Page 42 of Our Offseason

“Don't look disgusted with me,hun,” he countered.

I rolled my eyes. “What do you know about soulmates anyway?”

He gave me a hard stare. “Same stuff as you. Didn’t you grow up with Addie the same way that I grew up with Case?”

I eyed my sister across the bar.

She had dated Tyler’s older brother, Casey, back in the day. They were good together, but they weren’tsoulmates, were they? First loves maybe, but I think she would have talked to me more about him if they were true soulmates.

“That was a long time ago. They were young.” I shrugged it off.

His serious eyes bored holes into mine. “He’s not young anymore, and he still thinks about her.”

I wasn’t really sure what I was supposed to do with that information. I didn’t want Addie to go back into that broken shell of a person she was after she and Casey broke up. I never even knew what happened to break the two of them apart. I was too young for her to confide in me at that point in time. All I knew was that he made her life better for a small time, then he broke her for a larger period of time. But she was happy now and she had big plans for her life. And Casey was one of the top NHL defensemen in the league. He was probably doing just fine without her.

Tyler shrugged his large shoulder. “Forget I said anything. She doin’ alright?”

I nodded. “She’s good. She’s excited about her work,” I said gently. Why did it feel like my words were letting him down?

“Good, I’m glad for her. My family will always be in debt to her.” He gave a sad smile and took another swig of his beer.

His words completely confused me, but he quickly changed the subject. “Back to our mission, Kessel. For the icing on the cake, how about we whisper like this…” He leaned in. “I’m going to kiss your neck, don’t hit me away, okay?” He proceeded to trace his tongue up my neck, and while it did feel like a turn-on, it felt a little slimy… because I did not actually like Tyler in that way. “Now we’re both going to go outside for a couple minutes,” he directed me.

“Why–”

He gave me an exasperated look. “This is ‘hot girl summer 101.”

I stared at him blankly and he cursed under his breath.

“You need to go outside so he comes looking for you, duh,” he whispered in my ear.

“How do you know–”

He pulled back and gave me a stern look. “Believe me. He will definitely come looking for you… and for me. Hopefully I won’t have to take a punch for you. And if he doesn’t come looking for you, well, then…”

I sighed. “Then I’ll know he doesn’t want me,” I said, feeling suddenly shaky…

He kissed my neck again and slowly made his way up to my ear. “He wants you, don’t worry so much. Us guys are simple creatures, Claire. But now, I am going to ask Reggie for a condom.”

I pulled back from him. “Um, why the hell are you telling me?” I asked, feeling alarmed.

“Take it down a notch,” he warned.

I immediately wiped the disgruntled look off my face.

He reached up and pulled a lock of my hair. “I am telling you,” he drawled, “so you won't freak out like this if you hear about it later. It is part of the plan, Kessel. Head out to my car. Silver Range Rover. Code to get in is 1980. I’ll come get you if he doesn’t go outside… but he will.”

I nervously bit my lip. “Thank you, Tyler.”

“My pleasure,hun,” he said with a lopsided grin before pulling himself away from me and making his way toward Reggie.

I weaved my way through the sweaty crowded porch, then the packed inside of the bar where a DJ was getting ready to start playing and people were beginning to line the edges of the sticky, weathered dance floor. When I finally pushed through the doors to exit, it felt amazing to breathe in the cool beginning of summer breeze.

I scampered across the dark parking lot to Tyler’s car. The only other people out here were a group of girls. Two of them were rubbing their friend’s back who was doubled over barfing in the bushes. They looked to be newly twenty-one and it seemed like they had everything under control.

I quickly punched in the code to enter Tyler’s car feeling a bit icky. I didn't want people to think of me as the type to get drunk then hook up in a car, but what other choice did I have at this point? I needed confirmation that Duke did care about me. Sure, my heart would break a little if he didn’t care that I was hooking up with someone else, but at least I would know.

I sat there for a full minute, trying to still my anxious body, but it really felt like my heart was going to explode in anticipation at any given second.

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