45. Dylan
DYLAN
Friday is an away game. The parking lot is a riot of cars as I approach the coach that will transport us to Dunhaven. “Thanks,” I say to the driver as he takes my duffel to stow in the storage area beneath the coach, before turning to search the sea of players for one of my guys.
They are easy to spot, huddled together, and I make my way toward them with a small backpack containing some snacks and my earbuds for the journey in hand and my travel hoodie loose around my frame.
“We need to decide who is sitting beside Dylan,” I overhear Griffin say.
“I will,” Jax is quick to put forth.
“Nope.” Finn shakes his head, scowling. “We need to decide like men.”
“By asking the woman who she wants to sit with?” I butt in, arching a brow as I survey each of them. Ethan shuffles to the side so I can join their huddle.
“All right, then. Who are you picking, Thorn?” he asks.
I scour Ethan’s face, noting he’s freshly shaven and his eyes are sharp, ready for tonight’s game. Shifting my attention to Jax, he smirks at me, eyes dancing with hidden mirth. Before I can lose myself in those dark depths, I turn to Finn. Unlike Jax, he doesn’t bother to hide his amusement.
“You know I’ll be the best company,” he teases, knocking my shoulder. “It’s a long ride to Dunhaven. I’ll even let you drool on my shoulder.”
“So chivalrous.” Rolling my eyes, I turn lastly to Griffin. His expression is what it always is, unreadable, yet there’s a steadiness in it, a stability that has fostered over the past number of weeks. One I’d be lost without.
“On second thought, I’m not sure this is something I want to get in the middle of. Perhaps there are some things you should agree on amongst yourselves.”
“Coward,” Finn teases, before focusing on the guys. “Rock, paper, scissors it is. Single elimination.”
With serious expressions, they go at it. It’s ridiculous, truthfully. Hands fly and curses are muttered. Griffin is eliminated first, followed by Finn, who groans dramatically and claims it’s rigged. Jax and Ethan stare each other down in the final showdown.
“Rock, paper, scissors—shoot.”
Ethan’s fist clenches in triumph. “Hell yeah!”
Jax huffs, muttering about an unfair system as we all pile onto the coach.
“Window or aisle seat?” Ethan asks as we slowly make our way up toward a set of free seats.
“She likes the window seat,” Griffin interjects before I can tell Ethan that I don’t mind where I sit.
“Window it is then.”
I roll my eyes, sending a mock glare Griffin’s way that he completely ignores.
Finding three empty rows, I slide into the middle one, Ethan dropping into the chair beside mine. Jax and Finn claim the seats in the row in front while Griffin stretches out in the row behind, all of them effectively boxing me in.
Laughter bubbles up from our group as Finn and Jax continue to bicker over the legitimacy of Ethan’s win. Griffin makes a dry remark that has them groaning, and even Ethan smirks at the exchange.
That’s when Kyle appears. Spotting us, he slows, expression darkening as his gaze bounces from Ethan, to Jax, to Finn, lingering the longest on his former friend.
His lips curl in growing disgust, and when his gaze meets mine, pure, venomous hatred radiates from his dark eyes.
I still in my seat. Outwardly, I keep my expression blank, but inside, I’m ice cold, my stomach twisting with unease. That look…it terrifies me.
His stare lingers for a beat too long, his presence thick with menace.
“Keep walking.” Ethan’s voice is like steel, devoid of emotion yet dripping with warning as he flicks his attention up to Kyle’s face.
Tearing his gaze away, Kyle stares at Ethan, then Finn, Jax, and Griffin—all watching him now, their easy camaraderie vanishing in an instant.
He sneers but says nothing, continuing down the aisle to claim his seat.
It’s only when he’s gone that I realize I’ve been gripping the edge of my hoodie in a tight fist. I force my fingers to relax, inhaling a slow breath, but I don’t miss the way Ethan watches me, his jaw tight, nor the way Griffin’s gaze lingers, assessing.
“We need to do something about him,” Griffin says, voice low but no less menacing. “Shunning him isn’t enough.”
“Agreed,” Jax says, turning around in his seat.
Finn turns too, his lips pursed, but he keeps quiet. However, his eyes rake over me, as though searching for… What, I don’t know.
“I know,” Ethan says, voice equally as quiet yet strung tight. “I’m just not sure what.” Glancing my way, he adds, “You’re not to be left alone. One of us will be with you at all times. I don’t trust him not to try something.”
