Chapter 8 Follow Your Heart
CHAPTER EIGHT
FOLLOW YOUR HEART
COLSEN
The ride I booked drops me off by the training center, and I don’t even thank the driver.
Usually I’m not this rude, but I’ve been wrapped up in my own head the entire time it took to go from the pier in downtown Star Cove to the center at the edge of town.
Maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to call it a night and come home.
It’s not like I was in the mood to party, far from it.
But I can’t get the new girl out of my head.
Taryn.
Absolutely gorgeous.
Her long blonde hair looked so soft that I was dying to run my fingers through it while looking into her stunning green eyes.
Her lips looked perfect, pouty enough that they seemed to be begging to be kissed.
And what about that slender body, with curves in all the right places? My cock begins to thicken at just the thought of how Taryn would feel in my arms while I explored her mouth with mine.
Even the sound of her voice filled me with a desire I’ve never felt before. Taryn’s voice is a little different from your typical girl's. It’s feminine, but her timbre has a husky quality to it that makes it sound more mysterious, more sexy than any sound I’ve ever heard.
I know I’m not the only one who noticed her. Tucker looked pretty taken too by the new girl, and he didn’t waste any time trying to get her attention.
It’s ok. I’ll let Tucker shoot his shot and if she isn’t into him…
What if she is into him, though?
It’s gonna be fine. If she’s into Tucker, I’ll be happy for them. My best friend deserves to be happy. Since his huge crush on Bex went sideways, Tucker has been out of sorts. I don’t think I’ve seen him hook up with anyone in months.
I need to make peace with letting the cards fall as they may for tonight. Then I can talk to Tucker and see what’s up.
What about you, though? Don’t you deserve to be happy?
I run a hand through my hair, rooted to my spot by that obnoxious voice in my head.
I deserve to be happy, too. I haven’t had a serious relationship since the long distance relationship with my high school girlfriend ended.
She cheated, and it hurt enough to make me want to avoid any connections deeper than one night of fun.
I’ve been single for almost two years now and I’m ok.
I realized that we were just kids and our high school romance couldn’t handle the almost nine hours between Seattle and Star Cove.
Not at the time when we were supposed to grow up and find ourselves, at least if it’s true what they say about college being a time of discovery.
But the matter is that I’ve been fine on my own. I’ve never had any problems getting female attention, and hockey kept me busy enough that I didn’t feel the need to look for anything long term.
I’ve been content with my life, so why is walking away from a woman I barely even met is making me spiral? For all I know, we might have nothing in common. Even if Tucker hadn’t pounced on her, things might have gone like they usually do when I meet someone new.
We’d flirt over a drink, we’d have a fun night together and then see each other around.
Or, we might have hit it off. She might be as gorgeous on the inside as she is on the outside.
Just that thought is what’s torturing me right now and preventing me from stepping into the building where my shared apartment for the summer is.
My thoughts go back to Tucker. Chances are he’s going to flirt with her and either overdo it and say something to get immediately friend zoned or he’ll lose his nerve and fold. He’s been doing that since Bex didn’t give him the time of day.
I’ve only had one light beer. I could get in my car and go back to the pier.
And do what?
This time the answer to the question in my head is easy. I could see how things were going between Tucker and Taryn.
I’m not going to stand in my best friend’s way. If they are hitting it off, I could be Tucker’s wingman and make sure he gets past his heartbreak over Bex.
If the vibe between them isn’t romantic or sexy, I could take my chances and see if there’s attraction between me and the hot new girl.
I’m going to be honest about my intentions, too. I would never betray my best friend, and we’ve worked out stuff like this before if we were attracted to the same woman. May the best man win has always been our motto.
My phone vibrates in my pocket and I wonder if it’s Tucker. If it is, that could help me make my mind up if I should go back to the pier or join Nash in the apartment we’re going to share this summer with Tucker and Macklin.
To my surprise, the text isn’t from one of my friends but from Coach.
You have been added to the team chat by Coach Harrison
Coach: Good evening, ladies! I don’t know where you all are and what you’re up to, but since you’re all moved into your training camp apartments, I decided that giving you tomorrow off would be a waste of our time.
Why wait to start training on Monday when we have a perfectly good Sunday at our disposal?
That would also give us a day to catch up and shake off any rust accumulated since our final game last season before the film crew arrives on Monday.
