CHAPTER NINETEEN
Fine, let’s make a bet
JAKE
There’s a fire lit under my ass.
After Coach’s talk with us last week, I made it a point to prove to him just how determined I am. I’ve put so much sweat and blood into this sport to be the player that I am today.I felt the need to prove that last week was just a fluke and that my shitty performance won’t become a regular thing.
We had back-to-back games with UConn this weekend. Before the first game, Coach told us that there were going to be scouts this weekend. He knows that if he gives us the heads-up it will make everyone focus and play their hardest. Definitely a smart strategy.
Last night, I brought my A game and we won 4–0.My defense was impenetrable, the players could barely get past me without me tearing into them and stealing possession of the puck. My agent even sent me a message this morning that he got from the Demon’s GM, raving about how well I played.
Today, I played like a fucking god. UConn desperately tried to avenge their loss from last night, but they found themselves in the same spot as the night prior.I played hard as fuck and I think I can thank my overthinking jealous self for that.
I’ve been mentally beating myself up all week for the way I spoke to Vanessa at the library. I fucked up calling her a puck bunny the other day. I don’t know why I said that.
Okay, that’s a lie, I do know why. It’s because I’m maybe a little bit insecure about her relationship with Levi. Her “friendship,” as she calls it.I should know better. I’ve come to know Vanessa’s character and she doesn’t seem like the type to make friends and then drop them the second she meets someone new, but it doesn’t change the fact that I feel like our friendship has been affected.
I royally fucked myself in that situation though, and I have no idea if she’s actually going to show up tonight.She’s been ignoring me, and rightfully so. At practice, on campus—anywhere she sees me, she acts as if I’m a ghost, pretending I don’t exist.Yesterday she didn’t say a word to me at the game. She didn’t come into the locker room before the game. She spent the whole game in the stands taking her photos and videos, and after the game, she was nowhere to be seen.
Today, she barely looked at me when she came into the locker room to talk with the guys pregame. I even tried to make a joke to lighten the mood between us and all I got in response was one of her famous eye rolls before putting all of her attention and focus on the other guys.
I guess I’ll take the silent eye roll over her not acknowledging me.
It stung a little, having her eyes pinned to everyone but me. I want all of her focus on me, all the time. Just like how I can’t seem to take my eyes off her when she’s in the room.
I sound like a mopey fucking idiot.
“Just so we’re clear, if anyone even thinks about going into my room tonight, I’ll bring you to my family’s ranch and let the pigs eat you.” Eli’s voice calls out from the showers.
Nate ruffles his towel through his hair. “Eli, no one wants to go into your room.”
“That’s not what your mom said last night.”
Nate whips his towel across the room, smacking Eli directly in the face as he walks into the room. Nate’s a little protective of his family. But that’s also why we love him so much. Daddy Archer, always there to save us when we need him.
“Do you guys have your costumes? Booze? Food? Did we forget anything?” Nate goes over the list on his phone. I swear this guy makes a note in his phone for everything.
“Yes, Dad, everything is taken care of.”
“Just making sure. Sometimes it’s hard to trust you idiots with parties.”
Kieran chimes in on the conversation. “Nate, it was one time, you’ve got to let it go. I didn’t know that the goat would freak out like that.”
Last year, Eli, Kieran, and I took it upon ourselves to plan Nate’s birthday party.
Personally, I thought I did a good job, because normally I knock it out of the park. Nate loves animals, so Kieran thought it would be a great idea to have a petting zoo in the backyard. Eli’s family has a friend in the area that has a small farm and offered to let us borrow a few small farm animals for the afternoon.
I got everything set up, even had a pen with hay in the backyard. It all was going so smoothly until someone took a photo of a goat with the flash on and it started running rampant through the yard, causing all the other animals to go crazy. Tables were knocked over, glasses and food were tossed around. It was quite the show.
It took us two full days to clean the mess, and Nate never really trusted us again with planning.
“Did you invite your sister to the party tonight?” I ask Nate, fishing to see if Vanessa will be tagging along with her friend.I invited her the other day at the library, but I feel like after our altercation, she might not want to be near me.
Before Nate opens his mouth to respond, Levi’s voice cuts across the locker room. “Yeah, Syd’s coming with Vanessa and Maddie. I’m gonna pick them up on my way over later.”
Of fucking course he is.
My voice cracks. “Oh cool.”
I hope that came out smoother than it sounded.
Levi and I are cool, but it still doesn’t take away the pang of jealousy in my chest every time I see Vanessa with him.
She claims that they’re just friends, and I’m trying hard to believe that. I feel like I’m the one who pushed them together. If it hadn’t been for me sitting with Kieran on the bus ride home from Vermont, they would’ve never bonded and maybe I would be the one picking Vanessa up tonight.
