Chapter 3
Ididn’t go back. After spending a restless night punctuated by Hudson’s little barks, I decided I didn’t need the added distraction in my life.
Taryn was… something. After the first night, Hudson stopped interrupting my sleep completely. I’m not sure how they knew, but I had to start blaming my abbreviated sleeping habits on something else now.
I decided to blame Taryn.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her colorful hair and her smug smile after she’d beaten me. I’d feel the smooth skin of her cheek when I dove off the deep end and kissed her. I’d remember the catch in her breath when I’d smiled.
My obsession with our one night together was borderline pathetic considering we’d spent several hours playing a video game in which she utterly destroyed me over and over again. Maybe Eva was right and I did like being tortured.
“Bro,” Reece huffed at me, his hands under the weight bar currently sitting on my chest.
I focused on his red face and realized he’d been trying to lift it. “Sorry. Got distracted.”
“Right,” Reece bit out. “No problem. I like popping blood vessels trying to spot for you.”
“You volunteered,” I pointed out, re-racking the bar with ease and sitting up from the weight bench.
He wiped his palms on his pants. “That was before I knew about your supernatural strength. I promised Kenzie I’d stop with the vampire jokes, but man, you don’t make it easy.”
I grunted and wiped my face with the bottom of my shirt. Kenzie was our newest roommate and Reece’s girlfriend. He’d shocked all of us by settling down with the least Reece-like girl I’d ever met.
I liked her.
Reece was like a brother to me, but if he screwed with her, I’d probably have to take him out back and toss him in the duck pond. After his pathetic excuse for spotting, I was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to do much about it.
The weight room was empty except for us since it was dusk and we were still technically on winter break. Just the way I liked it. Hockey didn’t stop simply because classes weren’t in session.
A lesson I’d learned the hard way at the hands of my dad.
“Why are you even lifting that much? Shouldn’t you be practicing the splits or something?”
I shook my head, used to his antics. Reece loved the sound of his own voice, and to a certain degree, I welcomed the constant interruption of my thoughts. I’d specifically irked him into volunteering because I was tired of lying in bed fighting the urge to go knock on Taryn’s door.
“I like it,” I told him. “Being the biggest and strongest takes care of a lot of issues in life.”
He propped his hands on his hips and shook his head. “That’s sad. I’m sad for you.”
“Only because you’re smaller than me,” I muttered.
Reece scoffed. “Don’t start that bullshit, my man. I’m sad because you lean on intimidation to keep people from getting close to you.”
I groaned and started gathering my gear to leave. “I’m going to have another talk with Kenzie about filling your head with nonsense.”
He grabbed his bag, which he hadn’t used. “It wasn’t Kenzie this time. Her book club branched out to a non-smutty book, and she left it open next to the bed. Some of it is damned insightful.”
“I’m happy for you,” I grumbled. “Let’s go.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate Reece trying to pry into my head… actually, it was that. Reece showed he cared by inserting himself in other people’s lives, but I didn’t want him picking up on anything with Taryn or my meltdown right before Christmas.
That fucking holiday got me every time.
We almost made it the whole drive home without Reece jumping to any conclusions, but I made the mistake of slowing down as we passed Taryn’s house. He leaned forward to look past me.
“Did you go over there on New Year’s Eve when you disappeared? Kenzie said you weren’t wearing shoes and Eva threatened to go searching, but Gavin and I called off the cavalry.”
I kept quiet and sped up, hoping he’d drop it.
He didn’t. “I recognize that car. The old VW bug. She was the one who found you in the ditch. Weird that she lives next door. What was her name again?”
“Taryn,” I mumbled, not thinking before I spoke.
“Aha!” he yelled, pointing a finger at me. “I knew there was something going on.”
I pulled up to the curb, my usual spot since the guys I lived with cheated horrendously when it came to the parking lottery. “There’s nothing going on.”
In the waning light, I could barely make out her tiny, dark-colored car.
