Rival Darling: A Young Adult Hockey Romance (The Darling Devils Series)

“REED DARLING IS WATCHING YOU, AGAIN.”

Mia’s words made my stomach dip as I followed her gaze past the dancing flames of the bonfire and found Reed staring intently at me. His expression was closed, and with the flickering glow of the fire between us, he looked as devilishly handsome as he was dangerous. He stood with his younger brother, and the people around them seemed to be giving them a wide berth. As our eyes met, Reed appeared to fight back a smile, and I quickly glanced away.

I wrapped my arms a little tighter around my body, doing my best to pretend that one look from Reed hadn’t raised my temperature more than the bonfire between us. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Mia’s eyes narrowed at me with suspicion. “And now he’s smiling. Why is he smiling at you, Vi?”

My cheeks warmed in response, and as much as I would have liked to blame the heat radiating from the roaring bonfire, I knew it had everything to do with Reed. I was tempted to look over at him again, but I somehow managed to keep my eyes firmly on Mia. I couldn’t let myself get trapped in his gaze once more.

“Well…” she prompted.

I still hadn’t told Mia that Reed had mentioned I should come tonight. She was extremely wary of him, so I knew she would only take it the wrong way. Given the critical look in her eyes, she was already leaping to conclusions.

“He’s probably just being friendly,” I said. “I told you he helped me with my car.”

“Vi, there is absolutely nothing friendly about that boy. And I doubt he looks at his friends that way. Hell, he probably doesn’t have any.”

I really wished Nicole were here already. She might have put a stop to Mia’s interrogation.

“Maybe he’s not as bad as you think,” I suggested.

“Don’t let that gorgeous face and beautiful body blind you from the fact that boy is one hundred percent trouble,” she replied. “He doesn’t play by the same rules as the rest of us.”

“It was just a look. You’re reading too much into it.”

“I’m not,” she insisted before lowering her voice. “If one of the Darling Devils was looking at me that way, I’d be running in the opposite direction as fast as my legs could carry me…”

“Oh, and how exactly is he looking at me?”

“Like if you smiled back at him, he’d leap right through those flames, pick you up, and carry you back to his cave like some barbarian.”

I rolled my eyes at her but swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat. “Well, thankfully, none of that is going to happen. I don’t even want to look at another guy right now, and I’m definitely not smiling at any. Not after Jeremy.”

“Yeah, I know.” Her face fell as she nodded. “Where is Captain Douche tonight?”

“I haven’t seen him, thankfully.” I was still reeling from our confrontation yesterday. The way he’d behaved all week, flirting with girls while pretending to be the victim, only to then turn around and expect me to just forgive him, left me with an ominous feeling in my gut. Jeremy wasn’t going to accept this breakup easily. He always got what he wanted. And if he still wanted me, I feared it was going to take something extreme to make him give up on us.

“You’re not considering getting back with him, are you?”

“What? No, of course not.” My eyes darted back to meet Mia’s. “I will never be able to look at him the same way after what he did. And I’d definitely never be able to trust him. I just need to move on.” I only wished it were that easy. Recovering from your boyfriend cheating on you wasn’t a simple matter, especially when you had to see him at school every day. The fact he wanted me back was only going to make it harder still.

“Yeah, well, it seems to me there’s another hockey player who would gladly volunteer to assist with that…”

“Mia!” I gasped.

“What?” she replied. “I know Reed Darling is bad news, and he’s a total player. And I know you’ve written off hockey players for life. But Reed is incredibly hot, and he seems interested in you. It would kill Jeremy to see you with him too, so I’m sure we could make an exception for one night.”

She went to continue, but I cut her off. “You literally just told me I should be running away from Reed Darling. Now you want me to date him?”

“I didn’t say that. Dating him would be a terrible idea.”

“What? But you think kissing him would be a good one?”

“Uh, Vi…”

“Because I’m not kissing anyone tonight.”

“Vi…”

“Also, I’m not just done with guys who play hockey; I’m done with any guys who have big egos.”

“Violet…”

“And I bet Reed Darling has one of the biggest around!”

For a moment, the world went silent, and then a voice rumbled behind me. “I hope you’re talking about my big heart there, Sunshine.”

