Page 7

Chapter Seven

NATE

Kneeling between River’s thighs, I take a mental snapshot of his ripped body laid out before me like a gift. My finger trails over C'est la vie written in black a few inches above his nipple.

“Stop teasing me,” River groans. “I love it when you play with my nipples.”

“What does this tattoo mean to you?”

He glances at the placement of my finger and shrugs. “In English, it roughly translates to that’s life .”

“But what do the words mean to you personally? I never asked you that. Not sure why. But I always wondered.”

“Some things I can’t change.” River sits up, bracing his weight on his elbows. “I can’t change my dad being a homophobic asshole. Or the fact I have to hide who I am to play in the NHL.” He shrugs. “ C'est la vie. ”

I move to the infinity symbol on his right forearm, woven between vines and other black ink. “This one is my favorite.”

He glances at my matching tattoo and smiles. “Mine too. Best decision I ever made.”

I think he means me.

Maybe he does.

One can hope.

He throws a hand over his mouth and yawns. “What time is it?”

“Way past our bedtime.” I slide off the bed. “I’ll clean us up. Then we need to get some sleep.”

River reaches out, his fingers brushing mine. He smiles up at me like a boy in love.

“I’ll be right back.” I rub my thumb across his lips. “Keep those eyes open for me. I want to kiss you until I fall asleep.”

I creep into the dark hallway, closing the door behind me. My limp dick hangs between my thighs, sticky with cum and River’s saliva. I could use a shower, but it’s too late. The pipes groan when you turn on the water, and my housemates wake up from the obnoxious sound.

So, I do the next best thing and grab a bath towel from the hallway closet. But when I spin around, a wall of man blocks my path.

Fuck .

Waters glares at me, his massive body taking up too much space. I’m a big guy, but he’s a mountain.

“Is this the new way of coming out of the closet?” Waters laughs, his messy, dark hair sticking up from sleep. “The walls are thin, Brooks. You and Rousseau aren’t fooling anyone.”

I feel so exposed, stripped bare, and with no excuse for the noises he—and my teammates—most likely heard coming from my bedroom.

“We were watching porn,” I lie.

He tilts his head to the side, stroking his chin like the villain in a shitty movie. “And the porn stars just so happened to be named River and Nate?”

Damn him .

Too many people are discovering River’s secret. First, the guys from Glitter. Now, Waters. And I guess that makes this my truth.

I have nothing to hide and don’t care what people say about me. But River’s career could quickly derail if the wrong information is leaked to the public.

“Fuck you,” I spit back at him. “I don’t care what you think you heard.”

He snorts. “I heard plenty. Things I wish I could erase from my brain.”

Gritting my teeth, I get in his face. “What the fuck do you want?”

“Some things money can’t buy,” Waters says, turning his back to me. “Rich fuckers like you always think you can throw money at anything.”

I wrap the towel around my waist and shove him from behind, moving toward his bedroom. He steps inside, and I close the door behind me.

“If you speak a word about River or me, I will gut you like a fucking fish and throw the pieces of your mutilated body in the bay.”

His nostrils flare. “I’ve dealt with people like you my entire life. I’m not afraid of you.”

“People like me?”

“Yeah, rich fuckers,” he shoots back. “You come into this town and throw around your money. Try to bully the locals. And, of course, you always get your way because money rules the world. But not this time. You can’t buy me.”

Arms crossed over my chest, I glare at this ignorant motherfucker. “Then, what do you want?”

The oaf plops down on the bed and stretches out his long legs. “For starters, I’d like to not wake up in the middle of the night to you and River sucking each other’s dicks.”

I wave my hand to dismiss him. “Just say what you want so I can get some fucking sleep.”

“I’m failing Financial Accounting. It’s a required class for my major… and I can’t seem to figure it out. Coach is threatening to bench me. And I’ll lose my scholarship if I don’t maintain my GPA.”

I shrug. “So? What do you expect me to do?”

“Your dad has the ear of the dean and the faculty.” Waters lays back on the bed in his boxers, legs crossed at the ankles. “Half this campus has your last name or River’s on it. Make a call. It won’t take much on your part. In return, I won’t tell anyone that you two are fucking homos.”

“I’m not gay,” I grind out.

He sits up and cracks his knuckles and jaw. The sound is gross and sends a shiver down my arms.

“Keep telling yourself that, Brooks. All the puck bunnies you and River drag through this house don’t hide the truth. Everyone on the team talks about your homoerotic sexcapades, but no one but me has the balls to say it to your faces.”

The air drains from my lungs. “Everyone?”

He nods. “Even Coach thinks something’s up with you guys.”

Until recently, I didn’t know I liked men. How could my teammates or coach? I never gave off gay vibes, whatever the fuck that even means. Maybe it was River always staring at me in the shower or those side glances across the room.

Fuck .

I have to protect River. No one can know about us, or he’ll freak the fuck out and do something irrational—like leave me.

Our teammates wouldn’t out him when we’re close to another Frozen Four victory. They need him more than River needs this team. He could have played in the NHL years ago but chose to stay. They will keep his secret for a bit longer.

But Waters… he’s desperate and might do something stupid. I don’t trust him not to fuck with our lives for a payday.

“I’ll get your grade changed,” I tell him, confident my dad can work his usual magic. “And then, we’re even. Got it.”

He bobs his fat head. “Try to keep it down over there. I need my beauty rest.”

The balls on this asshole .