Page 63 of Arctic Titans of Northwood U: Volume 2

I didn’t worry. Tyler was there to help me whenever my muscles betrayed me and I couldn’t lift the bar to the safety pegs.

He never left my side that entire day. Not while we worked out and not when we stopped at the library. We grabbed lunch together and returned to the team house for a bit of a rest before our drills in the evening.

It had been a long time since Tyler and I spent this much time together. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was glad to be around him. We had grown up together, inseparable since the day he was born. The younger one between us, even if by two weeks only, Tyler was wiser. I relied on him whenever my family became too much to handle. In return, I had been his support when his mom left. And I hoped I’d done a good job.

To this day, Tyler was more than a brother to me. My own brothers didn’t like me very much. They loved me; they just didn’t know what else to do with me. I’d been a black sheep in my family since I first picked up a stick and put on a pair of skates. Even now, I remember it. Tyler had gone to a local rink and did a trial session with a junior group. He had fallen and bruised himself more times in that one night than ever before. But the huge, dimpled grin on his face when he told me about it was enough to infect me with the same sort of infatuation.

My parents hadn’t imagined that a bit of fun activity could ever turn into something I loved. They’d enrolled me right away, even though my brothers frowned and spoke against it. Mom and Dad regretted it later, but I didn’t.

Tyler went to the basement before me. I stayed in our room to find the sources for the introduction of my essay using some of Tyler’s literature and promised to join him for a game or two.

About twenty minutes later, I pushed myself away from the desk, bleary-eyed and useless. Instead of searching through his literature, I was replaying the events of last night. So many things crossed my mind. All I could have said and done, but it was too late now.

If there was any justice out there, I would never see Jennifer again. And that thought alone made my heart throb painfully.

I balled my fists and went downstairs. The basement area was behind a door and I paused when I heard Tyler’s voice. At first, I just didn’t want to disturb him, but then I heard the words. “…leave him now. He’s not good, Court. He needs me.” Silence. Pacing. “Yes. Yes, I know. But he actually needs me for a specific problem. I can’t come tonight.” He gasped. “What? No. It’s not like that. Babe, you know how I feel about this. You know I want to see you, but it’s not right.”

I walked back up to the ground level and checked the contents of the fridge. When I had nothing else to do, I pulled out a bottle of water, cracked it open, and drank half of it in one go. I knew he was putting his life on hold because of me. And I adored him for it. But I couldn’t let him sacrifice his relationship just because I got screwed over.

Inevitably, Tyler went to look for me. He found me in the kitchen, drinking water, and smiled. “Ready? I’m in the mood to kick your sorry ass.” There wasn’t a trace of anything other than positive energy on his face. He was a joyful guy, quick to laugh, loyal to those he loved, and beyond selfless.

But later, after practice, I had to push him away. I had to send him to Courtney so that at least one of us had a normal, healthy relationship. “I’m ready,” I said, forcing a calm to my voice that I didn’t feel. But it was worth it. If Tyler believed I was fine, he wouldn’t feel like he had to babysit me. And if I could get him to be happy, then it was totally worth it. I could hold the pieces of my shattered heart without ruining my best friend’s love life together with mine.

Chapter Four

TYLER

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. “Are you sure?”

“I’m fine,” Sebastian insisted. “I’m telling you. You were right. It’s her loss, not mine.” The stiffness in his facial muscles confused me. He sounded way better than this morning. Maybe the gym had helped burn through some unresolved feelings, but the whole thing was only twenty-four hours old.

I frowned. “I’d rather stick to the plan. Let’s get drunk and cry it out.”

Sebastian grinned. “I wouldn’t waste breath on it, Ty.” He tossed his duffel over his shoulder, shook his head at me, and added, “You should spend time with Courtney, man. Besides, I still have all that literature to sift through.”

“You’re not having after-practice drinks, then?” I asked. “That sounds a lot like you’re not fine.”

Sebastian let out a tired sigh. “If you want to babysit me, be my guest, but I’ll just remind you that you have an actual girl who adores you.”

That was true. And she was growing impatient with me. Even so, as Sebastian and I headed out of the locker room and down the hallway to the back exit from the rink, I didn’t completely buy it. He hadn’t done a one-eighty in the span of a day, had he? But I also knew when he was being stubborn like a mule. I wouldn’t win this one.

As reluctant as I was, I had to nod. We parted ways in front of the rink. Sebastian still wore his fake smile as he walked away, but when I glanced at him over my shoulder, I saw the way he slouched. It was like faking it had cost him all the energy he could spare. Something had gone out of him when Jennifer tossed his feelings in the trash. And I was afraid that Sebastian wouldn’t regain it, whatever it was.

But he didn’t want me pampering him. I had to respect it.

I took a bus to get to Courtney’s place. She studied at the local university, but her place was a few blocks away. The small apartment that she shared with another girl was in a low, narrow building. The street was lined with identical apartment buildings with bars and shops on the ground floor and narrow alleys between them.

As I walked from my bus stop, my thoughts returned to Sebastian, alone in our room, hating himself. It was what he was the best at. And it was his natural response. His self-esteem was in the gutter after last night and I had made a terrible mistake letting him win. Respect his wishes? Silly old me. I should have handcuffed our wrists together and dragged him to the basement to empty the mini fridge with me. That was what I should have done.

But I was already here, so I rang Courtney’s doorbell, and she buzzed me in without a word. I climbed the stairs to the second floor, then knocked on her door, and waited for my girl to open it. Her frizzy brown hair framed her heart-shaped face, her green eyes sparkling. “Look what the cat’s dragged to the door,” she said and stretched her lips into a smile. “Come in.”

I did. We kissed after I had shut the door and Courtney led me in by my hand. Her apartment was small and minimal, always perfectly tidy. The living room had one bright overhead light in cooler tones, giving Walmart vibes, and the tones of the interior design were black, white, gray, and one splash of a pastel green accent in cushions and drapes. It was so light that it depressed me.

Courtney folded her legs under her butt on one side of the dark gray sofa. She had a plain black mug of tea on the glass table with a black frame. “What’s up, babe?” she asked.

I took my jacket off and hooked it to the edge of a dining chair on one end of the room, where a small dining table stood, too. Beyond it, the kitchen was small, neat, and as clean as if Courtney expected someone to inspect it. “Not much,” I said, passing the two doors that led to the bedrooms. “Where’s Sofie?”

“Out. She met a guy. Again.” Courtney rolled her eyes. “I swear, we need a revolving door at this point.”