2. Chapter 2
The buzzer rings, and I jump out of my seat on the bleachers. High fives fly everywhere as we celebrate. The Springbrook High Gladiators are going to the State Hockey Championships for the fifteenth year in a row.
Hes definitely making it pro, Emma yells into my ear as we make our way out of the stands and into the lobby area to wait for the players.
Shes not wrong about my boyfriend, Cole Thorne. He is the star defenseman for the Gladiators and is destined for the NHL. Theres nothing he wants more. Weve been inseparable since we were in diapers, and hes been hooked on hockey since we started skating lessons together as toddlers. I cant remember a time when he wasnt on the ice.
Emma is not a hockey fan but sticks it out with me every home game. She wears a matching jersey, though mine has Thorne written on the back. We find a spot to wait for the players in the warm lobby. Our friend Olivia takes a seat with us.
What are you two going to do next year? Emma asks me as she releases her black curls from her hat and peels her gloves off, revealing her beautiful brown skin. Cole will be a few hours away at the University of Michigan. Are you guys doing the long-distance thing?
Thats the plan. Cole wants to play in the NCAA and get drafted in two years. Its a short drive. We can make it work for that little while.
Olivia studies me skeptically with her blue eyes. Her long, silvery blond hair looks perfect under her hat, and I feel mine sticking up everywhere when I take mine off.
You know college isnt like our small-town high school. There will be a ton of girls there, drooling all over him. A pro hockey player is a top catch, she tells me with a hint of a sneer.
All I can do is shrug. Olivas words echo what Ive been saying to myself for months. Were close to graduating high school and have one summer to savor before reality hits.
My day-to-day life wont change too much. Im attending a local community college in our small town in Western Michigan. I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. My family doesnt have the money to throw at a university while I figure it out. Cole will be moving on to a completely different life. I will lose the person who means everything to me, and I must prepare myself for that.
I stare at the floor, lost in my thoughts and barely noticing that players are starting to pour into the waiting area from the locker room until a pair of sneakers comes into view. I look up into the smiling face of Coles best friend, Foster Holland. His shoulder-length brown hair is hanging down wet, and his rich, brown eyes are smiling at me.
I jump out of my seat to wrap my arms around him. That was a great game. What a beautiful goal. You skated circles around those guys.
He wraps his long arms around me and plasters me to his hard chest.
Thanks. Are you coming to celebrate with us tonight? He asks when I break away from the hug.
Before I can answer, Olivia steps in. All three of us will be there.
Good, I cant wait to see you there, Foster gives me a wink, completely ignoring Olivia.
While I watch Foster walk away, Im suddenly being lifted off my feet by solid arms, much thicker than Fosters. I turn my face to meet Coles sparkling blue eyes.
Hi baby, that was a great game, I tell him.
I know, he smiles and gives me a quick kiss.
I scrunch my nose at him. You need a shower.
His laughter shakes me from behind before he sets me back on the ground. Youre right. Im going to head home and get ready. Ill pick you up at eight. We can grab something to eat before the party.
I nod my agreement. He and Foster head out of the arena, discussing the game theyd just played.
The girls at Michigan will be lucky with those two on campus, Olivia says, grating on my nerves again. Weve been friends since middle school, but I wont be sad to leave her toxicity behind when we graduate.
A countdown begins in my head, with only five months until everything changes.
Music blares around me as bodies grind together on a makeshift dance floor in Coach Wards large living room. I stand to the side, sipping my bottle of hard cider, and try to escape the chaos.
Emma and Olivia are both out there dancing and having a great time. I look past them to the open kitchen, where I can make out Cole and a few of his teammates playing a card game while doing shots. I watch him laugh and have a good time with them, and I feel a little self-conscious.
Im like a troll next to Cole. His height dwarfs me, and theres never a golden blond lock on his head thats out of place. My wavy hair is a darker, almost muddy blond and is hard to tame. His eyes are the baby blue people swoon over. Mine are nearly gray instead of blue. He takes pride in his appearance, even when watching movies on the couch. I can pull myself together but usually prefer my worn, comfortable jeans and a T-shirt. To those on the outside, we are mismatched, but to us, we make perfect sense.
A finger boops my nose and takes my attention away from watching my boyfriend, and I turn to the guy standing next to me. A big smile stretches my face when I focus on Foster. His brown hair is now clean and dry, sweeping almost to his shoulders. His warm chocolate eyes take me in, and I notice a smear of red lipstick across his mouth. I giggle at him.
Hey there beautiful, what are you doing in the corner by yourself? he asks me.
Parties arent exactly my scene.
Then why are you here?
I tilt my head to Cole, partying it up across the room.
Yeah, the golden boy needs the attention of his adoring fans. His voice is heavy with sarcasm, confusing me.
Foster moved to Springbrook the summer before our freshman year. He and Cole had become fast friends, bonding over their love of hockey and other boy stuff. Foster has always been easygoing and happy, so his caustic tone catches me off guard.
I see that youve been having fun tonight, I point out to him.
