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A puff of air escapes from her. “You work way too hard, Jules. You need to enjoy your last year of college.”
My shoulders collapse under the weight of her words. It’s something I’ve been dwelling on a lot lately. “Believe it or not, I’m trying.”
“Good.”
When she releases my hand, I press another kiss against her cheek. “I’ll see you on Thursday for the game.”
“Perfect. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
When I glance at Ryder, he gives me a barely perceptible nod before making his own goodbyes to both sets of parents.
Just as I grab my coat, Maverick throws an arm around my shoulders. “You leaving already?”
I glance at my watch. “That was the plan. It’s after nine and the party seems to be winding down.”
“I’m heading out as well. Need a ride back to your apartment?”
“No.” I give him a bit of side eye before casually tacking on, “Ryder said he’d drop me off, but thanks for the offer.”
His feet grind to a halt. “All right, what’s going on?” There’s a pause before he fires off another question. “Since when do you two spend so much time together?”
“It’s just a ride home, Mav. Chill out.” Guilt pricks at my conscience. I’ve never been one to lie to my family.
Not even my brother.
We’ve always been close. If he wasn’t with Ryder or practicing hockey, he was with me. And then when Mom got sick, our bond became that much stronger. When you’re faced with the possible death of a loved one, you quickly realize that family is all you have in this world, and holding them close takes on even more importance than before.
His fingers wrap around my upper arm until I’m forced to stop as he searches my eyes. “Are you sure about that?”
I straighten to my full height, which is still half a foot shorter than him. “Of course. We’re friends.”
Sort of.
Maybe.
“I don’t like it,” he says with a grunt.
“You don’t have to.”
His eyes narrow at my snappy response. “The guy is a good friend, probably the best I have, but he’s still a player.” There’s a pause. “You understand that, right?”
Even though a little piece of my heart crumbles, I lift my chin and hold his gaze. “Why would that matter to me? We’re not involved.”
“Good. Keep it that way.” His expression softens as his voice dips. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Jules. That’s all.”
I force a smile in hopes that he’ll drop the subject. “I appreciate your concern, but it’s unnecessary. It’s nothing more than a ride.”
He jerks his head. “If you say so.”
“I do.” I press a quick kiss to his cheek before pulling away. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Yeah.”
And then I’m hightailing it from the restaurant before he can get it into his head to follow me. As I rush through the glass doors and into the chilled night air, my brother’s warnings churn unwantedly through my head. He’s not telling me anything I don’t already know.
Ryder is a self-admitted manwhore and can have any girl he wants. It’s been that way since high school, and it won’t change anytime soon. Especially if everything goes the way it’s supposed to, and he plays for Chicago after college. Then there’ll be even more women throwing themselves at him.
