Page 33 of Two Guys One Puck (Gods Versus Monsters Hockey #2)

THIRTY-THREE

SEABORN

Ktytor: You finally get to see me this weekend.

Seaborn: You’re so full of yourself.

W e’d both earned spots on the First Team All-League, further pushing the speculation we’d be at the top of the NHL draft. Which only ups the pressure on our game this weekend. The game directly affects what seed we’ll have going into the conference championships and the Frozen Four.

Seaborn: How much free time do you think we’ll have away from everyone?

Ktytor: We’ll at least have enough time for you to fuck me. I don’t care.

Seaborn: I need it.

Ktytor: I know.

Seaborn: Fuck off. You need it too.

Ktytor: It will be icing on the cake of my win.

Seaborn: Not on your fucking life.

Ktytor: I miss you.

The single message stops me. It feels like a big deal even though he’s said it before.

Seaborn: I miss you too.

I’m trying to study and relax before our games this weekend with the cat in my lap when Archangel and Wolfe barge in like they’ve never heard the word quiet. The cat runs off, and I glare.

“Can you two do anything at a normal volume?”

“Sorry, no. My mom tried to teach me to be quiet as a child, and no luck. But I can give you her number, and you two can discuss coping skills?” Wolfe deadpans.

Archangel laughs and then rolls his massive shoulder. “Who pissed in your beer?”

“I’m trying to study, and Venom had just settled in my lap. Now she’ll never come back because Wolfe is the real-life representation of the train trying to fit in the tiny tunnel gif.”

“This feels like sizeism.”

Archangel chokes. “Don’t act like you haven’t sent me that gif before after sleeping with that little goth chick last year.”

“I’ve said that to you in the strictest of confidence, and in my defense, she was like 4’10, so the gif was accurate.” Wolfe crosses his massive arms.

I cringe, not wanting to picture that at all.

“Normalize lube for straight people. Jesus, her poor vagina.” Archangel rubs his forehead.

“It’s her fault. She tried to climb me like a literal tree! I cannot be blamed for that.”

“I’d watch that,” Archangel mutters.

“Me too.” I make eye contact with him, and we both shrug.

“Are you going to come out with us tonight? Or are you going to keep being a wet blanket over your Ukrainian prince?” Wolfe asks.

“We have a game tomorrow. An important one against the Monsters?”

They both raise their brows at me.

“Don’t tell me you’re staying in because of him.” Wolfe sounds disgusted.

“He’s not even coming in until tomorrow. But do you guys really think we should be hung over for this game?” I can’t be the only one taking this seriously.

“We’re going to make it an early night. It’s an afternoon game.” Wolfe points out.

“I still don’t think it’s a good idea.” I don’t want to lose to them, and not just because Ktytor might want to top if we do.

“Maybe getting laid would put you in a better mood. When was the last time you fucked someone?” Wolfe asks.

“Like a month ago,” I admit.

“How are you even still alive?” Wolfe asks.

Archangel slaps him lightly. “It’s not all about that. But you should get laid,” he says the last to me.

“I’m not going out.”

“Fine. We’re having the guys over here anyway.” Wolfe throws down his trump card.

“Of course you are.”

Ktytor calls later, like we planned.

“Hello?”

He says something, but I can’t understand.

“What?”

“Can you hear me?”

“Kind of.” I find my AirPods and stick one in my ear.

“Are you in a nightclub?”

I groan. “No. My fucking insufferable roommates decided they were throwing a party.”

“Before our game tomorrow? Not even Grumpy is that stupid. Men are like picking up mushrooms in the forest when they are thinking with their dick. Christ.” His words are crackly and I can barely hear him.

“What?” I’m not sure I heard him right. “I’m only getting every other word.”

“It’s a saying from my village. It’s like they are very good at picking up shit in the forest. Like they are dumb.”

I laugh. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how much we’ll really get to talk.”

“Are you going to bed early?” he asks.

“Not like this.”

He says something else I can’t make out.

“This beat is making the entire house vibrate.”

“What?” Ktytor asks.

“It’s really loud.” I shout like that will help.

“Did you hear me?”

“No? What did you say?” I ask.

He says something else, but between the music and his accent, I cannot get it.

“I will call you later. Yes?”

“Please.”

He hangs up. One more day. I only have to wait until tomorrow to see him. I go downstairs because, at least there, I’ll be distracted.

I immediately regret it.

“Don’t you want to see my pussy?”

“I saw it at a party last week, and once was enough,” Archangel says.

“I wasn’t talking to—wait. What?” she gasps when she realizes what he said. “How?”

“You were showing everyone how you could bend over in that really short skirt last week, and you weren’t wearing underwear,” Wolfe answers.

“That’s not the same thing,” she snaps.

“It kinda is,” Archangel replies.

“I wasn’t asking you. Do you want to see it again?” she asks Wolfe.

“Tempting, but I think I’ll pass.” He flashes her his charming goalie smile. “But Seaborn over here is free.”

I give him a ‘what the fuck’ look, and suddenly, she’s climbing into my lap.

“You know my sorority sisters and I have a bingo game this year, and none of us have been able to score you.” She puts her hands on her hips like it’s my fault she can’t win sex bingo.

“Is that really a thing?”

“Obviously. Why do you think we come to all your parties?” she says with attitude.

“I have a big game tomorrow.” I lift my hands, wanting to get up, but I freeze because if I dump her off my lap and she hurts herself, I don’t want to be accused of like shoving her or something.

That’s the last fucking thing I need.

“You’ll play better, I promise. I’ve been told my lips are like a hoover.”

I make a face. “A hoover?”

She nods, grinding on me. “I’ll suck your soul out through your dick.”

