Chapter 4 #2
“Yeah.” She nods. “She was open to both of us helping her out.”
“Wow. Who knew there was so much fun to be had in Wisconsin?” I tease, and she flips me off.
“Fuck you. We have a great time here.”
“I have no doubt about it.”
It’s her turn to roll her eyes, and then she raps her knuckles on the desk twice. “So, considering it wasn’t about me, I’m assuming in this hypothetical question, someone has asked for the same thing?”
“Pretty much. Just without the threesome part.”
She tilts her head to the side, her eyes boring into me through the camera. “Do you think they’re hot?”
“Yes,” I say without hesitation.
I think Colby is smoking hot. I’ve thought so since the first day we met, and if we weren’t teammates, I’d have hit on him. But the second I realized who he was, I squashed that notion into a locked box and threw away the key.
“If this person was anyone other than a friend, would you go there?”
“I would’ve already tried.”
She cackles. “Such a horndog.”
“Hey, I’ll have you know I’ve been sex-free for six whole weeks.”
She lets out a low whistle. “Damn, better call up the Guinness Book of Records and get your name against the longest streak a hockey player has gone without getting his dick wet.”
“Fuck off,” I scoff, and it’s the sound of her laughter that allows the vulnerability door to open. “But in all seriousness, I don’t know what to do. I want to help them, but I also feel like I’m not, like, good enough for the job. What if I accidentally hurt them, Pip? I’d hate myself.”
Her mouth twists in a way it does when she’s thinking hard about something. There’s a long pause before she replies.
“Then maybe that’s why it should be you. Because you know you’d do everything you could not to hurt them.”
Sighing, I slump against my headboard and look up at the ceiling as if the plasterboard holds all the answers.
Maybe she has a point. I’d do anything to protect Colby, and while fooling around with him has never crossed my mind, maybe it is safer for it to be me than someone who could use him and abuse his trust.
The last thing he needs going into his rookie year in the NHL is the media invading more of his space.
“When have you got to give them an answer?” she asks.
“Soon, I guess.”
“Well, you better figure it out pretty quick. You haven’t got long left until graduation.”
“It sucks we won’t be able to be there for each other.”
She smiles sadly. “I know, but hey, you’re more than welcome to visit me once I’ve been drafted. I’ll make sure to buy a nice couch for you to sleep on.”
“Wow, what an upgrade from sleeping on cushions on the floor,” I deadpan.
“Exactly, my friend. Anyway, I better go because Dani will be back soon, and she’s been going on about this new ice cream place on campus, so I promised to take her before I leave for Minnesota tomorrow.”
Shit, I forgot her team is off to the women’s Frozen Four this weekend.
“You’re gonna smash it, and tell Dani I said hi.”
“I will,” she replies. “And Ty?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t doubt yourself, ’kay? You’re a good guy. Don’t overthink it too much because if they’re asking you, there’s obviously a reason behind it, so just trust it, yeah?”
“Yeah, okay.” I agree. “Thanks.”
I wish her luck in her upcoming tournament, promising to watch whenever I can. Then we say our goodbyes and hang up.
As I stare up at the ceiling, his words from earlier come rushing back to me.
I feel safe with you.
With a groan, I roll onto my front and press my face into the pillow.
Am I the right guy for Colby?
And how could we possibly make this work without getting caught?
For the next few days, it’s all I can think about. Between going to classes, studying, and practice, Colby is a permanent fixture in my consciousness. Playing on my mind all through the night. Tossing around my brain like a hot potato while I toss and turn in the sheets.
He’s also still avoiding me, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.
I head down toward the video room, stopping by the players’ lounge to make a smoothie and grab whatever food is going today.
I eat most of it before I reach the open door, where a few of my teammates are already inside, chatting amongst themselves.
Anton, a sophomore d-man, is already asleep in the back row.
His head is tipped back with his mouth hanging open while Nelson carefully stacks paper cups on his forehead, trying not to wake him.
I snort under my breath.
I’m going to miss this when I head back to Arizona in the summer. I can’t imagine many of the people at my dad’s office fall asleep on the job or see how many cups they can stack.
Taking my usual seat in the middle row next to Liam, I place my smoothie cup in the holder and scan the room for Colby. He isn’t here yet, and the realization sits heavy in my gut. He’s chronically on time for everything, but the last few days, he’s been one of the last to arrive.
Because of you.
Fuck’s sake. I need to give him an answer. Put both of us out of this weird limbo we’ve been dropped into.
Liam begins to tell me about how he’s convinced one of his professors is trying to purposefully fail him when the hairs on the back of my neck prickle in awareness.
Swinging my attention toward to the door, I let out a relieved breath as Colby walks in. His hazel gaze bounces around the room until it lands on me, and I don’t miss the way the tips of his ears flush.
Please don’t ignore me, I inwardly beg.
I offer a small smile, and when he returns it, I have to stop myself from punching the air.
Okay. This is a good start. Maybe I haven’t fucked this up after all.
Coach Vaughn walks in, and the room immediately falls silent.
He’s got this commanding presence to him, like he’ll rip you apart with a single glare, but we respect the hell out of him.
He’s a good coach. He has a lot of time for us, and he’s quick to sing our praises as well as provide constructive feedback.
What would he think if he knew two of his players were thinking about hooking up?
He would most likely lose his shit.
A cold shiver runs down my spine at the thought of the consequences it could cause.
The lights dim, and footage of the teams we’ll be facing in the regionals appears on the huge TV on the wall.
But I’m not watching the screen.
No, my eyes are firmly locked on Colby seated a few rows down.
The sheer concentration on his face as he studies the gameplay with undivided attention. The dark blond hair that’s curling at the base of his neck. The way his teeth dig into his plush bottom lip, tugging it slowly as he watches the defensive line without blinking.
I swallow back a groan.
This pull I have toward Colby isn’t anything new. It’s been there since day one, but now it’s like he’s all I can see. It’s been amplified. There’s a spotlight on him that’s different to how the rest of the world sees him.
I have a one-track focus on him, and I’m unsure how to snap out of it.
Do I want to?
I’m not sure I want to answer that either.
Before I know it, the overhead lights flicker back on, and I blink, disorientated.
I didn’t pay attention to a single thing during that video session, lost in a Colby-induced haze I would happily return to, even though me spacing out is going to cost me when we head into the tournament in just a few days.
“Okay, boys, suit up. Be out on the ice in fifteen,” Coach instructs, and the room is a bustle of movement as it begins to clear.
But I don’t move. I wait, slowly sipping on my smoothie like it’s the last drink I’ll have on Earth.
The moment Colby gets up, I’m moving. I follow him down the hall, and as we near the locker room, I reach out to grab his wrist.
Without making it obvious, I gently tug him to the side to hide in an alcove and wait until the coast is clear.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” I say quietly.
He dips his head, and I resist the urge to place my fingers under his chin to tilt it back up.
Look at me.
“I haven’t, I’ve just been…”
“Avoiding me,” I finish with a smirk, letting him know I’m not mad at him.
He sighs. “More like embarrassed.”
“Well, don’t be,” I reassure him, and even though there’s no one around, I lower my voice to barely above a whisper. “I wanted to let you know I have an answer for you.”
His eyes bounce around the hallway in his own assessment, and then those golden eyes land back on me.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I suck in a shaky breath, and the words come out before I can second-guess myself. “I’ll do it.”