Page 26

Chapter

Twenty-Three

HADLEY

Hadley: Thanks again for inviting us to come visit in a few weeks! I can’t wait to see your apartment.

Hunter: Natalie and I are excited, too. I’m glad you can make it.

Hunter: Speaking of apartments, how’s yours?

Hadley: Great! Evan and Jonas are a trip to live with.

Hunter: I remember. Watch out for Evan, he’s crazy.

If only he knew. Evan isn’t who he should be worried about. I pocket my phone and try to put my brother out of my brain.

“Hey.” Rapping on the doorframe to Jonas’s room, I peer into his space.

Not surprising to me, he keeps it neat. His gray duvet is smoothed over his bed and the space feels minimalistic.

Not cold, but simple. There’re no posters on the wall, no hockey pennants or photos.

There’s also no dirty laundry on the floor or dust on top of the dresser.

At my voice, he lifts his head from the book he’s reading at his desk. “What’s up?”

“Wanna go for a run? It’s a little cooler now that it’s later. And I’m sick of sitting inside in the air conditioning.”

Standing, he puts his book down and stretches. I don’t bother to keep my eyes off the sliver of skin visible between his shirt and his shorts. Yummy.

He smirks. “Once you get outside, you might change your mind about that air conditioning thing. It’s so humid, we’ll be swimming through campus instead of running.”

“But you’ll come?”

“Yeah, of course.” He slides open his closet door—all his shirts hang neatly on matching hangers—and grabs a pair of tennis shoes. “Give me five minutes.”

While he gets ready, I grab a water bottle and stretch a little. After classes, I came right back here to work and study. I’m tired of being cooped up, I don’t care how hot it is.

I immediately regret that thought when we step outside.

“What was it Evan said? As hot as Satan’s butthole?” Jonas pants on the sidewalk. “Accurate.”

“It’s somehow more humid now than it was earlier. I didn’t think that was possible.” I bounce in place, not willing to give up this stupid idea, but not sure I want to run in this heat, either.

Jonas puts his hand on my arm. “How committed are you to running outside?”

“What do you mean?”

“We could go to the Rec Center.”

I frown. “My favorite elliptical machine is broken.”

“Okay, I’m not supposed to do this.” He holds up his hand, three fingers like a Boy Scout. “So you have to swear to secrecy.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you swear?” he asks, narrowing his gaze.

This is weird. I glance around us, but everything’s normal. “I guess so.”

“Raise your hand and repeat after me.”

Rolling my eyes, I comply.

Jonas’s eyes are solemn. “I, Hadley Thompson, being of sound mind and body?—”

“Am I making a will? For crying out loud, Joe.”

He ignores my grumbles. “Repeat it.”

I do, and he continues. “Do solemnly swear that I won’t tell a soul what Jonas is about to show me.”

Grumbling under my breath, I repeat his words and raise a brow. “Well?”

“Okay so. Have you ever seen an athlete from any of the college teams working out at the Rec Center?”

I haven’t thought about it before. “I guess not?”

“Right. Because the rumors are true, and we have a super secret state-of-the-art facility that’s under lock and key.”

I gasp, playing it up for him. “Oooh. Although technically, the Rec Center is locked, too.”

“Shh.” He puts his finger on my lips, and I have a weird desire to suck it into my mouth and make him squirm “Do you want me to show it to you or not?”

“I definitely do.”

“Okay, follow me.”

The student Rec Center is amazing from the outside—newly renovated with floor-to-ceiling windows show off the rows of treadmills and equipment on three stories. But the building Jonas jogs to is downright boring.

A nondescript brick building, it barely has a sign or any identifying factors. It’s a few blocks from Hockey Hall and the arena. I’ve probably walked past it a hundred times and not noticed. Which I suppose is the goal if it’s top-secret.

The air is heavy, pressing on my skin, and it smells humid. Thunder rolls in the distance and lightning flashes on the horizon, but it’s been hot and dry for so long, it’s probably a result of the heat and not an impending storm.

I don’t admit it to him, but when Jonas scans his student ID and lets us in, the welcome rush of cold air on my skin is amazing.

He’s right—the place is fantastic. We walk by two pools, a weight room, sauna, changing rooms, and finally, he shows me the ellipticals.

I’ve always wanted to try a Precor, but not even my dad would buy me one.

I pick my jaw up off the floor as Jonas gestures to it with a smug grin on his face. “What do you think?”

“It’ll do, I guess.”

He scoffs, stepping onto the one next to me. “Do you like to watch TV or listen to music when you run?”

“If I’m outside, I’ll listen to music or an audiobook. In the gym like this, I usually watch TV.” I hold up my phone screen, but he grabs a remote and points it to the wall in front of us. I didn’t notice at first but the entire surface is comprised of individual TV screens.

“Wanna watch Love Island ?” he asks, fiddling with the streaming options.

“You don’t mind?” I find my tempo and settle into the warm-up rhythm.

“I’d hate for you to watch it without me.” He smiles, and I miss a step. Grabbing the handles, I right myself as my cheeks heat. But god, his face when he smiles. It takes my breath away.

He chuckles. “You okay, Hads?”

“Yep, I’m good. Just getting used to this machine.”

We banter back and forth during the show, betting on who will couple up and who will get kicked off. I honestly can’t believe he likes watching this dumb show with me, but he’s as into it as I am.

