Page 77 of Code Violation

I close my eyes and try not to laugh at Tristan’s sarcastic comment.

“Am I giving stalker vibes?”

He leans back against the bar and crosses his ankles, messy black hair falling over his forehead. “Maybe a little, Cap.”

“Want this?” I ask, sliding my warm beer toward him. “Will ordered it for me, but I don’t want it.”

Tristan screws his nose up. “Nah, thanks. If Will bought it, then it’ll probably taste sour. I don’t accept drinks bought by him.”

“Y’all both need to drop this insane rivalry,” I push out. “It’s affecting team dynamics.”

Tristan scowls across the room, where Mason and Will are seated. “Have you ever had the alternate captaincy ripped from you and handed to the guy who waltzed onto the team a season ago and pushed your nose out of joint?”

“There’s always going to be someone waiting to take your place on a team, Tris,” I say, back to staring across the street. There’s no sign of Vesper in the cocktail bar, and I wonder if the girls left when I wasn’t watching. “It’s how you deal with healthy competition that matters. You’re letting it get in your head and impact your game.”

He scoffs, pushing my glass away from him. Beer spills everywhere, earning an unimpressed glance from one of the bartenders, who immediately starts cleaning up the mess.

“Will is a cocky asshole, and he isn’t a team player. Plain and simple.”

“Come on, Tris,” I press. “I’ve seen you deal with assholes before now and never like this. Why is Will so far under your skin?”

He throws up a hand, way too animated with anger. “I dunno, man. Maybe because he lands on his fucking feet wherever he goes, all because he has the last name Jones and Mommy and Daddy have more money than sense. Spoiled fucking rich boy,” he spits. “His sister isn’t much better. What a brat she is.”

“June?” I reply in disbelief. “What’s June ever done to you?”

He rolls his eyes. “I’ll assume you’ve never been interviewed for her stupid blog then?”

When a flash of red catches my attention, I lock eyes on Vesper’s back as she talks with Drew.

Okay, phew. No guys sniffing around my girl anymore.

“I heard that she’s a really gifted media reporter and an even better hockey player. Crazy skillful, like Will.”

If looks could kill, I’d be ten feet underground.

I hold up a hand. “Listen, I’ll always be honest with you. I’m not about to sugarcoat anything because you’re butthurt over her brother. From what I’ve seen, June’s a nice person.”

Tristan sneers and follows my line of vision back across the road. “Will fucked my sister and broke her heart when he was in college.”

I rear back, really not expecting Tristan to drop that bomb. “What?”

He nods once and raises his hand at the bartender who just finished wiping up after him, asking for a drink.

“Yeah. I’ve not said anything because, unlike Will, I like to keep things professional.”

I hold back a cynical laugh, wanting to keep this conversation on track.

“At the risk of coming across like a dick, you realize that event between your sister and Will was fucking years ago, right?”

He looks exasperated, and I genuinely don’t think whatever went down back in Will’s college days is the real reason behind Tristan’s issue with the alternate captain.

His place on the team is threatened by Will’s success. Period.

“All I’m saying is, I’ve witnessed a different side to the golden boy you all think is untouchable, infallible. He’s got a lot of skeletons in his closet and even got away with banging Coach’s daughter, which almost ended her career.”

“You need to drop the toxic agenda,” I warn, just as the girls step out onto the sidewalk and climb into a taxi.

Are they going home or elsewhere?