I’ve been listening to Chrissy, a sorority girl, babble on about the volunteer work she did in the summer for the past ten minutes and I’ve never wanted to gouge my own eyes out more than I do right now.
The amount of crappy conversations I’ve had to pretend I’m interested in just to hook up with a girl is a little depressing. It could be that I keep going for the same girls over and over again—puck bunnies. I’m exhausted. I’m tired of the same old routine. I flash them a smile, shake my curls, and suddenly they’re putty in my hands.
I want a challenge.
I want someone who makes me work for it. Someone whose conversation actually intrigues my interest and doesn’t ask me for the millionth time what position I play or how much money I could make if I go pro.
The only girl who remotely fits that bill is Vanessa and she currently isn’t speaking to me.
“Jake?”
I shake my head, refocusing on Chrissy, who’s standing in front of me with her arms crossed over her chest and a sour pout staring at me.
“Yeah, that’s crazy.” I have no idea what she just said.
“You weren’t even listening to me.”
She’s right, I wasn’t. I know that it’s rude of me to blatantly ignore her, but I’m ready to chug the beer in my hand and go drown myself in the bin full of bobbing apples.
“Sorry, I—” Kieran slips past me and I take it as an opportunity to get the hell out of here. “Kieran! Hey, man, let me help you grab more ice.”
Kieran stops in his tracks, giving me a very confused look. I quickly motion my eyes to the small redhead next to me and he immediately realizes I need an out.
He clasps his hand on my shoulder. “Oh, thanks, buddy. Sorry, Chrissy, I need to steal him for a quick sec.”
Kieran ushers me into the living room, away from the sorority girl. Thank fuck.
“Thanks, man, I was drowning in there.”
“Yeah, I could tell you weren’t interested. Y’know, since she wasn’t Vanessa.” I shove him as we move into the living room that’s fully decked out in Halloween decor.
Nate loves to plan a good party. After the game, we all came straight back to the house to decorate. There are spider webs draping through the house in the corners of doorways and windows, a cauldron in the kitchen filled with drinks and dry ice to give a boiling effect, and so many pumpkins that it looked like we robbed a pumpkin patch.
We stayed up late last night carving most of them but stopped once we reached twenty. Kieran took pride in carving classic horror villains into pumpkins while I went the easy route and did basic jack-o’-lantern faces.Eli set up a crime scene in the living room with fake blood and caution tape wrapping from the coffee table to the entertainment center. He said we can use the tape for limbo later—I don’t think anyone will really want to do that, though.All the food and beverages are themed for the night with sandwiches that look like eyeballs and punch that looks like blood. We honestly went all out.
Our front door swings open and an influx of people make their way into the crowded living room. I scan the group of people that just walked in, immediately finding Levi dressed up as a biker, a few bags of ice in hand. Sydney is dressed as a fairy and Maddie a vampire.My breath is knocked out of my lungs when my eyes fall on Vanessa as she walks in after her friends.
Oh, fuck me.
Levi spots me and Kieran immediately, leading the trio of girls our way.
“Guys, this party is fucking awesome.” Levi looks around the room, noting the decor.
“How did you guys pull this off? There’s no way Nate was in charge of this.” Sydney’s eyes are wide as she takes in the room.
Sydney really has no idea how much her brother loves to plan a party.
“Hey, Ness.” My voice comes out higher and scratchier than expected, but holy fuck her in that outfit has my dick pressing against my boxers. I’m glad that my cowboy costume isn’t skintight or else everyone would see the woody that I’m currently sporting.
I take my time, drinking her in. Vanessa’s jaded eyes peer up at me as my gaze roams over her body. She has nothing on but a hockey jersey, fishnet tights, and bunny ears.
She’s a goddamn puck bunny.
Her brown hair falls over her shoulders in curls, but two sections at the front are braided back into small buns that rest in front of her bunny ears. Her angel wings fall free, framing her slender face. I want to grip her chin and pull her into me.
Her glasses are missing, which shocks me because I don’t think I’ve ever seen her without them. She must be wearing contacts because I know Vanessa can’t see a damn thing without them.
I break the silence. “I like the outfit.”
“Thanks, I thought it fit me perfectly. You know, since I’m a puck bunny, after all.” The smile she gives me is riddled with sass as she grabs Maddie and Sydney’s hands, pulling them into the kitchen.
My gaze is locked on her as she walks away, hauling her two friends to the booze table. She bends over the table, giving me the absolute best view in this whole house. Her ass is so perky and round, I watch as the fishnets trail up her legs and disappear under her jersey.
And that’s when I notice the name and number plastered in black letters on her back.
Brody. 18.
VANESSA
I knew exactly what I was doing when I threw this costume together.
