We were meeting in the library after practice.
“Pfft. He's not fine.” Erik skates around us. “His girlfriend is in the stands, and he's terrified she’s about to realize he’s the worst skater on the team.”
“Will you keep it down?” I hiss, snapping my head toward him. She already thinks I’m an idiot, and I’d rather not have Erik confirm it.
Erik snorts and gestures toward her. “Don’t worry, man. I think she’s already figured it out. That’s why she’s looking at you like that.”
I glance back at her hesitantly.
Her arms are crossed. Her expression is pure murder. Honestly, accepting my inevitable death might be easier than dealing with whatever this is.
“Wait, is she your girlfriend now?” Brooks asks as he steadies me fully. “Last I heard, the only way you knew how to get her wet was by shoving her into a fountain.”
Am Ievergoing to live that down?
“That’s no—” I start, but Erik jumps in.
“Oh, we’re interested now?” he asks Brooks sarcastically. “What happened to being ‘above’ all this, Lumberbae?”
“Did you just call meLumberbae?” Brooks asks, his thick brows furrowed.
“I did.”
“Why?” Brooks looks personally offended.
“If it’s not clear to you yet, then I suggest you take a long hard look in the mirror,” Erik answers, elbowing Alex in a move that I assume is supposed to garner support for the new nickname. I’m sure Brooks likes that as much as I like Mr. Stanley Cup.
Alex gives Erik nothing.
I skate away from their nonsense, Alex following close behind.
“Did you talk to her?” he asks quietly. “Is she here to watch you?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper, “but if she hears us talking like this, she’ll drown me in the fountain.”
“Why?” he asks, genuinely confused.
“Because she still hates him,” Erik answers, swooping back in like an unwanted commentator. “Mostly because Hendricks refuses to use any of my plans from Operation: Drip Her Down Gently.”
“That wasn’t the name,” Alex argues. “I thought it was Operation: Seduce the Duchess of Drench Without Her Realizing She’s Being Seduced.”
Erik waves that off. “Doesn’t matter. End result? Scotty gets the girl of his dreams. He’s just too scared to use my tactics. So I might have to intervene.”
“Please wait until after my English Lit grade comes in,” I deadpan, staring at Laura again. “My father would not understand how I failed out of my favorite class, and I don’t want it to become a talking point on his TV show.”
She's still glaring—and I can't deny the look sends a small thrill down my spine—but it's not just about wanting to sleep with her. I’m not that kind of guy. I don’t sleep around. I like commitment, and somehow…everything in my body wants to commit toher.
I have no idea why.
Maybe it’s the pinched, furious look she gives me every single time our eyes meet.
Maybe it’s her freckles, scattered across her nose like a dusting of sugar even though she’s
anything but sweet to me.
No. It’s something beneath all that fire—a softness she’s trying really, really hard to bury.
I’m mid-mental spiral when Alex snorts beside me.
