Chapter 30
Tip thirty; use your hands too. You don't have to deep throat them, focus your mouth on the tip and suck and move, lick and kiss, while your hands pump the rest of his shaft.
Ivy
I tell myself I won't look for him as I walk down the stairs.
I do anyway.
Shamelessly I watch Asher's muscles bunch and move as he skates over the ice, helmet held between gloved hands. His hair is wet, eyes wild with the energy in the arena. He looks towards the opposing team's side, eyes darkening before he's looking towards the crowd, spotting me.
My stomach swoops before I can stop it.
His eyes are steady on mine, his brows furrowed, and he tilts his head like he's trying to tell me something. I pull my gaze away, cursing myself for watching Asher.
Get over yourself, Ivy. He doesn't want you.
I focus on a spot on the far wall, trying to find something to distract me. Then I see my brother's jersey, right as he skates to a stop next to Asher.
When I look back, he's no longer looking at me.
I breathe a sigh of relief even as my chest aches.
I hadn't seen him since the library.
The cold air of the ice rink bites at my cheeks as I take a seat next to Charlie, who is watching everyone warming up on the ice. Her gaze distant.
The energy in the arena is palpable, but the energy wafting off Charlie is tense.
I hadn't seen her in a week, but it felt longer. Ever since this whole mess with Asher started, I feel like Charlie and I had grown distant.
I couldn't help but think that was my fault. That I should've told her the truth - or better yet never started anything with her brother to begin with.
She startles slightly, her hand pressing briefly to her stomach before she lowers it.
"You all good?" I ask lightly.
"Yeah," she says too quickly. "Just tired."
We fall into silence.
The kind that didn't used to exist between us.
The rink is loud. The crowd restless. Skates carving ice below.
And somehow it still feels quiet up here.
I want to say something.
I want to tell her everything.
But the words feel wrong in my mouth.
Too heavy. Too late. Too selfish.
So, I don't.
We sit shoulder to shoulder, silent.
Not like we used to.
I focus back on the game, watching Asher and Leon skate side by side, the puck passing seamlessly between them.
Asher moves swiftly, his shoulders knocking into an opposing player that makes for the puck and for a moment I swear his eyes land on me through his helmet, before he's twisting back and skating down the ice, puck attached to his stick like a magnet.
"Asher's playing hard today."
"Yeah," she says but her focus isn't on the ice. She's not paying attention.
I glance at her instead of the game.
Her jaw is tight. Her fingers press into her sleeve. For a second her hand drifts toward her stomach again before she drops it like she caught herself.
I almost want to open my mouth and ask if she's okay, looking at the way her fingers flex like she wants to put them against her stomach again.
She's always gotten really bad periods, and cramps.
On the ice, Asher slams into an opposing player who slams into the plexiglass. My head whips to the game. He recovers the puck without missing a beat. The crowd cheers.
Charlie doesn't react.
"You think he'll go pro?" I ask, softer this time, my eyes scanning the opposite crowd to see men in suits that don't really blend with the rest of the crowd. They're watching the game with a keen eye.
She blinks, like she forgot I was there, turning to look at me then at her brother.
"Yeah," she says after a beat. "Probably. It's his dream."
That's it.
No excitement. No bragging. No proud-sister glow. No Charlotte.
I study her profile.
She looks tired.
Not sleepy tired.
Worn down tired.
"You okay?" I ask, quieter now.
She gives a small huff of breath that might be a laugh. "Fine."
She's not.
I don't push.
The silence stretches again, louder than the crowd.
A body drops into the seat beside Charlie, and she flinches. Jennifer - Charlie and Asher mum breathes out a harsh breath and grins over at her daughter and me, "Sorry I'm late girls, leaving the hospital was harder than expected today, there was an accident."
Charlie mumbles something and Jenny wraps her in a hug, smiling over at me. "You look cute, Ivy."
I smile back, "Thanks, Jenny." I look at Charlie from the corner of my eyes. She doesn't notice.
Jenny's eyes move to the game her son is playing in, and she watches with rapt attention. "What have I missed?"
"A few scores, but nothing much." Charlottes says with a shrug.
The first intermission is called for the break, and Charlie is out of her seat in seconds, "I'm going to the toilet, I'll be back."
"Okay, Honey." Jenny says, watching Charlie curiously and I move to get up and follow but Charlie is gone in seconds, swallowed up by the crowd that are getting up to do the same.