I’m sure you all want to look good. So that said, if you’re having pillow fights and braiding each other’s hair, call it a night.
I’ll see you all tomorrow morning in the main building gym at seven a.m. sharp. Sweet dreams, everyone.
A groan escapes from me.
Go figure. I should have known Coach Harrison was gonna find a way to fuck up our last weekend of freedom.
In the next few seconds, most of my teammates reply to acknowledge the change in our schedule. Pretty much everyone throws in an emoji or some kind of promise to be there bright and early.
Everyone except Tucker.
My feet take me back to the complex parking lot before I’ve even made a conscious decision.
I need to find Tucker and make sure his phone isn’t turned off. Out of all of us, he’s the one who has the most to lose in pissing off Coach Harrison.
Of course my reasons aren’t totally selfless. This will give me the perfect excuse to check on the vibe between Tucker and Taryn.
If either of them looks put out by my presence, I’ll make myself scarce again.
With my mind made up, I make it back to the pier in record time.
At six feet three inches, I’m definitely taller than average. But Tucker towers over me at six five, which makes him very easy to spot on the crowded boardwalk.
“Hey Tuck,” I grab his shoulder to get his attention.
“Colsen, hey.” Taryn is the first to greet me.
Her smile is even prettier than I remembered it, and she remembers my name. That is a good sign.
“Dude,” Tucker looks surprised. “Why aren’t you in bed? Is everything ok?”
“Everything’s fine, don’t worry. I just… Coach started a new team chat and messaged everyone. He decided to move Monday morning’s practice to tomorrow morning.”
Tucker’s groan sounds identical to mine when I learned the news.
“That man is a sadist. I should have known he wouldn’t resist the urge to ruin our last free weekend before summer training.
” He takes out his phone to check and acknowledge the message.
“Thanks for coming back to tell me. I had my phone on do not disturb.”
“Don’t sweat it.” I smile. “You’d do exactly the same thing for me.”
“True that.” Tucker chuckles. “So did you come back just to tell me about practice?” The way his eyebrows are arched tells me that he’s wondering why I’m really here.
This is my chance to be upfront, but I don’t want to make us both look like total idiots in front of Taryn.
“While you guys talk, I’ll just pop into the restroom.” She points out the public restroom just a few yards away. “Colsen, are you staying?”
Her hand brushes my biceps when she asks, and I can’t help but smile. “Yeah, I think so. If you guys don’t mind, of course. I thought I was tired, but the second I got home, I realized I wasn’t.”
“Cool,” she beams. “I won’t be long. Don’t leave without me, guys.”
We watch the floaty skirt of her summer dress dance around her shapely legs as she walks away.
“So,” Tucker is still looking at me with the same quizzical expression as a moment ago. “You’re here.”
Doubt creeps up in my head. I don’t want to fight over a woman, no matter how attractive she is. “Yeah, I just… fuck. She’s just…”
Tucker nods, surprising me again. “I know, Col. She’s perfect. Gorgeous, sweet, funny, easy to talk to and feisty as fuck. She doesn’t take any crap.”
“Damn,” I chuckle. “You work fast. I’ve been gone half an hour. Did you already manage to piss her off?”
Tucker barks out a laugh. “You know me, I always manage to say something stupid. We almost had a fight about the fortune teller. I came back from that by the skin of my teeth.”
Right. “Look, I came back because I couldn’t get Taryn out of my head. But I’m not here to cockblock you or fuck things up for you. If you want me to go, tell me now and I’m going to make an excuse and leave you alone.”
For a second, I think that this is when Tucker is going to call dibs. Maybe I shouldn’t have given him the opportunity since we saw Taryn at the same time and he just moved faster than me.
“I know you wouldn’t. And no, you don’t need to go. Taryn looked happy to see you.”
I blink, a little confused by his reaction. “You don’t mind me staying? Did I misunderstand your intentions with her? Are you just being friendly?”
This time around, Tucker doesn’t leave any room for misunderstanding.
“Oh no. You got my intentions right. But we both just met this girl and you’re my best friend in the whole fucking world.
If you like her, you should go after what you want, and so should I.
Taryn is a grown woman, and she can decide who she wants. ”
The idea makes me feel better, but it’s kind of dangerous. “True. But I don’t want this thing to come between me and you, Tuck.”