Chapter 17
Why did shit always go down at Kappa house? Reece had other places he could party, but he couldn’t quit the frat scene.
I parked a couple of blocks away and ignored the stares as I hurried to the party currently spread across the neighbor’s lawn. Christmas lights twinkled on the houses I passed in a colorful blur, and I realized we were only days away from the holiday.
So much had changed since the day I’d gotten tired of Reece’s shit and left for the library. Back then, it had seemed like winter break stretched on forever in an endless loop of reading misery. Now, I’d love it if time screeched to a stop. Gavin and Eva would be back soon, then Christmas, and then break would be over. My free time would be dedicated to practice and games and coursework.
Avery would be around, especially since she’d been tasked with writing articles about the hockey team, but would she let me get her alone? I had three big assignments left for my lit class and a bunch of smaller short stories we were supposed to read. I’d always been able to muddle through a couple of pages on my own, but something about Avery’s tutoring worked in my brain. Maybe because I wasn’t worried about her judging me for my shitty reading—I was too busy trying to come up with ways to get her to smile at me again.
And now I was here rescuing my dumbass roommate instead of spending time with her.
Reece had told me to look for the giant pink flamingo, and his directions were spot on. Someone had found a humongous inflatable bird wearing a jaunty Santa hat and set it up at the edge of the yard. Why? Who knew. I didn’t understand frat guys on the best of days.
I found Mase sitting under the bird’s upraised, bent leg. The scowl on his face was familiar, but the way he was splayed out on the ground as if he couldn’t figure out how he got there made me quicken my pace. As I watched, he hauled himself to his feet and staggered around the standing leg, disappearing behind a group of girls in tight dresses.
“Get the fuck off me.”
The quiet growl reached me over the music, and I broke into a sprint.
“Whoa,” laughed a familiar voice. “Where you going so fast?”
I skirted the girls and the flamingo, taking in the situation without slowing. A group of guys wearing royal blue Easton hoodies surrounded Mase and now Reece. Even in the dark, I recognized Tobias Kane, but I didn’t know the other three guys. Only Mase looked like he was ready to throw down.
“I was just trying to help, man. You looked unsteady.” Kane’s fake concern made his sidekicks burst into laughter.
I shoved myself in front of Mase before he could act on the violence in his eyes. He was the biggest of us, so my body alone wouldn’t have stopped him if he’d decided to tear Kane’s head off his shoulders. I was mostly there to slow him down enough for Kane to get away, as much as I hated the idea.
If anyone deserved to get his ass kicked, it was the guy whose main skill was talking shit.
Reece met me shoulder to shoulder and offered Kane a smirk. “Thanks, but we’ve got him.”
I could be at home fulfilling several fantasies with Avery right this second, but no, Mase had to go and pick tonight to lose his shit. Kane shrugged, and his buddies snickered again.
“I have to say, it turned out for the best our ice was trashed. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of meeting your pretty little puck bunny. She looked really cozy with you the other day. Imagine my surprise when I found out she was, in fact, your coach’s daughter. How very messy. Does he know you’re double dipping?”
Mase growled and his weight hit my back. “She’s helping him with a class, asshole.” He slurred the last word, but at least he held himself upright.
Kane laughed. “Not how it looked to me, but hey, I could use some help if she’s playing teacher.”
One of the guys behind him put a hand on his arm. “Are you talking about Avery Dalton?”
Kane shook him off and sent the guy a considering glance. “She’s the one you’re looking for?”
He bristled. “I didn’t think she’d be here, but I’d hoped to find someone who knew how to locate her.”
Reece stiffened next to me, and we shared a look. No fucking way was this guy talking about our Avery. How did a bunch of hockey players from Easton know her? A horrible suspicion snuck into my mind.
She’d never mentioned her previous school. I’d assumed she’d come from New England somewhere, probably because Coach had played for the Boston Rebels before retiring and coming to TU. Several bits of loose knowledge clicked into place in quick succession. His fierce protectiveness, the way he seemed to know things about her, the push to build a championship caliber team in north Texas. Fuck. Coach took the job at TU to be close to his daughter… who’d been in Dallas with her mom teaching at Easton.
While I’d been making connections, Kane clapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder with an expectant expression. “Well, boys? Are you going to share your toys or are we going to have to do this the hard way?”
My jaw clenched at the thought of them getting anywhere near Avery, and I had to force my hands to stay loose instead of curling into fists. Mase didn’t need much provocation to escalate the situation, no matter how much I wanted to demonstrate the perils of the hard way.
I scoffed, pretending a nonchalance I didn’t feel. “Avery would eat you alive, Kane.”