"That girl is working too hard." Jennifer sighs, watching the crowd like she can still see Charlie and I relax back into my seat. "She's hardly been home. Working and studying all the time. I'm concerned."
I look over at Jenny to find her eyes already on me. "Do you know what's going on with her the last few weeks? Has something happened?"
I shake my head. "I don't know. She's been acting weird for weeks, this is the first time I've really seen her in ages.
" Jenny looks put out, shaking her head.
"She'll come to you when she's ready, she's stubborn that girl but she will ask for help eventually.
" Her eyes move to the rink again as movement catches her eyes.
"Promise me you will be there for her when she does. "
I swallow the pain in my throat and nod. "Always, she's my best friend. She can't get rid of me even if she tried."
Jennifer grins. "You girls." She shakes her head, "I wish I had a best friend like that when I was your age, would've been nice when I was going through my first heartbreak." Her eyes widen. "Do you think that's what's happened? Was she dating?"
I shake my head and Jenny nods but doesn't get the chance to say anything before the game starts again and Charlie slips back into her seat.
Someone slips into the empty seat beside me and I look over, smiling politely at Leon's Coach when I catch his eyes and he smiles back, cringing slightly. "Sorry to talk over you girls but I wanted to speak to Mrs. Hudson."
Jennifer leans forward, smiling at Coach Denver. "Coach, what can I do for you?"
"I wanted to let you know that some scouts will be attending the next few games, they've been in communications with me the last few months and they'll be watching Asher, especially at the finals."
"Does he know?"
Coach Denver's shakes his head, "I didn't want to throw him off his game, distract him but I wanted to let you know." He smiles like a proud father, "They've been watching our boys," His eyes settle on me, "Leon too. Talks of offering them positions in professional teams once they graduate."
My eyes widen, "really?" excitement for Leon and Asher fills me, knowing this is what they've worked for. "What team?"
"The Black Aces."
"That's one of Asher's dream teams." Charlie says, her eyes flicking from the Coach to the ice where the game continues.
Coach nods. "If Leon can keep his grades up like he has been, he'll be on the fast track with Ash."
I tilt my head. I knew Leon had been working hard to keep his grades up, especially since schoolwork wasn't really his forte, but he would always work hard to stay on the ice. It was where he belonged. But Asher, I thought he was struggling too.
"What about Asher?" The words are slipping past my lips before I have a chance to think about them and then Coach Denver's is looking at me like I've grown two heads.
"What about him?"
"Isn't he struggling with school too?"
"Where did you hear that?" Jenny laughs.
I shrug, feeling bare as all three of them look at me. "Thought I overheard him telling someone he needed tutoring to keep his grades up otherwise he'd lose hockey."
"Asher is one of brightest and best players. If anyone would be tutoring it would be him. In fact, I'm pretty sure he's helping half the guys on the team." Coach Denver's laugh is boisterous, but I hardly hear it, feeling my heart thump with pain while my brain catches up with the rest of me.
He lied to me.
"So, Asher doesn't need tutoring? He was never at risk of losing his position on the team?"
"Never." Coach shakes his head, "It's why he's the Captain."
"Are you okay, Ivy?" Jeniffer asks and I nod, smiling simply.
"Yeah. I must've overheard him talking about someone else."
"Definitely, Asher has never been at risk. His grades have never dropped below a distinction." Coach says.
Charlotte watches me curiously but says nothing, her brows drawn together.
I'm too distracted with my own thought to even try and unravel the thoughts flitting across her face.
He lied to me. This whole time he was lying to my face every time we talked about tutoring. He lied to me when he kissed me.
There's a commotion out on the ice, the dull ringing of a bell hitting my ears, but I don't look, the roar of the crowd too quiet in my head.
I feel sick, my stomach roiling with nerves and something else I'm too ashamed to admit.
Was it just to get in my pants? To tick a fucking list? Why?
Oh god, who on the team knows?
Justin, yes, but did he always know?
Was this just a fucking game to him? I'd heard about other sports team doing stuff like this. God Dains fucking team was in on it when he did it to me, had been taking bets on how long -
Honestly that should've been my first sign that Dain was no good.
"Fucking hell, Ash." I hear Coach Denver shout, rushing down the stairs towards the game.
My heart beats rapidly in my chest and I don't hear anything going on around me, even as bodies start moving.
