Chapter 6
Chapter Six
LUKE
“Fuck, Luke!” Tanner grunts when he flies back, hitting the boards.
There is nothing better than waking up to a morning on the ice to work out your aggression.
I might be the only person on the team that doesn’t mind morning practice.
I love pushing myself. The way the adrenaline courses through me the moment my skates hit the ice.
The burn of my thighs as I push them to give me more.
“I’m on your side,” he shouts up at me from the ground.
I offer him my hand, but he doesn’t take it.
“You didn’t knock the sense out of me.” He gets to his feet on his own.
“Next time maybe you’ll watch where I’m going,” I tell him before skating off and finishing the rest of practice. I’m the first one back to the locker room, showering and changing quickly for classes.
“You’re ready.” Grant appears surprised by this.
Not sure why he’s paying attention either way.
“You’re always late, so I figured you would be for classes.
” He’s not wrong. I operate at my own speed.
If someone doesn’t like it, I really don’t give a fuck.
Honestly, I’ve never had a reason to be any other way.
“I hope you’re getting paid to stalk me.”
“That would be nice.” I don’t know if he’s being serious or not. I wouldn’t put it past Coach to really hire me a babysitter. I was thinking of it as a joke, but I might not have been far off the mark. “I’ll leave the stalking to you.”
“What?” Now that gives me pause. Does he know what I did last night?
Am I completely aware of what I did last night?
It could have been a fever dream. If it was, why do I still have all the information I lifted off my brother’s computer?
Maybe I even used his login for the school and possibly changed a few things.
“I’m only messing with you,” Grant chuckles before it quickly evaporates. “You’re not stalking anyone, right?”
“Is that against the babysitting rules?” Grant’s eyes search my face. If he thinks he’ll get an answer there, he’ll be waiting for the rest of his fucking life, which might be short at this rate.
“I don’t know if you’re teasing me or being serious.” He runs his fingers through his still wet hair. “You’re not the teasing type, but I don’t see you stalking anyone either. That means you’d give a shit about something.”
He’s got a point there. I used to care, but I found caring doesn’t do you any favors. You might as well do what you want. You get screwed either way.
“I’ve got class,” I tell him, closing my gym locker.
He follows after me. I shoot him a glare that doesn’t do shit. I am really losing my touch, and I’m pretty sure it started with a gorgeous girl with dark shiny hair. She couldn’t care less if I stare or not, and I cannot stop staring no matter how hard I try.
That’s why I did the things I did last night. The logic made sense to me. If I know where she is and what she is doing, I can avoid her. That was my thought process. Then I would forget about her and the shit she does to my head. It’s better for both her and me.
At least that was very much my plan. It was a solid one.
Until it was no longer my plan, and I suddenly have a few classes with her now.
It’s time to keep an even better eye on her.
I’m sure if I spend a fraction of time with her, she’ll annoy me like all the rest. Then I won’t think about her, and I can go back to my normal life that didn’t have any distractions.
It’s not hard to get people to leave you alone. A few mean comments and it’s done with. I’m not putting up niceties to make others comfortable when I’m sure as fuck not comfortable around any of them.
Honestly, I’m not sure I’m comfortable with myself at this point either.
Grant makes small talk that I’m not paying attention to. I didn’t know a person could talk so much.
“Does the silence make you uncomfortable?” I ask him when we’re almost to Striker Hall.
“Does talking make you uncomfortable?” he tosses right back at me. I don’t respond, but he didn’t want one. “Where are we going?”
“I’m going to class.” I yank the door open.
“Isn’t your first class...?” I stop walking.
“You’re really babysitting me.” I was joking about it.
“I know your schedule; cool it.”
I stare at him. Did he tell me to cool it?
“Grant—”
“I know; you’ll murder me in my sleep.”
“Why would I wait for you to sleep?”
That calm, cool demeanor drops from Grant’s expression, giving me a glimpse of another side of him. Interesting. “Your scare tactics don’t work on me, nor does your bullying.” What’s he hiding under there? At least I don’t mask who I am. You know what you’re getting.
“I’m not a bully.” That shouldn’t piss me off. I shouldn’t give a fuck if he or anyone else thinks I am one, but I’d always seen my father as one. I would never want to follow in his footsteps, or I’ve done my best not to anyway. Starting to think it’s not working.
“You sure about that?”
Am I?
“I don’t seek people out to push around off the ice.
” Grant’s brows rise. “They start the shit and I finish it.” That’s how it goes normally.
I can’t say that about the new girl. I’ve done nothing but think about her and try to figure out ways to get her to dislike me.
It’s better off if she hates me. I don’t know why that is, but it is.
