Chapter 11
Friday night, I was sitting behind the bench at Mullett arena with Remy, watching the game. Almost at the end of the second period, it was tied, one to one. Archer had been on the ice a lot tonight and had even won a faceoff in his zone, which must have given him some satisfaction.
I watched Denver’s forwards racing with the puck toward center ice and then our goal, tossing the puck back and forth with ease.
Out of nowhere, Archer scrambled across the ice, stick out, and checked the Denver forward against the boards, then grabbed the puck and swiveled, taking a few short skates before pushing it at Mason. “Fuck, Archer got it back. Did you see that?” I inched forward in my seat, spine straightening.
Remy peered at me. “Yeah, there’s your boy.” He sipped his beer, keeping his focus on me.
“Look at him.” My heart raced and I puffed my chest out. He was playing better than I’d ever seen him. He was attacking the puck tonight and keeping it away from Ace.
As a few players scrabbled for the puck in Denver’s defensive zone, close to the boards, Archer elbowed a Denver player out of his way.
The player yelled, then rammed Archer into the board.
A loud crack was heard as Archer fell to the ice, his helmet bouncing on impact.
The Denver player, Bergman scrolled across his jersey, smacked Archer on the knee with his stick.
A whistle blew and play stopped.
I jumped up from my seat, heat swarming my chest. “That fucker! Did you see that?” It was deliberate. Was Archer okay?
Archer lay on the ice, then rolled to his back and held his knee.
A few team members, including Mason and a ref, crowded around Archer.
“Someone get out there and make sure he’s okay. Fuck.” I shifted my stance. I’d find a way out there myself if?—
“Dude, he’s wearing a knee pad. He’ll be fine.” Remy grabbed my sweater and pulled on it.
“But what if…what if he’s hurt anyways?” Was I watching Archer’s last game of the season? Did that asshole break his kneecap?
“Relax. I’m sure he’s fine.” Remy tugged harder on the hem of my sweater.
“I can’t relax.” I held my arm out, then let it drop. There was nothing I could do. Jesus, I wanted to get out there and make sure he was okay. I glared at Bergman, skating big round loops on the ice with his teammates like he didn’t just try to end Archer’s season. First, I’d make sure Archer was okay, then I’d kill that fucker.
Remy stood up. “Leo, you look murderous right now, damn.”
“I am.” I clenched my jaw and fisted my hands.
Mason helped Archer to stand, and Archer held up his gloved hand, bouncing a bit on his knees as if testing them.
The crowed cheered and I screamed, “You show that fucker!” I pumped my fist in the air.
“Leo, Jesus.” Remy snorted. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you might have a thing for Archer.”
“Uh…what?” I stared blankly at Remy. I’d been pretty obvious. Damn it. “W-well he’s a friend and um…”
“I’ve known you since we were babies. I have never, ever, seen you get that worked up over a game.” He picked up my beer from the holder in the seat in front of us. “Here, drink your beer. Maybe it’ll settle you down.” He quirked the corner of his mouth.
“Yeah.” I took a few gulps of beer. Did I blow it? Did Remy suspect something now?
The refs skated to each other and chatted for a moment, then called a penalty on Bergman, sending him to the box.
Hanging his head, Bergman shook his stick and skated off the ice.
“Serves the fucker right.” I sat in my seat, my gaze finding Archer, who skated to his own bench and took a seat, where the medical personnel checked him out.
Remy leaned over. “I’m sure they’re just doing a concussion assessment on him. His helmet hit the ice pretty hard when he went down.”
Play started up on the ice again, with a faceoff deep in Denver’s defensive zone.
“Yeah, I know.” I took a calming breath and drank more beer. Hopefully, Archer was okay and could play more tonight. He’d been playing so well.
As the gameended with a score of two to one, Devils, I rose from my seat and slid my phone out of my pocket. I wanted to see Archer and the plan was to meet up after, but now I wasn’t sure he’d be up to going out. “Hey, I’m going to meet up with Archer.” I’d let Remy drive tonight. “I’m sure Axel wants you home?” I could hope. I tapped a text to Archer.
Leo
Are you okay? Where do you want to meet up?
“Yeah, he does.” Remy followed the students that had sat next to us down our row and to the aisle steps. “So, where are you guys meeting? Maybe I can get Axel to come out.”
“Oh uh, nowhere fun. I-I think Archer just wants to grab some food. They have another game tomorrow, so…” I bit the side of my lip and released it. Shit, I hated lying to Remy, but there was no other way right now.
“Okay. Guess I’ll head home then. Hopefully Axel is done learning that new song.” He stepped up the stairs with me beside him.
My phone buzzed in my hand, and I held it to my face.
