“What’s what like?”
He squirmed, and I let him until he looked ready to apologize. Then I smiled, and the team roared with laughter. “It’s like being half underwater with an ear plug in and one eye closed—all the time. But everyone is different. For me, I get some shadows and shades of gray when I’m outside and it’s really sunny, or when the lights in a room are super bright, like they are in here. As for the hearing, there’s nothing on that side.”
The guys were all very quiet, as most people were when I explained my injuries. “The great thing… I never have to worry about dead earbuds. When one goes dead, I just switch it out for the other one.”
They all looked at each other as if unsure to laugh, so I said, “C’mon, guys. That was funny.”
That got a few laughs and chuckles, but not many. Not until Aiden said, “A morbid sense of humor? I can get in front of that.”
Our eyes met and the little shit wore the biggest fucking smirk I’d ever witnessed. If I had my way, I’d turn him over my knee and paddle his fucking ass the first fucking chance I got for reminding me of what I wanted but couldn’t have. The brat even had the audacity to wink at me.
EIGHTEEN
AIDEN
I walked back to my room after class, the wink I threw at Alex… Sasha, I corrected with a huff, still playing in my mind. What the crap was I thinking. Everyone and their brother had been there. The whole team. All the coaches. Everyone.
And Iwinkedat the guy.
Freaking winked. Who in the world winks at people?
No one. That’s who.
I pushed through the stairwell doors and trudged up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Hopefully, people would think the heat in my face and neck came from exertion and not embarrassment.
I tried to be nonchalant about things during practice and my freaking brain either forgot where it was or went off line and I flirted with my flipping coach—after sleeping with him, then running without a word.
I popped out of the stairs on the top floor and headed to our apartment door. Music came from inside the unit, while videogames and cheering came from the other doors on our floor. That’s what I needed to do. Grab some food and play someCOD.
And forget about Alex, who was Sasha Storm… my freaking coach.
That way, I could concentrate on what was important. Manchester U was my last shot at being drafted. I had to prove to everyone that Aiden Mercer was worthy. And the first opportunity would be the exhibition game this coming weekend—the first game of the season.
I needed it to count. I needed to perform.
The door to the apartment swung open, bounced off the wall and smacked me in the freaking face as I stopped dead in my tracks.
Music blared from the Bluetooth speakers set up around the room.
The television paused on the latest NHL video game.
I closed my eyes, rubbed them, hoping that when I opened them, I’d realize my mind was playing tricks on me.
Nope. Trey was still there.
Sitting on the couch facing the door.
Legs splayed wide open.
Arms draped over the back of the sofa.
His eyes closed.
His head rolled back.
Getting a blow job.
I sighed and looked at the big bear on the banner hanging above the couch. Anywhere but at the guy’s naked ass kneeling before my teammate whose equally naked ass sat on our couch completely clueless that I stood in the middle of our open apartment door.
