Page 39 of Forever Defiant
“We’re sure,” I answered for Dante. “We’re careful about what we say when she’s around. She wants to hang herself with her own carelessness, we’ll sit back and watch her swing.”
“Brutal,” Noah grunted.
“Survival of the fittest,” I countered. “It’s not a new concept to anyone in this room.”
We shared a look, and I knew they both agreed with me. Savvy didn’t, but she was Dante’s problem, not mine.
And Hadley? Well, she wasn’t my problem either. I’d warned her to be careful, but she wasn’t. She’d make her own bed, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to be lying down in it with her.
* * *
Dante had stayed with Savvy, Noah needed to do a paper, and his little brother was impatiently waiting to help, and I... well, I had nothing to do.
There was always something to do, or someone, but I wasn’t in the mood to shoot the shit with my teammates, or flirt.
Jesus Christ, was I broken?
If that fucking woman had killed my mood to get laid, she was going to have a far bigger problem than dealing with Coach Sutherland.
I knew Noah was studying, so I didn’t want to talk him into a game ofMadden, so I headed to the coffee shop. A fancy coffee with extra syrup might be the sweet thing I needed tonight.
I liked this coffee shop. It was open but also had little nooks that you could avoid people in, if you sat just right. I’d hidden from a few hookups in those nooks. Had a few morebecauseof the nooks.
I placed my order, chatted with the barista about football, then took my giant mug of coffee to a nook.
Of course she’d be sitting here on a night I decided I wasn’t looking for anything.
She looked up from her laptop, and her expression mirrored my own. Surprise mixed with suspicion.
“Why?” It was out before I caught it. I owned it. “Why are you here?” I asked as I sat down in the little nook, with Hadley at the next table. I didn’t care if I was too close. This was where I wanted to sit; she could deal with it.
Or leave.
I really hoped it was the latter.
“I’m relaxing.” Her voice sounded like theexactopposite of someone who was relaxed. She gave my coffee mug the side-eye. “Think you have enough?”
She had a half-empty bottle of water on her table.
“You’re in here using the free Wi-Fi, and all you bought was a bottle of water?” I guessed.
The look would have killed weaker men.
“There’s a seminar I’m waiting to go to.” She flicked her ponytail off her shoulder. “I have my own Wi-Fi at home.”
I didn’t hide my smile at getting a reaction from her, and I knew she saw it.
“Ugh, go somewhere else,” she muttered, but there was no heat to it.
I sat back and took a drink. I heard her snigger.
“Sugary?”
I took another drink, better. “That first hit packs a punch.”
Neither of us said anything, and I felt the tension in my shoulders ease.
“Your coach is a dick.”
