Spiked by Love(23)

I look at Shea, and he looks back at me.

“Bridezilla,” we both say before our laughter fills the room.

Once it subsides, he says, “Ready to start working on our jumbotron?”

“I am. Artie is cool as hell.”

“He is, good dude.” He pauses for a second before speaking again. “Heard you bought a Mustang today.”

I wrinkle my face. “Mom, did you tell everyone about the car?”

My mom looks back at me innocently. “I sent it in our group chat with Elli and Shea, and the one with Harper and Elli, and to Ally and—”

“Mom! The answer is yes. ‘Yes, I did.’”

She shrugs. “Okay. Yes.”

I roll my eyes as I look back at Shea. “Couldn’t get a girl the normal way? Had to get the car?”

For the love of God. “It’s a cool car!”

Apparently, I’m the only one who thinks so because everyone starts laughing.

But the only one I hear and see is Ally.

Her eyes are wild, her face is bright with a wide smile, and the sound of her laughter tickles down my spine.

I really shouldn’t have checked out her ass. I should have ignored it like I’ve been doing most of my life. It’s been easy these last few years; I was with Jasmine, and all was well. But now, I’m finding all this time we spend together is doing nothing but making it even harder to hide those feelings threatening to escape.

The fear of what those feelings could result in is real, but I can’t ignore her laughter.

Not even if I wanted to.





Chapter Thirteen





Ally



Before we arrive at Shelli and Aiden’s place for an early game night, Posey made Asher and me promise not to talk about her and Boon.

Apparently, they are keeping things low-key because of her being his coach and him being her player. They’ve somehow figured out a way to hide the fact that they’re banging on a regular basis and totally in love. I think the whole dynamic is pretty hot and I’m sure Elli and Shea would be supportive, but Posey doesn’t feel the same, even with how much in love with Boon she is. Every time we talk, she’s beyond happy. Boon cherishes her, worships her, and loves her with his whole being. After her bad decision to chase after a guy who never really cared for her and then her feelings about always being overlooked because she thought she didn’t live up to Shelli, I am happy she has found someone who loves her for her. I’ve wanted this for her for as long as I can remember. I honestly don’t know how she keeps her hands off him and keeps from screaming from the rooftops that she is crazy, heels over head in love with him. And he loves her!

I say that because I’m struggling like no other not to do that myself.

And Asher doesn’t even love me.

Shelli and Aiden’s newest apartment is adorable. I wouldn’t expect anything less from the two of them. It’s an open concept for the kitchen, living room, and dining room area. It’s all so wide and spacious, and the décor is a mix of Shelli and Aiden. I’m calling it Country Posh. I should brand that because they’ve somehow put together Aiden’s extraness for very expensive things with Shelli’s down-home style. One would think it’s just a mason jar, but look closer, and you’ll see it’s gold plated with real flowers inside that Aiden pays someone to come in and change every week.

It’s so over the top, but so them.

Like they do everywhere else, Shelli and Aiden glow in their home. They are so sickly sweet in love that it makes my teeth hurt, but not many can say they fell in love with their future husband when they were nine and never stopped. Shelli can. All those years we spent teasing her and mocking her when she would say she was going to be Mrs. Aiden Brooks, I kind of feel silly for now. She knew what she wanted, and I should have respected that. Especially when she made it happen.

Meanwhile, I’m in my feelings for my best friend and too much of a coward to do anything about it.

Their table seats ten, but there are only seven of us all gathered around as we play Phase Ten. I’m somehow stuck between Posey and Boon, which, to everyone else, seems normal since Posey is my bestie. But what they don’t know is that when Posey leans on the back of my chair, she’s doing it so she can touch Boon. I’m also in the direct line of their sinful looks. I swear, I’m getting hot from the way Boon is looking at Posey like she’s an empty net goal.

Wow, you can take the hockey kid out of the hockey household, but you can’t take the hockey out of the kid.