After our little altercation at the library and venting to Sydney and Maddie about Jake, Maddie came up with the best idea for my outfit. A puck bunny . Since Jake accused me of wanting to sleep with the entire team, I thought to myself, what would be better than becoming one?
When I told Levi about the costume idea, he was more than willing to help me. He even offered up his jersey, saying that it would make Jake even more jealous than he already is.I think his exact words were “Jake is going to go feral when he sees you in this.”
Up until two seconds ago, I didn’t believe him. But looking at Jake from the corner of my eye, his eyes are wide and breath fuming.Does the idea of Jake being jealous turn me on? Maybe a little.
Okay, a lot.
I’ve been in denial, thinking that there was no way that Jake was jealous of Levi, but tonight only confirmed what I’ve clearly been too blind to see.
Even if he doesn’t have romantic feelings for me, there is definitely some sexual tension between the two of us and I think it’s time for us to resolve that.Things have been strained ever since Vermont, and the only solution is we need to hook up and get over it.I’ve never been one to shy away from what I want, and what I want right now at this moment is Jake Shepherd.
“Well don’t you three look lovely tonight.” Eli walks up to the table, rescuing me from my thoughts. He’s dressed as a firefighter, except he’s shirtless. His warm skin and abs probably have every girl in here fawning over him. He has on tan overalls and a bright red firefighter hat that matches suspenders.Eli slings his arm around Maddie’s shoulders. “If you’re looking for a neck to bite into later, darlin’, come find me.”
Before Maddie can respond, Kieran appears out of nowhere—as if he just poofed into existence. “Get your arm off her, you dickhead.”
Maddie makes a scoffing sound, narrowing her icy blue eyes on Kieran. “I can speak for myself, thank you very much.” She slowly turns her head so she faces Eli, who now looks like he’s contemplating his life with the glare that Maddie is giving him. “Eli, kindly take your arm off me before I snap it in half and make you use it as a hockey stick.”
Eli’s eyes go wide and he snaps his arm back to his side before Maddie can follow through on her threat.
She’s not joking either. Last year, Maddie made Sydney and I take self-defense classes because according to her, you can only rely on yourself.
“You girls are no fun.” Eli pouts, pushing out his bottom lip. “Are you down to play beer pong at least? Nate picked up glow-in-the-dark solo cups and Jake painted the balls to look like ghosts.”
I think we’re all still a little shocked by how well-decorated this party is. Out of the few years I’ve known Nate, I’ve never known him to be a good party planner—that could also do with the fact that the three of us normally weren’t invited to their parties before this year.
The fake spider webs look creepily real, with tiny plastic spiders dangling from strings. There are LED lights strung around the whole house, giving a red or orange hue to each room. Everything from the food and drinks down to the party games they have set up are all planned so perfectly.If the NHL doesn’t work out, maybe Nate can look into becoming a professional party planner.
Sydney looks at me like there are stars in her eyes. “Vanessa and I will play. We’re unmatched.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder and I’m surprised it doesn’t get caught on her fairy wings. She has a crown of braids on her head and the rest falls in gorgeous honey waves.
Her answer brings a smile to Eli’s previously pouty face.“Beauty. Let me grab Jake and I’ll meet you two on the patio. Nate made us set it up outside so we wouldn’t cause a mess. He never lets us have any fun.”Without another word, he disappears into the crowd.
I’m a little excited to play against Eli and Jake.It’s time for me to redeem myself. After Jake won against me in the Mario Kart tournament on my birthday, he never let me forget it. Now it’s my turn.
Sydney and I grab a cup of punch—which is 90 percent rum and 10 percent juice, and head to the patio, leaving Maddie talking with Kieran.
The backyard is littered with pumpkins of all sizes and colors, some carved and some still perfectly intact—I wonder how many will be destroyed by the end of the night. There’s a stone path leading from the deck all the way to the back of the yard, where a group of people occupy the wooden benches surrounding a small fire pit. Are these even legal in the city?
Tying the whole backyard together are strings of pumpkin-shaped lights draped from the wooden beams of the deck to the trees lining the fence.The beer pong table is lined with glow sticks, and all of the cups glow in the dark, illuminating the black tablecloth. The small white pong balls are decorated like tiny ghosts, and it’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen.
Most of the parties that Sydney drags me and Maddie to consist of a single keg, loud music, and plastic folding chairs. It’s nice to finally go to a party that seems like it was somewhat planned.
The only positive to those crappy frat parties was that Sydney and I crushed just about everyone in beer pong. I think we may have lost two games in our entire college career, which is pretty impressive if you ask me.
“Eli looked so sexy in that costume,” Sydney spills to me as she takes a sip of her drink.
