Chapter 6
Six
Logan
“Logan! What are you still doing here?”
I glance up from my pesto chicken cooking on the stove top, only to find Lexi and Willow walking through the front door. Both of them are staring at me a little dumbfoundedly, and I frown while motioning toward the pan in front of me.
“Uh, I’m making dinner. What does it look like?”
Lexi rolls her eyes. “Thank you for stating the obvious. Why are you still here making dinner?”
Has she lost her goddamn mind sometime between leaving for class this morning and now?
“Well, humans kinda need to eat in order to survive, Lex,” I say slowly.
“But it’s Thursday. Shouldn’t you be at the game?”
“The game?”
I catch Willow’s smug little smirk from the corner of my eye, meanwhile Lexi looks like she’s ready to smack me upside the head for being so dense.
“Uh, yeah. Camden’s hockey game. They’re playing at home tonight, and you’re dressed like you’re about to go upstairs and binge the next season of some anime instead.”
“Actually, I have some work to get done for class,” I say, the words coming out a little defensive.
Granted, I was planning to have an anime on while I worked—probably restart Sword Art Online—but I choose to keep that bit of information to myself.
Pressing my tongue against my cheek, I quickly pull up the calendar app on my phone, swiping to where I’ve integrated Camden’s schedule into mine.
There are study sessions in the library, and the list of home games I’m able to attend with his reserved family tickets.
But since I need to finish up some drawing pages for a critique next week, and I have a test in calc coming up, I don’t have any games marked to attend until November.
My attention returns to the girls, and I shake my head while pocketing my phone again.
“And according to my schedule, I’m not supposed to go to the game tonight.”
“Not supposed to?” Willow echoes at the same time Lexi exclaims, “What the hell does that mean?”
I raise my hands in front of me at their reactions. “Jesus, I don’t know! Maybe that I don’t have to go to every single home game just because the guy I’m seeing is on the hockey team?”
Ugh. I can’t even bring myself to say dating yet, despite the deal very clearly stating so. It’s something I’m gonna have to ease myself into.
Willow and Lexi share a look—one that very clearly reads something along the lines of God, boys can be so dumb—before Willow arches a brow in my direction.
“I hate to break it to you, Loge, but that’s exactly what it means.”
“Plus, don’t you want to be there to support him?” Lexi tacks on, her gaze equally confused and imploring.
Fuck.
She makes a good point. A real boyfriend would be at every game possible regardless of how much he hates being there, and if that’s what I’m pretending to be, then I should probably take what she’s saying to heart.
I just don’t think I have it in me to tackle this particular hurdle yet.
“I have work to get done, Lex. And it’s only one game.”
“Yeah, but it’s the rivalry game against Blackmore,” she reasons, crossing the kitchen toward me. “And besides, you and I both know you can easily knock out whatever work you have over the weekend. Which means you can go support your guy tonight.”
I do my best not to wince at her calling him my guy, and instead focus on yet another way out of this situation. One that, even if I did want to go, would be an issue.
“It might be too late. I don’t have a ticket to the game, and Camden probably doesn’t have his phone on him to ask for one.”
She pins me with a look. “Your uncle would. You know, their coach? So use the little bit of nepotism you’ve got, call him, and I’m sure he’d get you in.”
“Oh, and make sure he gets two extras,” Willow chimes in from across the island, a devilish grin on her face. “I haven’t been to a hockey game in years.”
I stare at the two of them as they wait patiently for me to put their well-thought-out plan into action. Which, unfortunately, seems to be my only option at this point.
With a sigh, I pull my phone back out, scrolling until I find my uncle’s contact.
“You two are relentless,” I grumble indignantly as I lift it to my ear.
With every ring, I pray he doesn’t have his phone on him or he puts me through to voicemail. But apparently the universe is hell-bent on making me a hockey fan tonight, because he answers on the fourth ring.
“Logan? What’s going on?”
“Hey, Uncle Trevor,” I say, grimacing. “I have a favor to ask.”
“I can’t get over how good these seats are.”
I glance over at Lexi, who has been grinning from ear to ear since we set foot in Leighton’s hockey arena twenty minutes ago. Willow, who is on her other side, nods in agreement.
“I don’t think I’ve ever sat this close.”
Rolling my eyes, I mutter, “Glad the two of you are enjoying yourselves.”
Lexi shoves my shoulder, and I instantly bark out a sharp, “Hey!”
