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Hayden

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m gay too.” Liam’s voice echoes in my mind as I walk down the dark street.

I got the biggest surprise of my life when Liam collided with me this evening.

Cheeks flushed with exertion, his damn big blue eyes staring at me with a dazed look, he looked like he’d appeared out of my dreams. He called me “Pirate”, the nickname he’d given me right after pulling me inside his beach house.

With my teammates around me, I had to pretend not to know him. I couldn’t risk revealing the circumstances that led me to get to know him.

I kept glancing at Liam all night as he served the tables tonight. The steady hordes of hockey fans kept coming in, keeping him busy for hours.

Liam looked like he’s used to waiting tables. Did he lie to me about being a Physics major? Or is this something he did part-time? And what the hell is he doing here in Knightswood?

Liam was never supposed to be a part of my world. He was supposed to be a memory I’d always keep locked in the darkest corner of my heart.

I let my teammates return to our dorm and waited for a chance to catch Liam alone. I had to know what he was doing here in Knightswood. My very life depended on knowing whether he was here to reveal my darkest secrets and destroy my career as a hockey player.

I was rough on him, nearly choking his slender neck to make him answer all my questions. My violence enraged him and I loved the way he talked back to me.

Most people on campus let me have my way. They’d swallow my rudeness and callous comments, choosing not to go up against one of the most popular hockey players in the senior year.

Liam didn’t give a shit about who I was. He retaliated, although his resistance was no match for my brute strength. He struggled against me like a trapped butterfly in my fist.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m gay too.”

His words echo in my mind, igniting a desire I’d suppressed since the moment I walked away from him that day. I wanted Liam but was sure he was a straight guy and he’d want nothing to do with someone like me.

Telling me he was gay was like an open invitation to me. I’m not a sappy romantic but it feels like fate brought Liam to Knightswood just for me.

Now that he’s here, I can have him , my mind whispers.

A smile flickers on my lips at the thought but it dims the next second.

No matter how much I daydream about Liam, nothing can happen between us. This is my senior year and I’m so damn close to getting drafted into a pro-team.

If my teammates and coaches knew I was gay, there’s a good chance they’ll throw me out of the team. If that happens, I’ll never be able to play hockey again.

And if my dad found out, he’d most definitely kill me.

Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. I can finally be free , I find myself thinking.

“Shit,” I mutter, realizing the turn my thoughts are taking. I don’t ever want to end up the way I did on that stormy night six months ago. Angels like Liam wouldn’t always be around to save my sorry ass.

Letting out a deep breath, I make my way toward the Knights’ dorms.

Low thuds of hip-hop music reach my ears as I get closer to the posh residential building that houses the university’s hockey players. Even though it’s close to midnight, light filters out through most of the windows.

It’s going to be another few hours before the celebration party is over. Digging my hands into my jeans pockets, I climb up the stairs leading to the front doors.

“Hey, Bastian,” a slurred voice calls me. Next moment, Pavel Mitchikov, the team’s left winger, stumbles into me.

“You’re drunk, Mitchikov,” I grunt, steadying him.

“Where were you?” he asks, fixing me with an accusing glare. “Sasha was looking for you all night.”

Ugh! Sasha... I think with disgust. She’s a certified puck bunny and has slept with half the team already.

“She’s with Henderson right now,” he says with a loud laugh. “But if you go to her, I bet she’ll leave him hanging mid-blowjob and fuck you instead.”

“No, thanks,” I mutter, walking past him.

Loud music and people’s voices float toward me as I pass by the lounge area where the after-game party is still going on in full swing. A couple of people are hanging out in the corridor, either smoking or making out with their partners.

“You’re such a sonovabitch,” Mitchikov says, following me as I stride past them. “You play so darn hard to get. That’s the reason these girls are always grinding up against you.”

“I’m going to bed,” I say, climbing the stairs that lead to the upper floors of the building.

“What’s wrong with you?” Mitchikov shouts, suddenly grabbing my wrist.

Turning around, I glare at him. “What’s your problem?”

“ My problem? We’re in our fucking senior year and you still refuse to party with us. I hate it, man.”

“You know me well enough to know I don’t drink,” I remind him.

