Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
TYLER
A fter ordering our burgers, we filled our cups with Gatorade and went to a table by the window. Sinking into my chair, I set my white paper bag on the table and slid my backpack off my arm, my gaze taking in the diner-style restaurant in white-and-red checkered wall tiles and bare concrete floors. I didn’t want to admit it, but I’d been avoiding Rowan a little bit since Saturday. I had to get my shit together and quit thinking about him as if he were queer and available. He wasn’t.
Rowan plopped into a chair opposite me, setting down his bag and drink. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to you at practice this morning. What happened after I left on Saturday?” He opened his bag.
“Saturday?” Shit, I’d been hammered and unable to stop thinking about sucking him off. As Ace would say, I was a moron. With a stuttered chuckle, I said, “Yeah, I got a little drunk.” I’d fake a blackout. “I don’t remember much.” Or maybe too much? Like how he’d called me hot and how much I’d liked it. I pulled my burger out of the bag and unwrapped it.
“Yeah, I’d say you were more than a little drunk. I take it Myles took care of you and got you home after I left?” He bit into his burger and juice spilled down the side of his lip. Sticking his tongue out, he lapped it up.
My gaze chased his long, thick tongue. Good God, what damage that thing could do to me. Stop it, Ty! I clenched my eyes shut for a second, then focused on my food. “Uh, yeah. I think we stayed maybe an hour more after you left?” I bit into my burger, the greasy meat flooding my mouth. Goddamn, these were so good.
“An hour? You didn’t go right home?” As his eyes narrowed, he set his burger on his bag and then plucked a few napkins from a holder on the table.
“I don’t think so. We danced a little more.” I shrugged a shoulder. “We were there, and I needed to sober up, so?—”
“So, did you dance only with Myles? Or did you dance with other guys?” With a choked huff, his gaze turned hard.
I furrowed my brows. What the hell did he care? “I think with Myles, but you know how a place like that can be. Guys get in your space, they press again?—”
“Press against what?” He clenched his jaw, dipped his head, and held out his hand to me. “Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.” He sucked his Gatorade through his straw.
“What’s the matter?” As a soft grin floated over my mouth, I cocked my head. Did he think he was the gay police? “You jealous?” I choked out a laugh. As if. I could dream.
“No, of course not.” He huffed and relaxed his shoulders. “I’m just worried about you. Someone could have taken advantage of you or something.”
“Myles was there. He had my back.” I eyed him. Something was up. What was it? “Did someone take advantage of your gay friend back home?” Maybe he was traumatized by something.
“No, why would you ask that?” He picked up his burger again, took another bite, and wiped his mouth.
I peered at him, long and hard. “I’m trying to figure out why you care so much that I stayed and danced after you left.” There, I’d said it. I ate a bite of my burger .
“I…” His gaze darted over the table. “I guess I don’t. It doesn’t matter.” He slipped a few fries out of his bag and stuffed them into his mouth.
This was weird. Was there something Rowan wasn’t telling me? I drank my Gatorade. I should leave it alone for now. “So, the assignment.”
“Yeah, the geochemistry part. That’s what I don’t get. How do you know what substances turn into what under pressure and all that shit?” He squirted ketchup onto a napkin and slid a few fries through it.
“Well, coal turns into diamonds.” I chuckled and pulled my fries out of my bag. If he didn’t know that, he was doomed. You didn’t need a geology class to?—
“Ha-ha, very funny.” He ate more fries and then sipped his drink. “Maybe we could have a study date this week.” As his gaze met mine, his eyes popped open. “Not a date, uh…”
“Study session?” With a shake of my head, I sniggered. Why was he being this way? “You know I’m not going to think we’re on a date if we call it a study date, right?” It was like he was hyperfocused on ensuring we stayed in our lanes. Oh, but I did tell him how horny I was at the bar, and maybe how much I wanted him had shown? I dropped my napkin on the table. “Listen, Rowan, I’m sorry if I was?—”
“Nope, no apology necessary. You were drunk. Everyone says and does stupid shit when they’re drunk.” Flashing a smile at me, he ate more of his burger.
“What did I say?” Was there more that I didn’t remember it? I studied him as he fidgeted with his straw.
With a twist of his lips, he said, “You know? We don’t need to go over it. It’s nothing, really.”
I dropped my jaw open. “If it’s nothing, then why does it seem like something?” Fuck, we were supposed to be getting to know each other, feeling comfortable with each other. If we were going to be partners on the defensive line, we needed to be finishing each other’s sentences. This could be bad .
