Page 3

HAYDEN

A rather loud thud wakes me up from my nap.

Strangely enough, all that coffee I chugged did nothing to prevent me from falling asleep the moment we hit the highway.

But I guess all’s well that ends well, because I feel more well-rested and ready to tolerate my rowdy teammates on this long road trip.

“And what we have here on your right, ladies and gentlemen… are roads,” Dom, being the idiot that he is—and probably bored out of his mind being stuck on this bus—stands at the front of the bus and pretends to be a tour guide.

Ansel snorts a little bit, unable to hide his amusement. “And what about on the left, sir?”

I consider closing my eyes and trying to nap again, but now that I feel rested, I think it’ll be damn near impossible to sleep on this bus full of unrestrained college dudes.

“Oh, and would you look at that! Over to your left would be more roads— but these roads feature some cars!” Dom gestures wildly as he performs, each quip earning a ripple of chuckles from the rest of the guys.

The jokes themselves aren’t that funny, but I will admit it’s Dom’s delivery that’s carrying this whole bit he’s doing.

“Dom, sit down. You’re going to hurt yourself.

” Naturally, Julian, the team dad, can’t help but be worried over his giddy and reckless child.

Seeing as how Coach Edmund has gone ahead to the training camp a couple of days in advance, Dom really is the one in charge of everyone during this eight-hour trip.

Of course, Dom doesn’t really listen. He never does.

I don’t know why Julian even tries to get him to sit still; it’s futile.

“And over here by the front row seat, gents, is the most beautiful man in existence. Never ever have I seen such nice and tight muscles on a guy’s arms.” Dom drapes himself over Julian, sitting on our captain’s lap as he pretends to be a lovesick fan.

This earns even louder laughter from the bus.

Nathan and Cato seem particularly entertained, while Julian seems to be contemplating whether it’s worth potentially injuring Dom to get him off his lap.

Lucky for Julian, Dom moves on to the next guy he’s about to poke fun of.

“And over here, in the middle of the bus, you’ll find the newbies of the year.

How are you doing there, guys?” Dom addresses rookies, and honestly they’re the ones getting the most chuckles out of this, so I’m glad Dom gives them a moment to shine.

“Terrible. The entertainment sucks.” Jared playfully rips into Dom’s routine.

He’s gotten so much confident throughout the months, and it’s kind of surprising seeing him grow from a timid and quiet guy to someone who’s brave enough to loudly and boldly tease Dominic—especially considering that Dom can be an intimidating person to try and one-up.

Cato eggs on the pseudo-criticism. “Ooh,” he says, “what a burn. You’re not just gonna stand there and take it, are you, Dom-man?”

My loud and brash teammate shuts up for a couple of seconds, feigning shock.

He then brings out his phone and starts playing a song I vaguely recognize.

“Well, if you want me to step it up, Mr. Jared Pullman… you should have just said so.” Dom emulates the low and sultry voice of a seductress as he strips off his jacket, wearing the white tank top he’s wearing underneath.

Slowly, he starts to dance to the rather sensual jazz song that’s playing—although calling it dancing is a bit of a stretch.

Admittedly, Dom is stiff as a board, but he’s making up for it by showing off his muscles.

And Dom’s got some really nice and toned ones if I do say so myself…

I feel my eyes go wide as I process where I’ve just let my thoughts roam. I’m not… I’m not checking him out, am I? Then again, it’s kind of hard not to check Dom out when the rest of the team is encouraging his dancing, as sexy as it may or may not be.

“Yeah, Dom-man! Woot woot!” Evan’s now along for the ride, and the more seniors who cheer for this whole charade, the more it gets chaotic. Now even the quiet kids are whooping for Dom’s lunacy.

“Take it off,” Declan jokes. “Take it off!” He can’t keep his chant up for long, though, as he’s overcome with laughter and bursts out into what can only be described as a cackle.

As for me? Well, I can’t help but be overwhelmed.

I’m not here to spoil anyone’s fun, but I literally just woke up and now Dom’s dancing like a stripper as he moves forwards and backwards down the aisles of the bus.

Usually, I’d just ignore Dom. But when you’re stuck on a moving vehicle with him, he’s pretty hard to ignore.

And not to mention that his figure is a sight for sore eyes.

I try to avoid lingering stares in the locker room, but the sight of Dom’s sculpted physique makes me flash through images of my teammates.

Their ripped abs. Their defined triceps.

Their strong quads. The way their biceps flex when?—

I shake my head, needing to rid my mind of these thoughts.

This isn’t like me. I’ve never looked at any of my teammates that way before, and I shouldn’t look at them that way now.

Yes, they’re objectively handsome. If the whole team made a thirst trap calendar, the puck bunnies on campus and throughout the city would likely sell the copies out in one day.

But I’m not attracted to their bodies; I’m only stating facts.

Yeah, that’s it. Facts . By admitting how good looking some of my teammates are, I’m just telling the truth.

Tuning out of the show ahead of me, I turn to the window and watch the endless roads spanning out in both directions. Those roads remind me of possibilities. Of choices. Of new directions.