CHAPTER TEN
I shouldn’t go there
JAKE
I’m in trouble.
Why?
Because I still can’t seem to get Vanessa off my damn mind. I’m trying really hard to be friends and keep my dick in my pants, but fuck I have no idea what she’s doing to me.
Right now I’m trying to figure out her current mood. We’re about an hour into our morning practice, and Vanessa has been sitting in the stands with both of her elbows propped on her knees, her camera sitting idle next to her. Her eyes are a little glossed over, either she’s extremely tired or got absolutely shit-faced before coming here.The day she comes to practice hungover will be the last. We’ve all learned the hard way how Coach treats his players when they come in after going a little too hard the night before.I think it’s fair to assume she’s probably just exhausted, not used to these early mornings. Give it a few weeks, and I’m sure getting up at the crack of dawn will be a piece of cake.
I remember last year after one of our last tournaments, Nate and Eli celebrated a little too hard and once Coach got a whiff of it, he had them do his hangover drills, which mainly consisted of the two of them skating around the rink as fast as they could while we all shot pucks at them. By the end of that practice, Nate and Eli barely made it to the locker room before vomiting all over their floor.
And to make it even more hilarious, Coach had them clean it up too.
Ah, good times.
I wonder what Coach would do if Vanessa came in extremely hungover like that.Probably nothing. That man has a soft spot for her. I bet he would offer her a coffee and Tylenol.I’ve never seen Coach so nice to a student before. Maybe it’s because he feels like she’s part of the staff, but it still doesn’t change the fact that she’s a student just like the rest of his players.
Coach’s whistle blows and the noise shakes Vanessa out of her tired state, her eyes flinching at the loud sound. My eyes immediately leave her, and I focus on Coach Wilson.
“Bring it in.” He steps out onto the ice. “This weekend we have our first game in Vermont. Bus leaves Saturday morning at five a.m. so be here by four thirty or you can walk there.”
We all mumble in agreement knowing he isn’t joking. When he gives us a time and place to be, our asses better be there fifteen minutes prior. Coach gives us a curt nod before sending us all to get changed.
Most of us shower and get ready for our morning classes, but all I want to do is put on my sweats and eat a greasy breakfast from the small diner on campus.The cook has a good rep around here. His diner, Tony’s, has been here for over twenty years and he makes the meanest bacon and eggs you can find in the area. It’s an immediate hangover cure and the perfect remedy after an extensive workout.
I wave off to a few of the guys and stop to chat with Nate, Eli, and Levi before Kieran and I head out. As we’re leaving the arena, I see Coach talking to Vanessa in the lobby.
“Hey, man, I’m gonna see if Vanessa wants to come for breakfast if that’s cool?”
Kieran looks at me with the biggest shit-eating grin plastered on his face. “ Mm-hm, it sure is. Meet you at the truck.”
Ever since last Sunday, Vanessa and I have been hanging out more. We’re strictly friends, as she so plainly laid out to me. Last night Vanessa came over and we watched a nature documentary and worked on school assignments, y’know, stuff that friends do. After she left, Kieran gave me shit for striking out again. I tried telling him that we’re friends and I’m giving up on trying to sleep with her.
Well…I’m at least trying to get the idea out of my head.
He doesn’t believe that girls and guys can just be friends, so he made a bet that Ness and I would probably fuck by the end of the month if we keep hanging out this much.
I told him he could go fuck himself.
We’re just friends. Did we have a moment when I found her dildo? Yes . And did that turn me on? Of fucking course. I couldn’t stop imagining what kind of sounds I could get out of her if I used that toy on her.
Fuck. No, Jake, get it together. You’re just friends.
I shouldn’t go there, but fuck, do I want to.
I walk up to Vanessa just as Coach turns to leave, assuming he’s heading back to his office to go over plays for this weekend’s game. That man eats, sleeps, and breathes this sport.
“Someone looks a little tired,” I say as I walk up to her.
Vanessa’s tired eyes slowly lift up to look at me. She’s kind of cute when she’s tired.
She yawns instantly. “You weren’t kidding about early morning practices. The only thing keeping me awake was Coach Wilson’s whistle. I think that might be the perfect replacement for my alarm.”
I chuckle softly. One thing Vanessa is good at is making me laugh. Sometimes you never know what she’s going to say, and it can be so out of left field. It kind of reminds me of how Kieran can be so direct.
