Page 12

“Ready for bed?” I ask Madison as she sits next to me with her books open. She’s been staring at her phone with tired eyes for the past twenty minutes.

“Yeah.” She flutters her eyelids, stretching her arms. Something about it is angelic, but I don’t stare as I pull off my shirt. She covers her eyes and says, “Please sleep with a shirt on.”

It’s ten at night, and despite wanting to stay awake for another hour to study, I have to shower and get ready to travel north tomorrow for a game.

“I can’t shower with a shirt on.” I throw my shirt at her face and then walk into the bathroom.

“It wouldn’t kill you to take the shirt off when you reach the bathroom,” she shouts.

I stand in the open door of the bathroom and take off my pants. She spins on her ass so that her back is facing me.

“You have a serious problem,” she mutters, and I smile because I like fucking with her. It’s easy to make her uncomfortable.

When I’m done in the bathroom, Madison is huffing. “Glad the princess is done. Is there still hot water?” She takes the bathroom after me anyway.

I begin taking out clothes that I know I need for tomorrow, but I leave it on top of my dresser to finish packing in the morning.

When Maddie crawls into bed, I’m lying on my back and thinking about the game tomorrow. Ace, the goaltender, needs to step up his game, but not as much as Matt lately. That mother fucker is slacking. He needs to be on his shit tomorrow, but I don’t know if tonight’s news is going to sit well with him. Fuck, I want him shitting his pants at the view of his girl on my arm, but not at the sacrifice of the game. I turn my head at the problem in my bed. Her eyes find mine in the darkness.

“Did we have sex for the first time tonight?” she snickers.

“You could say that, yeah.”

Her face is smiling under the dim light.

“How was it?” I ask.

“The sex?” she questions, and I nod. “It was… morally gray.”

“Okay,” I blow out air from my mouth. “Wow. Well, don’t go running around telling anyone that because you’re going to ruin my reputation.”

“Don’t worry about that. By the time I’m done with you, you’re going to appeal to the masses. You’ll have applicants lining outside your door.”

I shake my head. “I thought you knew there’s already a line. You’re standing at a hundred and two.”

“Oh,” she chuckles. “Okay, Grey. Totally.” Her laughter fills the air. When it dies down, she murmurs, “That actually sounds really annoying.”

“It is,” I reassure her.

“Sounds kind of sad too.”

“Yeah, my dick cries a lot.”

She shoves a pillow in my face, taking my breath away. “You’re disgusting, Grey. Ew!”

“Where did your mind go?” I joke.

“Very visual.” Her throat clears itself. “Not that I’m visualizing your dick crying. Oh, my God. I’m shutting up.” Now she shoves the pillow in her face. I laugh. “Are you laughing, Greyson?” She sits up and turns on the light.

I slam my eyelids shut and cover my face. “Shit, turn it off!”

“No, I need to witness this. It’s a rare sighting.” She’s tugging at my arm, but she’s not strong enough to pull it off my face. “It’s like seeing a wild Kangaroo in Africa. What the hell would it be doing there? Exactly how I feel about your laugh in the darkness. I heard it but can’t see it with my own eyes… Fine.” She turns the light off and says, “Good night, Greyson.”

“Good night, bunny.”

“Where are you going?” Madison asks when she wakes up. She’s been asleep for a few hours while I quietly studied. Now I have to pack my bags.

“We have a game up north,” I say as I pile clothes into my duffle bag.

“What? You didn’t tell me?” She’s good at acting like she cares.

“Do I need to give you my schedule?” I ask sarcastically.

“Yeah, that would be nice actually. Do I have to stay here while you’re gone?”

I shrug because I don’t care. She jumps up excitedly.

“Wait, I’m allowed to go home?” she jokes, and I roll my eyes. “Well, what am I going to do while my boyfriend is away?”

“Use a dildo.”

“Okay.” She gives me an annoyed tone. “That’s not what I meant. Do you always have sex at the forefront of your mind? Jesus, Grey. It’s first thing in the morning.”

I shake my head. “Nope. I’m taking a month’s hiatus. No thoughts of sex at all so far.”

She lifts one sassy eyebrow at me. “You’re going out of town, and you expect me to trust that you’re not thinking about sex?” I grab a few things from the dresser as she whispers, “Especially if your…thing cries .”

“You have my word,” I say, pretending like she didn’t just say that. “You’re only as good as your word. Isn’t that why you’re staying here with me? Keeping your word.”

“No, I’m staying here to piss off my ex. Did you hear anything about last night? Did they tell him about how loud we were being?”

I shrug. “I’ll find out later. I’m not someone they run to tell gossip to unless someone needs a punch to their face.”

“Gosh, okay.” She looks around the room. “I get to sleep in my own bed tonight.”

“Just tonight. I’m back tomorrow. You should meet me in the parking lot where the bus drops us off.”

“That’s not too much?” She scrunches her nose, questioning me again. What the hell did I tell her yesterday? Everything I say is calculated and intentional.

“No, it’s not too much. It’s going to solidify the rumors – if there are any.”

“Okay. Meet you at the parking lot, got it. Should I bring a poster board?”

