Page 128 of Revenge Puck

I type again before I lose my courage.

Juliette: You didn’t scare me. I was picturing what you’d feel like in my mouth.

I hit send before I can overthink it, internally screaming when the messagewhooshesinto cyber space.

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…

“I can’t believe I sent that!” I want to die.

Blaire is practically vibrating from the desk in her office. “Congratulations. You have officially entered your sexy era.”

My phone buzzes again.

Aaron: Christ.

Aaron: You have no idea what that does to me.

My entire body goes molten. Goo.

Hot.

Blaire claps. “Read it out loud to me—read it to me now.”

I read her the text messages, and Blaire beams back at me through the screen, as if I were a toddler who’d gone potty on the toilet and she is so, so proud of me.

BIG GIRL!

Good job!

“I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“That’s sexual evolution, babe. When are you seeing him again?” she demands, mapping out a battle plan in that brain of hers.

“He mentioned tonight,” I admit. “After the game.”

“Oh.” She hums again. “Why don’t we go to the game?”

“We?”

“Yes,we.” She gestures between us like it’s obvious. “I can come with you so you’re not there alone.”

I don’t hate the idea.

She raises one brow while I hesitate. “Tell me you don’t want to watch him sweat through three periods…”

“I want to watch him sweat through three periods.”

Blaire nods. “Then it’s settled. Girl’s night at the hockey game.”

TWENTY-TWO

AARON

The arena is already buzzing when we step onto the ice.

Cold air hits my lungs. The familiar scrape of blades carving into fresh ice echoes around me, the boards rattling as pucks ricochet off the glass. Fans file into the seats.

Anticipation settles into my bones like it always does.