Chapter 5
FIVE
The puck hit the back of the net so hard I thought it might tear through. Perfect shot, upper right corner, exactly where I’d been aiming.
“Holy shit, Drew,” Liam panted, skating over to where I was already lining up for another shot. “What’s gotten into you today? You’re playing like a man possessed.”
I fired another puck toward the goal, this one sailing past Gordy’s glove with enough force to rattle the net. “Just warming up.”
“Warming up?” Foster glided over, pulling off his helmet. Our captain looked equal parts impressed and concerned. “You’ve been dominating every drill for the past hour. If this is warming up, I can’t wait to see what game-ready looks like.”
“Maybe I’m just tired of losing to Bozeman,” I said, scooping up another puck. MSU was on a winning streak, and we’d no doubt face them if we could make it to the conference championships in a few weeks.
Gordy skated out of the goal, shaking his head. “You sure that’s it?”
Coach Maxwell’s whistle shrieked across the ice. “Alright, guys, bring it in!”
We skated over to the boards where Coach was waiting, and I could feel the adrenaline still pumping through my veins.
But at least I finally had somewhere to channel all the anger, frustration, and rage I’d felt all weekend long.
Being on the ice gave me a sense of focus and control that I desperately needed.
“That is exactly the kind of energy I want to see Friday and Saturday when we play against Northern,” Coach said, pointing at me. “Dumontier’s been playing with a killer instinct out there all practice.”
Liam shot me a sideways look. “More like a serial-killer instinct.”
“Whatever’s fueling this fire,” Coach continued, “bottle it up and save some for the game. We’re going to need that intensity if we want to make the conference championship.”
After Coach dismissed us, I started toward the locker room, but Foster caught my arm.
“Okay, what’s really going on?” he asked, lowering his voice. “And don’t tell me it’s about MSU still leading us in the conference. I’ve seen you pissed before, and this is different.”
Liam and Gordy joined us, although Liam already knew what had crawled up my ass since he’d been with me all weekend trying to clean up the damn mess.
Liam answered before I could. “I’ll give you one guess, and it rhymes with Tarper Hinsley.”
Gordy blinked. “Did you really just reverse the first letters of her names?”
Liam shrugged and shot him a boyish grin that I’d seen him use all through our childhood to get out of trouble.
“Harper fucking Tinsley,” I said, the words coming out rougher from the rage that bubbled up just thinking about her after this weekend.
Foster and Gordy exchanged glances.
“I’m hesitant to ask, but what happened now?” Foster asked.
I took a deep breath, still feeling the burn of embarrassment underneath all my frustration.
It was bad enough I’d likely never get laid again after the stunt she pulled, but the worst part was that the reviews were complete bullshit.
I prided myself on being a generous partner.
I liked making girls come—hell, I got off on watching them fall apart.
I’d never been accused of being selfish in bed, and I sure as hell had never been called boring.
So yeah, I might’ve been cavalier about who I fucked, but I wasn’t casual about how I fucked. And now? People looked at me like I was some overrated, underperforming joke.
I was 1000% certain Harper had written at least half the reviews herself—if not all of them.
I ran my hand through my hair. “I spent Saturday and Sunday hitting every single women’s bathroom on campus with Liam and Ava, trying to take down posters that Harper put up with a QR code linking to rew.”
Gordy’s mouth dropped before he broke into an uncharacteristic fit of laughter.
“Fuck you.”
I was glad he found my torment so hilarious. Asshole. He wouldn’t be laughing this hard if it had been his reputation being smeared all over campus.
He pulled himself together, but laughter still shone in his eyes. “Sorry, man. That’s rough. But I’m also a bit surprised no girl has ever done that to you before.”
“Given me fake bad reviews?”
“No, put your face on a poster and declared something awful about you.”
Was I that bad of a guy? I always made myself clear before any hookups. I wasn’t a relationship guy. Maybe someday, but for now I planned to sow my oats and all that while I still could.
“So she put them in a couple of bathrooms?”
“Eighty-three bathrooms, Foster. Eighty-three.” I could feel my jaw clenching. “Every single academic building, the admin offices, the library, student center, gym, dining halls—places I didn’t even know had bathrooms until Ava mentioned them. She hit them all.”
Foster winced. “Shit, man.”
“The girl at the student health building recognized me,” I continued, the humiliation still fresh. “She fucking recommended that I start following some sex therapists on socials. Sex therapists, Foster. Like I needed tips on how to please a woman and last longer than two thrusts.”
That broke Foster’s composure, but his laugh died quickly when he saw my serious expression wasn’t breaking anytime soon. “Shit, that’s actually awful.”
“This isn’t just about some stupid poster,” I said, my voice getting harder. “This is about Harper thinking she can humiliate me without consequences. She’s been pulling this shit for years, and I’m done with it.”
Gordy leaned against his stick, studying me. “So what’s your plan?”
“That’s the thing,” I said, feeling that cold, calculating anger settle in my chest. “I’m not going to do anything. Not yet.”
“Nothing?” Foster looked skeptical.
“Locking the practice rooms before her recital was sloppy. Reactive.” I shook my head. “This time, I’m going to wait for the perfect opportunity. Something that will end this war once and for all.”
“Meaning?” Liam asked.
I looked at each of them—my teammates, my brothers. They’d have my back no matter what.
“I’m going to destroy her,” I said quietly. “But I’m going to be smart about it. Patient. Harper thinks she’s so fucking clever, but she’s about to learn what happens when she messes with a Dumontier.”
Foster’s expression grew serious. “Drew, don’t do anything that’s going to get you kicked off the team or out of school.”
“I’m not stupid.”
“When it comes to Harper Tinsley, you kind of are,” Gordy pointed out matter-of-factly.
I wanted to argue, but he wasn’t wrong. Something about Harper had always made me react first and think later. But not this time.
“What if you just…didn’t do anything,” Gordy suggested.
“And leave her slight unanswered? Fuck that.”
“So, let me get this straight,” Gordy continued. “You won’t ever let a slight go unanswered…and neither will she. So how’s this going to end once and for all? If you want to end it, you have to stop reacting or playing into the pranks.”
He arched a brow at me and then headed toward the showers, Foster following behind. Liam stopped beside me and squeezed my shoulder, but didn’t say anything.
What was there to say? Gordy had just laid down a harsh truth I wasn’t sure I wanted to face.
Did I retaliate, or was it time to move on and pretend Harper didn’t exist at all?