I raise a brow at her. She flipped one-eighty on me there.

Her eyes light up. “Oh, you would be so embarrassed if I did that. I would be your cringy girlfriend.”

“If it pisses off Matt, you can do whatever you want. This is also your game to play.”

I don’t know what kind of look that is, but she’s thinking about something, and I decide not to ask.

Ace is giving me eyes across the locker room before the game. Out of all the guys, Ace and I are the closest because we’re the most alike. Crew catches onto our silent language and keeps his gaze on me. It’s a neutral look, but one that I don’t get very often from him. His mind is probably running through reasons why Madison likes me. Yeah , I think to myself. It’s this pretty fucking face, Crew . Knox, who instigates everything, is now looking between all of us. He breaks the tension by saying, “Who the fuck cares about what’s going on outside the rink, boys.”

“Amen,” I say, tugging on my helmet.

The game is easy enough through the first quarter. I made a goal, Matt made a goal, and fuck me for being grateful we’re brothers on the ice first. He’s not scowling at me for fucking his girl last night, so I assume he either doesn’t know or doesn’t care. Or he’s really good at pretending.

I hear a loud scream from the stands, and it distracts me while we take our places. On my way, I dare to glance in the stands. There’s Madison, looking like a puck bunny, with a huge poster that reads: I’M PUCKING GREY.

Jesus Christ, Madison.

I take my place, trying hard to focus on the game. But I risk one more look at her. Her hair is down, and glitter makes her face beam under the light. She notices my head turn, so she screams again. And I’m fucking distracted. Is she wearing my jersey? Her enthusiastic jumping up and down because she got my attention is making me…nervous. I had no idea she was coming up here for the game. And how long has she been screaming for my attention? I glance at Matt and regain focus. I can’t play like shit because of a girl. That’s not me.

When I make the winning goal, I can hear her in the stands. Wow, she is playing this girlfriend thing a little too well.

She comes down to talk to me and shows me the poster through the glass.

“You’re crazy, you know that?” I say through the crack of the glass.

“Crazy for you.” She winks as I stare at her.

Damn, she’s good.

After the game, Ace is lecturing Matt as we stand in the bus line. He’s pissed off that Matt let the puck get away.

“If Grey wasn’t over here parading my fucking ex –” Matt starts.

And I intervene. “It’s not my fault you fucked it up with her.”

Matt turns to me and says, “Don’t get fucking started.”

“Grey!” a guys voice calls out from the distance. I don’t know who the fuck it is, but I’m annoyed by the sound of it.

When I turn my head, Ryan Wilder is storming towards me.

“Just fucking great,” I whisper under my breath as we lock eyes. The amount of trouble this girl has brought into this single moment is stupid. She fucking owes me.

I glare at him while he keeps his dead eyes on me. “We need to talk.”

Matt looks like he’s not done with me. I’ll fucking finish whatever this is with him later. I follow Ryan as he nods his head in a direction away from everyone.

His back is facing me when he comes to a stop and sighs. Ryan and I have a brief history. We played hockey together for three years, and he went pro. He’s killing it for the Seven Devils. The guy has the best flexibility I’ve ever seen. He’s a goalie first but I know he could easily play center if he wanted to. Other than hockey, he thinks I stole a girl from him. It’s not my fault she was testing out the whole fucking team, and I just so happened to be on the list right after him. He never liked me after that.

I don’t speak because I already know what’s coming. His little sister is living with me and if Matt thinks I’m parading her around like some kind of trophy, her brother must think she’s my puck bunny. Little does he know that she begged me for that title.

Ryan wipes his face with frustration. Jesus, why the fuck is he so mad. She should just tell him the truth instead of putting me through this big brother bullshit.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing with my sister?” Ryan asks, meeting my eyes with pure rage as he turns around. I know this side of Ryan. Playing together for three years turned him into my hockey brother, and anyone who knows me knows that hockey comes first. I’m not best friends with all the guys, but hell, during my first couple of years I tried hard to be likable. These days I couldn’t care less. But for Ryan? I’d say for the second year we played together, we were close. He understood my shitty attitude, accepted it, and knew that I slept around with whoever the fuck came my way. And now he’s thinking his sister is on my list. I get it.

“I heard she moved in with you?” Ryan snaps, giving me eyes that speak a silent fuck you .

Why couldn’t Maddie just tell her brother the truth? I thought they were close.

Because I’m not saying a fucking word, Ryan thinks he has the upper hand. Like I’m scared of him. I could seriously take him if he wants to go there.

Ryan steps closer to me, not skipping a beat. “That’s my baby sister, and I’d rather rot in hell than let you near her.”

I let out a breath, which he takes as laughing. He flinches at the sound.

“You think this is funny, Grey? I want her out of your fucking house.”

I sigh. “Everything with Madison is fine.”

“Oh? So, you’re telling me you’re serious about her?”

“I don’t know, man.”

He grabs my shirt and now anger fills my bones. Being aggressively grabbed like this is like lighting my candle. The thought of Madison blows me out. Otherwise, I would fuck him up. I give him the benefit of the doubt. He thinks I’m screwing his little sister and this shirt-grabbing shit is his reaction. I’d be pissed off too if a guy like myself was banging my little sister.