Across from me are Asher and Aiden, with Shelli tucked up under his arm. Wes, Boon and Aiden’s close friend and linemate, sits at the head of the table. He’s dubbed himself the single of the night, even though Asher and I have told him many times we aren’t together. If I weren’t so in love with Asher and maybe ready to accept nothing will happen with him, I would straight up holler at Wes. He is beautiful and obviously a bad boy. He has this light blondish hair that is wild and unruly. His deep blue eyes remind me of the ocean, and he’s huge. Taller than Asher and way thicker. His lips are plump, and his teeth are white and straight. I’m pretty sure they’re fake, hockey player and all, but who cares. The dude is hot. He is definitely someone who could give me a good time but not get close enough for me to feel something.

Too bad he isn’t Asher.

I need to get laid.

One would think, by now, I would have. It’s been a little over three weeks and I’m still very much talking to Taco, but I guess he realizes I want to take it slow. Or, at least, he hasn’t pushed for anything. We’re in the middle of volleyball season, so I play at least three games a week. I refuse to allow my grades to slip to spend time with him, so I’ve only seen him a few times. We’re supposed to go out later tonight, but I’m having way more fun here. Probably because I haven’t seen much of Asher lately.

He’s been extremely busy too. He’s working on both jumbotrons and getting his condo squared away. The times we have seen each other have been at my games and then when he comes over to help me with my math class from Hades. I hate that damn class, but Asher loves that kind of stuff. His dorky mind gets off on it. It’s weird, and honestly, I don’t know how I am friends with him. Well…I know exactly how, but we won’t delve into that right now.

I finish up my phase and lay down my cards.

Which means I just stuck everyone with their cards.

Muahaha.

I’m a tad competitive.

Asher glares as he counts up his cards along with everyone else.

Posey doesn’t have much, and she says, “Hey, how’s Angie? I texted her the other day, and she didn’t answer me.”

Before I can answer, Shelli replies, “Me too. I asked her if she wanted to be in the group dance but nothing.”

“Probably because she doesn’t want to hurt your feelings by telling you that the group dance is basically worse than the Wedding Book from Hell, and there is a special place in hell for you,” Posey says, and Asher smirks. “The book and this dance.”

“Brutal.” Posey glares at him, and he points to her. “But true.”

Shelli narrows her eyes. “I’m tired of you calling my wedding book something from hell, changing our group text to Wedding Party for the Wedding from Hell, and hating everything about this. I’m about to kick you out of the wedding.”

Posey’s eyes widen, hopefulness in her expression. “Please. Please do.”

I raise my hand. “I wouldn’t mind.”

“Nor I,” Asher says, and then we all start laughing. “Stop being so sensitive, Bridezilla.”

“Asher! Stop calling me Bridezilla!”

Wes is looking around and then asks Boon, “What is wrong with these people?”

Boon shrugs. “I have no clue, and honestly, I don’t want to know. I’m standing up there for my boy, and that’s it.”

Wes nods. “I don’t even want to do that.”

Shelli glares and yells, “Does no one want to be in my wedding?”

Aiden wraps his arms around her, kissing her jaw. “I do.”

She melts into him, turning her face to kiss his lips. “I do too.”

“Good. Practice those ‘I dos’ now,” Asher teases, and we all grin with mischief.

“I don’t care what any of you say, my wedding will be amazing.”

“Our wedding,” Aiden corrects, and Shelli is now glaring at him.

“You’ve done nothing for this wedding, and I’ve—”

“But if he doesn’t show up, there won’t be a wedding,” Asher supplies. God help him.

Shelli whips her head to Asher. “No one asked you!”

He looks around the table at us. “I am so stoked to gain a new sister-in-law who is as crazy as my sisters. It’s going to be great.”

Aiden snorts as he gathers Shelli in his arms. “I’m coming, you’re not crazy, and I love you. Now, hush.”

She squishes her nose to his. “Don’t tell me what to do unless we’re in the bedroom.”

I don’t know why she had to say that. I guess she was distracted by his dreamy gray eyes or she hit her head, because now Asher, Posey, and I are all mock gagging. We used to do this all the time when we were younger, and it drove her crazy. She can look at us like she is going to kill us all she wants, but we don’t care as we dissolve in laughter. “All of you are jealous because none of you are getting laid on the regular.”