Nora Mallone had never been one to cause trouble. When she moved to downtown Toronto at age eighteen, she had plans to attend university and make a life for herself alongside her best friend. But all of it went down the drain when she lost her paren...
It was official: this was the worst hangover of Auston's life. The entire plane ride to California, he oscillated between feeling like he could sleep forever to feeling so sick he couldn't even close his eyes without feeling dizzy.
Thinking about hooking up with that bartender in one of the back rooms of the Castle somehow made Auston feel even worse. He wasn't even sure why he did it-just because he was jealous when that guy got close to Nora?
Who cares? Auston reminded himself. It's not like you've slept with her, you dumbass. You aren't even really friends.
Mitch was in better shape than Auston somehow. He collapsed into the seat on the other side of the table, grinning. "Well you look like you're ready for the day," he announced to Auston, who groaned. Mitch chided, "Have a little too much fun last night?"
"Fuck off," Auston muttered. He leaned forward over the table to hold his head in his hands.
Mitch threw his head back in laughter. Once he'd recovered, he tried, "So then I guess you aren't interested in seeing Nora's post from this morning?"
Auston lifted his head to ask, "What are you talking about?"
"I mean-since you're so obviously into her," Mitch explained. "Based on your little fit of jealous rage yesterday." He shrugged, eyes gleaming.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Auston murmured, sipping from his bottle of water. Mitch just stared at him blankly, which made Auston roll his eyes and add, "She's obviously with that Rick guy from yesterday."
"Trick," Mitch corrected, though Auston already knew. "And I don't think she is."
"Bunts said they went home together," Auston countered.
Mitch had an answer for that, too. "They left as a group-them and their other friend."
"Why are we even talking about this?" demanded Auston.
"You know why," Mitch retorts, sliding his phone across the table.
Auston half-expected it to be Nora's Instagram, but instead finds an article on some gossip website. He read the headline aloud, quiet enough that their other teammates couldn't hear, "'Matthews appears to fool around with red-head at Toronto club.'" And, of course, there was a picture to show for it. Auston tossed the phone back across the table to Mitch and muttered, "Oh, fuck me. There's not supposed to be paps and shit at the Castle."
Mitch shrugged and pursed his lips. "I don't know what to tell you, man," he conceded.
"So what the fuck does this have to do with Nora?" Auston snapped. Again, Mitch swiped through his phone for a moment before handing it back over.
This time, it really was Nora's Instagram.
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n.e.mallone: i know you think about me when you kiss her 🫦
♥ Liked by lexbraker22 and 1,922 others.
Comments:
annikasriddle: caption 🫣 ↳n.e.mallone: fletcher's words, not mine 😳
lexbraker22: holy you're actually unreal ↳n.e.mallone: love u lexie poo
trick.gainers: at least it wasn't another bathroom selfie... ↳n.e.mallone: ur just mad that im hotter than you ↳↳trick.gainers: whatever you say hoser.
royguy981: golden hour? ↳n.e.mallone: no.
tyra.jonesey32: hmmmmmmmmmm i wonder who this caption is about ↳trick.gainers: the world may never know....but i do 😳 ↳↳n.e.mallone: stfu i hate you.
random: beautiful!!!!
random: ugh im obsessed with you.
random: does this girl have an onlyfans, asking for a friend ↳random: idk but i wish
random: hot stuff 🔥
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After scrolling through some of the comments, Auston lifted his eyes to glare at Mitch. "Why are you showing me this?"
Mitch stared back, mouth agape in disbelief. "Are you that much of an idiot?" he exclaimed. "That caption is absolutely about you."
"Those are lyrics from a song," Auston replied, handing the phone back to him. "And even if it is about me, why should I care?"
Annoyed and apparently tired of explaining, Mitch got up out of his seat and headed down the aisle, leaving Auston alone at the table. With a groan, he took out his own phone and navigated to Instagram, where, against his better judgment, he searched Nora's name.
Damn, she was beautiful.
Now Auston was really starting to regret hooking up with that other bartender. But then again, he reasoned, there was no chance in hell that Nora was into him at all-not after the whole broken table incident. Still when he scrolled through her pictures, he couldn't help admiring her long, dark hair and perfect pout. God, he wanted to kiss her, wrestle his fingers in her hair and touch every inch of her skin. Just the thought made him antsy.
With a sigh, he clicked the follow button, and then turned off his phone for the rest of the flight.
