Page 6

W hen I get to practice, I am still thinking about my new found obsession and barely paying attention to anyone around me. It’s only our second practice of the week, and since we have another game coming up next week, we all need to put in the extra work. Which is why I find my teammates already being berated by Cap, much to my amusement. It’s funny when it’s not being directed at me, and I dump my stuff by my locker and start getting ready.

I love playing hockey, I love everything about it. The game, the rules, the endurance, the fighting, all of it calls to me. I feel at home on the ice and here in the locker room with my teammates, and that's another thing I love, the camaraderie. I grew up in boarding schools and have always easily fit in thanks to my last name, which means I’ve always had a lot of friends, but some of the guys on this team are more like family.

Nova Darkmore, our captain, is also my best friend and one of my housemates. He’s a moody little wanker who is basically god’s gift to ice hockey, but he’s also one of the most genuine guys I have ever met. He never gave a shit about my money or my last name, and took the time to get to know me for me, and despite always kicking our ass during practice, I know he loves us all like brothers.

Archer Gray is the chaos to his calm, another one of my best friends, and definitely gives me a run for my money with the amount of trouble he gets into, although now he has Daemon Forbes by his side, I think that trouble might be far less of an occurrence. They are currently making eyes at each other as they get ready for practice, and I almost roll my own at their half-hard cocks. The fuckers can’t keep their hands off each other, and I’m pretty sure if Nova doesn’t get them on the ice soon, that they will fuck each other here in front of all of us.

Which brings me to my last roommate and best friend, Jake Harper, having been locked down with Evie since freshman year, he’s definitely the quietest of us all, but still, he has always been there to have our backs. I’d describe him as the sounding board for the entire team, since everyone seems to go to him with their problems, and right now seems to be no different, as Landon Cooper, another one of my teammates, is battering him with questions.

“Well, have you met her?” Landon asks, and Jake looks at him in confusion, as I start to listen in on their conversation.

“Met who?”

“Coach’s daughter,” Landon snaps, as if his question was obvious, and Jake nods in recognition.

Ah yes, I remember Coach telling us before winter break that his daughter was coming to live with him for college, which must be nice for him. I’m almost certain he isn’t married or seeing anyone, which means he lives alone, and he never mentions any other family, so I’m sure it will be a nice change for him to have some company. Although I haven’t seen her around yet, or who knows, maybe I have, there are always girls hanging around outside practice, it could be any one one of them.

“Oh, yeah I met her, she seems nice enough,” Jake replies, pulling on his jersey, but Landon continues to stare at him expectantly.

“Well?” he asks, pushing him for more, while also looking around, as if to make sure he isn’t heard.

“Well what?” Jake asks, looking at him in annoyance, and I can tell Landon is getting to him. Jake likes the quiet to prepare for practice and games, and right now he isn’t getting it.

“Is she hot?” Landon asks desperately. “Does she look like Coach’s daughter, or is she a ride we all would give our left nut to enjoy?”

Just as he says that, Coach appears around Landon’s locker looking furious. “Stay the fuck away from my daughter, Cooper, or they’ll be dragging your dead body from Lake Spring,” he scolds, smacking him across the back of the head, before eyeing the rest of us. “And that goes for all of you little fuckers, now hurry up and get dressed and get your fucking asses on the ice.”

After those parting words he storms away, leaving Nova glaring at Landon in fury, before dragging his gaze across all of us. “You heard, Coach, get on the ice you lazy pricks.”

With that we all focus on getting ready, and by the time we get out on the ice, Nova is there waiting with Coach, both of them calling out drills for us to run after we are warmed up. Which is how my death begins. He makes us stretch more than usual, skate more than usual, and then run drills more than usual, until there are muscles in my body that I didn’t even know could ache, are aching, and still we keep going.

The sweat has drenched through my base layer and jersey, and I basically spend every second of the two and a half hours cursing Landon for pissing off Coach and Cap, until I can’t fucking breathe. By the time we are done, the prick can barely walk, and I take great satisfaction in watching him limp to the changing rooms.

I strip off every sweaty layer of clothing, before grabbing my towel and joining the rest of the guys in the showers. We’re all quiet given the lashing we just took during practice, and when some of them start filing out, I remain under the hot spray, needing the relief that the water grants my sore muscles, until I can feel my body completely relaxing. Only then do I turn off the shower, grab my towel, and head back to my locker.

