Gold (All that Glitters #2)(53)

Pace.

“Excuse me!” she snapped. “Who said you were invited?”

Pace smirked. “Hey, sis.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Your boyfriend invited the whole team. Last I checked, I’m on the team.”

He seemed pretty pleased with himself.

Bryna looked around. “Who here has a boyfriend?”

“You, of course. Think you can hide that you’re dating Eric?”

“We’re not dating.”

“Sure,” he said disbelievingly. “How is it going though, really?”

“We’re not together, but it’s so cute that you’re clearly jealous.”

“I mean, at least you picked the complete opposite of the last one,” he said.

She knew he was referencing Jude, and she shuddered.

He leaned closer toward her. “Speaking of, does the new man know all of your deep, dark secrets?”

He looked like he had her there, and she stood her ground.

“Actually, he does. Not that it’s any of your business”—she pushed him away from her—“but we’re not together, creep.”

Pace looked genuinely surprise. She was glad she had thrown him off.

“He knows about Jude?”

“What? Like it’s a big secret? Yes, he knows. Now that the interrogation is over, you can leave.”

“But I’m just getting started,” he said. “How exactly did you get this house?”

“What does it matter? I’m away from you, and that’s all that’s important to me.”

Realization seemed to dawn on his face as he took in the luxury so many others had missed. “Slipping into old bad habits, are we?”

“Fuck off!”

She knew he loved riling her up, but she couldn’t help from getting upset. His very presence angered her. It made her think about her father marrying that whore who was now f*cking pregnant. She hadn’t seen them since they moved Pace in, and she didn’t want to hear shit about the new baby they were having.

“You know I’m not leaving.”

“Then, stay the f*ck away from me.”

Pace laughed and walked away. “I’ll find someone else to take home tonight,” he threw over his shoulder.

Bryna shuddered. Poor girl. Pace was awful. She hated that he was here at LV State. She had been avoiding him at all extremes, spending so little time in her condo, but still, he was around. The whole thing put her in a sour mood.

She needed a drink. She definitely needed a drink. She wished she could bleach the thought of Pace with a girl out of her brain. Actually, the thought of Pace at all made her feel like she had bugs crawling under her skin.

She wandered into the kitchen and poured herself another margarita when a conversation drifted up to her from the open window. She glanced outside and saw Eric was talking to a bunch of the football players he had arrived with.

“So, you’re banging Bryna,” Greg said as if it were a fact. He hadn’t even questioned it. He’d just assumed it. Greg punched Andrew in the arm and laughed hysterically. “Dude, you guys are * brothers now.”

Andrew looked sullen and made some snide remark that Bryna couldn’t discern.

Hmm. So, the guys were going to have the same conversation with Eric that her girls had recently had with her. Too bad he couldn’t use the real reason they weren’t f*cking rather than having to hedge around the issue.

Eric chuckled. “Nah, man. We’re just friends.”

Greg snorted and made some crude pelvic thrust. “With benefits.”

Ugh! Why does Beth like him?

“Nope,” Eric responded. He tipped back his beer and seemed totally relaxed.

“I’ve seen the way you two are together,” Greg said. “Picking her up and offering to spank her ass. I’d be all over that.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not you.”

Andrew rolled his neck, clearly agitated. “I’ve smacked that ass.”

Eric and Greg both turned their attention to him.

“Yeah, before she started making out with everyone in Posse instead of you,” Greg said, laughing maniacally. “I’ve heard she’s f*cked half the team since you, dude.”

Andrew glared at him.

But it was Eric who spoke up, “I don’t think so. Bryna is pretty picky. She wouldn’t settle for any dipshit.”

“Picky?” Andrew asked. Even he sounded disbelieving. “I think you have the wrong girl.”

Eric shrugged. “She has expensive taste. I don’t think she’d slum it with anyone.”

Greg still looked doubtful. “Either way, dude, you can’t just be friends with a chick like that.”

“Especially not Bri,” Andrew said.

Bryna swallowed hard. She knew what people thought about her. She had always known. Honestly, it had only gotten worse since she came to college. But knowing what people thought was different than hearing it. It made her blood boil. It made her want to go down there and demand to know all the people they thought she had slept with. Because the total since last summer was a big whopping two—Andrew and Hugh. That was it.

Assholes.

At least Eric had stood up for her.

“Well, I don’t think that’s true. Bryna and I aren’t dating, and we’re not f*cking, so I guess we’re friends,” Eric said.