"Ivy?" Charlotte whispers but I don't reply, standing up.
"I have to go. I don't feel good." I rush to a stand and down the stairs, my mind so preoccupied with other shit right now that I don't see the body in front of me until it's too late.
The lecherous smirk on Dains face has my stomach rolling with nausea, the stench of sweat wafting off him, helmet clutched in his hands.
I didn't even know he was who they were versing today.
His cheek and nose are red, fresh blood splattering his upper lip, an old bruise staining his jaw and he grins when I notice it.
"Pretty, isn't it?"
I blink, looking away from the bruise. "What?"
He steps forward, crowding me back against the wall. "Got it from your little bodyguard."
"What are you talking about?" My eyes sweep over his shoulder to find the hallway deserted, the only person I can see is Dain.
"So, you didn't witness my tumble out on the ice?" he takes another step forward, staring down at me. "I have to admit when I defiled pretty little Ivy Collins, I was expecting your brother to throw the first punch." He sneers, "Not his best friend."
"Asher did that?" My stomach drops.
"Tell me, have you been fucking your brother's best friend? Rumours love to circulate on campus, Ivy, sometimes they even reach other campuses."
"I don't know what you're talking about?"
"Really? So, you didn't let Asher fuck you against the bookcase at the campus library."
I-
My stomach hollows out.
"Shouldn't you be on the ice?"
He grins harshly. "Your little boyfriend sent me to get patched up, only thing that's making me stay right here and not punching his head in is the fact that a scout from 'The Ice Diamonds' is here."
I breathe out a sigh, even as I curse myself for still caring. It's not the Black Ace scout out there, even if they will hear about the fight.
Dain lifts a hand, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear.
I jerk back. "I know I was harsh last time I saw you, but I'm willing to give you another chance.
You don't have to slum it with Asher Hudson like all the other sluts at your school.
" He narrows his eyes when I jerk back again, "Have some respect Ivy, you're just another notch on Asher's bedpost." He shakes his head, "You really think he cares for you? "
I stand straighter. "He gave you that bloody nose, didn't he?"
He scoffs, "Only because I had you first. He's a possessive bastard and I heard he doesn't like sharing his toys.
But what do I know, maybe he punched me because I've been hanging out with Harlow.
Oh wait, didn't she used to date him?" He steps back, "Maybe you're right, maybe he hit me cause of Harlow. "
"Are you done?"
He tilts his head at me like he's concerned. "Tell me, how many points is he up to now?"
I blink at the change of topic and turn to leave but Dain only speaks to my back, full of smug satisfaction. "Ten if they sleep with you, twenty-five if it's in public, fifty if you get the girl to cum." He laughs, "Tell me, did he get fifty points or twenty five?"
I can feel the heat at the backs of my eyes, the ache in my throat as I fish in my pocket for my car keys.
"He's a player Ivy, and you're just another dumb girl that fell for it. We've been playing this game for years, the hockey team. Don't worry you're not alone, I'm sure there's plenty of girls out there that you can swap stories with."
I try to block his words out as I slip from the arena, my eyes on my car when I pass another body. I stop, blinking at Harlow's scowl.
"What are you looking at?" she flicks her hair over her shoulder, the blonde strands looking freshly done.
I know I shouldn't ask her, that she's not the most reliable source to ask but I can't help myself. I need to know.
"Does the hockey team have a . . . game going on with the other university-"
She cuts me off. "With Dains team?" She rolls her eyes.
"You're not talking about that game, are you?
" She flicks her chin to the arena and with a shake of her head continues.
"Everyone knows about the other game, why do you think they throw so many parties?
" She smirks when she sees my face. "Well, I guess almost everyone, the points are tallied up each quarter, to see who won.
It started two years ago and still goes on now. "
"What type of game is it?"
"Points game based on how many girls the hockey team sleep with. Points vary depending on what and where the action takes place." She raises a brow. "There's a whole site dedicated to it."
I blink and take a step back, searching for my car again.
She pouts, the move full of fake sympathy. "Oh, did one of the hockey boys lead you on again? Thought you would've learnt from Dain." She blinks. "Go on the site if you don't believe me. Players of Halliwell. Password to enter is whoever is in top spot right now."
I pause, "And who is that?"
She takes a second to answer and for a second, I dread the name. "Justin Leeds."