McKinley
“Let The Very Manly Book Club commence.”
Trenton glares at me. “We never agreed to calling it that.”
I grin. “We never disputed it either.”
“I’m disputing it now.”
Alexander chuckles from his seat in the row behind us. “Let’s just focus on the book. We don’t have a long ride today.”
My stomach churns at the reminder. We’re on the team bus on our way to a game in Philly.
It’s the first game against Chance since we’ve been spending time together with Presley, and I’m unsure of what will transpire.
It’s no secret that there’s bad blood between us, and the fans are used to seeing us come to blows on the ice.
What will it be like now that we’re back in each other’s lives?
Knowing Chance, it won’t be much different. He’s a stubborn fucker.
I smirk as I imagine his face when he sees Presley and the kids wearing black and yellow tonight. I sent Presley three tickets for tonight’s game, along with three jerseys—with my name on the back of them, obviously. I’m dying to see my pretty girl wearing my number.
Jason punches my shoulder from the seat beside me. “Dude, are you listening?”
“Of course, I’m listening.” I blink up at the guys. “What did you say?”
Alexander chuckles. “I said that I really liked the enemies-to-lovers storyline in this book.”
Oh, yeah. The book. “Me too. There was so much sexual tension. My dick was hard the entire first half of the story.”
Coach turns around from his seat at the front. “Can you go five minutes without talking about your dick, Mac?”
“The max I can give you is three minutes, Coach.”
He mutters something about headphones as he turns back around.
“I liked this one a lot,” Trenton continues. “It reminded me of how Cassidy and I met when I moved into her apartment building.”
Jason laughs. “You mean when you were slamming your door and pissing her off?”
Trenton holds up his hands, feigning innocence. “I wasn’t slamming anything. She was the one singing power ballads at the crack of dawn.”
I reach over and ruffle his thick hair. “And we all know how much you need your beauty sleep.”
He slaps my hand away. “You could use some beauty sleep, you ugly fuck.”
“Your mom didn’t think I was ugly last night.”
“My mom’s dead, you moron.” Trenton lunges for me, but Alexander grabs him and holds him back.
“Enough, children.” Alex shakes his head. “My four-year-old is more mature than the both of you.”
“She’s smarter, too,” Jason chimes in. “Do you know what she told me the other day? She said that babies are born with three hundred bones in their bodies.” He shrugs. “I didn’t believe her. The human body has two-hundred-and-six bones. But I Googled it and sure as shit, she was right.”
Alexander groans. “She’s obsessed with babies. She wants a sibling so badly.”
“You should give her one.” I wink. “Make sure that wife of yours knows she’s not going anywhere.”
He smirks, but bites his tongue. No one outside our friend group knows about his fake marriage arrangement with Aarya.
His grandfather is an evil piece of shit, and is the only reason Alexander asked Aarya to marry him when they barely knew each other.
But I’ve seen the way they are when they’re together, and I’d bet my entire salary that they’re going to be each other’s happily ever after in the end.
I rub my palms together. “Now, let’s get to the good part and talk about those sex scenes.” I flip open to one of the red tabs in my book. “I particularly loved when he fucked her on her desk.”
Jason leans over. “What are all those things sticking out of your book?”
“They’re like mini-sticky notes.” I thumb through the pages to show him. “Red is for the sex scenes; blue is for the scenes that made me cry; yellow is for my favorite parts; and pink is for the romantic scenes."
His eyebrows jump. “Why did you do all that?”
I hike a shoulder. “I like to keep track of everything as I read. Then I can go back to those scenes when we discuss it.”
Trenton leans over and snatches my book. “You even took notes?”
I grab it back from him. “Those are my private thoughts, thank you very much.”
He shakes his head. “You have too much time on your hands. You need to get laid.”
“Speaking of...” Jason side-eyes me. “What’s happening with Presley and Kellerman?”
I blow out a long breath through my lips as my head falls back against the seat. “I don’t know.”
The group falls silent, waiting for me to elaborate. But I don’t know what to say. I know what I want, but I don’t know if that’s even a possibility.
“Oh, shit.” Trenton lets out a low whistle. “It must be serious. I’ve never seen you this quiet before.”
Alexander watches me with those dark eyes of his. He’s my best friend, the one who knows me inside and out. I haven’t told him anything about my past with Chance; I never needed to. But now that he’s back in my life, I know Alex can tell there’s more to the story.
