Page 68 of Double Pucked

Two words—I’m sorry—and it’s impossible for me to stay mad at my friend.

Even though I was never mad at him. Not really. I was mad at myself.

I reach out my hand,it’s all goodstyle. “We’re cool,” I say, letting go of my irritation once and for all.

He smacks back, obviously relieved as he says, “Let’s just make a new ground rule that we’ll talk about stuff that we don’t have a ground rule for.”

“A ground rule for a ground rule. How very meta,” I say dryly.

“And Ryker’s back,” Chase says with a grin, then comes in for a bro hug.

I clap his back when the sound of footsteps grows loud.

Too loud.

Too close.

Followed by the pad of paws.

And then one very angry-looking goddess. “Is that what you think?We’re cool?”

25

A NEW PACT

Trina

It’s one thing to talk about me while they’re playing with me in bed. That’s something they know I like. It’s a bedroom kink they’ve unlocked.

But to do it behind my back?

I park my hands on my hips. Like a mob heavy, Nacho sits next to me and barks in my defense. My little enforcer.

“You’re making plans for mewithout me?” I ask with narrowed eyes. Maybe I am overstepping as a guest. But so be it. If I cross a line, I’ll stay with—ugh—Cassie.

That’d be better than two men thinking they can make decisions for me.

“I thought you were asleep,” Chase says with a gulp.

“And that makes it okay?”

“We didn’t want to bother you,” Ryker adds quickly. That’s unlike him, to give a snap, emotional answer.

But I don’t care.

“Oh. By all means then, continue arguing about the ground rules forthis bad idea.I’m not bothered at all.”

Ryker groans, dragging a hand down his face. “I didn’t mean that,” he says, sounding devastated.

But is he devastated I heard them? Or devastated over what he said?

“What did you mean then?” I point to Ryker. “Because you said it was a bad idea.” I wheel on Chase. “And you mentioned that damn pact. And yet no one asked me a thing about any of this,” I say, with a fire fueled by my own irritation but stoked by this surge of emotions I’ve been feeling tonight. By this new overflow of them for their kindness, their humor, their sexiness. Hell, I’m learning about hockey for them, and now they’re talking about me behind my back, and it feels like it could be Jasper all over again.

Like everything is a lie.

Like I’m the one being tricked.

My lower lip quivers, and clearly I’m not just angry. I’m hurt.

---