Page 7 of Your Biggest Downfall (Ravens Hockey #3)

austin

I was on my third shot before a single person came over.

After going to my mom’s, I was exhausted and thankful this party was going to give me an escape.

Most of the guys on the team were coming by, and none of them cared that I was underage.

They were bringing a bunch of ice bunnies too.

Nova had said she’d come and would bring a friend.

It wasn’t going to be wild, but it was hopefully going to be a celebration.

A knock sounded on the door, and I knew it was Jer.

He was always the first one since he lived in the building next door.

I lived in the same apartment complex as most of the team, except for Jer.

It was a large high-rise in the middle of the city, convenient for most of the rookies because of the proximity to the rink, but it also made hosting parties simple.

“Yo,” Jeremy Wallis said as I opened the door.

His hair was all over his face, per usual, and he was wearing a T-shirt so you could see his tatted arms. The booze was already giving me a nice warm coat and was starting to mask the pain of the fucked-up reality I was in.

“Ready for some pussy tonight?”

“Dude,” I said as I gave him a handshake. “What did I tell you about being so crass? The ladies want someone with a little mystery.”

Jer huffed out a laugh. “How many are you going for tonight?”

I sighed. “We’ll see where the night takes me. On another note, I invited the social media intern, Nova, and her friend, Luna.”

“No shit? And she said yes?”

I shrugged. “Yeah. I guess she did.”

I knew why she agreed. After her meltdown on my shoulders and a year of being a total dick to her, I felt like I needed to make it up to her—not sure if inviting her to this debauchery was the best idea, but it was the only idea I had at the time.

“Well, damn. She’s cool, so it’ll be fun to see her.”

“For sure,” I said, then grabbed the bottle of tequila I already had open on the counter. “Shot?”

“Fuck yeah,” Jer said as he grabbed a shot glass.

“To getting fucked up.” I raised my glass, clinked it with his, and downed it.

Number four.

The party was in full swing already. The team was here, and most of us were lounging on the big couches while grabbing slices of pizza one of the guys had brought. More girls had shown up than I thought were coming, but it made the party chill since no one was fighting over a group of women.

I was kicking back on the couch, on my seventh drink—if you included the shots of tequila I’d had earlier—and the warm blanket was well over my body.

Jeremy, who was on the other side of the couch, pulled the brunette off him and sat next to me.

From the way his eyes glazed over, he was as fucked up as I was.

“Yo,” he slurred.

I laughed. Fucking lightweight. “Yo,” I said back.

“This chick just gave me this.”

I looked at him, confused as fuck. “Gave you what? A baby with the way she was fucking your lap raw? Congrats, Daddy.”

He didn’t laugh. Damn, here I was thinking it was a good joke.

“Nah. Look down.”

I was too fucking drunk for his antics, but I looked down and realized he had a little baggy in his hand. It was full of white powder.

I whisper yelled at him before covering his hand with mine. “Dude. Are you fucking nuts? You know they piss test us before each championship game? We’d forfeit the Cup. Fuck that, get that shit out of here.”

He clucked his tongue at me before shoving the packet into his pocket. “That’s not what you said last summer...”

It wasn’t my first rodeo with a little coke.

I sampled the product when I was in high school, got caught and arrested, but the small-town politics made everyone feel bad for my mom and they let me go.

Usually during the summers, I liked to take a line or two.

It’d get out of my system before they piss tested us prior to the season starting.

I wasn’t an addict. I liked to chase the feeling of being high. Nothing ever brought me close though.

“Holy fucking blonde,” Jer mumbled, and I turned to see who had walked in.

“Nova,” I whispered huskily. “Holy?—”

“Fuck,” Jer finished for me.

“I gotta—” I was lost for words.

Her black hair was straightened, but it was the tattoos that caught my attention. I had no idea how many she had, but they covered her arms. Her ink occasionally peeked out from her outfits, but I hadn’t realized how covered she was.

Beyond her honey-kissed, inked skin, her outfit showcased her perfect body. She wore a gold top and a pair of jeans that hung low on her waist. Her bright green eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint as she walked into the room.

She exuded a confidence that I didn’t recognize from work. Next to her stood a blonde who was her complete opposite. A few of the guys had already gone over to say hi. I was awestruck.

“Fuck. I should go—” I stumbled as I stood up, and the world spun around me. “Shit,” I grumbled, realizing I was drunker than I thought.

I made my way to the sink, splashed some water on my face, and shook my head, trying to clear my vision. I managed to stumble my way toward the door, where the two girls were standing.

“You’re a fucking angel,” I blurted out.

The blonde next to her broke into a fit of giggles, and Nova turned bright red.

Crap. Did I say that out loud?

“Oh, man, if she’s an angel, then the devil has a good mask,” her friend barked, and Nova laughed.

No. This girl was wrong. That sound was like the harp of the heavens. If I died, I wanted to hear that at the gates before I went to heaven, hell, or wherever the fuck I ended up.

“You said that aloud,” Nova whispered. The corner of one lip twisted into a grin. “Hi, Austin.”

I laughed. “Hi, Supernova.”

“This is my friend, Luna.”

The blonde shoved her hand in my face.

Ah, so this was the infamous best friend.

“You must be Austin Hart.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Austin.”

I shook her hand, but my eyes were glued on Nova’s. I missed her. I was a fucking asshole for ghosting her, but I couldn’t admit that I knew what I’d said. I was embarrassed by how drunk I’d gotten the night of Ledger’s retirement party.

“Thanks for inviting us,” Luna said and shoved Nova in my direction.

Nova glared behind her at her best friend, and it was the cutest fucking thing.

“Your house looks the same from last time I was here.”

“Yeah,” I said while laughing. “Nothing’s really changed, except you not being here.”

She huffed out a breath. “I tried, Austin. I tried for a long time...”

There was so much I wanted to explain about that night. I wanted to explain how broken I was and that I pushed her away because I was terrified I ruined everything. I wanted Nova more than words could explain, but I’d had to send her packing.

“Can we start over? As friends again?” I asked her, hoping she’d say yes. She’d come to the party, so there was hope.

Silence stretched between us.

“Okay,” she finally murmured and held out her hand.

I chuckled as I grabbed it, and we shook on our new promise to move forward to be just friends.

“Lemme get you a drink.”