He clutched his chest. “Ah, but what a way to go.”
The other guy’s expression darkened, and I wondered about his connection. Avery had only mentioned one person from her previous school—the ex. Kane hadn’t recognized her when he’d run into us at the rink though. The urge to punch first and ask questions later told me we needed to leave.
Coach had rules against fighting—mostly, don’t get caught—but the school was adamant. They didn’t want any bad press after the football fiasco, so they were extremely strict about violence on and off the ice. Normally, the rule didn’t affect me, but Avery brought out a protective streak that didn’t give a shit about the consequences.
Luckily, Reece had the same idea. He looped his arm through Mase’s, ignoring the glare our friend leveled on him. “Always a fun time, Kane. Good luck with your quest to be top asshole at a party full of assholes.”
With surprisingly little prodding, Mase let Reece lead him back toward the road. Kane’s group started to wander off, but the man himself didn’t move. We faced each other without saying anything as the chaos of the party continued around us.
One of the short dress girls tripped and bounced off the flamingo before catching herself on my shoulder. She straightened then did a double take and offered me a come-hither smile. I sighed, over the whole deal.
Her hand curled around my arm, and she not so subtly pressed her breast into my side. “Thanks for catching me. Want to get a drink?”
“Sorry, I’m not interested.” She pouted, but quickly turned her attention to the guy in front of me.
Kane whistled at the girl, way more into it than I was, and completely unconcerned by the fact he was the second choice. “Damn, baby, you look like my dreams just came true.”
She teetered toward him on heels sinking into the grass and did the same maneuver she’d just used on me. “Naughty dreams, I hope?”
Kane caught her around the waist and grinned down at her. “Wait for me inside?”
Her eyes flicked back to me for a second, and when I didn’t react, she turned her smile on him. “Don’t take long.”
With a flip of her blonde hair over her shoulder, she walked to the house without a single wobble. Puck bunnies were getting more aggressive every year. I imagined it would only be worse in the pros.
I remembered Avery’s mention of his girlfriend and told myself it was none of my business, then I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “Does your girlfriend know you’re out here trolling for other women?”
“She’s probably already asleep with a book on her face. Don’t believe the lies. Good girls are boring as shit in bed.”
I hoped his girlfriend wised up and dumped his ass, but she wasn’t my concern. Avery was. I couldn’t leave without making sure Kane knew I’d come for him if he so much as breathed in her direction.
“Duly noted. Stay away from Avery or next time I’ll let Mase exorcize his inner demons on your face.”
“Aww, too wholesome to fight your own battles?”
“Too busy to deal with your bullshit. Your mind games won’t work on me, and we’re going to kick your ass on the ice. Why don’t you take your crew back to Easton where you belong?”
Kane laughed. “I have bad news for you, Mathis. You’re going to be seeing a lot more of me. I’m not feeling Easton anymore, and it’s time your team had a shakeup. Your coach agrees. He’s so desperate for talent he’ll offer up his daughter as fodder.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
He held his hands out and smirked. “Why do you think I’m spending so much time at TU? You’re not the only ice rink in the Dallas area. Coach Dalton wants to recruit me. The last time I was there and mentioned getting a tour of the campus, he said he’d ask his daughter since she’d just transferred from Easton. He may not be able to officially talk to me, but a lot of conversation can happen while I’m visiting.”
I frowned. With Gavin and a few others graduating, we’d need seasoned players for next year while we trained the sophomores. We were competitive, but TU had a better program than Easton. Against a lot of odds, both schools were competing for the regional championship on the way to the Frozen Four. As much as I hated the idea of playing with Kane, I understood why Coach would try to get him at TU. Even if I wanted to toss him in a dumpster.
College sports was a business. We all knew what we were getting into when we accepted our spots on the team, but I didn’t understand why Coach would offer him Avery on a silver platter when he’d nearly torn Reece’s head off for flirting with her.
Kane could be lying, but the smug amusement on his face said otherwise. In the end, it didn’t matter. Avery had barely been willing to help me, and we’d already been on our way to friends. Judging from the way she verbally castrated him in the arena, she wouldn’t be interested in playing tour guide for him. Especially if her dad asked her to do it.
Avery didn’t need me to protect her, but I sure as hell planned to anyway.
“I’ll see you on the ice,” I promised Kane, then left him to find my roommates.
I caught up to them at Reece’s car three houses over. Mase was lying on the sidewalk, flat on his back with his eyes closed.
“I swear to all that’s holy, Mase, get your ass in the car,” Reece didn’t lose his temper often, but the snap in his tone said he was at the end of his patience.
