Zach bursts into laughter, and the rest follow like it’s the funniest thing they’ve heard all night. My brows knit. Why are they laughing?
“I’m the only goalie,” Zach says finally, still chuckling as he takes my hand. “But it’s nice to have you here, Katy. I’ve heard a lot about you from J already.”
I feel my cheeks warm. “Thank you,” I murmur, trying to ignore the fact that I just congratulated the guy for being the best goalie when he’s literally the only one. Smooth, Katy. Real smooth.
Braydon slips his hand into mine and guides me closer to the rest of his friends lounging on a sofa that’s been shoved against the wall. None of them are drinking, but most have girls perched on their laps-girls who size me up instantly and flash me nasty looks, like I’ve trespassed onto their turf.
“This is Luke,” Braydon says, nodding toward a guy with messy blond hair and a mischievous smile. “One of our top defensemen.”
“Hi, Luke,” I say.
He grins, leaning back from the girl currently licking his neck. “Hello Katy. You’re so pretty I’m considering being a nerd right now.”
“Shut up, Luke,” Braydon snaps, and just like that, Luke’s mouth shuts. The authority in Braydon’s tone is so natural it almost startles me.
He goes on to introduce me to Martin, another forward, then Jiho, and Jack. One by one, they nod or offer a casual hello. It’s subtle, but I notice how they all respect Braydon, listening when he speaks, and doing what he says. This must be why he loves hockey. With them, he has a family. As the introductions wrap up, Justin finally tears himself away from the girl attached to his mouth. When his eyes land on me, they widen, and his lips part like he’s about to blurt something.
But before he can get a word out, someone else steps out of the kitchen and instantly hijacks my attention. Bryan.
He stops dead in his tracks, his eyes bulging like he just saw a ghost in a crop top. The red cup in his hand almost slips, hanging loose at his side and his gaze sweeps over me slowly from head to toe, like he’s double-checking I’m actually standing here. And then his eyes cut to Braydon at my side, and just like that, they darken.
KATY’S POV
Before I can look away, Braydon slides his arm around my waist again, tugging me close. The muscle in Bryan’s jaw ticks, and I have to bite back a smirk so I don’t make it obvious that this little performance is entirely for him.
“Want something to drink?” Braydon leans close, his breath brushing my ear over the music.
“Water. Or any soft drink,” I reply quickly.
His brows shoot up. “Soft drinks aren’t really the memo at parties like this.”
“Then water.”
He nods. “I’ll be right back.”
He presses a quick kiss to my forehead before heading off into the crowd, and I notice Bryan’s not standing there anymore.
“Cap does forehead kisses?” Luke asks, grinning at me like he’s discovered some big secret.
“Katy’s got him acting like a gentleman,” Martin adds, earning a few laughs.
Heat creeps up my neck, and I almost blush…almost, until I spot Justin’s expression. He’s not amused.
He rises from his seat, steps over, and plants himself right beside me. “Let’s talk.”
“Not now,” I whisper, glancing around nervously.
“Now,” he counters.
I let out a sigh and trail after him to the side of the staircase, folding my arms tight across my chest.
“Since when do you come to frat parties?” he fires off, barely giving us time to stop.
“Since tonight.”
He scoffs. “Seriously, what is wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me?” I shoot back. “For what, showing up at a party you’re already at?”
“I know this isn’t you, Katy,” he snaps.
“Oh, really? And you picked up this atrocious piece of wisdom inside the mouth of the girl you were hooking up with?”
His lips part like he’s about to fire something back, but nothing comes out. Then his fingers clamp around my wrist. “We’re leaving.”
“The hell we are.” I rip my hand free. “Allie’s here. Everyone’s here. You’re here. Why do I have to be the one to leave?”
“You’re not-“
“If a party’s fun for you, then it’s fun for me,” I cut in. “You don’t get to play parent and police me when you do whatever the hell you want.”
“Katy, listen to me, this-“
“I’m not listening.”
He gawks at me like I’ve completely lost it, but I don’t care. I know I’m all he’s got and vice versa, but he’s got to stop treating me like I’m some high school kid sneaking into prom.
“Look at you.” He grits, stepping closer. “Do you even know what you look like right now?”
“What? A slut?” My voice lifts. “Go on, say it.”
But instead of snapping back, his eyes flick down. “You’re fucking twitching your fingers.”
My gaze follows his, and damn it, he’s right. My fingers are twitching by my side like I’ve got some nervous tic I can’t hide.
“You’ve been doing that the whole time,” he says. “Even while you were out there pretending to be cool. And we both know you do that when you’re really fucking anxious and overstimulated, Katy.”
I swallow hard, forcing myself to look at him even though every cell in me wants to stare at the wall instead. Because he’s right. And he knows it.
“It’s different,” I tell him, voice tighter than I’d like. “It’s just because it’s my first time. I’m not gonna live in the past forever.”
He drags a hand through his hair, frustration pouring off him because I’m not giving up. “Did Braydon put you up to this?”
“And why would you assume that?” I snap. “What part of this makes you think he makes decisions for me? Huh? He’s the one who needs my help, and unless he finds a better tutor, he does everything I want. Including this. But I don’t expect you to believe me anyway, because you’ve already decided I’m just your little nerd sister who hates parties.”
I shift to walk past him, but he steps in front of me and exhales sharply. “Look at me.”
I turn my face away, but his fingers gently coax my chin until I’m forced to meet his eyes.
“You know I think you’re the coolest person ever,” he says quietly. “I brag about you to my teammates all the time…how smart you are, how awesome you are. I just…” His grip tightens slightly on my shoulders. “I don’t want you losing everything you’ve built for yourself. Braydon’s a ticking time bomb, Katy. And you should know that.”
“What makes him that?” I catch myself asking. “Because he acts like he’s not smart? Isn’t he your best friend? You-“
“Yeah, which is exactly why I know him.” He cuts me off. “He lives in a completely different reality than you. And you don’t… you don’t belong in that chaos, Katy.”
His voice changes, softer now, like he’s trying not to lose me. He rakes his hand through his hair again, the same way he always does when he’s seconds away from losing his patience.
“Look,” he sighs, “I won’t stop you anymore. You’re going to do what you want, I get that. But you have to promise me one thing.”
I fold my arms tighter. “What?”
“That you’ll always be you.” He responds. “The smart Katy. The debate-freak Katy. My little sister who’s got way too much potential to waste on this bullshit.”
Something hot prickles behind my eyes, and I hate that he can still get to me like this. I stare at him for a few seconds before finally nodding. “I promise.”
Relief floods his face instantly. He exhales like he’s been holding his breath for hours, then pulls me into a hug. His arms are strong, and he rubs slow circles on my back the way he did when I was a kid having a meltdown before a spelling bee.
We stay like that and for a moment I almost forget where we are.
Then he mutters into my hair, “I should’ve just broken Bryan’s limbs when I had the chance. None of this would’ve even started.”
I yank back and mock glare at him. “You promised not to do anything.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He waves me off. “I didn’t-” He pauses, then admits, “Okay, I maybe threatened him a little. And… did something else.”
My mouth drops open. “Oh my god. You’re unbelievable.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.