Page 12

W hen I told my dad I was attending one of his team's games, his jaw almost hit the floor. I went to his house to have breakfast with him this morning before class, and I swear he looked at me like I had lost my damn mind. In all my childhood not once have I ever willingly gone to one of his team's games, and in my defense, I’m still not exactly going willingly. Evie has been giving me puppy dog eyes all week, and when I still didn’t relent, she pulled Maddie and Hallie in as back up. I had to explain to my dad that I’m only going because Evie never misses a game and she talked me into it, and when he finally got over his shock, he admitted that he is really looking forward to having me there.

Alexander’s jersey has been staring at me all afternoon, after he insisted I bring it home with me last night, but I have been pointedly ignoring it as I get dressed in light blue jeans and a checkered pink top. My hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail, paired with all of my gold jewelry, and I pull on a cream bomber jacket to complete the look.

When I emerge into the living room, Evie appraises me with a wolf whistle as I type out a text on my phone. “Damn, girl, you look hot,” she tells me, and when I lift my eyes I find her dressed in black jeans with one of Jake’s jerseys knotted at her waist.

“And you look like Mr. Harper’s dream,” I praise, and she laughs, giving me a twirl and then popping her hip.

“Don’t I know it,” she winks, having already forewarned me that Jake will be spending the night here tonight. “It’s a shame Ben isn’t coming tonight, he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off you,” she adds, and I force a smile, knowing that Ben would be more likely to tell me my outfit isn’t ‘us’. He never did like my flare for fashion, and being stylish and girly, over a more reserved look, and what he thinks of as feminine.

After not seeing him for a few weeks I invited him to come stay for the weekend, and after a little back and forth he agreed to come up tomorrow morning, then stay until Sunday night. It’s not as much time as I would have liked with him, but he already pointed out that he would be missing a whole weekend of church services for me, so I couldn’t exactly complain. It will be nice to see him either way, and Evie said she is looking forward to meeting him.

Evie insists we Uber over to campus as there will probably be some drinking after, and when we arrive at the arena it’s bustling with people. The atmosphere is intense as she scans our tickets and we make our way inside, and I’m surprised to find that half the arena is already packed.

“This is more of a big deal than I thought,” I shout to Evie after we grab our drinks, and she leads us to our seats to find Maddie and Hallie, and Evie laughs.

“You really aren’t a fan of hockey are you?” she starts, with amusement pulling at the corner of her mouth, as she leads us down the stairs, and when I don’t respond, she adds, “The Flyers are at the top of the college hockey league, most of these guys will be drafted to the NHL by the end of the year. So yeah, it’s a big deal.”

I don’t get a chance to respond before we find Hallie sitting in the front row waving us over. “There you guys are, I thought you weren’t coming,” she scolds, looking between us and the ice, and it’s only now I see we are sitting right beside the player’s box.

“Blame this one, she took forever to get ready,” Evie starts pointing over her shoulder at me with a wink, before she adds, “Where’s Mads?”

Hallie smirks and rolls her eyes. “Where do you think? She’s giving Nova his favorite kind of pregame,” Hallie replies with a shake of her head, as if it’s a regular occurrence, and my eyes widen in surprise.

“Damn, why didn’t I think of that,” Evie sighs, as the music's starts to get louder. “Though I do love it when Jake is all hot and sweaty after a game,” she adds with a teasing smirk, and my stomach tightens at how easy these girls seem to have it in their relationships.

Ben and I are great together, we have friendship and trust, and I know it’s a foundation many would envy because of how comfortable we are with one another, but seeing these other relationships up close makes me realize we might also be missing something too. My fingers fly to my purity ring, and I can’t help but wonder if I am still wearing it out of obligation or just habit.

When the lights begin to flash my eyes snap to the ice, as players from each team start filing out to warm up. I tell myself I’m tracking the jerseys so I can get to know the team, but when my eyes spy the familiar name of my tutor, I can’t help but track him. Alexander skates out with Daemon and Archer, the latter talking animatedly with his hands, as they begin skating around the ice, but my eyes are only on Alexander. He’s around a foot taller than me, and packed with muscles that I felt up close and personal the night we met in the bar, but right now he isn’t just big, he’s enormous. He’s towering over every other player on the ice, moving with a lethal speed that I’ve never seen before, and I know he’s wearing his protective padding, but there is just something about his appearance right now that has me swallowing thickly.

