Chapter 12
JAMIE
The girls’ high-pitched cheering tapers off, leaving only the low groan of boos blaring from my phone’s speaker.
“This is completely unfair,” Tuck complains, his face filling my screen. “I’m outnumbered five to one! The rest of you guys should be on my and Hudson’s side! For fairness!”
Maddie, Scarlett, Harper, and their roommate Jasmine are all over at our house to watch Hudson’s team—the Toronto Maple Leafs—play Lane’s team, the Montreal Canadiens. It’s the first time two former teammates’ pro teams are facing off.
“No way,” Sebastian says, smiling at Tuck’s indignation. “We’re neutral observers.”
“I just wish both teams could win,” Carter says in a cheesy voice, drawing laughs. But not from Tuck, who’s still pouting.
Since Hudson and Lane’s teams playing each other is such a big deal, Tuck’s FaceTiming us on my phone while Rhys is FaceTiming from Sebastian’s to join in on the group watch.
Maddie is Lane’s sister, and Scarlett is Lane’s girlfriend, so of course they’re rooting for his team. Jasmine and Harper decided they might as well, too, since they’re roommates. And Rhys is Lane’s best friend, so he’s also backing the Maple Leafs.
The rest of us are neutral. Leaving Tuck as the only one to actively root for Hudson’s team.
He’s going to be guilt-tripping us over this for weeks. Months, probably. I can already see, after the game, him tattling on us to Hudson in the group chat, milking the fact that he was the only one who had his best friend’s back.
I can also already see Hudson not caring one bit.
“Don’t be a sore loser, Tuck,” Rhys says from Sebastian’s phone. We have both phones on phone holders set on the coffee table with the volume turned way up. It’s a weird but fun setup. “If your best friend were able to block my best friend’s shots, I wouldn’t whine.”
“Excuse me!” Tuck protests. “My bestie has blocked four of your bestie’s shots this game so far!”
Tuck’s sitting in California while Rhys is in Michigan, both of them traveling with their pro teams. But they’re still arguing with each other in our Cedar Shade living room. I smile at the absurdity of it all while I go to get another drink after the first period ends.
Our former teammates’ new teams skate off the ice, and the conversation switches.
“So, did Jamie tell you girls about his date the other day?” Felix says with a shit-stirring grin.
A sharp gasp pulls from the four girls’ mouths as they all snap their attention to me, eyes wide.
My face is incandescent. “It wasn’t a date.”
The girls don’t hear me over the noises they make excitedly jumping from the couch and crowding me.
“Why didn’t you tell us!” Scarlett demands.
“Who did you go out with?” Maddie asks, her hands clasped in front of her chest.
“Is she your girlfriend now?” Jasmine queries, eyes brimming with interest.
“What’s her name?” Harper urges.
“It wasn’t a date,” I repeat, sheepishly. My cheeks pulse with heat.
“No one would say that unless what they’re talking about was a date,” Maddie asserts.
“I don’t think that is true,” Veikko says from across the room.
“Shut up, Veikko!” Jasmine clips. “Jamie, you wouldn’t be blushing like that if it wasn’t a date.”
My brain refuses to supply an argument.
Maddie gasps, a thought occurring to her. “We need to tell Summer!” She can hardly contain her excitement as she reaches for her phone. “She’ll freak that you’re finally getting a girlfriend.”
Even though my cheeks get even redder, I can hardly share the girls’ confidence in that possibility. I can still hope, though.
Maddie types out a message on her phone, and no more than two seconds later, she’s calling out, “Summer’s video calling me!”
My stomach twirls. Summer is Hudson’s girlfriend. I can’t deny that during my freshman year, when Summer and Hudson got together and I started seeing her around, I had a pathetic schoolboy crush on her.
But that was different from the way I feel about Carmen. With Summer, I knew there was never even a hint of possibility. It was just a na?ve infatuation with a girl my older teammate was dating.
I smile when I see Summer’s face again, but I don’t feel that tug in my heart that I used to. Only one girl makes me feel that now.
“Jamie!” she chides. “I can’t believe you haven’t told me about your new girlfriend yet!”
I roll my eyes. The guys snicker at the girls showering me with attention.
Summer and Hudson’s cat, Salsa, slides into the frame with a purr, curling on Summer’s lap. Summer pats her, sighing. “I guess I can forgive you as long as I get an invite to the wedding.”
“Summer!” Tuck’s voice calls from my phone on the table. “Make sure Hudson knows I was cheering for him when no one else would!”
After several more minutes of ridiculousness, Summer ends the call, and the girls’ attention drifts elsewhere.
Veikko lets out a grunt of pain while he walks to the kitchen. “Shit,” he grouses.
“What’s wrong?” Felix asks, getting up to join him.