“Good thing I have the perfect cure for you, breakfast at Tony’s.”
She raises her eyebrow. “The grimy little diner on campus?”
“Hey, no judging until you’ve actually eaten the food first. C’mon, Kieran is waiting for us.”
Without thinking I instinctively grab her arm, not caring if she wants to come or not. My hockey bag is hanging off my left shoulder and it feels as if it weighs two times the amount it normally does. I’m going to blame that on my intense weight training yesterday and the continuous amounts of slap shots Coach had us do today. I look to my right, seeing Vanessa trailing next to me, my hand still holding on to her small forearm. She looks as if it doesn’t bother her even in the slightest.
As I turn my focus back to the parking lot I see Kieran leaning against his truck, the same stupid grin stretched across his face.
“Vanessa.” Kieran gives her a nod as I toss my bag into his trunk.
Vanessa is about to jump into the backseat when I shut the door.
“I don’t think so, Nichols. Ladies get the front seat.” She looks up at me confused, then looks over her shoulder to Kieran, who just slid into the driver’s seat. “Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite.”
“Oh my god, I wasn’t thinking that! I just didn’t know you hockey boys were such gentlemen.” She huffs and walks around the truck to the passenger side and hops in. I follow suit and sit behind Kieran.
“Well this is….” She looks around Kieran’s custom Ford F-150.
“ Expensive, ” Kieran says quickly as he turns down the hard rock that blasts through the speakers. “All-black leather with red ribbing, heated seats, heated steering, fully loaded with all new tech. She’s my baby .”
Kieran isn’t kidding when he says that his truck is his baby. It was one of the first big purchases he made with the money his parents left him. He’s been so stingy about not spending a dime and investing most of it, but after a few bad winters, his old 1990 Jeep Cherokee finally died on him, and he bit the bullet and bought a new truck.
If you ask me, it was totally worth it. Especially ’cause it can fit both of our equipment bags in the back.
“Don’t think I didn’t see your little eye roll there, Vanessa. Make fun of me all you want, but this is my prized possession. My only possession I guess.” He trails off.
Kieran isn’t someone who will openly tell you about their life.The first time I met him he was so closed off to people. It took him the whole first season to finally agree to go out with the team. He told me he had a childhood best friend who ghosted him out of the blue, and then his parents died shortly after.It must have affected how he now views relationships. I’ve tried countless times to find out more about his past and that friendship, but Kieran is like an unbreakable safe that’s encased in bulletproof glass. He’ll only tell you what he wants you to know.
“Sorry, but what’s the saying? Guys who drive big trucks must have small—”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Vanessa, or I will literally whip my dick out to prove you wrong.” Kieran cuts her off midsentence and I can’t help the laugh that comes out.
Clearly he’s not shy with her anymore.
Kieran has left Vanessa completely speechless with her mouth agape. I have a feeling she’s not used to the comradery of guys. Kieran is the type of guy who is so blunt about everything and yet so reclusive as well. The guy is a walking contradiction and I believe that’s why he can get so many girls. They’re drawn to his mysterious side and then love how honest he is.
“I retract my statement about you two being gentlemen. Remind me to never go out with the two of you ever again.” She huffs at the two of us, muttering something along the lines of You two are such neanderthals.
The mood on the way to the diner is light. Vanessa talks with Kieran about classes and his interest in drawing. It’s a hobby of his that he doesn’t share with most people, so it’s refreshing to see him open up. Maybe this will prove to him that guys and girls can be friends.
We pull into the parking lot at Tony’s, and I grab Vanessa’s door before she can climb out, giving me an odd look as I hold the door for her. With the way she’s looking at me, it’s as if a man has never held a door open for her.
Kieran leads us to our usual spot, the U-shaped booth in the back corner of the diner, and an elderly waitress brings us water and menus to browse. As if we didn’t already know what we wanted.The guys and I have been coming here since my first year at BCU.
“I can give you kids a minute to look over the menu if you’d like?” our waitress, Eve, asks us.
“No thank you, ma’am, we’ll take three big breakfasts, please, eggs over easy, side of OJ for all.” Kieran winks in her direction and causes her to blush. This waitress has served us countless times, and every time we come here, Kieran always sweet-talks to her.
“What if I don’t like eggs?” Vanessa challenges him, snatching the menu from Kieran’s hands.
