Kara, careful with the merchandise! I’m talking aboutbeforeyou. You know that does not interest me at all,” he defends, leaning down to give Kara a kiss. “What I was trying to say is that we know when a woman is laughing at an unfunny joke. And Carlos isnotfunny.”

“He’s right, Maggie,” Hayes unhelpfully adds. “That was Puck Bunny 101 right there.”

Olivia smacks his arm, a grumpy look darkening her features. “Hayes! Do not call my best friend a puck bunny!”

“I wasn’t callinghera puck bunny! I was just saying…oh, forget it. Maggie, you are not a puck bunny. But Zack is right. That was some fake-ass flirting. Is this because Vladi went all caveman over Carlos putting on your lifejacket?”

My lips thin as I cross my arms over my chest. “Absolutely not. The two incidents are completely unrelated.”

Olivia gives me some major side eye, her brows high enough I’m worried they’re going to disappear in her hair. “Riiight. Sure Mags. Because you wouldn’t be trying to make him jealous at all, would you?”

“Nope. Not me. I just felt bad Carlos was up there all alone.” I bite the inside of my cheek

“He’s literally getting paid to be there on his own and steer the ship,” Zack unhelpfully points out.

I sigh, slumping across the table in my normal dramatic fashion. “Okay,fine.Yes. I was trying to make him jealous.”

“Maggie, a word of advice?” Hayes chimes in. “Vladi is plenty jealous. Unless you want to be testifying in his murder trial, I would cool it on the fake flirting.”

“Who made you the king of the boat, Hayes? No one, that’s who. Besides…he deserves it after what he said to me,” I grumble into the table.

“Oh God,” Olivia looks at me, horrified. “What did he say?”

I sit back, crossing my arms and doing my best to ignore the eyes I can feel burning into the back of my head. “Go ask him. He sure as shit seems to know everything, so might as well get your information directly from the source.”

“I take it the rooming thing is going well, then?” Kara takes a knowing sip of her drink.

I let out a loud sigh, frustration finally setting in that my friends officially seem to have me pegged. “It’s not the rooming part. It’s the every other waking moment of the day part.”

“Wait, so the rooming partisgoing well? Are you guys hooking up in there?” Kara looks at me again, her eyes as wide as the open water behind her.

“Hellno. There is no hooking up of any kind going on.”

“Then why did he almost murder Carlos before we got on the boat?” Hayes asks.

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