Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 235(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 235(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
“What’s that?” I yelled above the din of an old Drake song, pointing at the pink cocktail in Troy’s red cup.
“No clue. It’s in the punch bowl in the kitchen. It’s pretty good.”
“Dude. Didn’t your mama ever tell you not to drink from the community party bowl? Someone could have slipped something in there,” I admonished.
“Don’t be a party pooper, Vaughn. At least taste it,” he said, pushing his cup at my chest.
I held my hands up and shook my head. “No, thanks. I’m gonna find a beer.”
I weaved through the mass of people, braving the impossibly small and very crowded space. I stopped to give a couple of high fives on my way to the keg located outside the kitchen door.
The evening air felt refreshing after the claustrophobic press of bodies inside. I sucked in a deep breath before skirting around a makeshift bar and heading for the keg. I filled my cup, then stepped into the shadows and surveyed the backyard. Two separate groups were chatting near the barbeque. Their inebriated laughter almost drowned out the telltale sounds of a couple engaged in a heavy make-out session a few feet away under a giant pepper tree. I sipped my beer and was about to head back inside just as one of the lovebirds stepped out of the shadows.
“Oh. Derek, it’s you. Hi.”
I couldn’t see her well in the dark, but I’d recognize that voice anywhere. I pasted a smile on my face and turned to greet my ex-girlfriend and—
No fucking way.
I knit my brow and cast a wary glance between Amanda and my nemesis.
“Hey,” I said awkwardly. “How’s it going?”
“Good. Um…you guys know each other, right? Water polo and…stuff.” Amanda pushed a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ear and bit her already swollen bottom lip.
The sudden wave of jealousy took me by surprise. I broke up with Amanda last June. We’d been together for two years and we’d had a good run, but there was no real passion between us. We’d become a habit, and I hadn’t seen the point in drawing out a relationship we both knew wouldn’t last. She’d seemed hurt at first but okay after a few weeks, and I’d been relieved. So I didn’t understand. Why would I care if Amanda and Gabe got together? Sure, it was weird…but we were all adults. I had no right to envy, and I certainly shouldn’t feel like I’d been sucker-punched. The weird thing was that my angst had nothing to with my ex. This was all about Gabe. I couldn’t tell if I was upset he was with her or with anyone in general. I was too confused to touch that.
I refocused and nodded brusquely. “Yeah. We know each other.”
Amanda stepped away from Gabe and shot a wan smile at both of us. “Um, I’m going to use the restroom. I’ll see you guys around.”
I smiled tightly and watched her walk away before turning to Gabe. He looked good tonight. He was dressed like me, in jeans and a short-sleeved button-down shirt. He was the kind of guy most people considered hot. And why the fuck did that even cross my mind? Okay, it was probably because I usually saw him in a Speedo and he always looked hot but—oh, fuck.
“Um, are you and Amanda…?”
“Nah. We were just…foolin’ around.”
“Oh. Do you make a habit of sticking your tongue down random girls’ throats?” I asked in a sharper tone than I intended.
Gabe snorted. “No, but she came on to me after I asked about you and…bam! Before I knew what hit me, she backed me against that tree. Then you came snooping around and ruined everything.”
His tone was jocular and laid-back. The polar opposite of the warrior I did battle against in the pool this morning. The personality shift was jarring. I didn’t trust him at all.
“Why did you ask about me?”
“I didn’t. It was a joke,” he snarked.
“Oh. Right.”
A Saturday that began and ended with Gabe wasn’t good for my sanity. I started to turn away when he spoke again.
“Good game today.”
“Better for you than me,” I huffed.
He gave me a lopsided grin and shrugged. “Win some, lose some.”
“So says the guy who gouged my side, then somehow convinced the ref he was the injured party.”
Gabe’s smile lit his eyes. I could practically feel the warmth emanating from him. It made me want to return the gesture, which didn’t make sense. Gabe and I weren’t friends. Hell, I’d caught him with my ex five minutes ago.
But that smile…
“I’d apologize for the teensy scratch, Vaughn, but you kicked me in the stomach one too many times. You were aiming for my nuts, and I wasn’t going down without a fight. The key is to not get caught,” he said with a wink. “You oughtta know that by now.”