Chapter 9

“Pretty sure that constitutes as child abuse.” Arrick cuts in and looks pointedly at me with an icier tone to his voice, clearly still sulking over Christian’s adoration of me. He’s trying to be his normal jokey self, but I can see through it, although subtle. I can see his jaw tense as his eyes grow greener and lack warmth. The tone alone is devoid of his usual humor, and despite the urge to bite and tell him to go fuck himself, I sigh sweetly. He’s taken on the cool and distant Arrick look, lost in his thoughts and effortlessly locked away emotionally. Reminding me that he will forever only see a kid.

“Thanks, asshole.” I grit back at him, trying to act normal and not let him get to me on any level, with the skills of a trained actress and the completely controlled mannerisms of a girl who feels nothing anymore. It wasn’t unknown for him to goad me into a Carrero brother argument and them torturing me as teammates in the past. I know the drill. I play along for the sake of a