Page 58 of The Chances We Take

Goddammit.

He cleared his throat, pushing the chair back upright, but pulled it slightly away from the bar so I could continue leaving.

“I… Thanks,” I muttered as I grabbed my glass and scrambled away, warmth already rising to my cheeks and my stomach tangled up in knots over a simple, stupid action.

I mentally cursed myself as I made my way through the bar, finding Ellison and the boys playing darts.

Stupid Reid with his stupidly attractive face and stupid reflexes. Should have let me fall.

“What the hell are you doing?” Ellison lowered her voice to scold me.

“Did you leave Reid all by his lonesome?” Jake chuckled.

Footsteps approached behind me, and I couldn’t help my shoulders tensing.

“Nope, I was right behind her.” Reid’s voice vibrated in my ear.

“I, uh, needed to get away from the bar. Stools… They’re…” I stuttered, unable to find any sort of composure with Reid standing behind me.

“She almost took a spill.”

“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” Ellison’s eyes widened.

“Yeah. I’m fine. I didn’t actually fall,” I grumbled. “Got any room for one more?” I desperately needed to change the subject and get some of this pent-up energy out of me. Darts seemed like the right way to do it.

“Yeah, we’re just starting, actually.” Colter nodded. “I don’t think Mikey’s playing, so two teams of three?”

“That works. Hayden, you want to be on a team with me and Colter?” Ellison rattled out.

I glared at her, knowing she purposely put me and Reid on the same team.

“Uh…” Hayden looked back and forth between me and Ellison and Reid. “Sure?”

“Perfect! Isa, Reid, and Jake, you guys can be a team, then.” She smiled, satisfied with herself and her “matchmaking.” Maybe this was karma for all the times I tried to get Ellison to go on dates. I was only trying to be helpful, though. This was pure torture, and sheknewit.

“Who’s going first?” I asked, accepting my fate.

“You guys can,” Colter replied.

I picked up a dart, standing behind the line and focusing on the board.Just pretend it’s his face. Can’t miss.I hinged my elbow, pulling back my hand to aim before throwing the dart. I watched it float through the air until it landed in the outer single ring in the ten-point wedge.

“I’m just warming up.” I rolled my eyes at Jake as he stepped up to take his shot. He, luckily, hit the triple ring and knocked down the score by forty-five points.

“You know, Reid is a real good darts player. He’s gotgreataim.” Mikey stuffed his hands in his pockets as he gave me a shit-eating grin.

“Better aim than you’ll ever have, buddy.” Reid slapped his back as he rolled his eyes at the innuendo.

The thing was, Mikey wasn’t wrong. Hedidhave good aim. He hit a bullseye right off the bat then simply shrugged when he saw the surprise on my face.

“All right, Ellie. Show me what you’ve got.” Reid gestured for Ellison to take her turn.

“I could do this with my eyes closed, Lawsy.” She yawned as she threw the dart and completely missed the board, causing the boys to uproar with laughter. “Shutup!” She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as Colter pecked her on the check.

“It’s all right, honey. You can’t be good at everything.”

“Sure I can,” she huffed. “I’m also warming up.”

We all laughed as we continued the game. Seven rounds later, and the score was eighteen to twenty-five, with our team winning.

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