Chapter 127
Noah
Showered, changed, and looking halfway human again, I headed to the party like Aiden told me to. Blend in, take your glory, be one of the – guys. Fine. I could do that. I was determined–school, football, being Aiden’s… whatever I was–I could handle it all. No drinking, no partying, no dating? Who needed any of that crap anyway?
The house was already packed, music blasting, lights flashing. Music pumping, lights flashing, bodies crammed wall to wall–it was chaos, but the good kind. The Wolves knew how to celebrate. To be honest, we’d been celebrating since we started training… If there was anything this team could do, was party like there was no tomorrow.
Everywhere I turned, someone was slapping my back, shouting my name, shoving a beer into my hand before I could even take a breath.
Miguel found me first as usual. He looked… incredible. Tight pants, a sharp shirt, hair styled so perfectly it almost shimmered under the lights, like he’d sprinkled glitter on it–which let’s be real, he probably did—and wait… was that eyeliner? And definitely cologne, the good kind.
“Dude,” I laughed, giving him a once–over. “When the hell did you
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have time for a full makeover? And are we being photographed for the
cover of Sports Illustrated or something?”
Miguel smirked, tossing his hair like it deserved its own spotlight.
“You can never look too fabulous, Noah. Or know when the press is
gonna be around.”
I grinned, tipping my beer at him. “Or a certain someone
approaching…”
Because right then Keon shouldered his way over, grinning wide. “Blake! You were insane out there, man. Way to make us look good.” He clapped me on the back hard enough to slosh my beer.
“Thanks,” I said, fighting down a flush.
Keon leaned in, voice dropping just enough. “Hey, did you see that asshole Devon Reilly tried crashing the party tonight after he gave coach a hard time?”
My chest tightened. “No. What happened?” I tried to keep it casual, sipping my beer like it didn’t matter.
“Not sure,” Keon shrugged. “Saw him by the gate arguing with Coach. Got shut down fast. Then he took off.”
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I nodded, forcing a laugh, but inside I was burning with questions. Devon and Coach. Arguing again? Great. Just what I needed.
Keon shoved me lightly with his shoulder. “Anyway, you guys wanna
come later and see my guitar?”
Miguel raised his brows, grinning. “Ohhh yeah, baby. Is that what
we’re calling it now?”
Keon shoved him back, laughing. “Shut the hell up, I mean it. I just
got one.”
“Aw, hell,” I smirked, taking a sip. “What, you gonna be the college troubadour? Serenade the girls between classes?”
“Chicks love guys in a band,” Keon shot back, half–proud, half-
offended.
Miguel groaned. “You’re not even in a band.”
“Yet. Wait until I can play.” Keon wagged a finger. “Solo act, man. Girls eat that shit up. I’ll be like Ed Sheeran, but better.”
I shrugged. “I can kinda play. My mom got me a guitar when I was a kid. It was my escape from football and my dad.” The words slipped out before I thought about it. I shrugged again, covering. “I could
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teach you.”
Keon’s eyes lit up. “Hell yes. When can we start?”
“We can meet in the evenings for a while, anytime that works,” I
offered.
Keon jumped at the opportunity. “Dude, that’d be awesome. Let’s meet after practice, even for half an hour. I really wanna learn—”
But Miguel’s smile faded just a fraction, his eyes dropping. “Are you sure you’re gonna have time with all you’ve got going on, Noah?” His voice was light, but something in it made my stomach twist.
“Dude,” Keon interjected, oblivious. “We all have the same shit going on. And you can be our backup singer.” He clapped Miguel on the
back.
Miguel’s grin snapped back into place, but I’d caught that flicker. That little shadow of jealousy. And it scared the hell out of me. Miguel was one of my only friends here, but even he–especially he- could be dangerous if he ever decided to let something slip. My secret wasn’t just mine anymore. It was a loaded gun pointed at my own
chest.
Before the thought could drag me under, the crowd surged around us.
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Lexie appeared with a group of girls and half the team, laughing, her
short dress swinging as she carried two trays of jello shots. “Games!”
she called, setting them down. “Shots first, then pong!”
“Hell yeah!” Keon grabbed two. Miguel snagged one, tossing it back
with a wink.
I stuck to beer, but the vibe was infectious–laughter, shouting, everyone loosening up. Girls flirted shamelessly, tugging at my sleeve, leaning close. One brushed her lips near my ear.
“Blake, you’ve got moves. Wanna show me some later?”
I laughed it off, backing away. “I’m good, thanks.”
More giggles. Another one touched my arm. “C’mon, Noah. You
single, right?”
Across the room, one of my teammates grinned. “What’s the deal, Blake? You gone gay on us?”
The laughter was loud, playful, harmless–for them. My stomach dropped, but I forced a laugh, too. “Yeah, sure. Totally. Sorry, ladies.”
More chuckles, shoulders bumping mine, guys nodding like it was a joke they were all in on.
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And then Lexie slipped in beside me, carrying two jello shots like they’d been meant for us all along. She sat close–too close–her vanilla perfume wrapping around me, her fingers sliding into my
curls like she owned them.
The guys across the room exchanged looks, smirks spreading. Oh. Okay. Blake’s with Lexie.
Perfect. They bought it.
But how the hell was I supposed to get Lexie off my case now?
She wrapped an arm through mine, leaning soft and warm against me, blue eyes locked on mine as she lifted her shot. “Cheers, QB.”
She was tempting, I won’t lie. Half the girls here were. And I was a guy filled with horny, raging hormones who had always been a bit of a whore. But the one thing I was not was a cheater. All I had to do was play it cool a while longer and slip away.
I downed mine, heat rushing to my face, and that’s when she leaned closer, her lips brushing my ear.
“Would you like to take that walk we had to postpone the other
night?”
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I froze. Every muscle in me locked tight. Her voice was sweet, teasing, inviting. My body knew exactly what it meant–release, normality, the
other half of popularity.
But my head? My head screamed danger.
I mumbled something about needing the bathroom first and slipped away before she could press closer. Inside, I splashed cold water on my face, and stared at myself in the mirror, chest heaving. I knew I was seconds from screwing up. And not just with Lexie–screwing up my contract, my life, Aiden.
I couldn’t do this. Not alone. My hand shook as I pulled out my phone and typed the only thing I could think.
I’m in trouble. We need to talk boundaries.
I hit send, dropped the phone on the counter, and gripped the sink until my knuckles turned white.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
