Chapter Ten
Declan
The first month of the second semester is a rinse and repeat of school and hockey. I keep my head down, let the days stack up, let the rhythm carry me, each game bringing us closer to Nationals.
Exploding off the line, I chase the puck as it skitters across the rink and into a corner.
Levi’s on my left, Shields is somewhere behind me, my body reacting before I can think; shoulders down, stick out, spinning away from an Omaha defenseman.
I barely feel him clip my hip, taking off toward the goal as the crowd erupts.
Their goalie tracks me, eyes glued, trying to anticipate my moves and not Shields in his blind spot. He’s fast, but I’m quicker, feinting right, letting the puck fly and hitting square into the middle of Shields’ waiting stick, slapping it into the net.
One-nothing.
The boards shake with slamming fists as Levi shouts something I can barely hear over the blood pounding in my ears.
Adrenaline roars through me as I loop toward the bench, eyes scanning over the section, my dad right where he said he would be, him and Cooper’s dad cheering along with everyone else.
Lifting my gloved hand, I freeze, my eyes doing a double take as I nearly stumble over my own skates.
Curls shoved under a beanie, scarf swallowing his neck, Cooper’s hands wave high in the air like I just scored the winning goal instead of an assist. I grin, shaking my head.
My heart damn near stops when he grabs the top of his jersey, my jersey.
The DU anniversary one I bought last year.
The one that lives in my closet back home.
Levi slams into my back, hand landing on my shoulder, almost knocking me forward.
“Who—” He follows my line of sight and barks out a laugh. “Wait. Is that Cooper?”
I can’t hear anything Cooper’s saying, but I don’t need to.
Not when I see my name on his lips and the unfiltered delight. And that hits harder than any goal. Harder than anything.
The rest of the game moves like it’s already been played.
Passes are clean, edges are sharp. I get a goal and two assists without thinking.
But every time I look up and see him losing his mind in the stands?
Yeah… that’s what hits. That’s what gets under my skin in a way scouts and stats never will.
And I feel fucking untouchable.
The locker room is utter chaos when I step inside.
Jerseys are thrown across the room, pads are scattered on the floor, loud music pounding off the walls.
Yanking off my helmet, I scrub my hand through my soaked hair, dropping down outside my cubby, sucking water like I’ve just come off a three-day bender.
Every muscle in my body is singing, my ribs throb after a knock into the boards in the second period—I wouldn’t have it any other way. The aches are the good kind, the type of sore that reminds me I fucking worked for it.
Holding out my hand, Levi slaps it before peeling off his kit. “Get your ass into the showers, we’re going out. And we’re taking your boy with us.”
“Out where?” I ask, sweat running down the side of my temples.
“The party. The one the guys have been texting about all week in the group chat.”
Turning, he leaves without another word.
I scrub a hand down my face and sag forward, elbows on my knees.
The idea of Cooper at a party, all drunk and wide-eyed, surrounded by other drunk clowns falling over themselves if he so much as looks at them, makes my knuckles tingle.
I don’t want anyone flirting with him. And I sure as hell don’t want him flirting back.
What is wrong with me? I don’t want to want him like this. But I don’t want anyone else to either.
Cooper Riddick isn’t the rock star he’s set out to become just yet, but he already has that easy, unearned gravity. Lean muscle under sun-kissed skin, blonde curls that never behave, eyes too bright for their own good. The kind of pretty that makes people—makes me—stare without meaning to.
He might not even want to go.
But the second I step outside with Levi, the grin on Cooper’s face I know he will.
“One hell of a game,” Seth says, clapping my shoulder before nodding at Levi.
“Thank you, Sir. It was a team effort,” he says, launching into a play-by-play of the game.
“So…” Cooper whispers conspiratorially, leaning in and wiggling his eyebrows. “What are we doing now?”
“Coop…”
“We’re going to a frat party,” Levi interrupts, smirking when I glare at him.
Cooper’s eyes widen. “Oh, hell yeah. I’ve never been to one before.”
Rubbing the back of my neck, I grimace. “You guys flew all the way out here. Wouldn’t you rather go back and chill in my dorm?”
“Go. Go have fun. You earned it,” Dad says, gesturing toward Seth. “We’re going to grab a drink in the hotel and call it a night. We’ll see you for breakfast before we fly out.”
“See? Permission granted.” Levi throws an arm around Cooper’s shoulder, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Let’s show him what college life is really like.”
“Please,” Cooper whines, giving me his best puppy dog eyes. “I need the full college experience. You can’t deny me this.”
My gaze bounces between them, before I sigh, “Fine.”
He grins, grabbing my sleeve, slowly tugging me toward the parking lot, the night already stretching out ahead of us.