Page 108 of Ice Me Out
Connor doesn’t seem to get the implication in Bex’s words. “Yeah, well, we were all in Tucker’s room, trying to get him to sober up and go to bed. He kept trying to sneak out to go drink more, so I tackled him and he barfed all over me. I was so covered in puke, I had to borrow some of his clothes. I was getting changed in one of the Gamma house bathrooms when I heard Coach Harrison yelling. He launched into one of his endless lectures about the privilege we enjoy as athletes and the expectations when it comes to the behavior we need to keep up in return. I was saved from it because I wasn’t in the room. Luke and Jamie might still be there, but Jamie sneaked me a text to come over and see where you were and walk you home, just in case Keene had flaked.”
I should take offense that my teammates thought I would flake after I agreed to do them a favor. But I’m gonna worry about that later. Right now, I look at Bex with raised eyebrows. “See? We all have the same clothes and the same stupid hockey masks.”
She looks at Connor. “You have one of those full face hockey masks too?”
Again, Connor shrugs. “Yeah, why?”
“Where is it?” she asks.
“Huh, I don’t know,” he answers, confused. “Maybe at home, maybe in my locker at the arena. I don’t know, because I never use it. Why does it matter?”
Bex tells him what happened up to the point when she ran into me outside the art center.
“Fuck.” Connor’s tone is full of concern.
He extends his hand with the clear intention to touch Bex’s face, but she flinches, avoiding his touch.
I know the moment when it dawns on him what must be going through our new roommate’s head right now.
“You think it was me?” he sounds hurt.
“I don’t.” She bites out, her voice cracking. “You both didn’t want me to move in. I don’t know what to think.”
I bark out a laugh. “So he gets the benefit of the doubt, but I don’t, huh? And by the way, when we put you moving in to a vote, we were unanimous. So your boyfriend voted no, too.”
“I know. I know it wasn’t Jamie.”
“Why?” I snort. “Is he an innocent little angel all of a sudden?”
Bex shakes her head. “No. But I trust him. And it couldn’t have been him because he’s still at the Gamma house.”
“So was I.” Connor argues.
“You’re here now.” I point out. “I’m not accusing you of anything, but if she thinks it was me trying to hurt her, it could have been you, too. You could have been hiding in those bushes over there until you thought it was safe to come out.”
I thought Connor and I saw things eye to eye. Out of all my new teammates, I thought we were on our way to a good friendship. I probably just screwed that up for good. But there’s no way I can let Bex accuse me without fighting back.
“For all we know,” Connor says, after considering my words. “Your stalker could still be here. He could be hiding in those bushes and watching us argue about this right now.”
He’s right.
I was so busy arguing with Bex that I didn’t think that we could still be in danger. I didn’t even look around. If my First Sergeant could see me now, he’d be extremely disturbed in me.
Securing the perimeter should have been my knee jerk reaction. Instead, I wasted precious minutes arguing with Bex. I swear to God, this woman is my fucking kryptonite. All women are.
“Fine,” I bite out, heading toward the thick hedge of bushes bordering the parking lot. “Let’s make sure whoever tried to scare you isn’t still here. Stay close to us.”
We spend a few minutes looking around the well-maintained bushes and shrubs in the parking lot. Of course we find nothing.
It takes just one look at Bex to know that she still thinks that Connor or I have something to do with this and we’re now pretending to be here to walk her home.
There’s only one way to begin to unravel this mystery. “Let’s go home.” I suggest. “You can walk with both of us. Safety in numbers, right? Then let’s look for Connor’s hockey mask. When you see that it’s still in his possession, you’ll be able to at least rule him out as your stalker. Then I’m going to talk to campus security and see if the CCTV cameras up there,” I say, pointing them out, “Have caught me walking to the parking lot from the street and running into you. And then I’m going to expect a fucking apology from you, Bex.”
I expect her to argue with my idea, but to my surprise, she agrees.
“Let’s go.”