Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
RIGGS
Watching Reagan weave her way through the crowd away from us, I turn to Cole and glare. Then I stalk off to find my teammates before I do something stupid, like beat his face in.
I spot the guys across the room and head straight over to where they are.
As I do, I see Reagan and Lindsey going into the bathroom.
Lindsey is in tears, and Reagan is comforting her.
Deciding it’s probably better to leave that alone, I continue to the guys.
I come to an abrupt halt when I see Williams sitting on a chair with a bigger scowl than usual on his face.
“What happened here?” I ask, and everyone looks around like they didn’t hear me. I turn my eyes to Williams and direct the question straight at him. “Williams, why are you in an even more foul mood than normal?”
He looks up at me, and the anger radiating off him is palpable. “Nothing, Hart. Don’t sweat it. I’m fine.”
Carter shakes his head. “No, he’s not.”
My eyes widen at his comment, and I turn to Carter. “Talk. Now.”
“So you know Lindsey, right?” I nod, and he continues, “She came in with Rea dressed as the sexiest Black Widow I’ve ever seen—”
“Carter, I’ll punch you out if you keep talking about her like that,” Williams snarls, and I put the pieces together myself.
“Anyway,” Carter continues, “instead of being chill, he stormed over and made a scene in front of everyone. She slapped him and ran off. That’s pretty much it.”
“I have to watch out for her, okay? She shouldn’t be dressed like that in front of all these idiots.” Williams is adamant.
“Dude,” Jordan jumps in, “just step up and get your girl. We can all see you have feelings for her.”
That was clearly the wrong thing to say because Williams stands up and levels J with a brutal glare. “It’s not like that. You have no idea what you’re talking about, Mills.”
Then he stalks off, leaving the rest of us slack-jawed.
It’s been about an hour since the Williams drama, and everyone seems to be having a great time, except me.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s been fun, but Reagan hasn’t approached me again.
I guess my saving grace in all this is that she has been glued to Lindsey since she found her running to the bathroom.
She hasn’t been hanging around with Drew Cole either.
Speak of the devil, Cole and a few of his teammates approach us, and I know this isn’t going to end well. Carter and Jordan tense up and take a small step closer to me. They know what’s going on with Cole, Reagan, and me. It feels good to know they have my back.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the mighty Titans.” Drew Cole is a cocky man, and stupid, to provoke us right now. “How about we play a little pong and see who is the better team tonight?” He looks right at me. I won’t back down from a challenge.
“Sounds good, Cole. You grab a teammate, and you can face off with Mills and me.” I know Jordan will always be down for a competition, especially if it takes Drew down a few notches.
We set everything up—cups in a triangle and Ping-Pong balls—and start playing. It’s back and forth with neither team missing. Then Cole’s teammate misses the edge of a cup, and Drew gives him a withering glare. “Sorry, Cole,” his friend says, but Drew is past it, ready to keep going.
We play until only one cup remains for each team. Jordan lines up his shot and takes it. It looks good, but bounces off the back rim of the cup and out. His shoulders sag in defeat while Cole and his teammate are doing the choke sign at him. Have I mentioned I hate this guy?
Cole takes the shot for his team, and the guy just can’t keep his mouth shut or stop showing off.
He gives me a smug smile and turns his head so he’s looking into the crowd instead of at the cup across from him.
He lets it fly, and it goes in with a splash.
All his teammates crowd him in congratulations, while Jordan and I are met with condolences by our friends.
“Hart, looks like I won. It won’t be the only time you lose to me this season.” He laughs at that, while I simply stare back.
“Can I have a word… in private?” Cole stares at me. I nod, giving my guys a look of it’ll be fine, and walk with Cole over to a corner where the pool table is set up.
“What do you want?” I’m already annoyed.
“Listen, man, it’s time you step back from my girl. You clearly don’t understand the history here, and I’m sick of you hanging around her.” He’s joking, right?
I laugh in his face, and his eyes narrow at me. “You’re kidding. You must really be stupid if you think I’m backing one inch away. And she isn’t your girl.”
His face reddens at this. “Man, you don’t even know how much she already is.” That right there, his comment, pisses me right off. And I start to lunge for him. Thankfully, Jordan and Carter run over to pull me back. Drew’s teammates come to his side as well.
Jordan grabs my shoulders, so I face him. “Wow, Hart. Chill. He’s just trying to get under your skin and make you do something stupid. He feels threatened by you.”
Drew laughs at this. “Please, Mills, you know better than anyone that isn’t true.”
Jordan lets go of me. “You know what, Cole? I’m gonna let Hart handle this because you deserve everything coming to you.”
I take a step closer to Drew, so we are chest to chest. “Cole, if you know what’s good for you, you will stay out of my face and Reagan’s too.”
He doesn’t like that and pushes against me. “Oh yeah? What if I don’t want to? What if I just decide to make her mine, right here and right now?”
Before I can respond, I hear Reagan’s voice tear through the fog of hatred emanating through me. “Enough! Both of you are causing a scene and drama that I don’t want to be a part of. I’m out…” She runs out the side door to the parking lot, leaving both of us feeling embarrassed.
Just as I go to run after her, Jordan pulls me aside.
“Man, you need to take a minute before you talk to my sister. You’re angry, and you can’t take it out on her.
” Nodding, I agree and head to the bathroom to splash some water on my face.
I don’t fight. Ever. But something about this woman makes me feral.
I walk out the front to avoid my teammates seeing me and head straight to the parking lot.
In my mind, I’m going over how I should apologize when I stop in my tracks.
I rub my hands over my eyes because I cannot be seeing what is in front of me.
Drew Cole has his hands on my Sunshine. He’s pulling her close, and I’m going to throw up, they’re kissing.
She pushes him away, but the damage to my heart feels fatal.
He has his eyes locked on me, with a smug smile on his face.
When she turns around, my heart drops into my stomach, and I walk away.
I hear her calling my name, but I don’t stop.
I can’t do this.