“Let me go,” I demand, adjusting my shirt.

He brings me closer and says, “If I find out that you’re treating her like you treat all these other women, your hockey career is over.”

My gut twists at that threat. My eyes must flare because he releases my shirt with a satisfied nod. “If you want to fuck with my little sister, I’ll make your life a living hell, and I’ll start with hockey. Do we have an understanding?” He pokes my shoulder as I glare at him. If he wasn’t Madison’s protective older brother, I would have him flat on his ass right now with my fist meeting his face. Even better, when I play for the NHL Saints next year, I’ll be sliding the pucks in right beneath his feet. Fuck.

“Do you fucking understand?” he says impatiently.

I snarl. “Yeah.”

“Good.”

Before he walks away, I say, “You’re making enemies with the wrong guy.”

“What?” Ryan snaps.

I point at the fucker staring at us. “Matthew Pearson.”

Madison comes around the corner in her high socks and Honey Badger jersey with my name on it. Fuck, she went through my closet. My heart plummets at the sight of her. Her bright blue eyes surrounded by makeup are full of concern when she looks at me.

“Here we go,” Ryan says as she looks at him. Her face changes and she smiles.

“Why are you guys over here?” she asks, pointing at the bus.

“Just giving Grey the good old big brother talk.”

She has the audacity to walk up to me and kiss my fucking cheek. Her lips that touch my skin are soft and wet. It feels like I’ve been imprinted. It takes everything in me not to wipe off her wet lips because I wish they were on my lips instead. I start chewing my lip to stop the urge.

“Surprise,” she smiles up at me while I stare at her. Fuck, I wish she kept her lips to herself. “Happy to see me?”

I stare into her faking-it eyes. We’re doing this shit in front of her brother, and I’m uncomfortable as hell now that he’s threatened my hockey career because of this fake situation. I want this guy on my side, not the opposite. I whisper, “Always.” And flash her a quick smile.

“Is everything okay?” she asks, reaching up to fix my hair. She is dolled up with a shit ton of makeup that she doesn’t need to look good. I can’t tell if that’s a genuine question or if she’s putting on a show.

I nod and look up at Ryan who is watching us like a fucking hawk. He points at us. “I don’t approve of this.”

She ignores him and says to me, “He needs time to wrap his mind around all of this.”

“Time will not do it. You know he’s going to fuck you over, right?” Ryan scoffs.

I shrug at her.

Ryan says, “See, he won’t even deny it.”

She turns to Ryan and says, “Please, for once, don’t worry about me and who I’m involved with, okay? I don’t need you intervening into every relationship I have.” She deadpans, “I’m serious, Ryan. And Grey isn’t going to break my heart, right babe?”

“Yeah,” I say, almost breaking my straight face. This pretending act is a bit humorous under a different light. I can’t break her heart if I don’t have it.

“If that’s the case, bring him to the party this weekend.”

She hesitates. “Yeah, definitely not.”

“If you’re so serious about him that you’re living with him, I think you can bring him to the party.”

She gives him a face, but he doesn’t catch on to it, and if he does, he ignores it to glance at me. “All the guys are going to be there, so I don’t see why you’re not invited.”

I say, “If she doesn’t want me to go, then I’m not gonna go.”

She looks at me. “I just thought it wasn’t your kind of scene.”

The memory sneaks up to me when I glance at Ryan. Every year Ryan throws a party at his house to celebrate the start of spring. I’ve only gone once a few years ago, and Maddie is right, it’s not my scene.

“Grey!” My name is being called from the bus. “Time to go!”

Ryan says, “Do not fucking kiss in front of me.”

Maddie rolls her eyes and gives me a hug. “I’ll see you at home?”

“Did you drive?” I ask.

“I didn’t teleport.”

Ryan won’t stop fucking staring at me, so I look at him again before saying, “Give me a second.”

I jog up to Coach and ask, “Can I drive back with Maddie? She drove up here alone to surprise me.”

“What did we talk about, Cress? Did you hear what I told you about that Wilder girl? Rules are rules. Get in the bus.”

I bite down hard, grinding my teeth. “I wasn’t expecting her to travel up here, Coach. I can’t let her drive by herself. Can I, please, drive with her?”

Now it’s his turn to grind his teeth in frustration. “What did I just say?”

“Coach, she’s driving alone,” I argue, but I see it in his face that he has no patience. The old man clearly had a long day.

He looks over at Ryan and Maddie. He waves at them and reluctantly says, “This one time, Greyson. That’s it, and it’s only because Ryan is here.”

I nod, taking that into account. Ryan is on everyone’s good side. “Got it. Appreciate it, Coach. She will, too.”

When I walk back to the siblings, they’re bickering.

“I hope you’re not fighting over me,” I say, grabbing Maddie’s shoulder.

Ryan glances at my hold and scoffs, so I release her. The bus leaves and she’s pointing at it in confusion.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on the bus?” she asks.

“I’m driving with you, so you don’t have to be alone.”