26 What a coincidence
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
What a coincidence
RILEY
I’d consider tonight a success. Allentown had lost in overtime, which wasn’t ideal, but Tanner and I had successfully dodged dad and I’d successfully dodged Will and his friends. I had to take the wins where I got them.
Lucas had decided he needed to burn off steam after the loss. Not one to turn down a night of partying, Marnie and Brooklyn had talked us all into heading to a new nightclub in town.
Nightclubs were my least favourite. Overpriced drinks. Sleazy guys. Techno music. The list went on.
I sat in the booth beside Tanner, doing my best to catch-up with him over the loud music. He’d already moved past tonight’s game. While the team had lost, he’d played incredibly well, scoring both of Allentown’s goals. He was a pro at moving on from a game, unlike Will who could let bad games or even bad parts of games ruin the entire night. I’d learnt early on in our relationship never to plan a date night after a hockey game.
Tanner leant forward, reaching into his pocket. Dad’s name flashed across his phone screen, dulling the mood. Tanner and I had purposely scattered to avoid a run in with dad. I’d managed to locate him just as the second period started. He’d kept his gaze laser-focussed on Tanner, even when Tanner was on the bench.
Moments like those, I understood why Tanner hadn’t declared. But I hated that dad had that power over Tanner’s life. My brother belonged on the ice. A shitty parent shouldn’t have the power to take that away .
The moment Tanner’s phone stopped ringing, mine began. I felt bad ignoring it. He was still our dad. But now wasn’t the time. I literally wouldn’t be able to hear him even if I answered.
“I’m going to get another drink,” Tanner announced, slipping out of the booth. “You want one?”
I eyed my empty vodka and tonic. I was already feeling slightly buzzed, but I also didn’t want to sober up. This place would be unbearable if I did.
“Sure. I’m running to the bathroom though. I’ll meet you back here.”
I didn’t bother asking Marnie or Brooklyn to come with me. Marnie was practically in Lucas’s lap, kissing away his boo-boos from the game, and Brooklyn was typing out a lengthy goodnight message to Edge.
I joined the end of the toilet line, which was much too long for my liking. Another con in the club column.
Just as I unlocked my phone to mindlessly scroll TikTok, a message came in. My breath suddenly went scarce as I studied the digits on the screen. While I didn’t have Will’s number saved, I could recite it like I could the alphabet.
WILL: Hi Dover.
RILEY: How did you get my number, Caufield?
I regretted replying the moment I hit send. I should’ve waited and given it some time. Now I looked overly eager, like I was waiting by my phone on a Saturday night.
WILL: Stole it from Hughesy. Can we talk?
RILEY: Can’t. I’m at a club.
That should shut him up .
WILL: What a coincidence.
I glanced around nervously, expecting to see him behind me, but of course he was bluffing. I hoped.
RILEY: You don’t do clubs.
WILL: And you don’t do hockey games. I guess we’ve both changed.
Damn. Clearly I hadn’t been as incognito at the game as I’d hoped.
WILL: Your tits look killer in that black dress BTW.
Hell, he mustn’t be bluffing. Ducking into the stall that became free, I kicked it closed and secured the lock in place. If it didn’t smell so foul in here, I’d be tempted to hide out all night. As it was, I could barely stomach it while I peed.
What were the chances? Of all the clubs in Philadelphia, Marnie and Brooklyn had to drag us to this one. And of all the Saturday nights I’d spent on the couch, I had to agree to come this time.
What was the universe playing at? It’s like it was purposely dangling Will in front of me to see if I could resist.
News flash – today was proof I couldn’t.
After hurriedly doing my business then washing my hands, I stepped back into the dim hallway. My new plan was to find my brother and friends and convince them to call it a night.
That plan was instantly shot to the ground though, because there was a looming hockey player waiting for me. In the warm club, Will was dressed in a plain white tee and jeans that fit his muscled legs perfectly. His tattoos appeared beneath the sleeve of his tee, dancing all the way down to the expensive watch strapped to his wrist .
“Tanner Holbeck, huh?” he mused.
I heaved a deep sigh. “We’re not dating, Caufield.”
“I’d sure fucking hope not. Not after the things we did today.”
The darkness of the nightclub hid the blush that crawled up my neck.
“Things that will never happen again,” I said.
“Uh-huh.”
“I mean it.”
Lowering his lips to my ear, Will whispered, “I need it to happen again.”
A shiver trailed down my spine, forcing me to place my palms on his hard chest to remain grounded.
“I’ve played two of my best games this week, and I think it has a lot to do with getting you off.”
His admission gave me the confidence I needed to shove him backwards. Not that he even budged. Of course this came back to hockey. It was always about hockey.
“No deal, Caufield.”
Will smiled. I hated when Will properly smiled because it was so infrequent that when he did, every axel shifted. His teeth were perfectly straight and perfectly white, and he had a slight dimple that appeared on his right cheekbone.
“Come on, Riley. I gave you three of the best orgasms of your life this week.”
“Do you want me to give you a hand job right now to even things up?”
“You know I don’t keep score, Dover.”
A challenge and a promise rolled into one.
Will had always been generous in that department. He always got me off first, and he never cared about how long it took. It was like my body was a hockey play he was trying to master, and he was a patient, persistent, perfectionist.
When two girls exited the bathroom, Will reached for my arm and tugged me closer so we wouldn’t be separated. His familiar cologne drifted off him, the combination of that and the unique scent of him muddling my senses. He smelt incredibly fresh in this seedy establishment.
This close to him, the air in this hallway was suddenly too stifling. I could barely see straight let alone think straight.
“Are you seeing anyone?” he asked.
I should’ve told him yes and saved face, but I didn’t have the capacity to lie about this.
Forcing myself to look up at him, I shook my head, causing the loose waves Brooklyn had curled into my hair to tumble over my shoulders. I didn’t return the question to Will because I couldn’t stomach the answer.
“Am I out of your system?” he checked .
I shook my head again.
“Good. Because you’ve never been out of mine.”
He was saying the right things, but they were also the wrong things. Mine and Will’s breakup had shaken my world. While he wasn’t proposing a relationship, there was no way my heart would get through this unscathed. We had too much history to attempt casual.
I somehow managed to mumble the words, “I should get back.”
Will nodded, but his hold on me didn’t waver. He stroked his thumb along my leg, where my outfit barely hit my mid-thigh. I instantly regretted the short black dress Marnie and Brooklyn had talked me into wearing. Turtlenecks and oversized sweats needed to be my new ammo around Will.
It wasn’t just sexual tension that clouded my judgement around him though. There was almost a tenderness that still existed, one that had developed over our relationship and one that only those closest to Will knew he possessed. He was protective, and attentive, and thoughtful, and understanding.
Despite us being a thing of a past, I knew those things still existed. If I was to tell Will a sleazy guy had hit on me, I knew he’d beat the guy to a pulp. That alone was justification to back out of this, because it would never be just sex with us. It was more complicated.
“I – I can’t do this again,” I whispered.
Slipping from his grasp while I still had the courage, I hurried away, feeling the heavy gaze of Will on me the entire time.