Page 69

Selena

“Are you ready?”Winter asked, pausing outside the bar.

No. Not at all.

I froze just outside the door. Damn this fight-or-flight response that I couldn’t seem to shake. I’d rather be angry, to shout and scream, than freeze. Unfortunately, I had no say over what my body chose to do.

Breathe, heathen. Breathe now.For some reason, it was Brody’s authoritative voice speaking inside my head. Maybe because his voice and bossiness annoyed me, they worked to break that paralysis that crept over me whenever I encountered situations I didn’t feel in control of.

“Yes,” I said slowly and rolled my shoulders back. “Let’s do this. But remember… if it’s going badly, you get us out of there, or I’ll just get up and walk out.”

“I know, I know. Don’t worry. I’ll be the first to call it quits if it sucks.”

“Good.”

I took a deep breath and followed Winter into the bar.

It wasn’t that busy, but it was still early.

It was a very Winter kind of place to pick for a date, in that it had a high-end feel but down-to-earth vibes somehow. As soon as we walked in, I spotted Asher as he stood beside a booth. The guy he was with stood, too, and gave a small wave in our direction.

My stomach suddenly lurched. God, I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want to make awkward conversation with some guy I wasn’t interested in and force my friends to laugh along at lame jokes and waste their evenings, just to babysit me. I couldn’t imagine anything worse. But Winter was already taking my hand in hers and tugging me forward.

“Sorry we’re late,” she said, kissing her boyfriend on the cheek.

“You’re always worth the wait, Ice Queen,” Asher murmured, his eyes locked on hers. Then he turned to me and smiled, inclining his head in greeting.

“Selena, this is Nick, fellow left winger on the team.”

Nick smiled broadly at me and stuck out his hand. “Hi, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

I took his hand a little too slowly.

“Finally?” I said and shook his hand with a limp grip.

“Yeah, well, I mean, I’ve seen you around for a while, just didn’t get up the courage to talk to you.”

“Oh.” I dropped his hand. The awkwardness remained despite the introductions.

We sat, menus passed around. Winter and Asher worked to fill the silence, and I studied Nick. He was blond and clean-cut in a square-jaw, cartoon-hero kind of way. He had a quick smile, but from first impressions, he seemed surface deep. I wished I could see deeper. People seldom showed their real selves at a first meeting. In fact, of all the guys I’d met recently, only Brody and Cal had been wholly themselves, from the very first moment.

Why was I even thinking of Brody right now?

I shoved him from my head.

Nick leaned forward slightly, elbows on the table.

“So, what brought you back to HHU?” he asked.

He gave me a broad smile which I’d done nothing to earn. It made him less trustworthy.

“Family stuff,” I said. Technically, it was true, and I wasn’t about to go into my life story in the first five minutes of meeting him.

Before he could ask anything else, a waitress appeared and took our drink orders.

I deliberated ordering a drink, just like the guys were. A nice cold beer that would take the edge of my nerves. It would hit the spot.

But you’ve already lasted a whole week without one. You’re really exceptional at things when you get out of your own way.Brody’s damn unwanted praise from yesterday repeated in my head. Fuck him. I’d have a drink if I wanted. He just got off on playing mind games.