“We’re at your service, too.” Tucker offers. “If you tell us what to carry, we’re happy to be your moving crew.”
My best friend fist-pumps the air. “You guys are the best.”
More people arrive in the apartment. This time it’s two men in actual moving company uniforms.
“Last room on the right.” Gen comes into the apartment in the tightest skinny jeans I’ve ever seen and a blouse that highlights her slim frame.
“Gen?” Talia is the first to recover from the surprise. “Do you have the wrong apartment? I thought we were rooming with Sam.”
The newcomer lifts her designer sunglasses to roll her eyes. “There’s been a change of plans. I’m a huge believer in fengshui and I need to be on this side of the building. So I asked Carole to be moved in here.”
“I thought,” Jodie argues. “That there would be no changes to the quarters assigned. The email we got yesterday with the codes for the doors and the moving instructions said no exceptions.”
Gen’s lips quirk in an arrogant smile. “My dad is one of the main sponsors of this team. So I’m the exception. What’s up? Scared to be rooming with your future team captain?”
“Shut up, Gen,” Talia bites out. “You don’t know if you’ll make the team, let alone who’s going to be named captain.”
She laughs. “Sure, tell yourself that. We both know I always get what I want.”
Tucker intervenes. “Do you? Strange. I thought I heard Coach Harrison argue with Carole yesterday after the forty-two names of the trainees were announced. Something about someone requiring an apartment with direct beach access? I didn’t see any of my teammates move out for your benefit.”
“That’s because your coach is an asshole. If he keeps going against my dad’s wishes, he’s not going to stay in his job for long.”
This time it’s Colsen who argues with Gen. “Three national championships under his belt say that he’s pretty untouchable.”
“Money talks in the real world, Colsen.” She snaps. “And you and your coach would be better off remembering that. Once Star Cove gets an NHL team, you guys will be old news.”
God, she’s so rude. Living with her during training camp is something I definitely didn’t have on my bingo card.
“Right.” Talia glares at her. “But there’s no NHL team in town yet and without the Cove Knights you wouldn’t have anyone to cheer for. So maybe you could be a little nicer to them.”
Tucker backs his sister. “Well said, sis. And money can buy you a lot of things except the respect of your peers or love.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Gen looks at Tucker, her eyes narrowed into two furious slits.
“Nothing.” Tucker shrugs, a little provocative smile on his lips. “I see that you hired someone to help you move after Mack told you to get lost when you asked him. And he got the whole team to refuse to lift a finger for you.”
Gen’s face is as red as an overripe tomato. “You know what? I’m glad they decided to give us cheerleaders our own half of the building. You guys are assholes. All of you. Word of advice,” she then says to me, Jodie and Talia. “Never date a hockey player. They’re the worst.”
She storms off into a room that, thank fuck, is on the opposite side of the apartment from mine. We all jump when she slams the door shut with a sound that I’m sure can be heard in the entire building.
We all file outside, leaving to her own devices. We still have a few boxes of stuff to bring out of my car to complete our move.
“I’m sorry your room shares a wall with hers.” I say to Talia.
“I’m sorry for all of us, to be honest. Living and training with her is going to be a struggle.”
Colsen clears his throat. “I can’t believe she’s been allowed into training camp after what she did to you, pretty girl.”
I squirm under his gaze. In today’s light, the amber ring around his pupils is larger, leaving only a thin green outer border and making his gaze look like pure gold.
The way he’s looking at me, as if he could see deep inside my soul, reminds me of when he was looking at me while his head was between my thighs.
A wave of warmth washes through me, and I almost forget what we were talking about.
“That’s because Tar-Tar downplayed what happened when Carole and Lexi asked.”
“What? Baby, you have to tell them that she sabotaged you. They almost didn’t select you because they thought you had something to do with that incident to get more attention.” Tucker’s usual smile is nowhere in sight.
