Page 41 of The Substitute

“R-really?”

“Fuck yes.” I lean over and nip his shoulder. “Finish your ice cream.”

“Why?”

“So I can touch you without making a mess.”

He does what I ask, then cleans his hands off.

I start wordlessly and slowly, barely caressing over his clothes. Innocent areas, along his jawline, down his chest, along the outside of his thighs. He tries to sit still, but I can tell it’s getting harder and harder for him.

“Do you want to go back to your room?”

“What about your brother?” Tobi asks, breath hitching.

“He’s at practice. Let’s go.”

FIFTEEN

AMBROSE

The locker room is loud with the guys getting ready for practice.

“Anyone seen Tendy?” one of the assistant coaches yells.

The room goes deathly quiet, and everyone turns to look at him. I have to admit, the goalie is an odd guy, but I don’t know him well. We don’t hang out in the same groups.

“Did you page him?” Lancelot asks me like I’m somehow responsible for our himbo of a goalie.

“Why would I have to find Teddy?”

“You’re the new team captain. That’s the team captain’s job. You have to page him!” Lancelot says all this like captain came with a leash for Teddy. “Page him!”

“Page? Like on the intercom?” I ask Osha at the cubby next to me.

“No, he has a pager.”

I blink at him. That is not what I was expecting him to say.

“What?” He’s got to be fucking with me.

“You know, like doctors at the hospital have?” Osha looks at me like I’m an idiot. “Little black box that clips to your pants with a screen only wide enough for a single line of text?” He can’t be serious.

“They still make those?”

He laughs and pulls on his hockey pants. “They do, and our precious Tendy has one with an AirTag attached to it.”

“That seems a bit extreme.”

“Don’t forget about the one attached to his Croc,” Lancelot chimes in.

What the actual fuck? I know Teddy is a little aloof but really?

“You know he’s a flight risk. The guy thinks there’s gators in the sewers and went yeti hunting over summer break. If we lose him, we can’t play,” Osha adds.

I blink several times at this information. I’ve never really paid that close attention to Teddy. I just figured he was weird like all goalies. I should know, my step-brother is one.

“Yeti hunting?” I could not have heard that right.