“No messing around! Go grab something to eat. Get all your shit ready for the morning and get your asses in bed early. Once you win tomorrow you have tomorrow and Sunday night to celebrate. But tonight it’s lights out before ten.”

Angel was still tired from the long flight and having gotten up so early that morning. Going back to the room taking a shower and talking to Sarah on the phone before calling it an early night would’ve been ideal. Instead, here he was at a hotel party, annoyed with himself for not just having walked back to his hotel. Just when he thought he couldn’t possibly get any more annoyed than he already was, he heard the same high-pitched squealing he’d heard earlier, only this time it was followed by his name.

“Angel!”

He was barely able to catch who it was that practically tackled him, throwing her arms around him. Dana pulled away, squealing as her friends stood there wearing smiles just as big and taking pictures. She squeezed him again, but he’d learned his lesson long ago. Subtlety didn’t work on Dana. Neither did being polite.

“Easy,” he said, bringing his arms between them awkwardly to get her off him.

If she was embarrassed by his rejection at all, she played it off, moving her squealing over to Alex. Alex was, as usual, a bit more appeasing when it came to this kind of shit. Angel could practically feel the heat rise up his stiff shoulders and neck now as she explained that she and her friends were hosting this party. Not only was he going to have to explain that his dumb ass had ended up at a hotel party to Sarah but that it was Dana’s party. With all the cameras flashing as she’d bombarded him, he knew the photos would be out there too.

Fuck!

When she was done rubbing herself shamelessly all over Alex, Dana glanced at Angel, biting her lower lip playfully. Then she turned to her friends and introduced them to Angel and the other guys. All Angel could think of was making a mad dash out of there and getting Sarah on the phone so he could explain before she heard about this from anyone else.

He had to wait until after Alex had posed with two girls on his lap to get his attention. As soon as he had it, he motioned to him that he was out. Alex frowned but nodded, indicating he’d see him later. Halfway to the door he felt a tug on his hand and turned just as Dana tried to slip her hand in his.

Feeling beyond annoyed, Angel stopped, snagging his hand back and away from hers. He didn’t give a shit if it was rude or not. This was Dana. Nothing short of being painfully blunt seemed to get across to her back in high school when she was such a pain in the ass, and apparently things hadn’t changed. Dana’s eyes opened wide as if his not wanting to hold her hand actually came as a shock to her.

“I was just gonna ask where you were going,” she said, shaking her head, bewildered by his reaction. “Are you mad?”

“No, I’m just—”

“Is this because I hugged your brother?”

“What?” If he weren’t so f**king irritated, he might’ve laughed at that.

“I hope you don’t think I was flirting with him or anything because—”

“Dana, I don’t give a shit . . .” He stopped himself and took a breath before he got too worked up. “I don’t care what you do with my brother or anyone else, okay? I’m in a hurry to get out of here because I’m anxious to talk to Sarah.” Just saying it out loud made him even more anxious to do so. “You remember her, right? My girlfriend?”

The change in her expression was immediate, and Angel almost wanted her to say even one thing negative about Sarah so he could let her have it. He was done playing nice.

A loud commotion got their attention, and he turned in time to see a scuffle and lots of bodies being pushed around over by where Alex had been standing, but he didn’t see Alex. Maybe he was one of the guys in the middle of it all.

“Shit!” he muttered, pushing himself back through the crowd.

He wasn’t worried about Alex getting hurt, but the last thing his brother needed was to end up in jail the night before the game. By the time he managed to make his way back, there were things breaking and so much screaming that security had already come through the door.

As it turned out, Alex hadn’t been in the scuffle, but he was one of the guys trying to hold back their teammate. There was too much being said all at once, but from what Angel could gather, one of stupid Dana’s friends had done some of the same shameless rubbing against Alex and his friends, and her ex-boyfriend, one of the players for Hawaii didn’t take too kindly to it. There were words, and then the shoving started and inevitably fists flew.

The more Angel thought about it, even as the cops arrived, the more ridiculous it was that they were even there to begin with. They’d all agreed to go to a party where members of the opposing team were sure to be. Add alcohol to the mix, and none of them thought something like this might happen? How stupid were they?

Seeing he had a missed call from Sarah just added to his already mounting frustration. Somehow Dana made her way through the crowd and was still trying to talk to Angel even while the cops were rounding people up.

“Will you take a picture with me?”

“No,” he said immediately, stepping away from her.

“Just a quick one,” she said, still on his tail. “I just wanna—”

“I know what you want,” Angel said as he spun around to face her, startling her in the process. His frustration had peaked to the point where he knew he’d be using every ounce of restraint in him not to blow up at her. Glad that it was still so loud in there he leaned into her ear. “I’m not gonna tell you to f**k off only because we’re not in high school anymore and I’d like to think I’ve matured a bit. But let me warn you, Dana. I know what you’re doing. It’s the same shit you did back in high school. Difference is I don’t have the patience for it anymore. If I’d had known you were gonna be here, I would’ve never come.” He saw the tears well up in her eyes, and he was done. “Oh for f**k’s sake!”