As the episode wraps up, I start my cool down, and Jonas follows. While it wasn’t as enjoyable as running outside, it was fun to have Jonas by my side. I got my heart rate up, endorphins are making me happy like Elle Woods recommends, and the Precor elliptical was amazing.

“Worth ten thousand dollars,” I say, patting it as I dismount.

Jonas’s eyes go wide as he hands me a paper towel and sprays both machines. “Are you serious?”

“Yep. I tried to talk my dad into buying me one, but I’m not a future hockey player.”

He swallows. “That’s a big chunk of change.”

“Nah,” I say, shrugging. “Not to Daddy.”

I spin to walk away and jump at a crack of thunder. It echoes in the empty building.

“That doesn’t sound like just the heat.” Jonas blinks. “I think it was close.”

“Is it finally raining?”

As soon as I speak, the drum of droplets sounds on the roof.

“It’s been so long, I forgot that could happen,” Jonas says, frowning. Pulling out his phone, he holds up the weather map to show me. The entire center of Indiana is covered by red and orange storms. “But bad news—we walked here.”

“Aw, Joe, where’s your sense of adventure?” Grabbing his hand, I tug him towards the exit. “So we’ll get a little wet. No big deal.”

A little wet doesn’t begin to describe what happens when we step outside.

I’m glad I’m still holding onto Jonas or else the force of the rain might propel me off the sidewalk.

Hurricanes can’t happen inland, right? The wind whips through the trees, scattering leaves everywhere, and I’m instantly drenched.

I blink, trying to clear the drops from my eyes, and turn to Jonas. His mouth drops open as he surveys the rivers forming along our path. He shrugs.

“We were going to shower anyway, right?” he yells over the storm.

I shrug. “Yep.”

“Then let’s go! Wanna see who can jump in the most puddles?”

His smile is so gorgeous, my heart cracks a little. I probably resemble a drowned rat, but Jonas’s white t-shirt has molded to his torso. I’ve seen him shirtless before, so why is this somehow sexier? It shouldn’t be, and yet, here I am.

I also can’t help but stare at his athletic shorts as they cling to everything, too. And yeah, he’s got it going on. Heat rises inside me that has nothing to do with the temperature.

Tossing strands of hair out of my face, I turn my head to the sky and let the rain pelt me. It’s cool but not cold. Goosebumps break out along my arms and heighten my senses. A jolt of lightning flashes in the sky, illuminating everything in the gloomy dusk.

“You’re on.” Laughing, I keep my grip on his fingers as we run home, leaping and splashing in the streams of rain.

We’re still giggling when we make it into Hockey Hall. The relative quiet after the noise of the storm outside is shocking, and the blast of air conditioning makes me shiver. Our wet shoes squeak on the linoleum floor as we hurry to the elevator.

We’re not going to get separated by the rain at this point, but I don’t let go of Jonas’s hand as he pushes the button for our floor. It’s not until another shake racks my body as the doors close that he drops my fingers and wraps his arms around me in a hug.

“To keep you warm,” he explains against my hair.

I nod. “Bet you didn’t think you’d say that today.”

I’m engulfed in his clean, piney scent. Too bad we’re both sopping wet, but this must be what it would be like to be pressed against him, naked. My mouth waters and my blood thrums in my veins. The elevator dings all too soon, and he releases me.

“Warm shower. Dry clothes,” I say as I head down the hallway towards our door. He’s scrambled my brain, and I can’t form complete sentences anymore.

“Yeah.”

But I stop when I get inside and turn and face him. Droplets still cling to his eyelashes, entirely too pretty to belong to a boy. His brows and freckles stand out in stark contrast in his face, and his expression is unreadable.

He swallows, and I take a step closer, drawn to him like a magnet. My eyes bounce from his gaze to his lips. I know how soft they are. I know what he tastes like. I want him, more than ice cream or a manicure. More than I’ve wanted a guy in my entire life.

Jonas slides his hand along my cheek, eliminating the space between us.

His mouth is inches away from mine when I grab the back of his neck and pull his lips to me.

Fire races down my spine and coalesces in my lower belly as we kiss.

I let out a moan as his fingers dig into my hip, our bodies pressed together. Could all our clothes just disappear?

His tongue dances with mine, firm yet gentle. Tightening my grip on him, I jump and wrap my legs around his waist. He catches me, moving his hand to my ass to support me.

“Oh, god, Hadley,” he pants, dropping kisses along my jawline. I tilt my head to give him better access, and he reads my mind, kissing my neck and the spot under my ear that makes me wild.

I’m going to spontaneously combust. This is how I die. I need more, so much more. I want him naked, underneath me.

“Jonas, let’s—” I freeze before I can invite him back to my bedroom. The lock on the door beeps, signaling someone entering their code on the other side.

Shit. I jump out of his arms and spring away, my breath still ragged. All he can do is blink.

The door swings open, and Caleb stares at us. His black hair is wet and stuck to his forehead. “Uh, hey guys. What’s going on?” He glances from me to Jonas.

A nervous bubble of laughter pops out of my mouth. “You get caught in the rain, too? We were coming back from the gym when the heavens opened.”

“Yeah, cats and dogs out there.” Shaking his head, he scatters droplets and pushes past us, stepping inside. “I’m gonna go dry off.”

“Good idea.” Jonas clears his throat, his eyes locked on me. His gaze rakes me from head to toe, and he flushes. If his wet clothes don’t leave much to my imagination, mine must be equally revealing. “You should go take that hot shower, Hadley.”

I need a shower, all right. But a cold one. Because I’m on fire from that kiss.