31 Not going there again
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Not going there again
RILEY
The track was quiet this morning, like every other morning. My breath puffed out white clouds as I worked through my stretches. The grass beneath my feet was icy as I jumped on the spot. Getting out of bed had been hard this morning. On days like this I questioned my personal running goals.
Snow was forecast to arrive in the coming days. It had made a brief appearance before Christmas, just enough to coat the windowsills and make it feel magical. Unfortunately that magic hadn’t followed to dad’s house and his stifling formal lunch.
A hand clamped over my shoulder, startling me. I think I squealed. It was hard to tell. My headphones were practically on full blast.
I sharply turned, my anxious gaze landing on Grace. She held her arms up in innocence. With my hand over my heart I let out a relieved exhale, slipping out my headphones and dropping them into the pocket of my running jacket.
“Sorry,” Grace apologised. “I didn’t realise you had headphones in.”
“It’s all good.”
Dad had always cautioned me about running with headphones. Case in point, anyone could sneak up on you. Luckily Grace wasn’t exactly threatening.
“You can’t blame jetlag this time,” I said. “What’s up?”
“A grumpy boyfriend,” Grace moaned. “They lost last night. Levi didn’t stop tossing and turning.” She bounced on the spot, swinging her arms back and forth. “Do you mind if I keep you company this morning? ”
“Of course not. Company would be nice actually.”
We set off at a slow pace, each of our muscles taking doubly as long to warm up. It was impossible imagining a time when I ran the same track in shorts and a crop.
On our second lap we picked up the pace a little, though I was happy to keep it steady today. Hopefully Grace was on the same page.
On the third lap she broke the silence. “What are you doing tonight?”
I remained silent for a pause while I recalled the day. Friday. Unlike most college students, I had no plans.
“Nothing.”
“Want to come for drinks? It’s Stella’s birthday. We’re going to Lastlings.”
Grace picked up on my hesitation.
“The hockey team has an away game,” she hurriedly added. “So I can promise you there won’t be any exes in sight.”
I chuckled. This girl knew how to win me over. And what the hell. Drinks sounded fun.
“Count me in. Do you mind if I bring my friend, Parker?”
“Of course not. The more the merrier.”
We finished the run in a comfortable silence.
*
I stirred my drink with my straw, mixing the tonic and vodka together. Coming tonight was the right call. It had been a fun night so far. And with the hockey team playing away, it was also safe territory.
Parker got along well with Grace and her friends, and Grace’s Australian friend Ava was hilarious.
Parker had dressed me tonight. Though my high-waisted jeans and cropped sweater were more casual than her black skirt and strappy heels, this was fancy for me. I’d convinced her to let me wear my high-top black Converse instead of heeled boots. Fortunately, as she’d informed me, sneakers were in. Otherwise it would’ve been a hell no .
After Stella complimented my top and I gave all credit to Parker, Stella had explained she styled her friends too. Stella and Parker had then preceded to make digs at our ‘sporty girl’ wardrobes and were now down a rabbit hole about brands I knew I’d never be able to afford, which I was okay with. Gucci and Versace did nothing for me. Not that I would ever say that out loud to Parker. She’d never speak to me again.
Grace frowned at her phone.
“Everything okay?” Ava checked .
“One of the hockey girlfriends went to the away game and just text. We’re down four-one, and Will is serving a five-minute major so it’s more than likely going to be five-one soon.”
That surprised me. Will didn’t serve penalties. He was too clean as a player, and he never took part in the scrimmages unless it was for a valid reason.
Grace set down her phone. “Luckily we had a strong start to the season because we’ve been struggling lately.”
Ava snickered. “Look at you. You’re a full hockey WAG.”
Grace shrugged. “It’s about to become my entire life. I’ve got to get used to it.”
Our attention was pulled to raucous laughter across the bar. Lastlings had recently installed a mechanical bull, which had gathered quite the crowd. For the most part, girls tended to ride it and guys tended to watch. I might be tipsy, but not tipsy enough for that.
Stella signalled down the bartender. “Can we get a round of tequila shots please? It’s my birthday and we’re way too sober.”
The thought of tequila made me shudder. But hey, I hadn’t had a night out like this in a long time. And I was having a lot of fun.
“Riley’s the best hockey teacher,” Parker told Grace. “She’s obsessed with the game.”
I nervously laughed her comment off. I didn’t want her blowing my cover.
Ava leaned closer to me. “Grace mentioned you dated Will. What’s he like? I swear I’ve never seen the guy smile.”
Grace came to Will’s defence. “He smiles.”
“To his friends, maybe. But whenever you see him at parties or out he’s always, like, dark and mysterious.”
I chuckled. Dark and mysterious was new. But I understood what she meant. Unlike Levi, Tripp and Ryan, I considered Will to be more reserved in the sense that he saved his full self for the people he was closest to. He didn’t bathe in the hockey limelight or commit to being an on-campus personality. But there was a lot more to him than being dark and mysterious. He was caring, smart, funny when he wanted to be... and I needed to stop listing off his good qualities while I was drunk.
“Dark and mysterious is hot,” Parker said.
“Totally,” Stella agreed.
“Hey.” Grace nudged my foot beneath the table. “Who’s the guy with the slicked back hair? He hasn’t taken his eyes off you.”
I discreetly checked over my shoulder.
Hayes was standing amongst a group of soccer players. When he caught my eye and waved, it wasn’t simply a friendly gesture. The way he held my gaze and subtly licked his lips was suggestive.
“Hayes Braddock,” I answered .
Parker added tea to the story. “Riley fucked him.”
Stella brought her straw to her lips. “It looks like he’s ready to go round two.”
I shook my head. “Nope. Definitely not going there again.”
The tequila shots arrived.
Stella handed her phone to a passer-by to record us all and post it on her Story. Then before I knew it, one shot had turned into two, then three, then four. And I was having a hard time counting beyond that.