I’ve been unsettled since I first saw her.
I would say she’s fucking with my head on purpose, but when our paths have crossed, she doesn’t bother to even glance my way.
Like she hadn’t laid into my ass the other day.
And why the hell is it that every time that memory pops into my head I get hard as fuck?
It’s crazy that I even care that she ignores me.
Wasn’t that the point of all this to begin with?
Usually, I’d be over-fucking-joyed about it.
Maybe that’s part of the allure or curiosity.
Whatever you want to call it when it comes to her.
You always want what you can’t have. I’ve heard other guys talk about girls playing hard to get.
I wouldn’t know about any of that shit because I’ve always steered clear of them.
“You don’t have to seek people out to be a bully. And please tell me you don’t have class with a dark-haired girl named—”
“Don’t.” I stop walking, cutting him off. I don’t want him to say her name.
“Don’t what? Speak of—” I grab him before I even comprehend what I’m doing. I slam him into the closest wall, sending a few other classmates stumbling out of the way. He doesn’t fight me as I pin him to the wall.
“Don’t even utter her name,” I say low, letting my anger bleed into each word so he knows I’m not fucking around about this.
“Why, will it make her appear?” the cocky little shit asks, not the least bit scared of me.
He’s either crazy or we haven’t gotten to see all he’s got on the ice yet, and he’s been holding it back.
In size, we’re not far off each other. He’s leaner, but I’m brute force.
I’m about to yank him into me to slam him back into the wall again, but what he says next makes me pause.
“Because she’s already here.” He glances to his left.
I cock my head to the side, following his line of sight to see her standing there, watching us, along with a shit ton of other people.
“All right, that’s enough, Luke; you’re not on the ice,” one of the teachers shouts at me.
“We’re just having a powwow, aren’t we, Luke? We’re besties.” His stupid-ass comment almost makes me bark a laugh, but I keep it under control.
“Oh, I was sure you two were going to kiss.” A sassy voice says it, and I know it’s my dark-haired girl. How could I not when I have replayed our first encounter together over and over again? A handful of classmates laugh while others know better.
“Not sure I’m his type.” I give Grant a warning look, and he gives a subtle no shake of his head, silently telling me he’s not going there in front of everyone. Good to know; he’s only a dick when it’s the two of us.
“You’re everyone’s type,” Lana says loudly enough for everyone to hear. Grant doesn’t acknowledge her. I release my hold on him and step back.
“Everybody get moving,” the teacher orders. “Let’s not be late to classes on the first day.”
Everyone scatters except Lana and Madeline. Of course Grant is still here. Georgia’s head pops out from behind Madeline only to quickly duck right back behind her. I try to keep my attention on their faces, my expression blank, but I lose out.
My eyes drop to Madeline’s legs. I never understood the appeal of the schoolgirl uniform that guys get off on. Now I do, though I’m starting to see that it’s not the uniform that’s alluring; it’s her. She’s the reason it’s so damn hot, and it’s annoying.
“Grant, right?” Lana asks, stepping toward us. Here we go. I should turn and leave, but I want to see how Grant responds to a girl throwing herself at him.
Lie.
I want to keep staring at Madeline, who stares right back.
Most people would have already looked away, but she’s got a backbone, and I’m finding I really like it when it comes to her.
When her eyes flick over to Grant, I want to lay him out all over again.
I need to get my shit together. This girl has me twisted in knots.
“Yeah,” Grant responds, sounding bored.
Lana and Caleb are cut from the same cloth except Lana’s is dark, and she’s smarter than him.
I watch her give Grant the sweetest smile that she can force onto her face.
It makes my mouth hurt watching her. How much shit did she pump into her lips over the summer?
I know they weren’t this big last year, and I’m only noticing because that’s how drastic it is.
“I’ve seen you on the ice. It’s impressive. I’m Lana, captain of the Ice Crew.”
“You’re not the captain.” Madeline is quick to correct her. Isn’t that interesting? It seems I’m not the only one the new girl has an axe to grind with.
“I’m always captain.” Lana rolls her eyes as though her being captain is a foregone conclusion.
“Luke here is always an ass, but that doesn’t make him a donkey.” Why the hell am I catching strays? Lana appears stunned by Madeline’s response. A snort of a laugh comes from behind her, where Georgia is hiding.
“Maybe you should keep my name out of your mouth.” The words are past my lips before I can stop them. They don’t have the desired effect, though. The brat only licks her lips as though she couldn’t give a shit what I say.
“If you say so,” Madeline says with a hint of laughter and dismissively walks away. I don’t know why that fucks with my head more than if she had been an asshole right back to me.
I stand there and watch her go, and not once does she ever glance back.