I squeezed my eyes shut as I realized it was Reed. We’d only met twice, but I instantly recognized his deep tone.

“Didn’t realize I’d made such a big impression.”

I officially wanted to die. I also wanted to kill Mia for not trying harder to warn me Reed was coming. A true friend would have tackled me to the ground if that’s what it took to shut me up. As I opened my eyes, I found her looking over my shoulder at Reed, a sparkle of mischief in her gaze. She might be intimidated by the guy, but right now, it appeared like she was trying not to laugh. Traitor.

“Oh, look, there’s Nicole,” she said. “I’ll be back in a sec…”

I gaped at her, my eyes narrowing with disbelief. How could she have bailed on me? Especially when I’d just embarrassed myself so thoroughly. She was meant to be whisking me away, saving me from the Devil. Not abandoning me with him just when I needed her the most.

I had no choice but to face Reed, and I reluctantly turned to him, my dread growing a little more with each slow movement. I couldn’t believe he’d overheard me talking about him. Again. I wasn’t sure how much he’d heard, but at least this time, I could be grateful I hadn’t been calling him a pig. Not that saying he had a big ego was much better.

“Hi,” he said once I was facing him. I half expected to find a look of disappointment or annoyance on his face. But instead, he seemed amused. “So, if it wasn’t my big heart you were talking about, was it another part of me?”

My eyes widened as I realized what he was inferring, and I quickly started to stutter. “No. I⁠—’

“Because, honestly, that’s one rumor about me I’m okay with.”

“Reed! I was talking about your ego. And, by the sounds of it, I was right.”

He grinned, allowing the dimple on his cheek to pop. It was only on one cheek, which somehow made its impact more devastating. “Okay, that’s fair. At least give me a chance to clear my name.”

I hesitated. I got the feeling that once you were drawn into Reed Darling’s orbit there would be no escaping it. Like getting sucked into a black hole that would eventually spit you back out with a broken heart and a bunch of emotional scars. He was too intense. Too good-looking. And, despite his bad reputation, I imagined that girls who got too close to Reed Darling inevitably fell for him and suffered the consequences. Spending more time with Reed, even as a friend, could only lead to disaster.

“Look, Reed, I’m sure you’re a great guy.”

“Uh-oh,” he replied, somehow still managing to smile.

I did my best to power on. “But I already told you I’ve sworn off hockey players. In fact, I have a very long-standing no-jock rule and, this time, I’m making no exceptions. Besides, from what I hear, hockey isn’t the only reason I should be staying away from you.”

“Mm, but surely you’ve changed your mind since meeting me?”

I folded my arms over my chest. “I thought you were trying to prove you didn’t have a big ego?”

“Nah, I just wanted to spend more time with you. You were right. I have a big ego.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Big ego or not, Reed could certainly be charming. Then again, Jeremy had been too.

“So, you can’t even be friends with a hockey player?” he asked.

I tilted my head to the side as I studied him. I didn’t think guys like Reed were capable of being friends with girls, and I was all too aware of that fact after what happened with Jeremy and Heather. “Why would you want to be friends with me? It’s not like we have anything in common.”

“That’s overrated.”

“But I don’t like hockey, and it’s the thing you live and breathe.”

Reed released a soft laugh. “I just want to hang out with you. I’m not asking you to rewatch game tapes with me.”

I blanched because that was in fact something Jeremy had made me do before. Reed made it sound like my lack of interest in the sport was no big deal. But I’d dated a hockey player, so I knew how important it was. I was never going to be the kind of girl that idolized him or was desperate to wear his jersey to a game. I certainly hadn’t wanted to wear Jeremy’s and quickly changed the subject on the few occasions he’d asked me to. Looking back now, I wondered if perhaps even then I’d sensed Jeremy wasn’t the guy for me.

“So, what do you think?” Reed asked.

My eyes narrowed on him. “You get your way a lot, don’t you?”

“I wouldn’t say that.” He tucked his hands into his pockets and grinned at me in a way that confirmed he most definitely did. It was hard not to be lured in by him when he smiled. But I knew I had to stay strong. We barely knew the first thing about each other, and I refused to be pulled in by another jock.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but my stance on hockey players isn’t going to change.”