Archer
I’m okay, but let’s go to my place. I can give you a ride. Just let me shower really quick. I’ll meet you outside the front doors.
Leo
Sure, see you soon.
Remy gave me a double take as we reached the top of the stairs and headed through the crowd for the doors, the fast-food shops all closing for the night on either side of the hallway. “I can drop you off?—”
“No, no need for that. I can uh, Uber.” With a stuttered chuckle, I skimmed my hand down the back of my head. Fuck, another lie. Why was I lying about it? Why not just tell Remy that Archer was driving me somewhere? Dipping my head, I pressed my lips together. Because I already thought Remy suspected something.
Remy walked out the doors, into the cool evening air, the lights of the ASU campus and downtown Tempe sprawling in front of us. “So, want me to walk you to your Uber pick up?” He rubbed his hands together.
“No, that’s okay.” I waved him off. “I’ll just see you at home later, all right?” I stopped and glanced at my phone. I should at least look like I was calling an Uber.
Narrowing his eyes, he looked me up and down. “Yeah, sure. See you later.” He walked off, stuffing his hands in his front pockets.
“Shit,” I muttered. I should have just told him Archer was picking me up. Why was that so hard? I looked around me and spied an empty bench by the doors, then walked to it and sat down. I had to seriously think about this situation. I wasn’t sure I was being fair to anyone, including myself.
While I waited, I scrolled over my social media feeds for a while, most of my friends posting photos of themselves in bars all over the valley.
“Leo?” Archer strolled toward me, a maroon duffle bag dangling from his hand and his body covered in a black sweatshirt with the golden Devils logo on his chest and black joggers. He filled out his clothes so well.
“Hey, Archer.” I stood up and strode toward him, then planted my hands on his cheeks and placed a lingering kiss on his mouth. “How are you? Are you hurt at all?”
“Naw, just my ego. That fucker Bergman is an asshole. Always plays dirty.” He hooked his hand in mine and turned toward the parking lot on the side of the building.
As I walked beside him, warmth crept through my chest and my heart pattered. Nothing was better than the time we’d been spending together. “So, you don’t have a concussion after the fall?”
“The team doc checked me out and thinks I’m okay. They’re going to do a thorough check before the game tomorrow to be sure, though.” He glanced at me with a smirk. “I’ll be fine.
“But if you’re not, you won’t play, right?” I squeezed his hand, stopping him. “You won’t, right?” Was he one of those guys who would fake not being injured just to play?
His gaze searched my face. “No, if they think I can’t play, then I won’t play.” He cocked his head. “Leo, you look worried.”
“I am worried about you.” I knitted my brows. “That was a hard hit you took. I can’t believe?—”
“I’m fine.” Grabbing my chin, he pointed my gaze at his. “I’ll prove it to you later.” He ticked up a brow.
My dick woke. “You think giving me a blowjob is going to prove to me that you don’t have a concussion?” I chortled. “Not that I’m going to turn it down.”
He traced his fingers over the growing bulge in my jeans. “I can do other things. You tell me what you want and I’m all yours.” As his gaze fixated on my mouth, he tongued his lower lip.
A tickle of sensation played over my shaft and my breath quickened. “I’ll uh, I’ll think of something.” But what? I needed to start googling some things. Too bad I wasn’t out to Remy. He’d have been a good person to talk to about all this.
“So, let’s hurry over to my place. The guys have a big pot roast in the slow cooker, and we need to get there before they eat it all.” He grabbed my hand and strode toward the parking lot and his waiting SUV.
After parkingin the driveway of his house, he turned to me. “Leo, there’s something you should know before we go in.”
“Okay.” I unbuckled my seatbelt. This looked serious.
“We saw Axel at the Five Guys on campus today over lunch.” He pursed his lips. “I felt like you should know, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up.”
I stared at him. “And what happened?” My thoughts raced back to earlier today, before me and Remy had left for the game. Axel had seemed his normal self. He hadn’t said a word about it.
He placed his hand over mine on the center console. “You told Axel you were out with a woman named Angie last night.” He pressed his lips together.
A laugh burst from my throat. Not cool. “Oh, yeah, I did. He was up studying with Remy when I got home, and you know my brother. He’s gotta have his nose in everyone’s business.” A knot formed in my gut. Did he have a problem with that? He knew I wasn’t out. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know what to say.”
“Yeah, I get it. But Mason and Jonah were there, so they know about it, too.” He kissed the back of my hand. “Don’t take it badly if they give you shit about it, okay?”
“Are they mad about it?” The knot in my stomach tightened. I didn’t want these guys not liking me and I sure as hell didn’t want them to think I’d hurt Archer in any way.
“No, I don’t think so. They just…” He dipped his head for a beat, then focused on me. “They don’t understand it, is all. Especially after talking to Axel and his buddy Caleb.”
