16. Definitely not what people envision when they picture the exciting life of a hockey player, right?
16
"Definitely not what people envision when they picture the exciting life of a hockey player, right?"
Aaron Miles
Seeing Marissa walk out in that dress threw me for a spin. I never thought I could feel that many emotions at once. Attraction, anger, rage, frustration. Marissa is always gorgeous, at any time of the day, in any outfit and with any amount of makeup. But just now, she was spectacular. The way that dress hugged her curves, how her sleek hair reflected the light, her carefree beauty. No guy will be able to resist her, and that scares the heck out of me. What if she comes across some pervert? What if she falls in love with some guy and he breaks her heart? Worse yet, what if she falls in love with the perfect guy and they live happily ever after?
I’m on autopilot, grabbing the controller and sitting down on the couch, but in my head, I see nothing but Marissa. She’s all I can focus on.
“Dude!” Adler yells, putting his controller down in frustration. “Can you, like, try not to suck so much? We’re getting smashed.”
“Sorry,” I grumble. “It’s not my fault. I have the crappy controller.”
He throws me a pointed look, then offers to switch. Truth is, there’s no crappy controller, just a crappy player. And that’s definitely me right now. I get why a lot of athletes don’t date seriously. The emotions can really mess up your game. Let’s just hope it’s only my video game skills that’ll suffer.
I try my best to focus, but it’s a lost cause. It’s like I’m not even here.
The game pauses, and I frown, looking at Adler. “What’s up?”
His jaw drops. “ What’s up? I’ve never seen you suck so much. Get it together, man. What’s wrong with you?”
I shrug.
“Is it because of Marissa?” He furrows his brows, intensifying the color of his eyes. “You’ve been acting weird lately.”
“No, I haven’t,” I blurt, my palms suddenly sweaty.
“You definitely have. I always knew there was something going on between you. I told you that.”
I straighten my back. “And I told you there’s not, which is the truth.”
“She’s the coach’s daughter, man.” His shoulders fall. “And with your history . . .”
I adjust the bill of my cap. “I know. That’s why I said nothing was going on between us. She’s like a sister to me. You know that.”
“Then why are you all worked up because she’s out there looking like a million bucks?”
My pulse races. “Because it’s a dangerous city, especially at night. There are a lot of weirdos roaming the streets.”
“Right,” he says, clearly not buying what I’m selling.
“Don’t you feel the same? You do know the ‘friends’ she’s going out with is Beth, right?”
Adler’s head snaps toward me. “What did you just say?”
“Marissa’s out with Beth, and she’s probably dressed to the nines too.” I know it’s a low blow, but he’s pushing me. And I can’t just admit my feelings for Marissa. That would make them even more real, and it’s not like I can act on them anyway.
Adler is livid, glaring into the distance. “Any idea where they went?” he finally asks.
“None.” I lean back against the couch. “They could be anywhere.”
“With anyone,” he adds, his eyes widening.
We both sit back in silence, and I know his mind is going a thousand miles a minute, just like mine. Except Adler actually has a shot with Beth. Okay, it’s a very slim shot, but maybe one day, she’ll fall for his goofy charm. I will never be that lucky.
Adler’s phone pings, and he picks it up from the table. He checks the screen and then laughs out loud.
“What’s up?” I ask, drawing my eyebrows together.
“I just got a message from a girl asking me if I want to ‘stop by.’”
“Dude, seriously? What kind of girls do you give your number to?”
“The wrong kind, obviously,” he says. “Tragic, isn’t it? We’re hockey players in our prime. We have success, money, and—in my case—good looks.”
I roll my eyes.
“And yet, here we are slumped in front of the TV, thinking about girls we can’t have.”
I open my mouth to protest, but h e waves a hand in dismissal.
“Okay. I am.” He lets out a long sigh. “Definitely not what people envision when they picture the exciting life of a hockey player, right?”
I cough out a chuckle. “Probably not.”
But at the same time, I wouldn’t want to be that guy, sleeping with countless girls without a care in the world. Pining for my best friend sucks big time, but I would never change who I am .