Page 135 of Revenge Puck

“Sit down,” I hiss, grabbing at her sleeve.

“Never! Let me have some fun.”

A guy, two rows over, shouts down to us. “You know them?”

“Intimately, if you catch my drift,” Blaire says proudly, then pauses. “Well. One of us does.”

A teenager leans between us and blurts out, “Are you one of the girlfriends?”

I practically choke on my own embarrassment—but honestly, when am I not? My cheeks have been permanently overheated lately, for one reason or another…

Blaire beams at the kid, tossing her hair back. “We’re accepting applications.”

She is shameless. “Blaire!”

She leans closer to me without dropping her megawatt smile. “Relax. This is free publicity.”

“We do not need publicity!”

“No, but your dumbbrotherdoes,” she grumbles, plopping down into her seat. “And your broody boyfriend definitely could use an image overhaul. He comes off as so angry all the time.”

“He is not my boyfriend,” I clap back at her.

Blaire’s grin widens. “Ohhh, I love when you’re defensive. It’s adorable.”

I shrink into my seat as the arena lights dim slightly for player introductions.

When Aaron’s name echoes through the arena, the cheer is noticeably louder.

I don’t clap.

I mean, Ido.

Butcasuallyso as not to draw more attention to myself.

Thunderous cheering and applause break out as spotlights sweep over the arena. Liquid smoke drifts over the ice. Music bumps for the pre-game show; a pop singer is here to do her latest hit and sing the national anthem.

The crowd loses its mind.

Blaire has to shout at me to be heard over the noise. “I love this for you, and I love this for me. It’s about time one of us finds a man who makes an effort.”

Guilt creeps in, pooling in my stomach. Sneaking around with a man I technically should not be dating, creating conflict with my brother—I haven’t once asked her how she’s doing. I’ve monopolized every video call. Every phone call. Every message thread.

“I’ve been a bad friend,” I blurt.

“What?” She laughs. “Because you’re dating a hockey player?”

“I’m not?—”

She raises her brows.

Ugh. Fine.

Whatever.

“I’ve been so consumed with…” I refuse to use his name in a sentence. “Him. My new job. I haven’t even asked about you in, like, weeks.”

The crowd roars as the starting lineup is announced, but Blaire’s focus is homed in on me, body angled toward me, beer cup all but forgotten.