PROLOGUE
NOAH
D
RUMS AND HARD-HITTING SNARES BLASTED INTO NOAH’S EARS AS HE WALKED ACROSS THE BUSY quad that was occupied by other college students like him on their way to and from class. He bobbed his head to the heavy, braggadocio lyrics that gave him the strength and motivation to wake up at 7:30 am on a Monday and entered the David Douglas Student Center where his next class would take place. Though it was the third week of school, with routines already set, for Noah, it was the first time he entered the building to attend the Intro to Psychology course he signed up for.
For anyone who didn’t know Noah Walker, they would assume he was a slacker. But he wasn’t. Not at all. To his father, he was strong and brave, and if he stayed focused, in his father’s words, could will a strength that would take him and anyone else who followed him far in life. To his teammates, he was as hardworking as a player could get and the player they looked up to. But when it came down to things outside of hockey, like requisite courses he didn’t want to take that had nothing to do with his major, Noah could admit that a different side of himself came out—one less motivated and willing.
The class being a requisite wasn't the only reason he was two weeks late. Originally, the course had been taught by Doug Dobbleman, a professor known for his laid-back approach to teaching, which simply meant, he didn't teach at all. For years, he had been passing out easy A's to students for doing nothing, and after reading the reviews for him on RateMyProfessor, it was a no brainer for Noah to pick him. Even some of the people Noah knew who took Dobbleman's class before told him they never stepped foot inside the class after the first week and had passed. Noah was positive that when he signed up for that 8 am class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, that he would never have to step foot inside either, so much so, that he never even bothered going the first day.
That was the first mistake.
Every student knew that you had to come on the first day to get the syllabus and get a feel of what the class would be like. And had he gone that day, Noah would have realized that the old man Dobbleman had passed in his sleep a few days prior and was replaced by another professor. May the old man rest in peace, but he had completely messed up Noah's plans for an easy passing grade this semester that would give him the time to focus on what really mattered to him right now— hockey.
Noah walked down the hall, dodging the students hovering outside the classrooms, who waited to be one of the first in class so they could get the seats they had claimed since the first day.
“Noah!”
Even with his earphones in, Noah heard his name called and tugged out one earplug as he looked back to see who called him. Searching through the crowd, his eyes landed on Jackson Rover, a guy he roomed with during freshman year. Jackson walked out of a classroom, maneuvering around the students who were simultaneously stepping in as he and other students stepped out. He wore a silly grin on his face as he looked at Noah.
"Hey, man," Noah greeted with a short nod. He would go over there to talk to Jackson, but his time was limited when he only had five minutes left before his class started. He didn't want to be late, though, technically, he was already two weeks late.
“You ready for the ice?” Jackson asked.
“Always,” Noah said. "Always."
Noah had been born ready, and it wasn't arrogance, but fact. He was the son of Allen Walker, one of the best hockey players there ever was, and Alice Griffin, a two-time gold medalist for ice skating. Ice was in his veins.
This year would be the year he would enter the draft, proving to everyone that he would be able to dominate the big leagues with his own skillset, and not with the help of his parent's name.
“I’ll hit you up later, Jack.”
Jackson nodded before disappearing into the crowd, and Noah continued on. He weaved around the halls of the complex, winding building that usually made freshmen frustrated, annoyed, and late their first week of school before they got a hang of the classroom order, which was complicated. Fortunately enough for Noah, he wasn't a freshman anymore and had already taken a few courses inside of this building last year, so he weaved around the building without problems, knowing where his class would be.
When he turned the next corner, Noah noticed a girl picking up papers that were strewn across the floor. Noah nearly passed her, not particularly wanting to be a good Samaritan when he knew there was a possibility of him being late. But he also knew that though this hall didn't have many people there now, in a few minutes, with most classes ending soon, all of her papers would be lost, stuck under people's shoes, and kicked across the floor. Biting down his exasperation, Noah bent down and helped pick up as many papers as he could.
By the time the familiar sounds of doors opening and shoes squeaking against the marble floors filled the hall, Noah picked up the last piece of paper with a relieved sigh. More than likely, if he had not helped, most of these papers wouldn't have survived.
"Thank you," the girl said as she stood up. She held her hand out, waiting for him to pass the papers he had picked up for her, but Noah found himself stuck, startled by her beauty. When he stopped to help her, he hadn't been thinking about whether she was going to be beautiful or not, but now as he looked at her, he was glad he did. Possibly being late to his class was worth it now, meeting someone as beautiful as her. Big brown eyes, the color of hazel, were hidden behind thick, long lashes and round clear-pink frames that hung a little low on her nose. To be frank, it was incredibly sexy, and suddenly every fantasy he ever had came to mind as his eyes lowered to her full, plump lips that were coated with a red lipstick that he wouldn't mind staining his own with. Her skin was a deep brown, and the soft curls of her dark brown hair went a little past her shoulders.
This year, with him entering the draft, Noah had come up with a plan to strictly focus on hockey; that meant he couldn't let anything distract him, especially girls. He wouldn't call himself a playboy, though some of the girls on campus would disagree. But last year, he spent far too much time splitting his energy between the ice and girls, and though it was always fun to hook up with some girl at a party, after some of the drama he went through last semester with the girls who didn't understand what a casual relationship was, and the girls who bordered on stalkerish, Noah knew he couldn't let himself be distracted by those things again this year.
He didn't need those types of distractions, or to get saddled up with the wrong girls again, but this girl could be the exception.
“Can I have my papers back?” the girl asked. A hint of impatience was in her tone.
Noah blinked, realizing that he had been staring before he flashed her his signature smile, one the girls usually loved to see.
"Here, beautiful," Noah said, passing her papers back to her. The girl paused, a crease forming on her forehead as she looked at him surprised, and he grinned more. He was only calling her what she was. Beautiful.
"Okay," she said slowly before she turned on her heels.
"Thanks again," she tossed over her shoulder as she walked away from him, heading down the hall. Once again, Noah found himself stumped by being so easily dismissed. It wasn't something he was used to, with most girls trying to talk to him either because of his looks or his status as a hockey player, but he didn't let it discourage him before he jogged to catch up to her.
"That's it?" Noah asked as he fell in step with her. Luckily, it seemed that they were both headed in the same direction as they both walked through the same double doors and headed up the stairwell.
"What do you expect from me other than a thank you?" the girl replied as she continued up the steps, not bothering to even look at him. It's only then that Noah took the time to notice something other than her face and looked at her body. Her heels clicked with each step she took, and as Noah's eyes took in her attire, he wondered why she was so dressed up.
