Confusion knits my brow.
Realistically, he probably doesn’t remember me. I don’t know why, but it stings. Why would he remember that sad little girl? I’ve outgrown the barrettes, and he certainly looks nothing like the scrawny boy who loved anime and superheroes.
Now he’s Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. A certified pretty boy, that’s for damn sure. His preteen acne is gone, and he has the smoothest light brown skin I’ve ever seen. The cornrows have been replaced by a tapered fade on his curly, dark hair.
His jaw looks like it’s been cut from glass and molded into pure perfection. I remember the soft flecks of green in his brown eyes and wonder if that’s at least the same. He’s filled out, every muscle evident beneath the fabric of his shirt. He’s solid, not as buff as his big friend, but solid all the same. And the way he stands, with his legs apart and arms crossed, gives off serious Big Dick Energy.
Back then, he was the kindest person I knew, yet the guy I’m staring at seems everything but. Nevertheless, there’s this invisible pull that is making it extremely difficult to look away. His gaze is intense, almost as if he’s challenging me. It’s as if it’s some sort of game of who will blink first.
Turns out he wins because I nearly run into someone.
“Watch where you’re going,” the guy seethes.
I stumble back a bit, then quickly regain my balance. “Sorry.”
He grumbles something under his breath and storms off. I shake my head, somewhat thankful for the distraction. Everest doesn’t remember who I am, and that could be a good thing. The thing I need least right now is to find myself caught up in a childhood crush with some hot hockey player.
Hell, I don’t even like hockey.
CHAPTER THREE
EVEREST (KANE)
“Ready for the championship, Kane?” Vanessa asks, batting her eyes and fishing for attention.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I say unenthusiastically, then pull out my phone.
“I can’t wait to see you play. You always crush it,” she continues, stepping closer to me. But I ignore her, much like I have every day since the start of the season. She’s not a quitter; I’ll give her that. Don’t get me wrong, she’s bad as hell with perky tits, long curly hair, and a fat ass. And I certainly remember what her mouth does—but that’s as far as it’ll ever go.
She and every other girl here are the same… puck bunnies looking for their label of WAG one day. They can miss me with that. I have bigger things to worry about, things that none of them will understand, so there’s nothing she or anyone else can do for me. Unless they can solve all my problems and make them disappear, I’m good.
Vanessa eventually gets the picture and turns her attention to Alex. I smirk because he thrives on the love we get around campus. With a new girl in his bed every other night, I’m sure he can fit Vanessa into the roster.
The sad thing is, she’ll wait. They always do. As long as theycan attach themselves to the hottest player with the best chance of making it big, they’ll do whatever it takes. Including letting us run through them whenever and however we see fit.
Play a sport on this campus, and you can pretty much have your pick of the litter. And the better you are, the more pussy you get. There’s barely a chick at SKU that the boys and I haven’t had, save for the nerds and rejects.
Except for maybe Mountain. He’s all respectful and shit, staying to himself and keeping his focus on the game. Hell, I can’t even remember the last time I’ve seen him smile. It’s scary how focused he is. His ability to set aside all the bullshit and hone in is why he’s one of the best damn goalies I’ve ever seen on the ice. He’s big and burly, which makes it easy for people to assume he’s slow. But then the six-foot, two-hundred-pound fucker will block your shot before you even realize it.
If anyone is good under pressure, it’s him. No matter how aggressive the girls get, he’s got nerves of steel. He’s the complete opposite of Alex, the biggest man whore you’ll ever meet.
Which is fitting. You can tell a lot about a person by the position they play.
While Mountain is guarded and dependable, preferring to stay in the background, Alex is a charming motherfucker. That and the confidence he possesses makes him the perfect center. He’s quick on his feet and can read people better than anyone I know.
Meanwhile, I earn my reputation of being as ruthless off the ice as I am on it. I hear all the shit the other students on campus call me: aggressive, scary, and rude as fuck. All perfect traits for a defenseman. I’ve been told I’m unapproachable more times than I can count. You’d think that would steer the bunnies away… It doesn’t.
And while getting my dick wet is always fun, that’s the last thing on my mind right now. With only three games left in theseason and NHL scouts dropping in, all I’m trying to focus on is the game.
Well, trying to, at least.
Lately, I’ve been distracted, and it damn near cost us our last game. The fucked-up part of it all is there’s no reprieve. Nothing can make this better, and I’m reminded every damn day just how unfair this world is. The corrupt remain untouchable, poisoning everything in their path, while the people they hurt suffer in silence.
I glance at my phone and open the email from my mom’s doctor. For what feels like the millionth time, I read the single paragraph as if maybe the words will change this time. But they don’t. It makes me angry every time her doctor tells me that she’s spiraling and needs her meds adjusted or that her account is past due because my asshole of a father likes to make us beg for help.
He’s the reason she’s in that place. He’s the reason everything about my life is so royally fucked.
“So I was thinking maybe we can hang out,” Vanessa proposes. Damn, this girl doesn’t quit. Her eye for Alex was short-lived. “It’s been a while. I figured we could catch up.”
