Page 7

HAYDEN

I’m in the locker room with my brand new team when the thoughts from earlier resurface.

It’s strange, my sudden, inescapable, intrusive thoughts.

I’ve been in the boys’ locker room a million times before, and I’ve never been even the slightest bit embarrassed until now.

It’s an irritating sensation, being frustrated with myself.

But I have to shake the frustration before I get out on the ice. There’s simply no other option.

And let me make this clear: I’m not completely oblivious.

Moving away and studying at Somerset has opened my eyes.

I’ve broadened my horizons and adopted a more cosmopolitan worldview.

So it’s not lost on me that these… these feelings …

they could be the result of years of repression.

Mindless repression, maybe. But repression nevertheless.

Yet there’s a part of me that thinks I’m overthinking. Reading into things. Spiraling about the what if . All I can think about right now is: How will I know? How do I find out? Where is my answer? It’s an endless loop of rhetorical questions meant for me and me alone.

“Yo, are you even listening to me?” A voice brings me back to reality, making me look up from the ground. Lost in my thoughts, for a moment I expect to be in the Somerset University locker room. But when I see Theo’s topless figure tower over me, I’m quickly brought back to reality.

Almost right away, my face flushes at the sight of his abs and chest right in my face. “Wha—What is it you want?” I stammer.

Ordinarily, I don’t stammer. It’s not what I do. But here I am, stumbling all over my words as if I’ve just learned to speak.

Theo doesn’t seem to catch on to my being tongue tied, though, as he simply rolls his eyes at my harsh tone. “I was making a truce with you, you idiot,” he says, offering his hand. “At least just for this game,” he adds, sticking his tongue out playfully as his blue eyes scream of bad news.

I don’t really have a choice. I have reputations to upkeep: mine and the Somerset Seagulls’ as a whole, so I have to give it my all and work well with these new teammates of mine.

“Just don’t get in my way, and we’ll be fine,” I tell Theo since he’s taking the right winger position.

Declan offered to take the goalie position, which is Theo’s usual role.

But this is training camp, and we’re mixing it up in the spirit of personal and athletic development.

“So, are you gonna shake my hand or are you going to leave me hanging?” Theo wiggles his hand, but I’m trying so hard to not stare at his body that it takes me a moment to register the gesture.

Finally, I accept his handshake—albeit a bit harshly, considering our hands smack together and make quite a loud sound.

Our hands touch for only a second or two, but it’s enough time for me to kind of like how his rough, calloused hand feels against mine.

“Are you happy now?” I ask him, trying not to let my breath catch.

I look up carefully, making sure that my gaze doesn’t linger too long on that beautiful body of his.

Unfortunately, his face is equally as pretty, so I end up staring anyways.

to not look at his fucking beautiful body, but it doesn’t help that his face is equally as pretty.

Theo smiles at me in satisfaction. “Oh, you have no idea.”