Exhaling loudly, he set his burger down and locked his gaze onto mine. “It’s me, okay? I felt a little weird the other night, but I’m sure it’s because I’m new here and don’t know you guys yet. Don’t worry about it, please.” He placed his warm hand over mine resting on the table.
I dove my gaze to our hands. He felt weird? Weird about what? He’d said he’d been in a gay bar before. I swallowed. “S-so you, uh, you aren’t as comfortable in a gay bar as you thought?”
He drew his hand away and rubbed his neck. “Can we not talk about it anymore? It’s my deal. I’ll be fine.” He looked out the window into the sunny afternoon.
“Sure.” I bit the side of my lip, staring at my burger. This might have been the strangest conversation I’d ever had. But if he wanted to drop it, then we’d drop it.
“Anyway, you still want to have a study date? How does Wednesday work for ya?” He ate some fries.
“Yeah, Wednesday works just fine.” I picked up my burger and ate the rest of it. It’d be okay. We’d get to know each other better while we studied.
I shuffled into the house from the garage and dropped my bag on the floor next to the kitchen island, my gaze catching on Myles sprawled across the couch with a book. “I just had the weirdest conversation with Rowan.” My head had spun with it the whole drive home.
Myles threw his book on the coffee table and sat up. “Yeah? Like how?” He placed his arm on the back of the couch, turning to face me.
Stepping toward him, I said, “He wanted to know if I stayed on Saturday after he left the club.” I dropped next to Myles and rested my hand on his thigh. “He seemed pissed about it when I told him I had. ”
“Pissed? Why would he be mad about it?” Myles twisted his lips. “Like, tell me what he said.”
With a shrug, I said, “I told him I danced to sober up a little.” I tilted my head, staring at the television remote on the coffee table. “I think he thought I might have gotten in trouble with dudes on the dancefloor.” My gaze wound to Myles’s. “I told him you had my back.”
“What, does he think I’d just go off and leave you in that state?” He pursed his lips. “That’s not cool. I’m a good friend, not an asshole, eh.”
“No, I don’t think…” I sucked my upper lip between my teeth. Why was the conversation sticking in my head like this? He’d said to forget about it. “He asked me who I was dancing with, and I said you. But then you know how the guys can be out there?—”
“Oh, fuck…” Myles widened his eyes. “He likes you.” His brows lifted as a grin spread over his mouth.
“No, he’s straight.” With a shake of my head, my heart quivered. “I think he was just worried about me. I was pretty drunk.” But wait, hadn’t he said…? “He said he felt weird at the bar.” My cheeks heated. “After I tried to apologize for telling him how horny I was.”
“You did what?” Myles barked out a laugh and covered his mouth with both hands. “When the hell did you do that?”
“I don’t know. It’s a little blurry, but I think it was right before you found us on the dancefloor.” I furrowed my brows. Obviously, Myles hadn’t been witness to that conversation.
He poked me in the ribs. “He likes you. You made him uncomfortable because he’s hiding his feelings or hasn’t acknowledged them yet.”
With a scoff, I said, “I’m calling bullshit on that, Cummings.” The guy would know by now if he were queer. He had a gay friend back home, for fuck’s sake. Patting Myles on the knee, I stood. “I’ve got studying to do. What’s Ace making for dinner?” I glanced toward the kitchen sink .
“I saw chicken thawing.” Myles studied me. “You don’t want to admit that something might be going on because you like him too.”
“Myles, don’t put that shit in my head. He’s a damn good-looking guy, but you know I won’t mess with another curious straight dude.” No fucking way. I strode to my backpack and unzipped it.
“Tyler, just because Cory kept your relationship a secret and dumped you doesn’t mean Rowan would do the same. We’re not in high school anymore.” Raking his fingers through his blond hair, he blew out a breath. “He has a gay friend, right? He wouldn’t pull that shit.”
I pushed my lips together, my chest stinging. It still hurt to think about how fucking stupid I’d been. “Yeah, not going there,” I said, yanking my laptop out of my bag. I did not like Rowan. I lusted after him. There was a difference. “By the way, he’s coming over here to study on Wednesday night. Don’t say a word about this conversation.”
I set my laptop on the dinette. I didn’t even know what class I wanted to study for first. I tapped my finger against my mouth, my gaze darting between my laptop and bag.
