What Are The Chances (Phil-U #2)

10 Enemy territory

CHAPTER TEN

Enemy territory

RILEY

Tanner’s eyebrows notched high when we pulled up to the campground. Mine did too. It was like a mini festival. Along with multiple campfires, there were fairy lights strung from the tall trees as well as a DJ and full dance floor. Countless tents and cars were parked about the place, making it impossible to spot Parker’s dad’s van.

“This looks fun,” Tanner moaned, evidently envious he couldn’t go out tonight. “Who did you say Parker was dating again?”

“I didn’t. I don’t know.”

Clearly some rich kid based on the food truck and makeshift bar.

I’d made sure to eat as much as possible at the diner so it would see me through until the morning. Turns out that had been in vain. It smelt delicious here.

“Ugh. I really don’t want to go in,” I grumbled.

Tanner smiled encouragingly. “Come on. You’ll have fun.” At my pout he added, “But if you really aren’t having a good time, call me and I’ll come back.”

I beamed. “You’re the best.”

“I know. Now get out of here.”

I left the safety net and warmth of his car, slamming the door behind me. Outside the music was even louder, and countless voices competed to be heard over it .

I pulled out my phone. I’d sent Parker a message when Tanner and I left the diner, and again when we were five minutes away. She hadn’t responded to either.

Facing the party now, my legs were hesitating more than they did before starting a run. I wasn’t against parties. In fact, I quite liked them. But I preferred those on my territory, when I knew the people and what to expect. Something about this party felt different, like I was walking into enemy territory. Or perhaps I was just on edge since my run in with Will. In my head, I’d mentally killed him off. Seeing him again had thrown me, like being told the earth is actually flat.

No way, what do you mean Will Caufield is alive and breathing and still nauseatingly amazing to look at?!

Great. Now I was thinking about Will. Not a good start.

I edged into the party, passing a group of people huddled around one of the many campfires. Not only did I want to find Parker, I needed to find her. The shacket I was wearing was not sufficient. I needed my puffer coat or I was going to freeze to death, though looking for her was like looking for a needle in a haystack. When she’d invited me camping, I’d envisioned maybe a couple of dozen people. This was more like one hundred. Whoever she was dating had quite the fan base.

“Yo, Riley.”

My gaze snapped up as I searched around for the voice. Hayes Braddock, Phil-U’s soccer captain, was waving at me. Appreciative for the familiar face, I made my way over.

Hayes was majoring in Exercise Physiology, so we crossed paths in some classes. We’d also hooked up, and by hooked up I meant slept together without kissing. Because, you know, he was post-Will and all that.

I returned his hug, marvelling at the temporary warmth another body gave me. Hayes was six-foot, just. When I hugged Will, my head barely reached his chest – and why the hell was I comparing Hayes to Will? I ought to kill my course counsellor. Now Will had been thrust back into my life, I couldn’t pretend he didn’t exist anymore.

“Who are you here with?” Hayes asked.

“I’m looking for Parker. Have you seen her?”

Hayes shook his head. “Sorry, babe. I haven’t.”

I pressed onto my toes, searching the crowd once more. It was already dark. If I didn’t find her soon, I might not at all. Then I’d be screwed.

“I better keep looking. I’m bunking with her tonight.”

Hayes placed his hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. “If you don’t find her, there’s plenty of room in my tent for you.” He lowered his lips to my ear. “I’ll keep you warm.”

I shivered, but it wasn’t for the right reasons .

Hayes had been a drunken attempt at a distraction, nothing more. While it had worked for the whole sixty-seconds it’d lasted, there’d been no part of me eager to go for round two. I’d dodged all his messages until he moved on.

Hayes was attractive in a clean-cut kind of way, but he wasn’t my usual type. And if I’d been in a better state of mind, I wouldn’t have slept with him. He was corny as hell and kind of sleazy, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. And right now, he was my best bet.

Forcing myself to paste an appreciative smile on my face, I edged further into the party. I checked my phone once again, hoping Parker had finally messaged. That’s when I noticed I had zero bars of reception. Per-fucking-fect. That explained her radio silence.

Tonight was going downhill quickly. And just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, I literally bumped into Levi Holloway. Like, walked smack into his solid frame. As he instinctively reached out to steady me, he did a double-take before jarring his head in surprise.

Like Will, Levi had grown up. He crossed his muscular arms over his chest as he studied me. Despite there being a mural of him and Ryker Richardson, Phil-U’s football captain, on the main campus building, I’d forgotten just how attractive Holloway was. Even standing face-to-face in silence, an undeniable confidence radiated off him. He’d always had it. Even in freshman year.

While Will and I had been dating, plenty of my friends had asked me to set them up with Holloway. But having been privy to the revolving stream of girls he spent the night with, I’d ignored their requests.

His eyebrows lowered. “Riley? Long time.”

“Uh-huh.”

I sounded cold, which was entirely unfair. Levi had always been super nice to me. Tripp and Ryan too. But they were collateral damage in mine and Will’s breakup. Avoiding Will meant avoiding his friends as well. Those four were as tight knit as they came, which is why my defences had shot back up. If Levi was here, then that meant–

“Riley!”

Grace spotted me across the campfire. Leaving Tripp’s side, she hurried over. Her blonde hair cascaded beneath her Phil-U hockey beanie, and she was clutching a hard seltzer in her gloved hands. Damn. I wish I’d thought of gloves.

She was so freaking gorgeous it was infuriating. Girls that looked like her weren’t meant to be as nice as she was. And they certainly weren’t meant to date your ex-boyfriend. Talk about an ego knock .

She stopped beside Levi before reaching forward to hug me. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“I didn’t know you’d all be here,” I returned.

Both her and Levi picked up on the enunciation. I clearly wasn’t hiding my emotions well. After Wednesday, you think I’d be used to surprises, but I wasn’t. Nothing prepared you for being thrust back into your ex-boyfriend’s world.

I wiped my palms on my sweats. For someone who was incredibly cold, they were ridiculously clammy. I anxiously scanned the group huddled around the campfire, which turned out to be the entire hockey team. Ryan. Tripp. Morrison. Their goalie, Maxwell. And then there he was. Will fucking Caufield.