Page 6

six

Briella

Present Day

S ettling into a new training center was easier than I thought it would be. I've only had one day of practice, and it was only a half day since we share the practice facility with a pro hockey team, but I can already tell it's a thousand times better than my old training center.

As luck would have it, Sean is also training at this location. I'm meeting him for lunch to catch up, as friends, but that's it. I'm not ready to start up our old relationship. Even if my body is craving a man's touch. Or more specifically more than one man's touch. I shake my head clearing those dangerous thoughts.

In the last year I've done a lot of work on myself both on and off the ice. I no longer make rash decisions or hook-up with men for a quick fuck. Okay so the last part is a little of a stretch since I've only ever had sex with four guys. But they were still all bad decisions.

Gliding across the ice as I run through my routine, I can't help but think about those bad decisions. Sean was sweet. But each time we were together it felt rushed and hollow. Even the thrill of getting caught wasn't there. It felt very clinical, like getting your teeth cleaned twice a year. Not the rock my world and ruin me for anyone else feeling I got with Blade, Atlas, and Ivan.

Mentally slapping myself, I attempt the quadruple-triple-double I've been trying to perfect. The speed is perfect. The push off is on point. The spins come together perfectly. I'm inwardly congratulating myself as my feet touch the ice in a perfect landing.

"Yes!" I throw my fist into the air like I'm Judd Nelson at the end of the movie the Breakfast Club. And just like Judd, I'm the only one there to see it, or so I thought.

"Briella, is that you?" A rich, deep familiar voice calls out from across the ice.

It might have been only one night and a year ago, but that voice and the other two voices haunt my dreams nightly. "Blade." I say gathering my composure. "Atlas. Ivan." I nod, acknowledging each of them. "What are you guys doing here?"

Smooth, real smooth, Briella.

"We play for the Iowa Poseidon hockey team. I thought you knew that." Blade's words begin to sink in as he Atlas and Ivan skate next to me in their practice uniforms.

Did I know that?

What I do know is, I never once searched for them online. Part of working on myself was letting the past go. I've had zero contact with my mother since that day. Nor has she tried to contact me, which isn't surprising considering how she spoke to me that day.

Not having contact with my mother was the easy part. Not having contact with Blade, Atlas, and Ivan is another story.

Sure, I only knew them for one night and they were jerks in the morning when they didn't even try to defend me. But damn it if my mind doesn't replay on loop how funny and sweet they were when we weren't having sex.

Nope, don't go there Bri.

"It must have slipped my mind." I shrug, trying to act like being this close to them doesn't affect me. "This is my new training center. Well at least for now." I'm not sure why I added that last part. It's not like I'm going to run away from them again.

I'm here to train for a gold medal, not see how many cocks I can fit inside my body at one time.

My mother's cruel words play through my head, reminding me of my purpose in life—to win a gold medal.

"Hey, Briella." Sean yells from across the ice. "Are you ready for lunch?"

"Sure Sean, just give me a minute to finish up here."

"You're going to lunch with Sean?" Atlas asks. "Are the two of you back together?"

I guess I'm not the only one who remembers our time together on the island. I just never expected they would remember my relationship with Sean. As much as I want to throw it in their face and claim to be dating Sean, I don't.

"No, we are not back together. We're just having lunch as friends."

Time stands still as I wait for one of them to response. Thankfully Ivan finally says something, "Good."

Good? That's all he has to say.

Gathering my dignity, I throw my shoulders back, "It was nice to see the three of you again. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have lunch with my friend."

I skate off the ice with my head held high, as my heart breaks. Damn they all still look as yummy as I remember. Of course they do, their pro athletes. What was I expecting, for one of them to sweep me off my feet and carry me away while the other two followed and proclaimed their undying love for me?

Besides, I'm sure over the course of the year, they've found their perfect, virginal girlfriends—yet another reason why I never searched for them online.