7. Jace
seven
Jace
Leave it to my girl to have “pet a monkey” on her bucket list. I chuckle inwardly as I reread the twenty-one items on her bucket list, making my own edits in the notes app of my phone.
Some of these things have got to go. I mean who is she kissing that isn’t me? And a one night stand is completely out of the question.
If I had the privilege of having Sienna Jones in my bed, one night would not be enough. I’d need all of eternity to make up for lost time, and the rest of infinity to make more memories with her. I could never be done with her, so let’s just scratch that one off, too.
A smirk finds itself across my lips as I eye number fifteen.
Be chased…
What kind of crazy things go on in that brain of yours, angel?
Just as I’m about to highlight the bullet, a body knocks into mine on the bench, pulling me back to my current surroundings.
The Men’s Hockey locker room.
Scrambling with my phone and the list, I shove both into my duffel just as Charlie settles in next to me.
Having the list is a nonissue. I’d never judge Sienna for being inexperienced or for wanting to branch out, but the guys don’t know her. I won’t subject anyone to the torture of having an entire hockey team knowing their business.
The only reason that they know my business is because I don’t care enough to hide it .
Society likes to think that women are the only gender group that likes to gossip, but boy are they wrong. Men gossip. Hell, they may even gossip more than women.
Name one man who hasn’t been secretly eavesdropping on a conversation and somehow knew something that they weren’t supposed to know.
I’ll wait…
Exactly .
“Sooooo…” The blond giant wiggles his brows at me, shimmying his shoulder into mine.
“So?” I furrow my brows at him, placing a protective hand on the duffle.
I’d honestly hate to have to fuck up one of my closest friends because he snooped through Sienna’s private list.
Yes, I know I sound hypocritical.
Shut up.
“Are you coming to the football game tomorrow? The guys and I have a bet going for it, you could throw in a twenty on your guy.” Charlie shrugs, running a hand through his sweaty hair.
My guy is Ryan Jones, Cleo’s stepbrother and Sienna’s cousin. He and I are just as close as I am to Cleo. My ears perk up as I weigh my options. If I go to this game, there’s a 95% chance that Sienna would go to it, too.
When we were kids and Ryan would have scrimmages during the summer, she’d make it a point for us all to go to the game. I know it was because her parents never went to her recitals, but I’m pretty sure she’s carried that tradition into adulthood, whenever she could make it.
I could spend the entire night with my girl, and she’d be forced to be around me since her morals would never let her leave in the middle of a family member's event.
She’s too kind to do that.
“I’m in.” I shrug, playing the role of the nonchalant guy, but deep down my blood is thrumming with energy and eagerness.
By the time the guys and I get home from practice, we’re like dead men looking for a coffin .
Braxton and Alec struggle as they walk up the stairs side-by-side, attempting to go up at the same time to their rooms. I watch in silent confusion as the pair fight like a couple of confused sloths for dominance, with Alec being the smaller of the two.
Just as Brax is close to making a break, pushing his way through, Alec beats him to it. The two run up the stairs, shouting after one another, leaving me confused on where the hell they got their energy from.
I am spent.
I’m not saying any names, but some idiot freshman thought it’d be a good idea to piss Coach off by being twenty minutes late to practice tonight. You’d think he’d be the only one to be disciplined, but no . Clef Jones doesn’t operate that way.
If one fuck head is late, we’re all late—which resulted in twenty minutes of extended practice doing bag skates. The goalies were included on this punishment since both Derek and Ricardo Ruiz, one of our backup goalies, were late as well.
What’s up with people lacking punctuality these days?
The couch dips as Blake plops down on it with a bowl of popcorn in his lap. I hadn’t even heard him making it in the kitchen.
“Dude…what was up Coach’s ass tonight? He never goes that hard,” he says, sighing as he shoves a handful of the salty snack into his mouth.
I groan at the reminder of tonight's practice and shrug it off, going on my phone.
“No clue and I don’t care. I need a good brain rot sesh to forget the last three hours of my life.”
My body warms as I find just the account I was looking for.
Viral videos and photos of Sienna dancing filter my phone screen as I select her most recent post from a few days ago. On this account, she only posts herself dancing, and it’s how I’ve been able to sketch a few drawings over the time we’ve spent apart.
My fingers itch for a pencil as I watch her practice her dance from the recital last week in an empty studio. She’s wearing all black with a black baseball cap, but I know it's her. She could have a paper bag over her head and I’d still know who she is.
The room is so quiet as I watch through Sienna’s video that I think Blake might’ve fallen asleep mid-chew until he speaks lowly.
“Do you think Cleo’s going to be at the game?” he asks quietly, effectively yanking my attention from my phone.
What did he just say?
“Considering Ryan is her brother…I’d say yes, but why do you care? Aren’t you two doing a project or something?” I ask as I look my closest friend over.
I’ve seen Blake go off the deep end with women more times than I can count. From sleeping around to simply ghosting them after a night in his room, I’ve seen it all. If he thinks he’s going to do the same thing to my best friend, he’s out of his mind.
“Oh…uh…yeah.” He coughs, clearing his throat as he runs a hand through his messy waves. “She and I have a project together…I was just wondering.”
I don’t like that…I can’t look after my friends and stalk Sienna at the same time.
Something’s gotta give, and it’s not the ballerina.