I know exactly how this will play out if Nate overhears her saying that. “Eli? As in your brother’s best friend , Eli?”
As if my words bring her out of the fantasy she was just living in, she blinks at me with a frown.“A girl can still appreciate a fine-looking man.” She winks at me as Jake and Eli slide open the patio doors to join us.
Now I take a good look at Jake.
Oh screw me, he’s hot as hell.
I don’t know what I was expecting him to dress up as, but for some reason I didn’t imagine him as a cowboy.With dark denim jeans, a brown velvet vest, and a dark suede cowboy hat—the look fits him well.The vest is left open, which gives the best view of his abs, and I have to stop myself for a second to make sure I’m not drooling.
I bet he looks better than the model on the costume’s packaging.
“I hear you two lovely ladies are the people to beat tonight.” His words are light and make my stomach flutter.
He walks over to the table and sets down his drink, picking up a ball and twirling it in his hands.
“Vanessa and I have never lost a match before, so you better be careful, Shepherd. We don’t want to crush your ego too much tonight.”
Sydney winks at him and I feel like I might need to knock on wood if she keeps boasting about how good we are. Anytime you get too cocky, it always comes back to bite you in the ass.
Eli slings his arm around Jake’s shoulder, looking between him and me. “Well, let’s get the game started then. It’ll be fun to see Jake lose something for once.”
Sydney and Eli face off, and she wins. We take turns throwing the ball back and forth between teams. Anytime Sydney or I would sink a cup, they would take one in return. We alternate between dumb trick shots, most of them missing their mark.
It feels so refreshing to hang out and laugh with Jake again. I know I’ve been purposefully ignoring him, but I have my reasons.It’s nice to be in his presence again, and it wouldn’t hurt if we demolished them in the game.
I eat my words as Eli’s toss lands perfectly in the cup in front of me, leaving one cup left on both sides. Jake’s smile grows and he tips his hat at me, signaling for me and Sydney to drink.
Our eyes connect and I feel the heat go straight to my core. His features are darker outside with the lack of light and it has my senses on high alert. He watches me as I take a sip. I don’t break eye contact as I lower my cup back down to the table and grab one of the balls.
“You may have won against a couple of frat guys, but they’re no match for me. Nobody can compare to me, angel girl.” Jake’s voice is low and sultry, and my palms are suddenly sweaty.
He’s trying to throw me off, I know it. Just like he did at my birthday party.
The music is almost completely cut off outside, the only thing you can hear is the crackling of the fire and the conversations behind us.
“This puck bunny is craftier than she looks.”
Jake’s stare is still fixed on me as he raises an eyebrow at my words.“Oh really? Care to make this interesting? How about we make a little bet?”
He knows I’m too stubborn and competitive to say no to a challenge.
“Fine. Let’s make a bet.”
He motions for me to go first and I think for a moment, finding something that Jake would be terrified to do. “If you miss this last shot, you have to prank call Coach Wilson and tell him you got arrested and need him to bail you out.”
Jake only smirks at me, letting out a small laugh. I have a feeling his terms are going to be much, much worse.
“Okay, fine. But if I win, you take off Levi’s jersey and have my name and number plastered on you for the rest of the night.”
And just like that, it all clicks. I knew that wearing Levi’s jersey would make him jealous. I just had no idea exactly how jealous he would become.
I narrow my eyes on him, and the word rolls right off my tongue. “ Deal .”
He chuckles to himself, as if this conversation is amusing for him. Jake walks over and holds out his hand for me to shake—to agree to our terms.
I place my hand in his and he pulls me close, whispering so no one else but me can hear, “Just remember, if you miss…you’re mine.”
His words make my knees shake.Jake walks back to his side of the table, and with all the cockiness in the world, he puts his hand over his eyes and shoots the tiny plastic ball that looks like a ghost into the last solo cup.
Fuck me.
Eli grasps Jake’s shoulders, yelling and cheering for his teammate.
“Your turn.” Jake motions to the cup in my hand and I take a drink.
Sydney gives me a reassuring look. If Jake does a trick shot, then I have to—I know the rules.
“Does a backboard count as a trick shot?”
Eli straightens his firefighter hat. “Sorry, darlin’. This has to be all you.”
“Just close your eyes and toss it, Ness. I got it in, so it can’t be that hard, right?”
Jake’s taunting only fuels my need to win even more. I stick my tongue out dramatically at him before putting my hand in front of my eyes.
Okay, Vanessa. Visualize the cup. You can do this.
The moment I feel the ball leave my hand, I open my eyes to watch my ball float toward the cup, only for it to bounce off the edge and roll off the table.
I am screwed .
Without a single word, Jake scoops me up by my waist and hoists me over his shoulder. “Time to change.”