Page 46 of Rival Darling

“Ouch,” Nicole added. “Why would she do that?”

“Probably an angry ex,” Mia suggested.

“Couldn’t be,” the girl replied. “Everyone knows the Darling Devils don’t date. My bet is he led her on and broke her heart. That boy’s a total player.” I couldn’t deny the girl’s theory made sense. Reed had pretty much admitted that his reputation as a player was accurate when he’d told me about the scores of girls “distracting” him from hockey. Jeremy had also seemed shocked by the concept of Reed having a girlfriend. Probably because they ended up throwing ice skates at him.

I looked between Nicole and Mia as the other girl turned and left the café. “He doesn’t even go to our school or live in Sunshine Hills. How does everyone know this stuff about him?”

“It’s Reed Darling,” Mia said as if that alone were answer enough.

“He’s captain of the enemy,” Nicole clarified. “Not to mention, he’s one of the best hockey players in the state. And you know by now how much this place cares about hockey.”

“When you add on top of that the way he acts and the way he looks,” Mia continued, “people are naturally going to want to talk about him. And now, I guess, they’ll want to talk about you too.”

“Lucky me,” I grumbled. I wanted to curse myself for acting so rashly last night. I’d done the sensible thing and told Reed we couldn’t be friends. But then I’d gone and kissed him and gotten myself into this whole mess. I couldn’t quite bring myself to regret the kiss though. I kept thinking about the way it had made my heart flutter and skin tingle. The look on Jeremy’s face hadn’t hurt either.

My heart leaped again as the café’s front doorbell rang once more, and the door opened. This time, Reed stepped inside. It was as if he’d known we were talking about him, and he’d chosen that exact moment to make his appearance. The sight of him caused nerves to ripple through my entire body. But it wasn’t for any of the reasons I’d been anxious before. His face was dark as he stood in the doorway, his huge frame almost obscuring the entire entrance. His eyes were narrowed as if he was staring down the entire café. He was just as intimidating and overwhelming as he had been when he’d arrived at Summer’s party with his brothers.

Maybe Mia was right. I probably should have been running in the opposite direction as fast as my legs could carry me. But then his gaze landed on me, and his icy exterior thawed. Amusement played across his lips and danced in his eyes. Suddenly, it was hard to remember why I’d felt intimidated at all.

I drew in a deep breath, giving myself a moment to settle my jittering nerves, and went to meet him at the counter. “You came,” I said, releasing a near silent sigh.

“You don’t need to sound quite so surprised. I take dates with my girlfriend extremely seriously.”

“Fake girlfriend,” I muttered.

He grinned, making his lone dimple pop. I did my best not to frown at the small indent in his cheek. Why couldn’t he be just a touch less appealing?

I was distracted because there were a couple of girls sitting at a table behind Reed. They kept laughing and shooting Reed flirtatious smiles. Was this an example of the reception he received everywhere he went? It seemed people were either fleeing from him, brandishing their pitchforks, or throwing themselves at his feet in the hopes they’d catch his attention.

“So, you ready to get logistical?” he asked.

“Logistical?” I looked at him once more, but it took me a moment to remember what he was talking about. It was a little hard to focus when I could still hear the girls whispering about him just a few feet away.

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat before lowering his voice. “You know, about our relationship.”

“Right. Yes.”

“Is now a good time?” he added.

“Yeah, just give me a sec. Why don’t you go grab a seat, and I’ll bring you over a coffee. How do you take it?”

“You should know my coffee order, babe.” He gave me a wink before walking over to one of the booths.

I glared at the back of his neck as he moved away from the counter. How was I supposed to know how a Darling Devil liked his coffee? Probably tall, dark, and strong. That was no fun though, and I grinned as an image of the perfect drink for Reed formed in my mind. As his fake girlfriend, I knew just what he needed.

“I’m going to take a quick break,” I told Mia and Nicole once I’d finished making Reed’s coffee.

“No problem,” Nicole said. “It’s very slow in here.”

“True.” It had been quiet all morning, but I was hardly going to complain. I loved it when I got to work with my two best friends—and it was especially fun when we weren’t too busy.

“I won’t be long,” I said before I headed over to meet Reed with his drink in hand. I placed it down on the table before him, and his eyes widened with shock.

“What on earth is that?”

“It’s your favorite,” I said as sweetly as I could. “A strawberry Frappuccino with whipped cream, marshmallows, and sprinkles on top.”

“You know I have a reputation to uphold…” he murmured, keeping his voice low.