Chapter 8
EIGHT
LANA
I step out of the shower, wrapping a towel around myself before draping another one over my shoulders.
I’ve had a shit couple of days, but a few hours in the gym did me a world of good.
Now, all I need to do is go back to my dorm and spend the rest of the night studying to catch up on everything that’s fallen through the cracks up until now.
I’m not really sure why I’m bothering, since I hopefully won’t be here too much longer, but I hate leaving things unfinished, so I’ll see my assignments through until it’s time for me to leave.
The locker room is empty when I step back into the space, but I’m on edge.
Something is different.
I glance around, and my fists ball when I realize what the issue is.
My clothes are gone.
And there’s only one person I know who’s brave enough to sneak in here and take them.
Cole fucking Aston .
I check the locker itself, finding my boots but nothing more. A quick look in the surrounding lockers tells me what I already knew. That asshole has left me with nothing but my boots and a towel.
No matter, the guys’ locker room is just next door, and I’m sure I can find something in there to wear.
I’m quiet as I crack the door and peer through the opening. There are a few guys in here, laughing and joking with each other, and luckily for me, they all seem to be dressed.
Judging by the hoodies they’re wearing, they’re all part of the hockey team, and it dawns on me then how Cole knew I’d be here.
I’ve seen his friend Logan around the area a couple of times, and I’m pretty sure he’s on the hockey team himself, though I’ve never actually seen him interact with the other players, so I could be mistaken.
Sighing, I quickly run through ideas on the best way to handle this and just go for honesty. I have nothing to lose at this point.
I swing the door open, and their conversation halts as they all turn to look at me, a mixture of confusion and curiosity written all over their faces at the random girl nobody knows just waltzing into their locker room in only a towel.
“Uhh, Lana, right?” one guy says, and I nod.
“Yup, that’s me,” I mutter before inhaling a deep breath. “I need clothes, since that asshole Cole decided to sneak into the girls’ locker room and steal mine. So… anyone got anything I can wear?”
They all look between each other, sharing a silent conversation before they all lock eyes on me.
“Look, Lana… it’s not that we don’t want to help you, but messing with Cole is …”
“Not a good idea?” I snort. “Oh please, he’s like a little puppy.”
A guy who was standing towards the back of the room steps forward, a wicked gleam in his eyes.
“I’ll help you,” he drawls. “Anything to piss Aston off.”
Ding ding ding. We have a winner.
“You wanna wear my jersey, sweetheart?” the guy says, and I raise a brow at him, a grin forming on my lips.
“I would love to wear your jersey,” I say with a flutter of my lashes.
He shuffles around his bag before throwing something at me. I catch it one handed, keeping my other hand on my towel, since I don’t particularly want to flash these guys, and shake it out so I can see it more clearly.
It’s black and green, with long sleeves and the name THOMS written on the back with the number twelve. Perfect.
“Thanks for the assist, Thoms.” I grin and leave the room, heading back to the women’s locker room.
I quickly dry off, leaving my hair down to air dry.
I shrug the jersey on, and it reaches around mid-thigh since Thoms is a big guy.
This would be a pretty cute outfit if the jersey weren’t so oversized.
I put on my boots… then an idea hits me, and I head to the supply cupboard where I know there’s all sorts of things stashed and find a couple of safety pins.
I lift the jersey and pin it on both sides of my waist before adjusting the material. Now when I look in the mirror, I see it cinches in at the waist.
Not bad.
I run a hand through my hair since I don’t have a hairbrush and head back out, only to find Thoms waiting for me against the wall opposite the locker rooms, his hands in his pockets with a smile on his face .
“It suits you, Lana,” he says with a wink, and I roll my eyes.
“Don’t get any ideas, big guy.”
He laughs, his head shaking at the idea.
“Yeah yeah, don’t worry. I just wanna stick it to Cole for once, so let me walk you back to your dorm?” he asks and holds his arm out for me to link with mine.
Ah, fuck it. Why not?
I curl my arm around his and we walk towards the exit.
“So, you don’t like Cole?” I ask, looking up at him. He’s handsome, I guess, but the last thing I need to be doing right now is hooking up with someone. “I’m pretty sure you’re the first person I’ve met in this place that feels that way.”
He sighs. “It’s not that I don’t like the guy.
I just hate how they think they rule over this place with an iron fist. We’re all rich, you know?
I don’t see the point of having a hierarchy in this place when we’re all on the same level,” he says just as we step outside, the low sun blinding me for a moment.
“Makes sense, though, if you…” I trail off as I catch sight of Cole and Harley sitting on a bench not too far from us.
“I’m gonna kill that asshole,” I growl and go to take a step forward, only Thoms halts my movements by keeping my arm wrapped tightly in his.
“Easy,” he whispers. “The moment he sees how pissed you are, he’ll know he’s won.”
Fuck, he’s right.
I take a calming breath and plaster a smile on my face, and he nods, leading me past him.
I can’t help myself, though. Just after we walk past the two guys, I turn back to look at Cole, reveling in the anger written all over his face, and I wink.
I’m really starting to enjoy these games of ours.
C ole’s been avoiding me after what happened outside of the athletics department last night, and I’m not surprised. He’s probably waiting for my reaction.
I won’t give him one.
Not yet.
The reason I’ve been trying to get ahold of him is because we need to finish this damn assignment, and we can’t do that if he’s hiding from me.
All day, I’ve been keeping an eye out for him, with no luck.
Though I have been sidetracked a couple of times by girls wanting to know what the situation is between me and that Thoms guy. Turns out he’s quite popular, so everyone has been wanting the gossip from me.
I gave them the truth; that he has absolutely not been taken off the market by me, and they seemed satisfied by that. Especially after I told them to go ahead and take their shot with him, since I couldn’t care less.
I head towards the guys’ cottage along the forest path since it’s the easiest way for me to get there, intent on confronting Cole so we can get this paper finished and both move on, only to spot him lounging on the grass in his backyard with the rest of the guys.
Great, I guess we’re doing this with an audience.
“Aston,” I bark, and even from this distance, I can hear his responding groan.
As I draw closer, I can hear his friends snickering before they all look towards me with curious looks.
“You’ve been avoiding me, asshole.”
He sighs. “I’m not in the mood today, Lana. ”
I chuckle. “Neither am I, but we need to get this paper done so we can hand it in, and I can be done with you.”
He runs a hand down his face while the other guys climb to their feet and head towards the cottage, probably to get out of the firing line if things go south, and I hop over the small fence that separates the forest area and their yard before fisting my hips.
“Send me your part and I’ll put it together. I’ll email you the finished paper so you can look it over before we hand it in to the professor,” Cole grunts.
“And I’m supposed to just trust you?”
He stands, towering over me with fire in his eyes.
“I want to pass this class, too, you know. Not everything is as black and white as you seem to think it is, little menace. So, yeah. I guess you’re just gonna have to trust me.”
“If we fail, I will strangle you, pretty boy.”
He shakes his head. “At this point, I can’t tell if you’re flirting with me or fucking with me.”
I let out a snort. “Cole, angel, sweetie,” I drawl. “I’d rather fuck all three of your friends at once than flirt with you.”
“Oh yeah? And what would Jake think of that?” he says, and my mind blanks, confusion swirling in my brain.
“Who the fuck is Jake?”
He snorts. “Jake Thoms. The fucker who let you wear his jersey yesterday.”
Aw, is he jealous?
“Don’t worry, nothing is going on between Thoms and me,” I say with a grin.
“I don’t care who you fuck, Lana.”
“Keep telling yourself that, pretty boy.”