He didn’t look the least bit bothered as he gave me a one-shouldered shrug. “Guess I’ll just have to keep proving to you I’m not like all the other hockey guys.”

I already knew it wouldn’t take much for Reed to prove he was different. He certainly wasn’t an average guy—but I hadn’t yet decided if it was for better or worse. Given the things Mia had heard, he was probably worse. But I was struggling to believe every terrible thing people said about Reed Darling was true.

A high-pitched giggle caught my attention. I glanced past Reed and caught sight of Jeremy. He was sitting on a log near the bonfire with Heather perched on his lap. His arms were wrapped around her, and his hands were resting on her legs in such an intimate way there was little doubt they were here together.

Even though I was done with Jeremy, it was still hard to watch. He clearly didn’t regret what he’d done even though he’d told me it was just a drunken mistake. What made it worse was the way Jeremy’s eyes were focused on me. His expression was smug as he gave me a knowing look, like he was expecting me to stalk over to him and stake my claim.

Did he think he could make me so jealous I’d just take him back? Did he think inflicting more pain on me would convince me to forgive him? Maybe Mia was right. This was all part of some sick plan to win me back. What was it going to take to make him realize we were done?

Anger clouded my vision, and I was struggling to think straight. Jeremy looked so sickeningly satisfied as he took in my reaction, but then he noticed Reed. When his gaze landed on his hockey rival, Jeremy’s expression faltered, and a wild look entered his eyes. Mia’s words from earlier in the night flashed across my mind, and I felt a sudden sense of clarity. I knew exactly how to show Jeremy we were over.

I turned to Reed before I could come to my senses and grasped the front of his jacket, pulling him toward me. He came easily, but I knew he would have had no problem resisting if he’d truly objected. He instinctively wrapped his hands around my waist as though he’d done it a thousand times before. Knowing his reputation with girls, he probably had. I didn’t need any more encouragement than that, and I lifted myself up onto my toes and kissed him.

Despite his hands settling on my waist, I could tell I’d caught him by surprise. It took him a moment to react, but when he did return the kiss, it was so intense I almost forgot to breathe. His lips were hot against mine, and a rush of warmth spread through my body as my heart beat faster and faster. I felt him grasp me tighter, but I wanted him closer still. The way the faint hint of cologne on his neck mixed with the bonfire smoke and snow was intoxicating. The kiss had been fueled by anger, but that quickly faded into something else—something more—and suddenly nothing else seemed to matter other than the connection between us. The snowy field we stood in felt like it had gone up in deliciously hot flames. If this was what it felt like to kiss a devil, then send me straight to hell.

A breath later and the kiss was over. Reed was ripped from my lips as Jeremy forced his way between us, and I stumbled back a step.

“Get away from her,” Jeremy shouted, giving Reed a hefty shove to the chest.

“Jeremy!” I called out his name in shock. I’m not sure what I’d thought was going to happen after I kissed Reed. I’d wanted to show Jeremy I was moving on. To prove I wasn’t his to toy with. Maybe I’d been trying to make him hate me enough that he’d just leave me alone. But I’d never thought he’d react this way. Over Jeremy’s shoulder, I could see Heather storming away. I guess she hadn’t expected him to react that way either.

Reed barely looked concerned by the six-foot ball of muscle before him. Jeremy was a big guy, but Reed was bigger. And instead of returning my ex’s icy stare, Reed was ignoring Jeremy and looking at me with concern.

“Don’t look at her!” Jeremy growled, giving Reed another shove.

Reed’s eyes flashed with anger as he finally focused on Jeremy. “Careful, Hoffman. You know by now you don’t want to make me mad.”

“I don’t give a shit about you. That’s my girlfriend you’re harassing.”

“Harassing?” Reed’s voice had taken on a dangerous tone.

“Girlfriend?” I spluttered the word in disbelief as I pushed my way between the two of them. “I’m not your girlfriend, Jeremy. Not anymore.”

We were drawing a lot of attention, and it seemed everyone gathered near the bonfire was turning to watch the commotion. I might have been embarrassed if I wasn’t so incensed.

