“Uh, what?” I ask, my voice cracking because his question catches me off guard. “We’re best friends. You guys know this.”
“Best friends?” Dime asks the question like he's never heard the phrase before and is trying to figure out what the hell it means. “Dude, that’s not what you two are. Leo’s my best friend, and I don’t drool over him. I don’t follow him around like he’s my reason for living. And I sure as fuck don’t slip my hand down his pants in the middle of the living room.”
“Okay, Tenerovich,” I say, using his last name because dicks don’t deserve nicknames. I take a calming breath so I can sound a lot more relaxed than I feel. “What you and Leo do is your business. And what Viv and I do is ours.” I can feel my fists clenching, and there’s so much energy building up in my body right now that I should probably head back to the gym and burn it off. I feel like I could clock fifty miles on the treadmill and still not wear myself out. What the fuck is even happening right now? Why do my friends care what Viv and I do?
“Whoa, time out,” Blue says, stepping in front of me. That’s when I realize I’ve advanced on the freshman and likely have murder written all over my face. “We don’t have time for throwing punches or burying bodies. You,” he says, looking at Dime, “need to learn when to stop running your damn mouth. And you,” he says, turning back to me, “need to chill the fuck out before you break our backup goalie.”
Dammit. I’m still clenching my fists, and my face is probably flushed. “What the fuck is this? An intervention? Are you guys trying to save me or something? Because I’m fine. I don’t need rescuing. I’m not in any goddamn danger. She’s my best friend.”
“You two looked pretty cozy on the water slide yesterday, that’s all I’m saying.” Ollie’s got his hands up in mock surrender.
“Yeah,” Dime adds, nodding. “And the noises coming from your room are pretty loud, so—” He stops for a second, probably because Ollie and Blue are giving him death glares. And I might be growling.
“You want to rethink the rest of that sentence?” Blue asks, shaking his head at the freshman’s dumbassery.
Dime fidgets with his water bottle. “I’m just saying, you guys are obviously hot for each other. Why don’t you just admit you’re a couple?”
We’re not,” I say, the words leaving my mouth on autopilot. “We’re besties. With benefits. It’s nothing more than that.” The words sting as I say them. “She’s graduating. And I’ve got a lot going on right now.”
“Yeah, for the next couple weeks,” Dime says, rolling his eyes. I may seriously punch this kid, and I’m not usually a violent guy. “But once we win the Frozen?—”
“Silence!” Ollie cries, slapping a hand over Dime’s mouth.
Dime rolls his eyes and smacks Ollie’s hand away. “We fucking killed at Regionals, dude. There’s no way we’re not gonna w?—”
Ollie covers Dime’s mouth so fast the kid’s eyes bug out of his head. “We do not speak those words,” Ollie warns, his tone lethal. “We do not tempt fate. We do not fuck with the forces of nature. Do you understand?”
When Dime nods, Ollie peels his hand away, but he doesn’t put it back down at his side. And when Dime opens his mouth, Ollie’s eyes narrow in warning. One thing is true: hockey players are superstitious as hell, and I’m not just talking about Jenksy’s stinky socks. There are some things you just don’t fuck with. And the prospect of winning a second national title is at the top of the list.
“I’m just saying,” Dime continues, treading lightly, “that your schedule is gonna ease up soon, so even though you’re too busy for a relationship now, you won’t be in a couple weeks.”
“It’s not like that, ” I say, even though I wish it was exactly like that. I wish I was the guy apologizing to my girlfriend for my hectic schedule. But in a way, I’m lucky. Viv was a collegiate athlete for five years so she understands the demands and just goes with the flow. Part of that is that we’re just hooking up, but part of it is that she knows firsthand what it feels like when your time isn’t your own and you’ve got a whole team counting on you to give everything you’ve got. “We’re not together,” I tell the guys. “We’re besties with bennies. How many times do I have to explain it before it penetrates your thick skulls?”
“You sure about that?” Ollie asks.
“Uh, yeah,” I say, turning toward my captain and my friend. “The fuck, man? You’re married and now you’re against hookups? Holy fucking hypocrisy.”
My buddy laughs and he flips me off. “You know I’m not against hookups. Do what feels good, always. I don’t actually give a shit what you do with your body, and who else is involved. What I’m worried about is your heart. You’re ass over tits for this girl. Deny it all you want, but it’s plain as fucking day.”
“Thanks, Olls,” I scoff as I lace up my sneakers. “It’s good to know you think I’m just a sad fucking sack being led around by my dick.”
“Dude, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I?—”
“She looks at you the same way you look at her.”
We all turn our heads toward Leo who’s still sitting by his cubby dispensing sage wisdom like he’s not a fucking freshman.
“Look,” he says, running a hand through his curly hair. “I’m no expert on social cues. And I’m sure as fuck not one to give advice about relationships, but I’m a born observer. I notice shit other people don’t. And I’m telling you that Viv looks at youwith the same goofy expression on her face that you’re always wearing on yours. And she’s always touching you. Like, even just casually. If you two are in the same room, your hands are all over each other.”
“Uh, what the fuck?” Dime says, clearly pissed. “I said the same thing and nearly got my head ripped off. But it’s okay for Leo to talk about you and Viv practically fucking on every available surface?”
I hear myself growl. “I’ve already punched one teammate this season. I don’t mind making it two.”
I can’t help it. I chuckle as Dime grabs Ollie’s hand and covers his own mouth with it.
“Besides,” Leo says, chiming in. “I’m not just talking about sex. You’re always touching her back. She’s always touching your arm. You guys were making breakfast the other morning, and you brushed up against each other the whole time. It’s like you’re magnets. And I can’t speak to her feelings. I know fuckall about what she wants. That’s a conversation you two need to have. But for what it’s worth, I think you should have it.”
And then, like he hasn’t just dropped a fucking truth bomb, the guy strips down and heads for the damn showers.
