“It’s not the same,” she said, her grin widening. “With men around, they take nakedness as an invitation. Like, no, bro, we don’t always want to climb you like a tree just because our panties happen to fall off. But with that fucker gone, you can sit that beautiful bare ass on your couch and spill nachos on your boobs with no one drooling to lick them off.”
I bit back a grin. “That’s your dream? Naked nachos?”
“Don’t judge.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” This, here, was exactly what I needed. Not time alone with my boobs—though, sure, that would have its perks—but a friend. Someone who made me laugh in a way I hadn’t in so long. Shai didn’t know everything about me—my traumatic past, the way my brain worked. Not even Sullivan knew the full extent. But they were the closest I had come to actuallysharing.
“I do have work to do while the team’s gone, you know,” I said, trying to shift gears. Tape to watch, teams to study. Hockey was my life, and I didn’t know how to turn it off.
Shai nodded knowingly. “Keeping Teddy off the ice is a gigantic task.”
A groan escaped me. “Teddy fucking Valentine.”
“Ooo, I’ll bet he’s good at that.”
“Jesus, Shai.”
Her laugh rang out loud enough to draw a few curious glances from nearby tables. I threw my hand over my eyes, wishing I could just disappear into the floor.
My team was off-limits in my mind. Thinking about the guys in any other way was a bad idea, but now, there it was. Teddy in my house. Teddy, dropping to his knees despite his injured one.
A gulp of beer went down the wrong pipe, and I started coughing, choking for air. Shai pounded on my back, much harder than necessary, still laughing. “Don’t tell me you haven’tthought about it. Those gorgeous eyes of his, that ass, you two and all the fire when you argue.”
“We don’t argue.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. You yell at him, and he can’t fight back since you’re his coach.”
“The guy deserves to be yelled at.”
“Oh, absolutely. No need to defend yourself.” There was way too much amusement in her eyes.
I slid off my stool, feeling the heat creep up my neck. “Well, as fun as this is, I’m going to head home.”
Her laughter trailed after me as I left Elmo’s and made my way to the street where I’d locked up my bike. Only, it wasn’t there. I looked around, scanning each direction, but all I saw was the broken chain and lock lying on the ground.
Perfect.
It was the third bike I’d had stolen, which was why I always bought them secondhand as cheap as I could. It still beat the monthly car payment, but now it was just me and my two feet.
“Guess I’m walking today.”
I’d barely made it past the arena when a car pulled up beside me. The tinted windows made it impossible to see who was inside.
My steps quickened, practically turning into a jog.
“Coach, wait!” A car door slammed, and the sound of footsteps pounding the pavement reached my ears.
I glanced back over my shoulder, cursing as I recognized that familiar blond head, those long strides.
I slowed to a stop, letting him catch up with me. I was barely winded, but I noticed how Teddy was struggling to catch his breath, his eyes unfocused.
“What are you doing, Valentine?”
“Trying to offer you a ride home,” he said, clearly out of breath. “I was meeting with Doc Paresh and saw you leaving the arena.” He glanced around. “Where’s your bike?”
“Stolen.”
“Assholes.”