“Well, would you quit being such a sourpuss? We’re basically front row to watch your boyfriend kick some Blackmore ass, and you’re acting like you’d rather swallow a pair of rusty kitchen scissors.”
Oh, if only she knew how accurate that sentiment is.
If I can be grateful for anything, it’s my uncle actually having three tickets to give me. Being here with the two of them is a helluva lot better than being here alone.
“Just because I’m dating a hockey player doesn’t mean I’m over all…this,” I say, gesturing vaguely around the arena.
I don’t try to explain more, but I know I don’t have to.
Lexi gets it. One of the many things she and I bonded over was the curse of older siblings becoming professional athletes; hers in the MLB and mine in the NHL.
Their success tends to sour the whole experience, though I’m fully aware I’m much more cynical about it than she is.
“It’s definitely not easy, that’s for sure,” Willow muses, her gaze fixed on the players doing these weird cat-like stretches on the rink.
I blink a couple times, looking at her with confusion until…
“You know, sometimes I forget your brother played college football,” I tell her.
“And apparently that my brother-in-law still plays professionally for New England,” she teases, a little smirk on her lips. “Though, I don’t know how you’d forget the reason I avoid athletes like the plague.”
I scoff. “Oh, I get it. And believe me, you’re preaching to the choir.”
“Not anymore, apparently,” Lexi chimes in, grinning. “Now you’re a turncoat, just like me.”
I don’t miss the way Willow watches me intently, like she just caught me slipping up. Which, come to think of it, she kinda did.
Shit.
Camden’s right. If anyone is gonna blow our cover, it’s me. Which means I gotta step it up a notch and make this relationship believable.
“No, yeah. You’re right,” I amend quickly with a tight smile. “Guess I found the right person to break the rule for.”
“Should we all be so lucky,” deadpans Willow, causing Lexi to laugh.
The light and airy sound wraps around my heart and squeezes like a vise, and fucking Christ, I need to get a goddamn grip. This is just embarrassing.
“It’s not all that bad, you know; dating an athlete,” she says, oblivious to my internal chiding. “You just gotta get past the trauma of being related to one. After that, it becomes pretty fun.”
Yeah, unfortunately, my trauma is a lifetime’s worth. Multiple generations’ worth. That’s not the easiest thing to forget.
“You say that like it’s nothing.”
She shrugs. “I mean, when I first started dating Wyatt, it was definitely hard. Baseball was so tainted by Keene and his success for a long time. And unlike you and Oakley, I have a pretty good relationship with my brother.”
I nod before asking the million-dollar question.
“What changed?”
I ask more out of morbid curiosity than seeking helpful advice, and the second she goes to answer—practically beaming as she speaks—I wish I would’ve kept my damn mouth shut. And that’s before I hear the words that leave her mouth.
“Honestly? The love I feel for Wyatt wound up being stronger than the hatred and resentment for baseball.”
My stomach churns, and I force my expression to remain neutral, especially when the heat of Willow’s gaze falls on the side of my face.
There’s no chance I’m giving up an inkling of the dejection it causes me to hear about her being in love with another guy.
I’m already in too deep for my house of lies to come tumbling down around me.
“Oh! I think Camden’s spotted you,” Lexi exclaims, snapping me from my dissociative state back into reality.
Blinking a couple times, I find her waving in the direction of the rink, only to find Camden waiting there, lifting his gloved hand in a wave back.
Lexi nudges me with her elbow and whispers, “Go down there!”
I’m about to ask why I’d do that before I’m knocked upside the head with some common sense and think better of it.
“Yeah, uh… I’ll be right back.”
Pushing out of my seat, I head down the few steps to where Camden is waiting on the other side of the plexiglass. His sandy hair is already damp with sweat, appearing almost brown, and sticking up haphazardly from pulling his helmet on and off.
He smiles when I reach him, but there’s a bit of confusion in his gaze as I approach.
“Hey, I didn’t think you were coming tonight,” he says, voice slightly muffled through the glass.
I offer the best smile I can manage, but I know it’s gotta look more like a grimace. “I was not-so-subtly reminded that a good boyfriend would be at all your games, so…here I am.”
Camden’s gaze slices behind me, to where Lexi and Willow are seated, before finding mine again. Sympathy swirls in his blue irises now, clearly coming to a conclusion relatively close to the truth.
“I’m sorry. I know how much you probably hate being here.”
I shrug, feigning indifference. “It’s fine. I know it’s what I signed up for.”
It’s just gonna take a lot of getting used to.
