Hockey With Benefits(65)

He didn’t wait for a response. He marched back to the kitchen, and we heard pans being moved around.

Cruz said, “He’s making two pizzas now.”

Zeke started laughing.

Gavin turned for the kitchen. “Oh, sweet. I’m starving.” He went into the kitchen.

Zeke laid his head back against his lounger and rested a hand over his stomach. He heaved a sigh, but gave me a contented smile. “We stopped at Taco Bell on the way home too.”

The door burst open again. This time, a guy walked in with a girl attached to him. Her legs were around his waist, her arms around his neck and their mouths were attached. They were trying to eat each other.

Zeke snorted.

Cruz grinned.

The guy turned around. It was Barclay. The girl was… I shot upright, jolted. It was Kit.

“Excuse us, folks.” Barclay said around her mouth, holding up two fingers in a salute. “Just gonna take this upstairs.”

Kit was laughing as she pulled him back for a kiss, but she skimmed the couch and gasped. Her head went back, stiffening in Barclay’s hold. Her gaze collided with mine. “Mara–”

I jumped to my feet.

I didn’t want her to say anything about my mom. It wasn’t that I was worried about people knowing what she tried to do, it was about her getting to where I went to college. She already got to my high school friends, but here–I was still trying to keep her contained.

Kit frowned. “Mara?” Her voice grew soft, and Barclay let her ease down from his arms. He stood behind her, his gaze taking me in.

“Wha–” Kit shook her head, seeing Zeke and jerking backwards. “Zeke?”

He grinned, slowly and a little mean. “Saw you all up in his space so I figured I’d catch a ride here with the rest of the hockey team. Get a front row seat to this show.” His eyes jerked my way. “Sorry. I should’ve warned you.”

Kit had a boyfriend. I was guessing Barclay had no clue.

Kit flushed, straightening her shirt and pants. She glared at Zeke. “I know all about the shit you and your boy have pulled. Don’t start turning r–” She clamped her mouth shut, seeing Zeke’s face flood with anger.

He leaned forward. “Might want to rethink your position before slinging insults.”

“What is going on?” Barclay asked.

“They all went to the same high school.”

Barclay nodded to Cruz.

Atwater snorted. “Oh, damn. High school gossip is the best kind. Out with it! What’s all the shit?”

Kit pointed at me. “Not one word or I’ll spread your shit all over the Kappa house.”

“What a friend,” Cruz clipped out, standing up behind me.

Kit flushed again. Her hand lowered a little, but she was still glowering. “Just–don’t say anything, Mara.”

“Kit’s got a boyfriend.”

Barclays’ eyes widened and he jerked to the side, away from Kit.

All eyes went to Zeke, who had leaned back in his chair and gave a smug smile. His eyes went to Kit. “You got nothing on me, and if you threaten Daniels again, you got two new enemies at Cain.”

Kit’s eyebrows dipped together.

He clarified, “You know I’ll go hard for her. I’ve always had Daniels’ back. Things will just be extra-enemy-ish between you and me now.”

Kit was losing some of her steam, but she turned to Barclay. “My boyfriend cheated on me. We broke up before I came here this weekend, and FYI, he’s the reason I came along.”

Atwater hooted. “Dude. That means you’re the rebound fuck.”

Barclay was giving her another assessing look before shrugging. “I’m okay with that.” He swooped in, picking her up, and as she gave a little shriek, he took her upstairs. He said to Cruz, “Wake me up thirty minutes before we gotta go for the bus.”

Cruz nodded.

Labrowski came out from the kitchen. “First pizza’s done.” He took in the weirdness of the room. “What’d I miss?”





30





CRUZ





“You sure about this?” I asked Mara as she was waiting to help the guys to their car. Labrowski, who was sober, drove it to our house and she was taking it to the Alpha Mu house. From there, the plan was to get Miles into his car and she would drive that back to their place.

“Miles will wake up enough to transfer cars and we’ll all be good.” She moved a little closer to me, looking up at me. “When does your bus leave tomorrow?”

“We need to be at the arena by ten.”

“Thought you guys usually fly in the night before a game?”

“We do. This time’s the exception.”

She nodded, taking me in, lingering on my mouth.

Things had changed with us, but things had been changing for a while. I wasn’t really sure where to go, but I was going to let Mara take the lead, at least for a bit. Her face flickered before clearing up and she stepped backwards, away from me. “Sounds good. Get some rest. Gotta make sure you win tomorrow.”

Right. Win tomorrow. That’s how she was doing this?

“Yeah. Thanks.”

The guys were ready, waving from the car, so Mara took off. Atwater stepped up behind me, eating another slice of pizza before pointing at the car with it. “Thought she’d be staying tonight?”