Neither do I.
Sighing, I mutter, “I know,” before dismissing them all and turning to look out the window.
It’s no hardship to spend time with any of them. I enjoy being around each of the guys, but I equally like to have time alone. I want us all to spend time together of our own free will and not because we’re forced into it. Is that too much to ask? Apparently.
They leave me alone to sulk until everyone is on the bus and we’re ready to leave.
“Have you ever heard of The Infinite Monkey Cage ?” Ethan asks, the question obscure enough that I turn to face him. He’s holding an earbud out toward me in invitation. It sounds like the name of some 70s teenage rock band who failed to make it beyond their garage.
“Uhh, should I have?” I hesitate on my way to pluck the earbud from his hand.
He smirks. “Probably not. It’s an obscure, British, science-based podcast. Some of the episodes are really weird, like wondering what the universe would be without stars, or what aliens look like if they exist.”
“So, it’s space related?”
He shakes his head. “No, they cover all things weird and wonderful. I listened to one recently about the secret life of sharks. Did you know they’re even older than dinosaurs?”
Fighting back a smile, I say, “I did not.”
“I swear, I’m not a nerd,” he argues.
“Are you sure?” I tease. “I feel like I’m seeing a whole new side of Ethan Maddox. I can just picture you with oversized glasses and an I love science T-shirt.”
“I could totally pull that off,” he banters.
I nod in agreement. “You’d make one hot nerd.” There is absolutely zero doubt about that.
He shakes his head, but he’s smiling as he pushes the earbud into my hand. “I promise, it’s mostly scientists talking nonsense. Give it a go, and no offense taken if you’re bored out of your skull.”
“How did you start listening to it?”
“Our captain, my freshman year, was originally from England. His parents moved here when he was young. His dad was a physicist or something and went to college with one of the podcasters. He listened to the podcast every week. I was sitting beside Glen, the captain at the time, on the way to an away game, and we got to talking about it. I gave it a listen, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I might be a jock, but I enjoy learning new things, and the blend of humor and knowledge keeps me interested. ”
Well, now he’s got me interested.
“What is this week’s podcast about?” I ask, popping the bud into my ear.
Checking his phone, he says, “Egyptian mummies.”
Can’t say that’s a topic I know anything about. I settle into my seat as he presses play, the opening theme tune of the podcast beginning. It’s quickly followed by a British accent as the presenters introduce themselves.
We get on the road, and I’m soon laughing at the wit and out-there remarks made by the podcasters and their guests.
It’s not just scientists but comedians too, and I soon realize that it’s not the droll scientific podcast I’d been picturing.
Still, it’s an interesting insight into Ethan beyond hockey and his role as captain, and I gobble it up.
Each episode is only twenty minutes long, and as soon as we reach the end of the first one, I’m asking if there’s another. Heads together, we scroll through his phone, picking out various topics of interest to listen to.
The entire time, his warmth seeps into me, his leg pressing firmly against mine. At some point, my head tips back against the seat, the rhythmic swaying of the bus lulling me to sleep. The last thing I register is the sound of Ethan’s podcast in my ear and the feel of his body, hard yet warm.
I wake to the slow realization that I’m leaning into solid warmth. Blinking blearily, I find my head resting against Ethan’s shoulder, my body curled toward his, and his arm draped casually over my back.
Licking my lips, I swipe at my mouth while silently praying I didn’t drool in my sleep. And if I did, that Ethan is sleeping too and didn’t notice.
With a flick of my gaze, I realize there’s no such luck. Ethan is looking down at me, something achingly soft in his expression. It leaves me momentarily speechless.
“Hey,” he murmurs.
I straighten, rolling my shoulders to stretch them out and feeling the loss of his warmth immediately. “How long was I out?”
“Long enough to make a wet patch on my T-shirt.”
I sit up fully, horrified. “I did not ? —”
Eyeing his bone-dry shoulder, I smack him on the chest, and he chuckles, loose and carefree. “Kidding.”
“We will be arriving at the hotel within the next ten minutes,” Coach calls out from the front of the bus.
Ten minutes later, we’re disembarking and piling into the hotel. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s not a shithole either. Just your average hotel. More than suitable for a bunch of jocks for one night.
We grab our duffels from beneath the coach before heading inside. The lobby buzzes with the low murmur of teammates as we wait around while Coach checks us all in.