40. Sean
CHAPTER 40
SEAN
N othing like a few beers and shooting the shit with my teammates to make me forget how my evening started. I barely remember the date from hell anymore. I’m playing pool against Noah and CJ now, after they defeated Darren and Alex. Logan is lining up the cue stick. I take my gaze off the table for a second to finish my beer, and I miss his shot.
“Son of a bitch!” he shouts. “I can’t believe it didn’t go in.”
“It didn’t go in ’cause you suck,” CJ taunts him.
Logan narrows his gaze. “You’re flirting with danger, Christopher .”
“Don’t call me that!” he snaps.
I shake my head. Way to give Logan the upper hand, buddy .
Logan grins. “Why not? It’s your name, isn’t it?”
Noah taps CJ on the shoulder. “Don’t listen, him. He’s trying to get into your head because it’s the only way he can beat us.”
“Are you implying I’m resorting to playing dirty, Noah?”
Noah chalks up his cue stick, smirking. “I’m not implying. I’m saying it outright.”
Logan crosses his arms. “You should know all about playing dirty, huh? Isn’t that how you got Gia to date you?”
“Oh… I can’t believe you went there, Kaminski,” Darren pipes up.
I watch Noah closely, but unlike CJ, who gets riled up easily, Noah seems unaffected by Logan’s teasing.
“So?” He quirks a brow. “It worked, didn’t it?”
“Just play already, Kingsley,” I say.
“Are you in a hurry to lose?” CJ laughs.
“No. I want another beer.”
Darren jumps from his high chair. “I’ll get another round.”
“I’ll come with you. I can’t handle watching those pups win again.” Alex stands as well.
Teasing Noah does little to mess up his concentration. He remains focused and gets ahead in the game. I’m glad we’re not playing for money, ’cause I’d for sure leave The Heritage poorer. Who knew Noah and CJ would be this fucking good at pool?
By the time Darren and Alex return with drinks, the game is over, and Logan is pouting. “I can’t believe we lost. What the hell, man.”
I laugh, then grab a beer from Darren. “Don’t be a baby.”
“I want a rematch,” Logan says.
“Are you sure?” CJ arches a brow. “I mean, can your ego take another loss?”
“I’m not going to lose again.”
CJ and Noah trade a glance, then they both shrug. If I had known a game of pool would make them stop bickering, I’d have paired them up long ago.
While CJ sets up the table for a new game, Gia and Blair join us. Noah and Alex forget what they’re doing in an instant and have eyes only for their girlfriends. A pang of jealousy hits my chest. That was me with Ashley three years ago. I couldn’t get enough of her. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel that way about another girl.
I look for her in the crowd. She had dinner with Gia and Blair, but she might not have come to The Heritage. My heart skips a beat when I see her at the bar with Zoey and Micaela. I should attempt to control my emotions, but I’ve had too much to drink. Hell. It should be getting easier to pretend I don’t have feelings for her. Why is it getting harder?
“Sean, are you playing?” Logan asks, drawing my attention away from Ashley.
“Yeah. Sure.”
“Who won the last game?” Blair asks.
Noah puffs up his chest and tosses an arm around CJ’s shoulders. “We did.”
CJ stiffens, then his gaze switches to a point over my shoulder. He relaxes and blurts out, “We’re the fucking kings.”
I turn to see who caught his attention. Zoey is walking over. I think CJ developed a bit of a crush on the girl after their drunk make-out session at Gia's birthday party. In true CJ fashion, he denies it.
Micaela follows, then Ashley comes into view. My entire body goes taut as the background seems to vanish. I can’t take my eyes off her. She’s wearing a navy velvet dress with an off-the-shoulder neckline that makes my mouth water. Snap out of it, Sean. She’s your fucking sister.
Her gaze connects with mine, and maybe I’m imagining things, but I swear her breath catches.
“What are you staring at?” she asks when I don’t avert my gaze.
“Nothing.” I turn, sporting a scowl now. There goes my good mood.
“We all know your last names,” Zoey replies to CJ’s outburst, erasing the smile from his face.
“I wasn’t shouting our last names,” he retorts.
“I haven’t played pool in a while. Can we play against whoever wins the next round?” Micaela asks.
“You can take my spot and partner with Logan. I have nothing to prove,” I offer. I’ve lost the motivation to have fun.
Normally, Logan would jump at the chance to partner with a pretty girl, but Micaela, being the coach’s daughter, is entirely off-limits to him. “Wait a second. I don’t want to lose to the pups again. How good are you?” he asks Micaela.
“I can hold my own.”
“Be warned, I won’t go easy on you just because you’re Coach Bedford’s daughter,” CJ warns her.
“I don’t expect you to.”
Noah kisses Gia on the cheek, and says, “Enough talking. Let’s play!”
Ashley moves to the other side of the table, increasing the distance between us. But now she’s standing right across from me, which is not helping my situation. I should go home, but my legs won’t move. I should stop staring at her, but I don’t do that either.
“If you don’t want anyone to know, stop being so obvious,” Alex tells me under his breath. He’s now standing next to me. Hell. I didn’t even notice his approach.
Instead of replying, I toss my head back and finish the rest of my beer.
He taps my shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get another drink.”
Taking his offering as a lifeline, I follow him. He’s right. I’m too obvious and unable to stop. At the bar, Alex orders Jagger shots, and we toss a few back before returning to the group. I’m definitely drunk now, which, in hindsight, was probably a bad idea, especially when I notice the newcomer to the group—Ashley’s assface boyfriend.