Page 64 of Sticks and Stones (Shadow Valley U)

When she does, her arms wrapped around my chest, I step out onto the ice and glide across it toward the far opening. Her mouth touches the shell of my ear. Goosebumps rise along the backs of my arms.

“You can leave me alone for a moment, you know. And we’re not on the ice—”

I roll my eyes and push through the locker room door.

As expected, we’re alone.

She sighs and takes a seat while I get out of my skates. Something buzzes, and she pulls her phone out of her boot.

A neat trick.

I narrow my eyes as she answers it.

Silence.

Then—

“Why are you calling me from an unknown number, Brad?” Her brow is pinched.

I shoot to my feet, but she waves me off.

“No. I don’t care that you’re sorry. Don’t call me again.” She hitsendand tosses her phone onto the bench beside her.

We stare at each other for a beat.

“Don’t even think about it,” she warns.

I raise my hands in surrender. “I wasn’t thinkinganything.”

I definitely wasn’t thinking that fuckingBradjust got moved to the top of my shit list.

CHAPTER23

WREN

“Ishe going to come to every shift?” Ally, one of the new waitresses, stands with her elbows over the bar top.

I follow her line of sight, though I don’t need to. I know who she’s referring to.

Stone.

Only, tonight, it’s all of my housemates. Even Evan is in on it.

It’s like a sick joke they all have—watching my every move, following me around campus, forcing me to go to their stupid practices.

I try to act irritated by it, especially when Stone tries to grab my hand or tugs me close while walking me to my car after each of my classes, but the truth is, I like it.

Kind of.

My stomach flips, and something in my chest bubbles. The heat on my cheeks has nothing to do with the temperature, and I know he notices the way I blush every time he glances at my mouth.

“Hey, refill over here!”

And the blush turns to anger, just like that.

I snap my head in their direction and glare.

Ally slaps her hand over her mouth and mumbles, “Oh, I’ve gotta see this.”