I clear my throat. “The three of us were...together, in college.”
“Together,” Trenton repeats.
“Like me, Kourtney, and Celeste, together?” Jason asks.
I nod. “Chance had it rough growing up, and his father made him feel like he couldn’t be who he truly was.
I knew he was attracted to me. There was always this spark between us, but he never let himself act on it.
Not until Presley was in the picture. It was like she was this missing link, and she connected us in a way that neither of us could have. ”
Jason nods as he listens, and I know he understands me better than anyone. He, Kourtney, and Celeste are tethered together like what can only be described as soulmates.
“All the fighting on the ice makes sense now,” Alex says. “You’ve got more than just animosity over a lost friendship.”
Trenton leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “So, what happened between you?”
“It was amazing being with them for that year. But when Presley left, it broke us. We blamed each other, not knowing the real reason why she left. We were hurting and confused, and it was like we couldn’t figure out how to be together without her.
I tried, but...” I shake my head. “Chance isn’t the best at communicating.
So, we took all that pain out on each other. ”
“You still have love for them in your heart. And so do they, otherwise they wouldn’t be entertaining any part of this.” Alex rests his hand on my shoulder. “There’s hope for the three of you to have something.”
“Presley thinks we can’t be together. Between the kids and her job at the school, she thinks it’d be too much; that people wouldn’t accept them.”
“Maybe at first,” Jason says. “But look at what happened with me. I had the support of my team, and our fans. Not everyone will understand, but the good outweighs the bad. Love will always win in the end.”
I believe that with my whole heart.
I just have to figure out how to convince Presley and Chance.
My eyes scan the glass when I skate onto the ice to warm up.
It doesn’t take too long to spot Alyssa jumping up and down as she waves, wearing my jersey and a bright-yellow beanie.
“Hi, my ‘Lyssa girl!” I tap my stick against the glass and she giggles. I do a double-take as my eyes flick to Avery, who’s wearing a Philly jersey—Chance’s Philly jersey.
I clutch my heart.
Avery smirks, dropping his chin as a smile breaks free.
I shoot him a wink to let him know I’m only busting his chops.
Figures, Chance sent them jerseys the same as I did.
I shift my gaze to Presley. A cream-colored sweater pokes out of her jacket.
She rolls her eyes, and I can’t help but chuckle. There’s no way she’d choose between us, and I love that about her.
“Enjoy the game, pretty girl,” I shout through the glass.
I skate backwards, waiting for the pink blush to tinge her cheeks before spinning around and making my way towards my team.
Once the game starts, Chance is all over me.
Each time I find an opening, he gives me a calculated shove, sending me into the boards.
The refs aren’t calling any penalties tonight, and it gives Philly the confidence to continue the cheap shots and brutal hits that they’re known for.
But it also allows me to fight back. Chance hasn’t been able to take a shot the entire first period.
Each time we get close, he glares at me, but it’s different this time. It’s not just him wanting to throw a punch, not just his need to get by me for a goal. There’s a burning intensity in his gaze, like he’s silently promising something...more.
And fuck if I’m not going to provoke the shit out of him until he breaks.
Nearing the end of the second period, we’re tied up 1-1.
Alexander takes the puck into enemy territory while Chance and I race toward his goalie, me looking for an opening and him preparing to stop me.
But I’m faster than him—always have been—and when Alexander passes me the puck, I take the shot before Chance can block it.
The buzzer goes off, and I lift my stick in the air as I shout.
“Two-to-one, baby!” I skate around to Presley and the kids, and blow them a kiss.
Everyone’s fired up in the third period. My chest heaves and my legs burn as sweat pours into my eyes. We’re so close, I can taste the win.
Alexander moves the puck with ease across the ice, setting us up for a chance to score again.
Then Ivanov comes in like a freight train.
I fly toward him to protect my captain. This guy is known for the most ruthless hits in the game.
I’m almost there when Chance shoves into me, derailing my plan.
I see it happen in slow motion as Ivanov drops his shoulder, and sends Alexander crashing into the boards with a sickening thud.
The arena lets out a collective gasp, and my heart leaps into my throat.
I toss my stick and gloves to the ice when I reach Ivanov, and he does the same, grinning like the sick fuck he is. I’m going to make him pay for that illegal hit from behind, and wipe the damn smile right off his face.