Slowly nodding, I said, “Yeah, I can see where it looks a little odd.” I sank back into my seat, blowing out a breath. Now I was going to be on edge with his friends. This sucked. “Give me time, okay?”
“I am.” He wrapped his hand around my shoulder and pulled me to him. “Come here.”
As I turned and leaned in, he pressed a kiss to my mouth. “Don’t worry about it. I just wanted you to know in case they tease you about it. It’s all good, okay?”
“Yeah.” I twisted my lips and let my gaze wander out the windshield. Maybe this would be a good opportunity for me to show them I wasn’t fucking around with Archer. I was serious with him now, wasn’t I? The wrenching of my heart when he went down on the ice, that meant I was…I was what? Falling for him? Shit.
“Come on.” He opened his door and climbed out.
I stepped out of the car and followed him inside the house, then shut the door behind me. The scent of cooking beef with a hint of garlic and spices floated on the air. “Damn, that smells good.” I focused on their kitchen, the dated wooden cabinets, older white appliances and white tile counters.
The guys huddled at various positions in the kitchen, Mason setting out plates on the counter, Jonah stirring something inside a pot and Ace cutting a slab of meat on a wooden cutting board on their kitchen island. Ace looked up at me. “Just in time. Look at this bad boy.” He tapped the meat with a carving fork.
“Looks great.” My stomach rumbled. I’d eaten a burger at the start of the game, but that was a few hours ago.
“I’m going to go set my duffle in my room.” Archer sauntered off down the hallway.
“Sure.” I clasped my hands over my chest, my thoughts rummaging through the discussion in his car. “So, anything I can help you all with?” I strode to the kitchen and looked into the pot on the stovetop. “Mashed potatoes?” Cooking was my thing. I was comfortable in a kitchen.
“Yeah.” Jonah stirred them with a wooden spoon.
“Can I make some gravy?” I stepped to the crockpot and peered inside. There was a good amount of juice in there.
“Shit, could you?” A man with longer, dirty blond hair turned to me, his brown eyed gaze giving me the once over. He held out his hand. “I know we met, but I’m sure you don’t remember us all. It’s been a few weeks. Tyler Hodge, defense.”
Shaking his hand, I said, “Of course. Just get me a flat pan, some flour and do you have Worcester?”
“We do. We enjoy bloody Marys on occasion on a Sunday morning. It is our only day off.” Mason winked at me, then dove into the refrigerator for a bottle of it.
“Here’s a pan and some flour.” A blond man set the pan on the stovetop, then a bag of flour onto the counter. “Name’s Myles, right winger, in case you forgot.”
“Thanks. I remember all your faces, but you know.” With a shrug, I got to work scooping the meat juices into the pan and heating it. So far, so good. No one was giving me any shit.
Archer strode out from the hallway. “Hey, guys. When’s dinner? I’m starved after that game.”
“And your head injury?” With smirk, Jonah licked mashed potatoes off the spoon.
Flashing a glance at me, Archer said, “I don’t have a head injury.”
With a twinge in my chest, I stirred a water and flour mixture, then poured it into the pan. I knew there was no way he got out of that fall without hurting himself.
“I cleared the concussion assessment. I’m fine.” Planting his hands on his hips, Archer stepped to me. “Don’t scare Leo like that.” He wrapped an arm around my waist. “Leo was all worried about me when I found him outside the arena.”
“Damn right I was. You should have seen how pissed off I was at that asshole who hit you.” I stirred the now bubbling gravy.
“Maybe we should have let Leo out on the ice.” Ace chuckled. “But the problem wasn’t the hit, it was Bergman cuffing Archer in the knee with his stick.”
“Shit, how is your knee?” I glanced at him. He hadn’t been limping at all.
“It’s fine. The asshole caught the edge of my pad, so now I have a weird bruise.” He kissed my cheek and wagged his brows. “I’ll show it to you later.”
All the guys yelled, “Oh…” Mason whistled. “Damn, Archer, way to make us all jealous.”
“Shut up.” With a grin playing on his lips, Archer’s cheeks pinked. “Are we ready to eat yet?”
“I’m ready.” Ace set his carving knife and fork down next to the slices of meat. “Come and get it, Angie.” He smirked at me.
Oh, here we go. With a shake of my head, I freed a soft chuckle. I wasn’t expecting it out of Ace. Jonah? Yes. I strained the gravy into a bowl. “Yeah, I deserve that.”
Jonah grabbed a plate next to me and spooned mashed potatoes onto it. “But you will come out eventually, right?”
“I will.” I just had to figure out how. Plating my food, I glanced at Archer, smiling at me. “What?”
“Nothing.” He set a few slices of pot roast onto his plate.