hapter 206
He takes Kenzie with the kind of ease that makes me wonder how often she’s glued to him, and she instantly launches into a breathless, one–sided retelling of her “five whole push–ups” again. Aaron just hums at the right beats, lets her chatter bounce off him, eyes flicking to Liam – then, briefly, to me.
The nod he gives is small, almost reluctant, but it’s an
acknowledgment. Like: Okay. You exist. Liam brought you. That means something.
I feel it more than I should.
Liam doesn’t give me time to overthink it. His hand finds mine the second Kenzie’s gone, fingers slotting through like it’s instinct, his thumb dragging lazy arcs over my knuckles. Casual. Possessive. He’s half turned toward his team, but I swear the tug of his body keeps me pinned close like he can’t imagine doing otherwise. And God help me, I don’t mind.
We don’t get much breathing room. A couple of his teammates, already flushed from beer, descend like they’ve been waiting for their turn.
“Yo, Liam, your girl’s way outta your league,” Suta, tall and wiry, grins at me like he’s doing me a favor.
Another
—
Wolfe, whose only personality trait seems to be chest hair and volume control whistles. “True. Look at him, domesticated.
—
Someone take a picture.”
I should probably say something biting, but Liam just smirks, squeezes my hand tighter. “Glad you all noticed. Took me a while to convince
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Chapter 206
her.”
There’s laughter, a few mock groans, but before the teasing can spiral, Liam steers the topic elsewhere. His focus zeroes on Aaron, who’s been lurking a half step away, sipping his beer with his usual monosyllabic commitment to socializing.
“You’re not going to help Cam out with Tess?” Liam asks Aaron once we’re half done being harassed by the rest of his team.
At the sound of Tess, Aaron stiffens. Interesting.
“He texted-” Liam leans in like he’s sharing a secret, though his hand never loosens on mine, “—said his car broke down, he’s cabbing it. You know how much Tess hates cabs.”
“Understatement,” I mutter before I can stop myself. “She once got lice from one in college. Months of trauma, let me tell you.”
—
That earns a laugh from one of the defensemen Jack, if I remember right. “Lice girl? Jesus. That’s what she was known for?”
“She was actually known for being pretty, smart, athletic, a total social butterfly and that one time she won our college’s Miss Manhattan. And she isn’t even from Manhattan,” I correct primly, ticking them off on my fingers while fighting a grin. “The lice were just… a subplot.”
Liam snorts and immediately tangles his fingers into my hair, absent like he owns the right. “That’s true. Everyone thought she was perfect. When she went missing for a week with the lice thing, guys on the team would harass me every day asking when she was coming back. I‘ ve always wondered if she found being that popular exhausting.”
I don’t even need to think about it. “Hell no. Do you know how rich we got every Valentine’s Day? We were broke. That attention kept her
24.41%
motivated.”
Another teammate
Javis? I think he went to college with us too
groans. “So you’re telling me she didn’t actually care about me when she accepted my Valentine’s gift?” Aaron’s jaw ticks, though he doesn’t say anything. Liam squeezes my hand, kisses the top of my head. “Kinda forgot how obsessed that Russian is with money.”
Suta leans forward over his beer, grinning. “She really that scary? Aaron, you sweating yet?”
So I guess Aaron’s feelings for Tess are more or less an open secret.
Aaron ignores him, of course. He hands his beer over to Suta, who’s been begging for a sip all night, and narrows his eyes at Liam. “Too unbelievable.”
–
I can’t help it — I laugh. “Do you ever use whole sentences, or is that just wasted energy to you?”
His mouth quirks, almost a smile, but he just shakes his head. “Not worth it.”
Liam snorts, patting his shoulder with his free hand. “Man of mystery.”
“Man of boredom,” Suta teases, foam clinging to his lip. “Don’t think we haven’t noticed the way you vanish every time Cam tries to get you alone with Tess.”
Aaron shoots him a flat look that could cut through steel. No more words. Just… a look.
I lift a brow, impressed. “He really is terrifying without saving anything. That’s a talent.”
“He’s a project,” Liam says, grinning at me like we’re sharing a private
52.69%
joke. His hand tightens around mine. “Cam’s determined to finish him.”
“Cam’s insane.” Aaron mutters, the most effort I’ve heard from him yet.
“Insanely devoted to your love life.” Liam corrects smoothly, tugging me an inch closer until my shoulder brushes his chest. “But hey, don’t shoot the messenger.”
Aaron doesn’t reply – because of course he doesn’t.
Liam just shrugs, feigning innocence. “Whatever you want to do, do it quick. Lyle isn’t here yet, so chances are he’s probably going to pick her up.” and like he’s said nothing damning and like the murderous look on Aaron’s face is just mildly inconvenient, he turns his attention to me. “Come on,” he murmurs, leaning down so only I hear it, tugging me toward the crowd. “Let’s make the rounds.”
We’re barely out of earshot when I glance back and catch Aaron heading toward the back door, clearly caving. Liam’s grin is immediate.
“Cam’s car?” I ask flatly.
“In perfect condition.”
I stop walking long enough to give him a look.
“You really don’t understand the things that guy would do to get Aaron and Tess together.” He smirks, pulling me forward again like it’s
physically impossible for us not to be touching. “I swear, he roped me into this one.”
And for some ridiculous reason, with his hand clamped around mine and his grin all boyish mischief, I can’t even bring myself to be mad
about it.
Chapter 201
Chapter 207