Archer and Daemon are the only two still here getting ready, and from the satisfied smirks on both their faces, I’d guess getting clean wasn’t the only thing they were doing. Ignoring them both, I note Coach is still in his office talking to his assistant, and I pull open my locker and grab my phone. I’ve got a missed call from my mother and two texts from Duchess, asking for me to call her. I make a mental note to get back to them when I get home, before tossing my phone back into my locker and getting dressed.

“You walking home with us?” Archer eventually asks, and I flick my stare to meet his, finding both him and Daemon fully dressed.

They’ve been through a lot to get where they are now, and I know Archer is helping Daemon deal with the death of his father and the aftermath, so I don’t want to encroach on their time together when it’s still so fresh.

“Nah, I’m all good, Gray, I’ll just see you at home later,” I reply, and he nods with a smile, holding his fist out for me to bump, and I roll my eyes, but do it anyway.

Then I watch as he slips his hand into Daemon’s, pulling him along and out of the changing rooms, and I can’t help but smile. Who’d have thought that chaotic little twat would fall in love?

I make quick work of finishing getting ready, and nod my head to Coach on the way out, as I grab my stuff and leave. There are still plenty of people milling around the sports center, since this building doesn’t just house the hockey rink, but a large gymnastics department, dance squad, and swimming pool too, and I ignore the few girls who try and get my attention, while offering the tip of my head to the other members of staff that work here.

I push out the building with my phone in hand ready to call my mum back, when I come to a stop as I meet those newly familiar green eyes, emerald if you were interested, that have been haunting me since Friday night.

Well, well, well, this is an interesting turn of events.

Aubree is looking around as if admiring the campus and buildings, and when she spots me smirking at her she rolls her eyes, but still she straightens her shoulders a little. She has changed from the outfit she was wearing earlier, and is now styled in more dressed-down attire of leggings and a jumper, though the jumper does have little pink bows on it, so it is still very much her.

“You said you weren’t interested in me and yet here you are,” I drawl, strolling towards her, as my heart begins to beat wildly in my chest. Only when I reach her, do I add, “Are you waiting for me, love?”

“In your dreams,” she scoffs with a laugh, taking a subtle step back from me, but I can’t help but feel the excitement burning between us.

“And what dreams they would be,” I muse, speaking from experience, since she has haunted my every waking second since the moment I laid eyes on her, and once again she rolls her eyes at me in annoyance. Well fuck, there goes my dick again, the poor thing can’t catch a break. “There’s a party at my house on Friday,” I push on, not letting her disinterest deter me in any way.

“And?” she drawls, flicking her gaze between me and the door I just came from, and I know she sees the few girls passing us and whispering.

“Come with me,” I plead, and her eyes fly back to mine in genuine surprise, before she quickly hides it.

“I have a boyfriend, remember?” she reminds me, and I smirk at her, once again bringing him up as if I forgot about him.

She’s cute, as if I didn’t text Duchess the second I got back to my table at lunch, asking her to get me everything on this boyfriend so I know what I’m working with.

“What and he doesn’t let you party?” I ask, cocking a brow at her in question, and I can see her getting flustered.

“And I don’t really drink,” she quickly adds, and I know she will try and say anything to get out of my invitation.

“Says the girl I met in a bar,” I remind her, and her stern responding look has my dick getting even harder.

“That was a rare occurrence and had I known it would have resulted in your attention, then I never would have been there in the first place,” she snaps, getting more and more irritated, and I can’t help but laugh.

“What’s your favorite non-alcoholic drink?” I ask, switching tactics, and she seems so caught off guard that she doesn’t even hesitate.

“Pink lemonade,” she replies, before realizing why I asked, making her add, “But I’m still not coming to your party, and it’s not because I have a boyfriend, or that I don’t really drink, it’s because I don’t like you.” Fuck, why does she have to be so mean, my cock is fucking aching for her.

“You don’t even know me and you’ve already decided you don’t like me?” I ask in amusement and she sighs.

“I have faith in what I do know,” she starts and before she can say anything else, I interrupt her.

“Faith is fickle,” I clap back, and she pauses, as if whatever she was about to add is now irrelevant, as her hand flies to a ring on her middle finger and she starts twisting it around. “The only thing you need to believe in is yourself,” I add, moving to walk backwards away from her, and she stares at me dumbfounded, and just as I am about to turn and walk away, I pause and add, “Oh, and it’s roses by the way.”

“What?”

“My favorite flowers are roses.” I don’t bother telling her it’s because that’s what she smells like, and instead just offer her one last wink and smile, before I turn and leave her behind.

Much to my cock’s dismay.