My skin tingled, and I leaned forward far enough to see Taryn playing with Hudson around the corner of the house.
She was wearing her usual outfit of a black tank top and sweats—too cold for our current winter weather—but a wadded-up sweatshirt lay right behind her feet, threatening to trip her.
For a long second, I let myself watch her pull back and toss a bright red dog toy. She smiled as Hudson’s little legs scrambled for purchase before he took off. I felt an answering smile threaten to break free, but as usual, Reece ruined everything.
“Oh shit, you’ve got the hots for the neighbor,” he said reverently.
I faced him, purposely turning my back on Taryn’s infectious joy. “I do not have the hots for the neighbor. I went over there to ask her to keep her dog quiet while I’m sleeping, and I thanked her for calling you. Not every interaction is about sex.”
He snorted. “Yes, it is. Especially this one. Look, I’m all for it. Tell me what I can do to help.”
“No.” I waited until his gaze left Taryn and met my face before repeating myself. “No. I don’t need hookup help and I sure as hell don’t want relationship advice. Taryn is a neighbor with an annoying dog. Nothing more. Leave her alone.”
Reece rubbed his jaw, barely controlling his grin. “Sure, sure. Whatever you want, man.”
I didn’t trust him for a second, but I’d already hit my quota of Reece time for the day. “Shouldn’t you be out harassing Rafe today?”
Rafe was Reece’s chosen successor once we all graduated.
He was fast, smart, and knew the game like a pro.
Coach recruited him from a school in New Mexico that was wasting his talent.
Despite my loathing for gossip or most human interaction, I paid attention when the team talked—and Reece loved to talk.
Case in point.
“Hypothetically,” he started, rubbing his chin and showing no interest in vacating my truck. “If we had a pet party, would she come and bring her weird little dog?”
My head thunked back against the seat. Briefly, I wondered if throwing a dog toy full of peanut butter would shut him up. There was a solid twenty percent chance he’d chase it. Dude loved peanut butter.
“Didn’t we just have a party? Why are there always people at our house now?”
“Sunny would love it,” he pointed out.
She would love it. Sunny was the extrovert to my introvert. I sometimes wondered if I did her a disservice by keeping her with me in the basement all the time. Then again, I usually left the stairwell door cracked, so she could leave whenever she wanted.
I climbed out of the truck, fully intending to lock Reece inside if he didn’t follow suit, and started toward the house. The slam from the passenger door made me smile.
“Hypothetically,” I called over my shoulder. “You’re capable of walking over there and asking her yourself.”
My stomach clenched at the thought of Reece sweet-talking Taryn in any capacity, but I reminded myself he was a sucker in love. He’d never do anything to hurt Kenzie.
Reece caught up to me and shoved his hands in his pockets. “It might do you some good to practice being human for a change. We only have a few more months of school, less of the season, and then you’ll be out in the world without your safety bros.”
I raised my brows at him. “Safety bros?”
He nodded sagely. “You know, friends who keep you safely ensconced in your comfort zone. Portland isn’t going to accommodate a rookie. No matter how supernatural his reaction time. You’ll have to do team bonding shit… maybe even talk to reporters.” Reece shuddered dramatically, and I tensed.
I could talk to people. I could even be nice if I really had to, but it wasn’t the prospect of broadening my tight circle that made me nervous.
Portland drafted me when I was in high school, still under the thumb of my dad. He worked for the organization, and I knew he’d be the point person for my entry contract, meaning he’d be my main liaison with the team. Another avenue for him to control me.
They’d approached me a couple of times to test my readiness for the pros, but each time I’d pushed back. Accepting the contract and leaving college would mean letting my dad back into my life.
I’d had almost four years of freedom, but goalie positions were scarce. Did I really want to trade in my guaranteed chance to play pro to make sure my dad had no power to fuck up my life?
After the last few weeks, I was doing a great job of fucking up my life all on my own. To be clear, I didn’t regret punching Kane in his shit-talking mouth, but I probably should have waited until Coach wasn’t watching.