My dick wants nothing to fucking do with her, even after not getting laid in a month and the stimulation. “I might need my soul, thanks.”

“You’re so funny. I’ll let you fuck me in the ass. I need the points.”

I blink. “What… No, never mind. I do not want to know.”

She giggles. “But you’re ranked so high!”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, and since no one has got you, you’re ranked the highest in the bonus round!” She drapes her arms over my shoulders, clearly mistaking my horror for curiosity or something. “I’ve never won, but this year, I’m going to.”

I’m all for sexual freedom. I’d be a fucking hypocrite if I wasn’t after how many one-night stands I’ve had, but something about being a game with points puts a really bad taste in my mouth. “I’m the highest?”

“Yep, you and Wolfe are worth the most,” she says like it’s some kind of honor.

“Well, I hate to disappoint you, but it’s not going to be me tonight. You need to get off.” I stand up carefully, picking her up with me so I can set her on her feet.

But the second I get to my feet, I see Ktytor staring right at me.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I swear he has the worst timing.

I dodge the girl who’s still trying to get handsy and go after Ktytor who stalked out the door.

He’s waiting for me on the sidewalk. “You don’t need to say anything. I’m leaving.”

“Fuck no. We are talking this out.” I glance around, then shove him into the alley.

“What’s the point?”

“Are you kidding?”

He laughs, but not with humor. “Okay, pumpkin. If we must pretend, you can be Cinderella for the night.”

“What are you even talking about?”

“You’re living in a fantasy world, chasing me out of a party like you have a glass slipper that fits.” He rolls his eyes, annoyed.

“Wouldn’t that make you Cinderella?”

“I’m leaving.”

“Will you just hear me out?” I don’t let him pass. “That’s not what it looked like. I was trying to get her off without hurting her.”

He snarls. “No, what it looked like was you were trying to carry her to your bed. You can sell your lies to someone who cares, darling.”

I grab him so he’ll listen to me. “You know as much as I do what kind of fucking pressure we’re under to not have any rumors or bad shit against us.

I wanted to get up and fucking dump her off my lap, but I didn’t because I’m so fucking careful.

It’s been drilled into my head, and I’m sure it has been yours, too.

If someone accused me of hitting them or hurting them, I’d be fucking suspended. ”

He at least looks like he believes me. “Fine, whatever. You weren’t going to fuck her.”

“I was not going to do anything with her.” I’m desperate for him to believe me.

He doesn’t even acknowledge what I said. “Is that what it is always like here?”

“Pretty much, yes. But not me?—”

Ktytor’s upper lip curls in anger, but I’m not sure why.

“What?”I half drag him into the alley.

“Nothing.” He tries to step around me.

I block his exit and back him into the wall. “Don’t fucking tell me nothing. It’s not nothing.”

“I don’t want to know.” His voice is cold.

“Don’t act like that.” I try to look him in the eyes, but he won’t look at me.

“I’m not acting like anything. I’m leaving.” He shoves my chest.

“Why are you here, Ktytor?”

“Does it fucking matter? I shouldn’t have come.”

“If I had known you were getting into town, I’d be with you!”

“I tried to tell you on the phone. But you were busy, I see.” He’s not hearing me.

I grab both his shoulders. “That’s not true at all. I want to be with you whenever we can.”

“And when we can’t, you’re fucking anyone else with a pulse?”

“No, I haven’t…” How do I even explain this to him?

We hadn’t even talked about being in a relationship or anything, and I’ve never fucking done this.

Will I sound like an idiot for not hooking up with other people?

Maybe he already thinks I’m pathetic.“I haven’t been with anyone else.

” I haven’t been able to even think of anyone else when he exists.

“I know what this was. I get it now.” He shoves me again.

I stagger back a step but then get in his face. “What the fuck is this? Maybe you can explain it to me if you know so well?”

“You’re not into men, and eventually, you’re going to get this out of your system and then go back to that which you prefer. I’m stupid for thinking it was anything else.” He knocks into me harder this time.

“You weren’t into men in the beginning either. This is new for both of us.”

“I’m not trying to deny what this is.” His eyes are dead. Uncaring.

I hate it.

“What is it?” I ask, needing him to hear me.

“Who the fuck knows? But I was stupid for thinking it was anything.”

I grab his shirt, spinning around to hit him into the wall so he has nowhere else to go. “That’s not how I am.”

“You still refuse to even call yourself bisexual. You didn’t even want to tell your aunt or your father.”

“Fuck you. You told me not to. Was that a fucking test?”

“Is not a test. Is who you are.”

“You’re not telling your family, either.”

“Because I don’t want to die when I go back to my country. Pardon me.”

“Me, figuring my own head out has nothing to do with how loyal I am.”

“Are you bisexual? What is this?”

“I’m not sleeping with anyone else. Why does it matter if I’m with you?”

“That’s not what I asked you.”

“Isn’t that what matters?”

“It all matters.”

“I’m trying to figure it out. I’m not fucking a bunch of girls.” I don’t know why he won’t hear me.

“Not yet, but you will when you’re done with this.”

“I can’t tell you the future.” I don’t even know where I’ll end up next year, but I’m fucking trying. Does he not see that?

“But you can tell me that there will aways be all the pussy on the planet in your house, waiting on a fucking silver platter.”

“Are you insecure?” I’d never seen him insecure about anything.

“No. I’m a fucking realist.” He grabs my shirt, and we scuffle. “Let me go.”

“Not until you talk to me.”

“I don’t want to fucking talk. I need to cool down.”

I step back, letting him pass, not sure what else I can do. He shoulders past, roughly knocking me back a step.

I feel helpless as he walks off into the dark.

Fuck.