75. king
CHAPTER 75
KING
WE WANT TO SEE YOU HAPPY
From practice to team meetings to a study session at the library, I was distracted.
Today was going to be our first real attempt at sex.
Not fumbling in a storage closet or ripping panties in my truck, but actual, pre-planned sex. My eyes flashed to Willow’s hand, typing the assignment I was supposed to be working on too. But I stared at her hands. And her blue shirt, not sheer enough to see anything. All I could see was the slope of her shoulders, and when you’re in love with a girl, that’s enough.
The second we told everybody I would never stop touching her. I’d be one of those guys my teammates laughed at, the ones who hung off their girlfriend at the alumni events, a hand on her waist, the small of her back, unwilling and unable to let her walk away.
"What did you get for the health disparities question?" she whispered.
Those lips. Damn.
"Uh…" I looked at my laptop. "Nothing yet."
Willow leaned in. "You haven’t done anything?"
"Mm."
"I don’t condone cheating," Adam announced at the other end of the table. "I want everyone to know I’m not part of this."
I glanced up, confused.
"Noted, recognized, ignored," Kassie replied. "Your trophy’s in the mail."
"We’re giving Ryan’s plan an opportunity to shine," Piper told me, like I had any idea what she was talking about. "All of us wrote down our favorite qualities about you to give to the girl you’re trying to see."
Kassie chuckled. "Before you go in for round two and kick the boyfriend’s ass."
There was no way they were serious. Were they serious? All my friends had their attention on me, Ryan, Adam, Kassie, Piper, and June, who was doing her best to avoid looking at me, trying not to laugh.
"We want to see you happy, King," Piper assured me, pulling out a paper.
The sight of that paper left me fumbling for something to say as much as Willow giggled. Every line on that paper was filled in.
"Is this a joke?" I pushed.
Kassie slid the paper away from Piper. "You’re great with cars. You hotwired that van to help me when I had the pregnancy scare. Which—now that I’m reading this—I don’t think you can say it to her because she’ll think you’re the one who almost knocked me up. Just say we didn’t have sex and you’re fine. Who’s got a pen? I’ll make the words real small."
"I have, like, fifteen items written down." Piper held up the paper. "You’re always there for us. When I was really drunk in Dallas and threw up all over the sidewalk, and you used the water bottle to wash it out of my hair." She smiled. "And you wore the paintball shirt for me!"
Ryan tapped the table. "When we went to that frat party at the end of freshman year, Adam got into that fight with a finance major, and you locked him in the closet. That was pretty great."
"Adam or the finance major?" Kassie wondered.
"Both. In separate closets."
"Oh, man, remember the brawl at Underwood’s house?" Adam added. "King hauled us out but he was so drunk, he grabbed a guy who looked like me. When he dove back in, I was duct taped to a table and they were about to throw me into the pool?—"
I tried to snatch the paper away. Failing, I groaned. " Guys. "
"One time, Adam and I partied in Cypress, woke up in Seabrook, we had an hour to practice?—"
"No, Ryan. No. "
Adam grinned. "We hitch-hiked but ended up going the wrong way, realized our driver was kidnapping us to do a commercial for his furniture store and King bargained to get us out, but he had to star in this dude’s commercial?—"
"We also need to talk fight strategies so you don’t get your ass knocked out again," Ryan added.
"You need to fight dirty, kick in his knees," Kassie said.
Ryan held up a hand. "Don’t do that."
"Kick him in the dick." Kassie grinned even wider. "He won’t be using it for long."
"Can we work on homework?" I sighed.
"What if you didn’t fight him?" Piper suggested.
"Oh, please. Don’t act above it." Kassie snorted. "You pepper sprayed your ex through his car window."
Willow’s mouth fell open. " What? "
Oh, fuck it.
"I found someone else," I declared.
All attention snapped to me. Questions poured out, shoving themselves over each other until I honestly couldn’t tell who was talking to me.
"Someone else?" Adam pushed. "Please, I can’t take the embarrassment of another hockey player one-upping you—tell me she doesn’t have a boyfriend."
"No boyfriend. And you’re going to meet her soon."
They were so damn excited it couldn’t be more embarrassing.
"Thank fuck, give me that paper, I’m adding my items now!" Adam smacked the table. "Your virginity grew back and I feel like that’ll be an endearing thing for girls. She can train you like a puppy!"
Willow choked on her water.
Nothing much got done in the study session after that, everyone had a million questions while Willow smiled, the only one working on her homework.
The guys ribbed me until we left for gym slots, which was a waste of time. My reps were sloppy, my mind on Willow in her last class for the day.
Until I saw her, waiting for me.
I drove my truck up to the sidewalk and Willow climbed in, a little smile on her face.
"Hi," she murmured.
We drove off campus, and I touched her thigh. Not trying to cop a feel, just touching her.
"If we’re not going to your dorm, where are we going?"
"Mm."
She squeezed my hand. "No hints?"
"Mm-hmm."
It was a short drive to downtown Houston and the valet recognized me, giving me a quick good luck at the Birchwood Bowl for the next season. I led Willow through the lobby.
"You didn’t have to do all of this," she whispered.
Except I wanted to.
This wasn’t just sex. It would be Willow’s first time, her only first time with someone, a long-lasting memory we’d share. I wanted to put in the work. Willow would never need to wonder how I felt about her again.
"We’re not checking in?"
"Checked in this morning. I came with June, she helped set up."
"Set up?"
There goes the surprise.
"Mm."
The elevator ride was quiet.
I stopped her at the door. "Wait out here, okay?"
She nodded and I closed it after me.