The Thornlea hockey house is packed by the time Felix Hainsworth walks downstairs. Music shakes the walls. Half his team is drunk. Someone he doesn’t recognize is sitting on his kitchen counter. Normal Friday night.
“Hainsworth!”
He lifts one hand without looking toward whoever yelled his name, grabbing a beer from the refrigerator. Then one of his teammates appears beside him.
“Norcross is here.”
That gets his attention. His eyes sharpen.
“Reade?”
“No. A couple of his friends.”
He gives a humorless laugh.
“Then I don’t care.”
He turns — and stops.
Across the room, someone unfamiliar catches his attention. Not because she’s staring at him. Because she’s trying very hard not to. He takes a slow drink. His teammate follows his gaze.
“Oh.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
He looks sideways at him. The guy immediately grins.
“That’s Reade’s girl.”
His eyebrow lifts.
“Reade has a girlfriend?”
“Not exactly. She’s been into him forever. Everybody there knows it.”
He looks across the room again.
Interesting.
Because his girl just showed up at his party three days before Thornlea plays Norcross. And now she’s heading in his direction.
He stays exactly where he is, leaning back against the kitchen counter as she gets closer. His gaze moves over her once before returning to her face.
“Careful.”
A faint smirk pulls at his mouth.
“If Reade finds out you’re talking to me, he might finally realize he likes you.”
He does not move, and he does not put the bottle down.