“Well, do you?” I ask.
“No, I enjoy them. But next time ask before you order for me.” She smacks Kieran on the head with the menu before giving it back to him.
“I’m just making sure you have the best experience possible, Nichols. If you don’t like it, then you can punch me in the face later.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
The diner is one of the few places in the area that reminds me of home. I come from a small town in Cape Cod. There’s not much to the town, but we have a small mom-and-pop diner called Gerry & Ginny’s, and this place gives me nodes of nostalgia.
Tony’s has the same small-town vibe to it. With the checkered tile floors, red and white booths, and an old-school jukebox tucked into the corner. It’s almost as if they copied and pasted the diner from home to here.
We start chatting aimlessly and Vanessa fills us in on how her social media assignment is going.
“I spent the past few days meeting with every guy on the team and I’ve created threads on the team’s Instagram about every player and all of your stats.” She pauses to take a sip of her orange juice that Eve dropped off. “And I even added a couple of highlight reels from last season. Those videos are making girls go crazy seeing you guys in action.”
“We can’t help it, Ness, women are just attracted to big athletic men like us. It’s in their nature.” Kieran flexes his bicep.
“You’re right, Kieran, the entire female population is absolutely obsessed with sweaty men wearing the same outfits. How could we possibly turn you down?” As soon as the words leave her mouth, she glances at me with an apologetic gaze.
Well, that hurt only a little.
I don’t expect girls to fall at my feet and worship me because I’m a good hockey player. But sometimes—well, most times—girls do fall onto their knees for me, and I can’t help but feel my ego get bigger every time.
“Maddie’s calling me, I’ll just be a minute.” Vanessa slides out of the booth and heads toward the front of the restaurant.
“ How could we possibly turn you down ?” Kieran mocks in a high-pitched voice. “Well, she did turn you down. Twice may I add.” Kieran is chucking to himself, thinking he’s so clever.
Asshole.
“The first time she was wasted.” I defend myself. “And the second time I asked, she was hungover. I can guarantee that if I were to actually make a play on Vanessa, she wouldn’t be able to turn me down.”
“ Again. ”
“Huh?”
“She wouldn’t be able to turn you down, again .” He smirks as he takes a sip of his juice.
“In case I haven’t said it today, you’re an ass.”
Vanessa comes back to the table, her phone tucked away in her back pocket. Perfect timing, too, because I see Eve walking from the kitchen with a tray full of our breakfast. I can’t wait to annihilate these eggs. I also can’t wait to prove to Vanessa that this place is the best spot for breakfast.
She places the food down in front of us, and I wait to take a bite of my food until Vanessa dips a piece of toast in her eggs. I watch her face as she tastes everything. Picking up her fork and grabbing a few hashbrowns, before popping those into her mouth too.How is it possible for someone to look so damn hot while eating fucking breakfast?
Vanessa notices me staring. “What?”
“How is it?”
“You guys were right. This is the best breakfast I’ve ever had. Oh, I invited my friend Maddie to join us this morning. She just got a bad mark on her paper and needs a little pick-me-up.”
Kieran freezes for a moment, then proceeds to shovel his food into his mouth.
“If that’s okay…”
“The more people who witness you eat your words, the better, Ness.” I joke with her and finally take a bite out of my own breakfast. My eggs are cooked perfectly, the toast has just the right amount of crunch, and the hashbrowns are seasoned with onions and spices.
Damn, I wish I could eat this every day of my life—but I’d go broke if I ate out for every meal.
“So, Ness, are you excited for the away game this weekend?” I ask.
She takes a sip of her juice, a little bit dripping down the side of her mouth. She flicks her tongue out to catch it.
“I guess so. That last time I went to Vermont I was with my parents, and let’s just say I spent more time with my skis than them. It’ll be nice to be able to hang out with everyone since we’ll all be together, y’know?”
“Oh, just wait ’til you hear Jake’s singing on the bus. Then you’ll wish you would’ve driven yourself rather than take the bus with us.”
Kieran likes to tease me, but I pick the best music for road trips. Not my fault I’m a god with a playlist.
Vanessa looks at Kieran as if he’s joking, but when she realizes he’s being dead serious, she turns to me. “Is this about to be an episode of Carpool Karaoke ? But instead of James Corden, we have you hosting it?”