He nods and wets his lips, about to say something when he stops himself. His eyes narrow slightly as he stares at me, only for a disbelieving chuckle to leave him.
“Is that my hoodie?”
I look down at the navy-blue Leighton hoodie I’m wearing, wondering how the hell he could’ve possible known it was his…until I notice the small #91 stitched into the front pocket.
Well, shit.
My lips roll inward, realizing there’s no way I can play this one off, so instead, I offer the truth.
“Ah, yeah. The girls insisted I wear school branded apparel, but I didn’t have anything warm enough.
Which made Willow suggest raiding your closet for something,” I explain, self-consciously fiddling with one of the sleeves.
“I, uh, would’ve asked, but you were already gone and… um, I can take it off if that’s not—”
“No, no,” he interrupts, saving me from making a fool of myself more than I already have. “You should keep it. For the other games, I mean.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. It looks good on you,” he says, a mischievous smirk on his lips. “Maybe next time I’ll get you one of my jerseys to wear over it.”
I scoff and roll my eyes. “Is this some kind of weird jock possessiveness thing?”
“Oh, absolutely.” Camden’s gaze shifts away briefly at the sound of his last name being called, only to return a moment later. “Hey, I gotta get moving, but I’ll see you after the game?”
It comes out more like a question than a statement, so I nod, and he smiles again.
“Great. Thanks for coming, Little Reed.”
“Yeah. Good luck. Get a hat-trick, or whatever,” I say awkwardly, pulling out the only hockey term I know by heart. Unfortunately, it has his smile morphing into a cheeky grin, tugging at the corner of his mouth, and I know I’ve made a mistake.
“Gonna be a little hard to do the scoring when I’m stuck in the goal, but I’ll do my best.”
Ah. Right.
He taps on the glass separating us a couple times before popping his mouthguard back in and gliding away.
A few girls screech as he skates along the boards toward their bench, one going as far as shouting out his name to get his attention.
He ignores them all, from what I can tell, continuing over to where Uncle Trevor has the team gathered at their bench.
Wait, box? Bin?
Ugh, fuck if I know.
I drop back into my seat beside Lexi, who lets out a little hum—one of her tell-tale signs of irritation—and I glance over to find her staring in the direction of Camden and his teammates. Or maybe it’s the girls all shouting at them from our side of the glass that have caught her attention.
“What’s wrong?”
Her eyes land on me a few moments later, and she huffs.
“I just hate knowing you’re gonna be subjected to all these crazy girls who are only showing up to get Camden to notice them.
Who won’t care that he’s in a relationship.
It’s one part of dating Wyatt I absolutely hated, but the hockey girls are so much worse. ”
“Pretty sure they’re called puck bunnies, Lex,” Willow supplies from her other side.
“I don’t care what they’re called. I care that they’re not going to respect his and Logan’s relationship by throwing themselves at him.”
I arch a brow at her choice of words. “Does that happen a lot?”
“It can.”
“But, I mean, you trusted Wyatt,” I hedge slowly, having no idea where I’m going with this. “Like, to not, uh, do anything? Cheat or entertain it or whatever.”
“Oh, without question. But it was still annoying or frustrating sometimes.” Her features soften, empathy appearing in her hazel eyes. “Sorry. I’m not trying to be a downer. I just don’t like seeing them act like that toward someone who is in a relationship.”
“They probably don’t even know. It’s not like it’s been broadcast that we’re together,” I reason feebly. “I mean, it’s still…really new.”
“Doesn’t make it better,” she rebuts instantly, but I just shrug and start fiddling with the bottom hem of Camden’s hoodie.
“Then I guess it’s a good thing I’m not the jealous type.”
Unless we’re counting the guy who has you.
Willow scoffs, pulling my attention to her. “Must be nice to be so evolved.”
“Perks of being a man,” Lexi shoots back immediately, only for both their assessing gazes to slide over to me.
I immediately raise my hands in mock surrender, knowing this is a battle I’ll never win.
“Fuck the patriarchy, I know. You don’t have to tell me twice.”
“Good. I’ve taught you well.” A smug little grin graces Lexi’s features, only for her to hold out her hand, palm up. “Now, give me your phone.”
“Why?”
“Because I know you, Logan. You’re here to watch the game, not anime on your phone.”
Willow cackles from her seat, making zero effort to hide her amusement, as I begrudgingly pull my phone out and place it in Lexi’s waiting palm.
This is gonna be the longest hockey game of my fucking life.