Now don’t get me wrong, all of the guys on the team are good looking, and if I didn’t know my dad was the coach I’d swear it was a requirement for them to join, but there is just something about Alexander Reign that makes him stand out.

Jake and Josh aren’t far behind their teammates, joining them to warm up, and it isn’t long until they both spot their better halves and tap the glass where we sit as they pass. Nova is the last to join them, his face already looking flushed with exertion, but somehow he is still the fastest one out there once he gets going, much to Alexander’s annoyance.

My dad makes his way to the player box, spotting me instantly and I offer him a wave and smile before focussing back on the ice. It isn’t long before Maddie joins us, somehow looking perfectly put together, just like every other time I see her, and when she takes her seat, Nova is there in an instant.

“Thanks for the extra workout, Princess,” he calls, smacking the glass three times, his proximity causing chaos around us among the fans, but Maddie just shakes her head at his theatrics. I’m guessing he puts her on the spot like this all the time from her reaction, and if I hadn’t seen them so loved up, I’d swear they actually hate each other.

“Eyes back on the ice, Charmer,” she scolds, but of course he doesn’t relent, his attention on her not going unnoticed, and within seconds his roommate is at his side.

“Fraternizing with the crowd again, Cap,” Alexander teases, coming to a stop right in front of me. “Good evening, ladies,” he adds, tipping his head at the other three before his eyes trail over my outfit and his jaw tightens slightly. “Aubree, sad to see you didn’t dress up for me, love.”

A fraction of guilt slams through me, especially since I am the only one of the four girls not sporting a Flyers jersey, but it’s not like he’s my boyfriend. “I’m sure there are enough girls wearing your last name across their backs tonight, Alexander, you don’t need me to add to your little fan club,” I tell him sternly, and that princely charm of a smile begins to pull at the corner of his mouth at my sass.

“Then I guess you’ll have to scream extra loud for me, Trouble,” he replies with a wink, before Nova smacks him around the back of the head.

“Get your ass back to warming up, or Coach will have you spending tomorrow morning skating laps until you can’t fucking walk,” he snaps at him, and I hide my laugh, as a clueless Alexander is dragged away by his captain.

I’m not ashamed to say my eyes follow him around the ice, and when they are done skating and begin to stretch, my jaw drops a little. Okay, maybe Evie was right about the stretching, because damn it’s not normal for men to be able to move like that. Alexander stretches out each of his legs one at a time and then when he starts lunging toward the ice, his eyes catch mine staring at him. He doesn’t bother hiding his smile or the fact he is returning my stare, his own eyes gleaming with mischief, and when he tosses me a wink, I feel something unfamiliar in the pit of my stomach.

“Careful, ladies, Bree is drooling over our goalie,” Evie taunts, and it’s only her words that have me ripping my stare away from the man in question.

“I am not drooling,” I snap, finding all three of them watching me with a smile. “I was just you know, enjoying the art of the male body and what it can do,” I stammer, and all three of them laugh at my bullshit.

“Aren’t we all, babe,” Hallie replies, clinking her paper cup to mine, and knowing they won’t judge me, I return my eyes back to the ice and continue to enjoy the show.

The game itself is far more intense than the stretching, and I lose count of how many times Nova, Archer, Daemon, and Jake are slammed into the boards or slam someone else into them. It’s rough, messy, and downright thrilling, and it's hilarious to see my kind-hearted father continuously lose his shit. They are things I should be focused on, the game, the players, my father, except my gaze strays far too many times for it to be casual, to the British playboy blocking the goal.

I’m not surprised the Flyers are at the top of the league, and not just because the players are so talented, but because Alexander is so fucking huge between the goal posts, that I don’t know how any team ever scores against them. All of them are machines on the ice, but all I can do is stare in awe at how fast Alexander moves, and it’s only now that I truly understand him. Yes, he already has more money than sense, and is working towards a degree that I’m sure he sees as pointless, given how smart he is and the fact he is already running multiple businesses, but this is where his true passion lies. Right here on the ice with his team.

When the final buzzer rings out, the Flyers win five to one and the arena bursts into absolute pandemonium, and I can’t help but join them. I’m screaming and clapping with my new friends as the boys skate off the ice, and I can’t help but watch Alexander as he leaves, his smile so genuine and carefree that I’m sure my own mirrors it. Once they’re gone, the girls lead me outside to wait, and it’s even more chaotic out there.

“Is it always this crazy?” I ask them, wondering how they handle this all the time, especially with the amount of girls lingering, waiting for the players, and all of them laugh with a nod.