Like father, like son after all.
Either way, I needed to make a decision soon. We were favored to make the playoffs again this year, and Dad would push Portland to put pressure on me. Of course, I didn’t have to sign with them.
Free agency sounded tempting now that I was almost there, but as always, the voice in the back of my head delivered little darts of uncertainty. You’re too slow. Too big. Too stupid. You’re not good enough.
Not good enough.
Sunny peeped at me from the basement door as soon as I walked inside the house. My foul mood mostly lifted as the little duck waddled closer with her tail wiggling.
“What’s up, Sunny-girl?” Reece cooed at her.
She didn’t even look at him as she walked to me, babbling in little squawks. I’d found her as a baby in a pile of old jerseys and socks after Eva’s duck, Henry, had secretly hatched an egg in the basement.
She nipped at my shoe, so I picked her up. As expected, she immediately cuddled into the crook of my arm. “Hey, baby girl.”
Reece sniffed. “Rude, but I accept my position as second favorite.”
I snorted. “Eva is definitely second favorite.”
“Eva doesn’t count, and don’t you dare bring Cole into this. He’s got enough hero worship happening already.”
“Did I hear my name?” Cole strode out of the kitchen eating a cheese stick.
Reece narrowed his eyes. “Don’t you take this from me.”
“For the last time, I have no interest in being captain.” Cole clapped Reece on his back with his non-cheese stick hand. “You’re doing great, anyway. No one is going to replace you.”
Reece stole the rest of Cole’s snack, taking a big bite. “I was referring to the duck’s affections, but it’s good to know my reputation precedes me.”
Cole pulled another cheese stick out of his pocket and grinned. “That one was for you.”
I shook my head. “Didn’t you learn anything from Sellers’ post-Christmas puke marathon? We have practice in thirty minutes. Coach will rip your head off if you start hurling cheese curds all over the ice.”
Both of them grimaced, and Cole put the cheese stick back in his pocket. “I think you’re confused about the definition of cheese curds—at least, I hope you are—but you have a point. Are we carpooling today?”
They both looked expectantly at me, probably because I’d been dodging their attempts to ride together ever since the truck incident.
“Fine,” I relented. “But Reece is driving. Dibs on the front.”
Cole waved over his shoulder as he started up the stairs. “You always get the front. No one is arguing. Reece’s seat heaters work just as well in the back.”
“I’m arguing,” Reece said, following him up. “Mase always picks depressing music. I need to get energized before shooting pucks at his face.”
I intended to tune out the rest of their blabbering from the comfort of the basement, but Reece stopped halfway up and called my name. My shoulders tensed, expecting him to go back to our previous conversation. Reece was sneaky.
To my relief, he dropped the equally terrifying subjects of Taryn and my pro career, in favor of challenging Cole to a duel for Sunny’s affections.
“Cole and I will have a duck off. I need you to referee the epic battle.”
I blinked at him. “We have practice.”
“Well, you’re the only impartial judge. Except the hot neighbor.”
And there it was.
I sighed. “I’ll referee the duck off after practice.”
“I’m just saying she probably has five minutes now. You could shove us off on her with one simple conversation.”
“I’ll think about it,” I grumbled, annoyed I actually would think about it. “After practice. Get your gear.”
Something deep inside me shrank at my brusque order. I sounded like my dad, and I hated the comparison. The urge to fuck off and skip practice hit me like a tidal wave. Everyone was still tiptoeing around me after my outburst and subsequent disappearance, so I’d probably slide.
But Coach was watching. He was already asking questions I didn’t want to answer. Better go with plan B.
I set Sunny down on the bed, then started wrapping my hands. Gavin hadn’t asked a single question when I’d requested the heavy bag for my space, and even though I knew it would make me tired as shit, I needed something to numb the urge to run.
The image of Taryn smiling as she played with her dog flashed through my mind, but I shoved it away. She was better off without any of us in her life.