Mase winced and put a finger to his lips. “Shh. I’m trying to find the center.”
Reece frowned at me, and I shrugged. “The center of what?”
“The spinning,” he muttered. “Everything is spinning. I need to lay down.”
“Buddy, you are laying down.” Reece sighed and waved at his prone body. “Your turn.”
I crouched next to Mase and tried to mimic the tone Gavin used on him. “Let’s get you home. Reece and I are going to help you into the car, okay?”
He nodded, so either I’d nailed it or he was done being stubborn. Reece complained about inconsiderate roommates, but he took one arm and I took the other to lift Mase off the concrete. It only took us two tries to stuff him into the backseat. He always seemed eight times bigger when he didn’t have full control of his limbs.
Reece took off, and I trekked back to my car. The curbs and a couple of driveways were packed with crookedly parked vehicles for several blocks. Most of the houses here were used for frats and sororities, but a couple of them were probably families. I’d hate to have to deal with drunk idiots on an almost nightly basis.
The craziness made me appreciate where we lived. We had to be quiet and take care of the yard, but at least our neighborhood didn’t throw huge parties. I got enough shit from Mrs. Lipnicki for parking on the street. She might actually murder someone if they took the spot in front of her house. Avery would finally get the true crime she kept expecting.
The thought made me smile as I drove back across town to her.
When I got home, Reece’s car was parked in the driveway with no sign of either roommate. The downstairs looked exactly the same as when I’d left, and I prayed all the way up the stairs I’d find a certain secretive beauty waiting for me in my bed. I wanted to ask her why she’d kept it quiet. She hadn’t told me she knew the stats about Tobias Kane because she’d gone to school with him, but our situation was tricky.
I didn’t deserve her secrets simply because I wanted them.
My door was closed, but I didn’t get the expected duck tornado when I opened it. I didn’t get a sassy comment for taking so long either. The room was dark, but the glow from the TV lit up Avery’s form curled up on my pillow, asleep. Absently, I noted Henry wasn’t sleeping in any of her favorite spots, so Reece must have let her out when he got home.
Something deep in my chest clicked into place, like this scene was exactly right. Coming home late at night with her here. The blanket was tucked under her chin, but her usual dark lipstick was gone. She must have cleaned up then fallen asleep when I didn’t come back as fast as expected.
But she was still here.
I pulled my shirt over my head and dropped my pants but left my boxer briefs on. The TV flickered as the ad screen changed, and out of curiosity, I hit a button on the remote to wake it up. The menu screen made me laugh quietly. She’d been watching Next Best Ninja. Henry must have loved that.
The room plunged into darkness when I turned it off, but I didn’t need to see to find the bed. Avery didn’t move as I gently pulled back the covers and climbed in. She didn’t move when I eased closer and rolled onto my side next to her. It wasn’t until I’d stopped shifting and the bed had grown quiet again that she moved.
With a tiny sigh, she reached her arm out until her hand flattened on my chest. Her fingers tightened for a second, then she relaxed again. I didn’t dare breathe too hard. Avery was terrified of quiet intimacy, and this whole situation could go horribly wrong.
I hadn’t intended to touch her—I was just going to sleep next to her. We both needed to rest, and I wasn’t going to wake her up to send her home. Admittedly, I had no plan for the morning, but that was future me’s problem.
As my eyes adjusted, the faint light from my window highlighted the sharp features of her face, serene for once, and the logical side of me said to go crash in Reece’s room. Or at least move my ass to the floor.
But this was my bed. She’d left to wash her face and come back. I could have found her on the couch or in the kitchen or sitting in her car ready to go… but she’d come back. Avery was exactly where she said she’d be waiting, and I couldn’t make myself move away.
I wanted to show her how good we could be together. My chest ached to cover her hand with mine, gather her closer, hold her all night. I wanted to wake up tangled with her… but only if she didn’t run screaming from the room.
In the interest of trying my best, I closed my eyes and willed myself to fall asleep. My mind helpfully ran through the events of the evening on a loop until Avery grunted and scooted closer. The circuit screeched to a halt.
Only a couple of hours ago, I’d had my fingers inside her, her taste was still on my tongue, and I absolutely could not reach for her. My heart raced as if I’d just finished a shift. In the silence, I counted my breaths. Four beats in, four beats out. Four in, four out.
In. Out.
I could smell her. Something lightly sweet with a hint of spice. Like pumpkin pie, or the memory of pumpkin pie. The lingering warmth you could feel in the base of your throat, just above your heart, after all the dishes had been cleaned and the holiday was over. The nostalgia of joy.
With her scent seeping into my mind, I fell asleep.