“Don’t worry. My lips are sealed.” Myles snatched his book from the coffee table. “I’ll be here when you need me.”
The stiffness in my chest released. “Yeah, I know you will, buddy.” Stepping to him, I ruffled his hair. “But in this case, I won’t need you because nothing is going to happen.”
At Tuesday morning’s skate, Coach had us working on blue-line shuffles, with me passing to Mackenzie. I took off toward the lineup of pucks, skating fast, and stopped on my edges, pushing my puck around the two resting on the ice before shooting it at Mackenzie.
Mackenzie threw his stick to the ice, but the puck flew between his legs and into the offensive line working on their own drill. “Shit.”
“Mackenzie, what the hell is wrong with you?” Coach Hammett cupped his mouth and yelled, skating toward us. “Keep your eye on the puck.”
“I know, sorry.” With a huff, he fixated on me. “Go again, Hodge.”
“Yeah, sure.” I needed another fucking puck. I looked at Coach, and he slid a new puck to me. What the hell was wrong with Mackenzie? He never missed a pass in these drills. “You, uh, didn’t get your coffee this morning?” I chuckled and skated to the board to start over.
Mackenzie glided toward me. “I got my coffee. Don’t you worry about me. Won’t happen again.” He bent his knees, preparing for takeoff.
As I tapped my stick on either side of the puck, I waited a moment, then sped away, pushing the puck around the others before slapping it at Mackenzie.
He pushed his stick across the ice, barely making the puck, and it flew off at an angle.
“Dude, nice pass.” With a snicker, I straightened and held up my gloved hand. “I’m over here.”
“I know where you are. Got something in my eye.” He snatched his glove off, lifted his helmet, and swiped at his eye.
“Good God, Mackenzie. What now?” Coach held his arms out and dropped them.
“He’s got an eye booger.” With a sharp laugh, I skated to the lost puck and grabbed it with my stick. Might as well mess with him now. He wasn’t getting away with two fuckups on an easy-as-hell drill we’d been doing since grade school.
“It’s not a booger.” Shaking his head, he headed back to the board.
“Okay, so you were crying because you can’t shoot today?” I burst out a laugh. Let’s see what he had for a comeback.
“Okay, Hodge.” He tilted his head this way and that and skated toward me. “Are you trying to put me off my game?” A smirk played over his lips and his eyes twinkled. “That’s not nice to do to your new partner.” His eyes grew wide. “I mean, you know what I mean.” His cheeks flushed.
What the hell was wrong with him? “You gotta do better than what I just saw to be my partner.” I wagged my brows at him and worked the puck between my blade. “Do you have what it takes?” I focused on him.
“What the hell are you two babbling about? Get out there and practice.” Coach scoffed. “I swear to God, sometimes I wished I’d picked another sport.” With a smirk, his gaze flicked between us. “Where the players aren’t constantly chirping or playing pranks on each other.”
“Ah, come on, Coach. Where’s the fun in that?” Mackenzie gave him a charming smile. “You love us, and you know it.”
“Yeah, get the hell out there.” He pointed at the line of pucks.
“Go!” I took off for the first two pucks, shuffled around them, and passed to Mackenzie.
With a quick flick of his stick, Mackenzie shot the puck back.
I hit the next set of pucks, getting into a rhythm with Mackenzie, back and forth and round and round. Whatever that had been in the beginning, we were in perfect sync now.
Wednesday evening, I waited at the dinette with my book and laptop open, ready to teach Rowan all about geochemistry. Or what I knew of it anyway. It wasn’t like I was a tutor in this shit.
Myles rounded the corner of the hallway to our bedrooms and stopped. “Hey, he’s not here yet?” He sipped a protein drink.
“Nope.” I glanced at the clock on my screen. “He’s only five minutes late.”
The doorbell rang and my heart lurched. As Myles made to answer the door, I jumped from my chair and hauled ass to the entryway. “I got it. You go back to whatever you were doing, and don’t think you’re going to sit here and play video games.” I squeezed the knob.
“I wasn’t going to play video games, eh? Damn, you want some alone time with your new boyfriend?” He gave me a wicked grin.
“Stop that, and don’t you dare say anything like that around him.” Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut and not told Myles. The teasing was endless now. I swung the door open.
Rowan stood on the stoop, backpack slung over his shoulder, his wild blond hair framing his gorgeous face and his team sweats showing off all his assets. “Hey.” He waved and stepped past me, looking around the room. “Nice place you got here.”