“Just get away from him, Violet.” Jeremy reached out for me, but I found myself shying away from him and closer to Reed. Jeremy noticed, and his hands formed fists at his sides. “I know you were only trying to get my attention,” he continued in a calm but threatening tone. “Well, you’ve got it. Let’s go.”

He held out his hand once more, but I ignored it. “I didn’t do this to get your attention, Jeremy!”

“Well, why else would you be kissing him?”

“Because I…” The last thing I wanted was to give Jeremy the satisfaction of knowing I’d only kissed Reed because of him. “I’ve moved on, Jeremy.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Jeremy’s eyes were cold as his lips formed a cruel smile. “You’d just be another puck bunny to him, you know that, right?” He’d raised his voice, so everyone surrounding us could hear. The enthralled crowd was growing now, and it felt like the entire party had gathered to watch.

“It’s not like that. I…” I pursed my suddenly dry lips as I tried to come up with an explanation. A part of me wanted to take back what I’d done so I could abate Jeremy’s anger and defuse the situation. But there was no going back now. I’d kissed Reed Darling in front of everyone, and Jeremy still hadn’t got the message. I needed to double down if he was ever going to leave me alone. “We’re together.” I blurted out before I could think better of it.

“Together?” Jeremy spat. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Uh—” I didn’t know what to say. How had I gotten myself into this situation? I was standing in front of our resident hockey bad boy, and I had just claimed we were in a relationship in front of a crowd of stunned students from both our schools. I really should have taken a moment to come up with a better excuse for kissing him. Reed probably thought I was a complete psycho, and so would everyone else when he revealed that I was lying. I couldn’t bear to think of the smug look that would light up Jeremy’s face when Reed denied it was true. I wished I had a moment to talk to Reed. To beg him to play along, just for now.

But then I felt a strong arm wrap around my waist, and I was pulled against the hard planes of Reed’s chest. I went stiff as he held me tightly to him.

“Surely you’re not that stupid, Hoffman.” Reed said. “She shouldn’t have to spell it out…”

I slowly looked up at Reed, and as he caught my gaze, his hard expression softened. “Violet’s my girlfriend.”

My body relaxed into his grasp, and I was so overcome with gratitude I felt like I could kiss him. Again.

“You don’t do girlfriends.” Jeremy scoffed.

“I do now,” Reed replied.

Jeremy was going red in the face, and his chest swelled up like he was preparing to launch himself at Reed. I tensed because I was right in his line of fire.

Reed must have noticed because he eased himself in front of me so I was protected. “I hope you’re not going to start a fight here, Hoffman,” he said. “You don’t want to get banned from bonfire nights, do you? Although, maybe I could take one for the team and kick you out myself.”

Jeremy’s eyes narrowed on Reed before he finally seemed to put a leash on his anger. He moved his attention to me. “You’re not seriously dating this jerk, are you, Vi?”

“Yes, I am.” I moved out from behind Reed, and his arm instinctively found my waist once again as I stood next to him.

“What about us?” Jeremy demanded.

Reed seemed to tense slightly against me, like he was holding his breath as he waited for my response.

“There is no us, Jeremy.”

“You’re really going to throw away everything we have for five minutes of fun with a Darling Devil? I thought you were better than that.”

Reed tensed again, but this time, I could see it was because his hands were clenched. He looked like he was about to step toward Jeremy, but I gently placed a hand on his chest to keep him close. The irony of Jeremy’s comment hadn’t escaped me. He’d already thrown away everything we had for a bit of fun with Heather, but in his eyes, I was the villain. I might as well embrace that fact.

“What can I say?” I slowly turned and smiled up at Reed. “I guess I’ve finally found the kind of hockey player whose jersey I want to wear.” It was such a low blow, and I knew I’d struck close to home when I glanced at Jeremy and saw the hurt in his eyes. A flicker of doubt shot through me as I wondered if I’d gone too far. But it disappeared a moment later when Jeremy’s shocked expression returned to one of anger and disgust.

“Don’t come crying to me when this Devil breaks your heart.” He shot me one last scathing look before abruptly turning to leave. His fury filled the air, sizzling with such intensity that even the nearby bonfire seemed dim in comparison, as he stormed away.

What the hell had I just done?