“My hamstring. It has been sore ever since practice the other day.” He shifts his weight to one leg, trying to shake out the pain from his other one.
“I get that all the time from squatting in the crease,” Felix says, standing near Veikko and pulling a stool toward them. “Here, this stretch works wonders. Let me show you.”
Veikko stiffens as Felix grabs his leg and positions it straightened out on the seat, at a ninety-degree angle with his body.
“Hold your leg like this. Now, bend this way …” Felix steps close to Veikko, pressing against his side, to guide his movements.
Veikko looks caught off guard. There’s an uncharacteristic flush in his sharp cheeks.
As Felix positions him, Veikko keeps pulling at the crotch of his jeans to readjust them.
I guess stretching in jeans must be uncomfortable.
Even if I did succeed in winning Carmen over, I wonder how she’d react if I brought her around the house, and she had to put up with all these nutjobs.
Would she become friends with the girls? Would she laugh at Veikko and Felix’s antics? Would she and Sebastian bond over their interest in books?
A warm feeling scatters through my chest. I don’t know if I’ve ever imagined anything I’d like to see more than that.
My eyes open to a dark room.
Something woke me up, interrupting a dreamless sleep.
Awareness switches on in my brain. It was a notification from my phone that woke me.
A notification in the middle of the night.
Carmen.
I instantly wake up, alert as I sit up in my bed.
A text from a number that I don’t recognize displays on my screen. Excitement scatters through me. My eyes tick down to read the message, and my chest swells.
Hey. It’s Carmen. Are you up?
A delirious rush of joy fills me. It’s … half past one in the morning, and Carmen texted me.
A nip of guilt pokes at me. I’m happy that she messaged me, but I shouldn’t be happy that she’s having trouble sleeping.
But that flick of my conscience isn’t even close to enough to douse the excitement. I feel like I scored a goal in a playoff game. Carmen won’t be alone in her sleeplessness tonight, because there’s no way I’m getting another wink of it before sunrise, no matter how long our texting lasts.
Yep, haven’t gone to sleep yet.
Total lie, but I don’t want her thinking she’s bothering me. She sure as hell isn’t doing that.
What’s up?
While waiting for her to respond, I add her number to my phone. A flutter sweeps to my fingers when I type in her name and finalize her as a new contact.
Carmen
Well, I was sleeping great tonight but decided to randomly get up to message you for no reason
A grin crinkles my eyes. I can hear her sarcasm through the text message, and it warms my chest.
Understandable. I’m very good company through texting.
Better than in-person, I hope
Ouch. That’s how you repay the guy who stayed up all night just in case you’d message?
That’s so pathetic I hope it’s not true.
Nah, just kidding. I’ve been up studying
Well, I was kidding, too. You’re okay-ish company in person
The happiness that floods me is totally unwarranted for okay-ish. But I think I’d rather have Carmen call me that than hear anyone else shower me with the most dazzling praise imaginable.
I don’t think anyone’s ever said something so nice to me
Also pathetic
Not kidding this time, though
What class are you studying for?
Damn, now I have to elaborate on my fib …
Most of them. I’ve been so busy focusing on hockey that I’ve let things pile up
At least that’s not a lie.
Is it weird that I’m kind of nostalgic about studying for tests since I’m not in school this year? I really felt it during finals season last month
Well …
Yes. Yes it is. Who looks back fondly on FINALS SEASON?
I kind of thrived on the pressure. Cramming for all your classes at once, chugging coffee to stay up late at the library. It was fun, in a weird way
Do you have a masochistic side you haven’t shared with me yet?
I almost regret sending that message the moment I do. What if she takes it wrong and—
Wouldn’t you like to know?
My eyes go wide at her message. My cock twitches in my shorts, arousal sparking like flames between my legs.
I sure as fuck would …
I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to flirting. Especially provocative flirting. But maybe I should try to keep this going.
I like how you didn’t contradict the yet part
Do you get bolder late at night or something?
I smirk.
Wouldn’t you like to know?
Excitement buzzes along my nerves. My palms feel hot as I hold my phone. I realize that my cock is rock hard.
It takes her a minute to respond.
Have a lot of studying left to do?
She’s pulling back on the flirting. Some of my blood flow starts to pump away from my dick. But we exchanged a couple mildly salacious messages, and it didn’t make her want to cut contact. That’s a win. Shit, that’s a big win.
Nah, I’m done studying. I have a better idea for what we should do with the rest of our night.
We?
Unless you think you’ll be able to get to sleep soon?
Fat chance
What do you think about taking a drive? I have something in mind.
Hmmm. Sounds like something I should say no to …
Text bubbles keep dancing under her message. I’m holding my phone between my thumbs and ring fingers, because my index and middle fingers are crossed as I silently chant, please, please, please …
But yes