What Are The Chances (Phil-U #2)

52 She’s all I’d ever seen

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

She’s all I’d ever seen

WILL

I was outside with the team, sitting around a bonfire that was nowhere near warm enough tonight.

Ryan had bounced from the group chat quickly to find Parker. Rumour was he still hadn’t sealed the whole deal and was getting edgy. Props to Parker for making him work for it.

My only worry was that the second he got what he wanted, he’d lose interest. That wouldn’t bode well with my progress with Riley. Not that I could consider myself making serious headway when I hadn’t spoken to her tonight. It’s just, I knew there was a conversation we needed to have. And with the odds equally as high that she’d cut and run, I was pretty fucking nervous.

“Do you want another beer?” Tripp asked.

“Nah, I’m good.”

I had a lunch meeting with the GM of the Bobcats tomorrow and I couldn’t be hungover. I’d drunk enough for a bit of liquid courage though. Before that wore off, I should find Riley.

When Levi rose to head inside, I jumped on the bandwagon and followed him. He headed straight for the kitchen where Grace, Lana and Riley were.

Grace’s eyes lit up when he appeared, the same way Levi’s did whenever Hughesy walked into a room. I was envious of what they had. Envious that Grace made the effort to learn about hockey and come to Levi’s games. Envious that he went to all of her home meets and live streamed the ones he couldn’t get to. Envious that she hadn’t slept in her dorm once since returning on New Year’s Eve. Envious that she loved Levi enough to commit to moving to Colorado with him after graduation.

I was happy for my friend, don’t get me wrong, but things had shifted when Levi met Grace. I’d always known him to be as obsessed with hockey as me. Then all of a sudden, he wasn’t. Suddenly he had something bigger in his life, which made me realise I didn’t.

But I could.

And that someone was sitting right there, her eyes soft as she watched Levi wrap his arms around Grace’s shoulders.

Lana hopped off her barstool and pulled me in for a quick hug. “Hey, Will.”

I didn’t need to crouch as far with Lana. She was quite tall. I’d missed catching her before the game. Her flight hadn’t arrived in time to see her before we were due to board the bus.

“Why’s my nemesis here?” she asked me.

I frowned. “Nemesis?”

Levi levelled his sister with a suspicious glare. “You don’t go to school here, Lana. You can’t have a nemesis.”

Grace chuckled quietly. “She’s talking about Summer.”

Levi’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s a good question. I don’t know who would’ve invited her.”

“One of her friends is dating Maxwell,” I filled in.

At least that’s what she told me last Saturday night when she cornered me at Lastlings.

A fleeting grim expression crossed Levi’s face. “Looks like I’ll be having a few words with our goalie.”

Grace tenderly patted her boyfriend’s chest. “Calm down, caveman. Maxwell can date whoever he wants.”

I didn’t blame Levi for wanting Summer kept at a safe distance. She was the one who’d taken it upon herself to fill Grace in on the bet Levi had made with Ryker. While it was undoubtably Levi’s fault for agreeing to the dumb bet in the first place, it wasn’t Summer’s news to share, and she hadn’t out of the goodness of her heart. She’d done it to stir drama. I didn’t like girls like that.

Parker and Ryan rolled into the room, each of their cheeks rosy from alcohol.

“Oh my god,” Lana gasped, her jaw dropping dramatically. “I love your jacket.”

Parker was wearing a satin green bomber jacket, which certainly drew your eye. Parker and Lana instantly hit it off, delving into an in-depth conversation about fashion the rest of us immediately checked out of. Levi and Grace entered their own little world, their faces close to each other. And Ryan bailed to find Tripp.

That left Riley and me.

I caught her eye and subtly gestured over my shoulder. With everyone else distracted, nobody watched me take her hand and lead her out of the kitchen and then upstairs.

After unlocking my bedroom, I tugged Riley in behind me then nudged the door closed. The music was partially subdued, but it wasn’t drowned out entirely.

Riley paced around the room, wandering as though it was the first time she’d been in here. I guess she’d been too drunk to snoop last time. I couldn’t say it was all that different to how it had been in freshman year.

She was still dressed in the training gear she’d worn to the game. I eyed her black leggings and the way they moulded around her ass. The same ass that had ground against me earlier when I had her bent over the therapy table.

Riley picked a framed picture off my dresser. It had been taken in the locker rooms after our championship win last year. Levi and I were still in our uniforms, holding the championship cup between us. Tripp and Ryan were sitting by our feet, grinning ecstatically with their bare chests covered in sweat.

Riley smiled fondly. “You look so happy.” She set the frame down before facing me. “I’ve never seen you smile like that.”

“Sure you have.”

I’d definitely smiled at her the same way. There were only two things in the world that really brought me that kind of joy – Riley and hockey. I prayed to all hell they could coexist.

Riley paced towards me. Reaching for the zip of my hockey jacket, she slowly tugged it down until it was fully open. After pushing it off my shoulders, she began unbuttoning my dress shirt. I should put a stop to this so we could talk, but that was easier said than done. I’d never been capable of turning Riley away. I craved her too much.

I was still wearing my suit jacket. It didn’t seem to be in Riley’s way though. With enough unclasped buttons she pushed open my dress shirt then ran her warm hands over my abdomen. I shivered beneath her touch.

“I like your tattoos,” she told me, her eyes glimmering in admiration. “Are you getting any more?”

My voice came out thick. “Maybe.”

I wasn’t one to get a tattoo just for the sake of a tattoo. Each one had a meaning, which was a challenge given how many I had. They generally linked back to hockey, or my friends, or my family. There were some for Riley too, whether I’d realised it at the time or not .

A black and white sunflower – the same flower I’d bought Riley on our first date after learning they were her favourite. A half-moon – the same shape it had been the night Riley told me she loved me for the first time. Here’s hoping no future girlfriends asked me about them.

Hell, who was I fucking kidding? I didn’t see any future girlfriends on the horizon. All I saw was Riley. She’s all I’d ever seen.