I threw a look at Myles, who smirked back at me, and shook my head. I didn’t need him making this awkward.
“Hi, Rowan. Nice to see you in our little home.” Myles followed him to the dinette. “You guys are going to study, eh?”
“Yeah.” Rowan slid his backpack off his arm and eyed the dinette. “Should we study here?”
“Sure.” I strode to the table and held my arm out to the chair next to mine. “Have a seat.” I snuck a peek at Myles, who had a grin about to erupt on his face. “Don’t you have somewhere to be? Like in your room studying?”
“No. I’m done for the night.” Myles downed the rest of his protein drink and threw it in the garbage bin in the kitchen. “I think I’ll go see if Ace wants to play a video game in my room.” He hooked a brow and sauntered off down the hallway. “Hey, Ace,” he called out.
Fucker. With a chuckle, I dropped into my chair. At least he’d keep Ace busy, so I supposed he was doing me a favor.
“Both your roommates are home?” Rowan slipped into the chair beside mine and fished his laptop and book out of his bag.
“Yeah. Everyone usually studies in their rooms if they want quiet.” I glanced at the chapter the current assignment was on. “Have you started this week’s assignment yet?”
“No.” He frowned and opened his book, leaning over it, his hair falling into his face. “I just don’t get this limestone oxidation shit and how you do the chemical equations for it.”
I shifted my chair closer to his and peered at the first equation. “Well, you have to balance them out.” I pointed at the equations and showed him how to balance them. The clean scent of his shampoo wafted through my nose, and I breathed it in. A shiver raced down my spine. Fuck, he smelled good. I wasn’t used to being this close to him outside of the rink.
As he lifted his head from his book, his gaze met mine and stopped, his tongue darting across his lower lip. “You have, um, you have like little bits of gold in your eyes.”
My pulse quickened and I lifted the edge of my lips. “Yeah? Okay.” What was I supposed to say to that? My gaze fell to his thick lips. Holy fuck, I could kiss him right now. What would he do? Freak out?
“Yeah, well, sorry.” Huffing an exhale, he leaned back in his chair and combed his fingers through his bangs. “That probably sounded weird, huh?” He hung his head and scrubbed his face. “I haven’t been myself lately. I think I’m going through a phase. I don’t know.”
“Yeah? Like what sort of phase?” Was Myles right? But fucking hell, I wasn’t going to be an experiment for another curious straight guy. I pursed my lips. “Talk to me, Rowan. We need to be open with each other if we’re going to sync on the ice.” My heart pounded in my throat. Why was I pushing this?
Tipping his head back, he glanced at the ceiling. “Maybe I just need to get laid. Like what you said the other night.” He chuckled. “Nothing a little pussy won’t solve.” He fished his phone out of his pocket. “Wonder if that girl from Saturday is free this week?”
Wrinkling my nose, I pushed his phone down. “What are you doing? Texting a girl for a hookup when we’re supposed to be studying?” And quite frankly, I didn’t want to know about it if he was.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll text her later.” He set his phone next to his laptop and inhaled deeply. “You know you’re one of the reasons I wanted to play at ASU, right?” His gaze crept to mine and he wrinkled his brows. “You’re probably the best D-man in college hockey right now.”
I blinked. Where had that come from? And really? “You think so?” The corner of my lip quirked as my chest expanded. “I’m flattered you think that.”
He looked me over. “Yeah, you’ve got it all, Hodge.” With a chuckle, he said, “The perfect flow, the perfect body, and moves on the ice nobody can match.” He shook his head. “It’s an honor to be your partner. It really is.” He nodded.
Could I hug him, or would it be weird? Weird. “Uh, thanks.” My gaze roamed over his face and the sprinkling of freckles on the bridge of his nose. My heart pattered. “I like your freckles.” Heat rushed my cheeks. Oh my God, why did I say that?
“You do?” Scrunching his face, he rubbed his fingertips over his nose. “I hate them. I think they make me look like a kid.” He dropped his forearm across the table.
Running my gaze over his body, I said, “You definitely do not look like a kid.” No, he very much looked like the sort of delicious man I’d like to lick all over. And more.
With a sharp laugh, he said, “Thanks, man. I appreciate it coming from you.” He fingered the edge of his book. “Now we’ve got the bromance out of the way, I guess we should study?”
Clearing my throat, I flicked my gaze to his book. “Yeah, study.” I was going to think about what he’d said for a long-ass time after this was over.