“Why don’t you give things a try? Drink some beer and fuck one of those sweet bunnies. They’re really nice, you know? Live a little before college is over forever.” A concerned look comes over him as he unsteadily moves closer to me. “Are you okay, bud?”

A sigh escapes me. Pavel Mitchikov is a fucking menace on the ice but when he gets drunk like this, he becomes overly emotional about every little thing.

But the guy is perceptive. I’ll give him that.

He’s seeing through some of the barriers I’ve cast around me.

The reason I never drink is to make sure I always stay in control. I don’t want to talk or act in a way that’ll risk revealing my deepest, most shameful secret.

“You should go back and celebrate with the rest of the team,” I say, prying my wrist out of his hold.

“Come on!” he pouts like a kid but I turn around and hurry up to the second floor.

It’s a relief when I reach my room and close the door behind me.

The sound of people’s voices and the thud of hip-hop music fade away as I drag my tired body inside. Shirking off my jacket, I let it fall to the ground.

I don’t want to hang out with a bunch of drunk college kids. In the darkness of my room, I can finally revel in my depravity. I can finally be me .

Kicking off my sneakers, I slouch on the edge of my bed.

I want to go to bed but Liam’s face pops up in my mind.

Other than hockey, I’ve never been this obsessed about anything or anyone.

Taking my phone out, I flick through the photos I took while Liam was busy serving tables. I stop at one where he’s smiling brightly.

Thinking back, this was the moment he was cleaning up ketchup for a little girl who’d spilled a big dollop on her skirt. She’d broken into tears as it was her favorite dress.

The kid’s mom and her aunts failed to soothe her but Liam distracted her by bringing her a chocolate sundae and calling her his “cute princess”. He then proceeded to get on his knees and asked her if she’d dance with him.

The little girl blushed but happily agreed.

Liam picked her up in his arms and danced with her, making her laugh and thoroughly enjoy herself. Within minutes, the child forgot about the stain on her dress.

Staring at Liam’s photo, I soak in the warmth and innocence radiating from his eyes. It almost feels like nothing bad has ever touched him.

“I hate it when you smile like that,” I grind out in a low, deep voice as heat floods my veins. With my other hand, I loosen my belt and open my jeans.

I’ve been aching and hard since the moment I felt the silky skin of Liam’s neck underneath my rough fingers. His strength was no match for me, allowing me to press up against his body.

The smell of caramel, edged with sea salt, still lingers in my nostrils. Months have passed by since I last saw him but I still remember Liam’s scent.

I push my jeans and boxers down my hips and palm my cock. Liam’s breathy gasps ring in my ear, heightening my sensitivity. How would it feel to keep him pinned underneath me while I pushed inside him?

My hand moves up my shaft, circling the head, and then slides back down. A bead of precum appears at the tip, making me groan.

Imagining Liam’s tight little rim, I pump my cock from root to tip, arching my hips into the movement.

Fuck! I’ve barely started and I’m about to lose it.

If I ever got the chance to bring him into my bed, I’d make sure to mark every inch of his flawless skin with my teeth. The thought sends a rush of heat through me, making me ram my cock against my fist.

Liam’s glazed eyes flash in my mind, turning my balls rock-hard instantly.

“Liam,” I moan, feeling my pleasure intensify.

Next moment, hot ropes of cum splash up my hand and across my belly. My cock throbs at the same frantic pace as my heart as I empty myself. The heat is so unbearable, I continue stroking my slick shaft until only dribbles of cum are left leaking from the tip.

Completely sated, I lie down on the bed. My muscles feel so slack, I don’t even have the energy to grab the box of tissues from my bedside table. The day’s exhaustion washes over me, forcing me to close my heavy eyelids.

I wanted a shower before bed but I don’t want to bother with one right now.

Reaching inside the pocket of my shirt, I bring out a familiar charm bracelet. The tiny silver broomsticks gleam in the glow of the bedside lamp.

I’d stolen the bracelet from Liam and kept it with me like a souvenir.

I even had it in my pocket when I played the game tonight. It was like a constant reminder of him.

But Liam is here now , my mind whispers. You don’t need this anymore to remind you of him.

Even though I know it’ll be risky, I can’t stop thinking about Liam.

I’ve never wanted anything or anyone so badly in my life.

I just have to play it smart , I decide, putting the bracelet back in my pocket. Because one way or another, I will have him.