I smile wide at her, she has no idea how fun our road trips are. “You’re damn right, and it’s always a fun fucking time, so get your singing voice ready.”I hold my hand up, waiting for Kieran to high-five me. Reluctantly, he does, right as Maddie walks up to our table.
“Hey, guys.” Maddie greets us, then sits next to Vanessa. Vanessa slides farther into the booth, her knee now touching mine.
“Sorry to hear about your essay.”
Maddie sighs but gives me a smile. “My prof is such a dick. I swear he only gave me a bad mark because I challenged his statistics in class. He was using a study from over twelve years ago. If he wants to use accurate data, then he should’ve used more recent studies.”
“What prof do you have?” Kieran breaks his silence.
“Dr. Wesley. He’s one of the only professors on campus who teach Advances in Human Identification , except he insists on using old research. We’re supposed to be learning about the advancements, not about what technology we had in the early eighties.”
Maddie continues explaining to us about her class and how her professor is basically a huge douche. He’s easily in his sixties and should retire, but because he has tenure at the university, he’s going to ride this out until he doesn’t feel like teaching anymore.
“Enough about me, what’s new with you guys?” She leans back into the booth, crossing her arms over her chest.
I stack my empty plate onto Vanessa’s and put them at the corner of the table. “We have a game this weekend in Vermont. That should be an easy win for us.”
“Oh, that’ll be awesome for you guys!” She looks at Vanessa. “Ness, you’re obviously going, so we’ll have to do something for your birthday when you get back.”
Birthday? I didn’t know Vanessa’s birthday was coming up.
“Woah, hold up. When’s your birthday?”
“It’s the fifteenth. Friday.” She doesn’t make eye contact with me, which raises a small red flag.
Vanessa turns her focus away from us, staring off into nowhere.
I’ve seen guys dissociate while playing, whether a player on the other team said something to throw them off, or they’re just having a bad game. They do it to give themselves space and get a chance to calm down. But I don’t know why this topic is causing Vanessa to space out like this. Does she not like to celebrate her birthday? I know some people hate to celebrate them. They would rather hang out by themselves and relax than have a party. Maybe Vanessa’s the same way, but she doesn’t peg me as the type of person who doesn’t celebrate their birthdays.
“Excuse me for a moment, I’m just gonna run to the restroom before we leave.”
Maddie scoots out of the booth so Vanessa can squeeze by her.
“Okay, was she acting weird or am I just bad at picking up social cues?” Kieran asks.
Maddie shakes her head. “No, she’s definitely acting weird. She’s not really looking forward to her birthday this year.”
“Did something happen?”
I lean in closer as Maddie looks side to side, scoping out to make sure Vanessa isn’t around to hear her.
“Vanessa’s parents aren’t coming to see her for her birthday, so she’s a little upset.”
“Are they close?”
Maddie shakes her head, making a face that makes me think that Vanessa and her parents are far from being close.
“How come they aren’t coming to visit her?”
“They randomly planned a trip to Paris without her.” Oh fuck. “Their relationship is already rocky enough. This is like the fucking icing on the cake. They don’t see eye to eye on everything, especially the decisions she makes with her life, but her birthday was one day out of the year that they actually paid attention to her.”
Well fuck, that sucks.I can see why she would be so upset. Having your parents skip out on you is like taking a knife to the gut, but having them plan a whole trip on your birthday without inviting you—well that would just twist the knife even deeper.
“What did you guys have planned for her birthday?”
Maddie shrugs. “Normally we take her to see whatever bad rom-com is in theaters, order food, and then sneak it into the theater with us.”
I’m glad Vanessa at least has some good friends to make up for her shitty parents. It’s not common for friends to have traditions they uphold every year.
“What if the team helped out this year? We can plan something, like a surprise party. That way it’ll take her mind off her parents,” I suggest. “She’s part of the team now, and we don’t want her feeling like shit, especially on her birthday.”
“I don’t know, Vanessa sort of hates surprises.”
“She’ll like this surprise. Have her at our place on Friday at six. The boys and I will take care of the rest.”
Kieran nods in agreement. I give Maddie my number so we can all coordinate the details of the party. Vanessa walks back from the restroom, and we quickly change the subject to something completely different.
“And that’s how I learned to not play with firecrackers.” Kieran pretends to finish a story. Vanessa takes a seat, now sitting so Maddie is between us.
She has no idea.
Vanessa’s going to be fucking blown away by this party.