He gives me a blank look, clearly not understanding what I mean. I run my fingers across his plump bottom lip, collecting the lipstick trail, and show it to him. I am unprepared for the zing of heat that the somewhat intimate gesture stirs inside me.
He looks down at my thumb, and I swear I think I see him blush.
The pink in his cheeks quickly disappears, and he gives me a lopsided grin. What can I say? The ladies love me.
Im aware that youre a manwhore.
He winces, Ouch! I prefer the term ladies man. And I never lead anyone on. They know what theyre getting with me.
I cant deny that hes right. Ive heard the girls talk, and Foster has a reputation for being a giver in bed and never making a long-term commitment. None of them were complaining.
In my defense, he continues, that lipstick was not my doing. Your friend Olivia is on the prowl and wont take no for an answer. He gives an exaggerated shudder.
So, its okay for you, but not a girl to go after what she wants? I challenge him.
He puts his arms up in surrender, Im not saying its wrong for her to get it, but when someone says no, you back off. You dont smash your lips into theirs and expect them to be somehow grateful. Consent is key.
I can agree with that. I look over to my friend, whos now rubbing herself all over another hockey player. Olivia is very pretty, with platinum hair that is perfectly straightened and styled. Shes petite and curvy in a way that guys seem to like. My figure resembles a stick with arms, legs, and a head. Shed be the perfect accessory on Cole or Fosters arm.
Why dont you like her? Shes hot, I ask, curiosity getting the best of me.
He shrugs, Shes cute, but her attitude isnt. Believe it or not, I notice things like that. The way she talks to people makes her unattractive.
Im intrigued and want to know more, but loud shouting from the other room has us both looking.
Foster, get over here. We need another player, Cole yells from the kitchen. Foster gestures to let him know hes coming, then turns around and stares at me thoughtfully.
Cole is lucky that youre so supportive of him. You go to all his games and suffer through all these things you dont enjoy. Dont let him take you for granted, pretty girl. I wont hesitate to sweep in and make sure youre appreciated.
And with that bomb dropped, he turns and disappears into the crowd.
After Foster leaves me, I check in on my friends. I spot Emma dancing, but Olivia is nowhere to be seen. I reach Emma and yell in her ear.
Wheres Liv? I ask her.
Went upstairs with some guy. Shell be fine.
I nod, Im going to head outside and get some air for a minute. You okay?
Yeah, if Cole is looking for you, Ill let him know, she tells me, returning to grinding on a vaguely familiar-looking guy.
Thanks.
I leave her to get back to her dance partner and slip out the door to a sprawling deck overlooking a backyard full of trees. There looks to be furniture, a bar, and a fire pit out here, but theyre covered with tarps. A few people are scattered about, so I take the stairs to find a more secluded spot to hide away and recharge.
Leaning against the back of the house, I look out at the forest of trees and catch a whiff of smoke in the air. Theres a man-shaped shadow out there, and its coming closer. I panic a little, not sure its wise to be out here alone with someone I dont know.
The shadow comes closer, and a raspy voice says, Dont worry, Im not going to hurt you.
The tone is anything but reassuring.
Yeah, because someone whos going to hurt you is going to give you a heads-up first, I snark at him.
The man chuckles and steps a little closer. The cherry at the end of his cigarette flares up, and he steps into the light from above the deck. My breath catches. His face is still half in shadow, but I can see his black hair flopping over into his face and one light-colored eye taking me in. His cigarette perches on a pair of full lips, and a tattooed hand comes up and grabs it before snuffing it out on the ground. This guy is obviously not a high school student.
Why did you wander away from all that? he asks, motioning to the house above us.
Too many people.
He nods in understanding.
Why are you here? I ask him.
This is my house, he answers, surprising me.
Now I remember who he is. Hes Talon Ward, the coachs son. He graduated two years ago and had a bad boy reputation around the school. There were rumors always going around about him getting caught smoking pot on school grounds. There was even one that said he got into a fight with the quarterback after he saw Talon getting a blowjob from his girlfriend. If I remember correctly, there was something about the schools secretary.
I better get back inside and find my boyfriend, I say, heading back up the stairs.
Dont let me scare you off, Kitten. I promise I dont bite.
Kitten? I ask him, abruptly turning back to him.
Hes moved closer now. I can smell the smoke on his clothes and his woodsy cologne.
Youre all fluffy and cute, but I think youve got some claws under there somewhere, he says, tucking some of my curly hair behind my ear. I can see his eyes clearer now. Theyre a mesmerizing green.
I feel like a deer caught in the headlights, staring at this man. Hes quite a few inches taller than me, though not as tall as Cole or Foster, with a lean body. Black tattoos cover both his arms, from his t-shirt sleeves to his hands.
I was just about to head up to my room. You could come and show me just how sharp your claws are, Talons voice is a low rumble, sending chills down my spine. I cant take my eyes away from his as I try to come up with why I need to tell him no.
Blake, are you out here? I hear Cole call from the deck above us. It makes me jump and breaks the spell Talon has on me.
Uh…I got to go, I mumble out and hurry up the stairs, and Talons dark chuckle follows me.
My body is on fire, and my mind is so confused.