“Oh yeah, I’ve had a drink thrown in my face before thanks to Josh and his groupies,” Hallie replies, and my eyes widen at the drama. “But then Maddie slapped the girl in the face,” she adds, and my head swings towards Maddie, surprised at the thought of the prim and proper princess being any kind of violent.

“She deserved it,” Maddie shrugs, not seeming apologetic in the slightest, and I laugh.

We wait for what seems like forever outside the arena for the guys to shower and change, passing the time by taking pictures and recapping the game, and by the time the first one of them appears, I am starving and exhausted. Half the team laps up the attention of the waiting girls, but the other half that we’re waiting for don’t even give them more than a tip of their heads. Nova and Josh are first, followed by Archer and Daemon, and eventually Jake and Alexander.

“Are we grabbing food?” Maddie asks, and I swear Nova groans, looking as if the only thing he wants to eat is her, but it’s too late because he is suddenly outvoted.

“Oh my god, yes please, I’m starving,” Hallie replies, making Josh straighten his shoulders, already starting to move.

“I think Cal and Pen are both at the diner,” Josh says, looking between Hallie and Maddie, and the two of them nod in unison.

“Perfect, let’s go.”

On the way to the diner I learn that Maddie and Josh have a little sister named Penelope, and that her mom, Callia, works at the diner a few nights a week. Apparently the food is great and the atmosphere is very relaxed, so it sounds like a perfect way to end the night. Once there, we all order, and then everyone starts to couple off. Archer and Daemon are of course glued to one another’s side, and the guys quickly pair off with their girls, leaving only Alexander and I going solo.

“Looks like you’ve got to have dinner with me again, love,” he teases, as we reach one of the tables and he pulls out a chair for me. The rest of the team fill out two booths, leaving us to take a table for two alone, which I can’t be sure wasn’t done on purpose by him.

“Is this how you get girls to date you? Trick them into eating meals with you,” I muse, sliding into the chair he is holding out and slipping off my jacket.

“Believe or not, Miss Callows, you are the only person I have ever had to trick into spending time with me,” he starts, dropping into the seat across from me, letting his stare drag over my bare skin. “And normally I’m the one doing the eating when I spend time with a lady,” he adds, and when his meaning washes over me, I feel the blush all the way down to my toes.

“Alexander,” I say his name in a scold, but he just chuckles, leaning back in his seat like he owns the place, and lowering his voice.

“Oh, come on now, love, I’m sure even your precious Ben has enjoyed his fair share of eating,” he grits, the words appearing as if they offend him, and I’m sure my blush shines even brighter.

My thumb fiddles with the ring on my middle finger again, as I avoid his gaze and whisper, “We’ve done nothing of the sort.”

Alexander laughs at first, no doubt enjoying my embarrassment, but when I don’t join him he sits up straighter in his seat, his eyes flicking between me and the ring in disbelief. “Wait, you’re a virgin, like with everything,” he asks, a hint of surprise, but no judgement in his tone, and I nod, flicking my eyes to our surroundings to ensure no one is listening to us.

I’m not ashamed of still being a virgin, but it’s not something I go around announcing, even with the ring I choose to wear. “It’s not a big deal,” I reply with a shrug, slowly meeting his gaze, and there is something in his eyes that wasn’t there before, something I can’t decipher.

“Fuck, Aubree, I think your god sent you to punish me for my sins,” he mutters, tipping his head back and closing his eyes tight as if pained, and for some reason my eyes track the column of his throat as he swallows thickly.

Not wanting to ask what he means about the punishment, I focus on the other thing he said. “My god?” I ask, my voice shaking slightly, as I attempt to change the subject, and when he meets my stare again, the darkness in his eyes takes my breath away.

“Yes, your god, the one you believe in,” he replies, rolling out his neck and shoulders. “I’m an atheist, the only thing I believe in is myself.”

His view is one I’ve heard before, but with him I find myself smiling as I reply, “Why doesn’t that surprise me, are you your own higher power?”

I expect that insufferable smirk of his, but he still looks pained as he responds, “We only get one life, Aubree, if we want something we have to make it happen. I’m not going to wait around for some god to decide whether I’m worthy. Not when there are people starving and dying all across the world that I can help, and I do that by believing in myself and working hard, not by praying.”

For once I have no witty response or sharp comeback, because he just made more sense in two sentences than I have ever heard in any prayer, and now I can’t help but think he isn’t only the smartest person I have ever met, but the kindest too.

Definitely worse than a heathen, indeed.