Page 375 of Unexpected Ever After

“For now,” I say smugly.

Murphy gives me a knowing look. “You only like her because she doesn’t like you. Been a while since someone challenged you. They all just fall into Sexy’s lap, hoping to land on that D.”

I can’t help but laugh. “You’re so stupid.”

“Whatever, bro. You know that shit’s true. Speaking of chicks, Nora was pissed when she found out Saffron was up there last night. Like crazy eyes pissed. Like…stage five clinger pissed. Better be careful, eh? I heard that her and Saffron had words at the game the other night.”

“About me?” My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “They had words about me? How do you know?”

“I was talking to Raegan, and she told me. I guess your sisters were telling Nora that Saffie was invited by you, and Nora tried to lay shit down like you were her man. Saffron called her on it, then told her some shit about having to mark a man up to try to keep him not being her style.” He points at my neck, and the now nearly faded hickeys. “Basically, Nora got put in her place, and then she found out that you had her up in your room last night and…” He grimaces. “You might have lost your Nora side piece.”

I laugh at him. “Doubt it.” I’m more interested in Saffie having words with her about me. Nora wants a meal ticket, she’s not going anywhere unless she thinks she can find a different ride and right now I’m the hottest prospect on campus and she knows it. Not that there’s any fucking way in hell I’m taking her to the show with me. I’m not taking anyone to the pros with me when I leave. Like I said, hockey, my bed and my mama. Drake knows what’s up.

“You’re right. Nora thinks you’ll put a ring on it one day,” Murphy says, doing the little Beyoncé dance.

I throw my glove at him and laugh. “Never gonna happen.”

“Oh, I know it. Cubbie even knows it and he doesn't know shit. But Nora, Nora thinks she knows what's up. Just watch yourself. She’ll be faking a pregnancy by graduation if she thinks she has to.”

Just as he says that the rest of the team starts filing in and the noise level in the room makes it impossible for us to discuss it any further. He’s right though. I’m gonna have to be a little more careful about how much time I spend with Nora. I’m not trying to fuck around and pull a Jason Dagger. Although it worked out for him, I’m not about that life.

An hour later my legs feel like jelly and my breaths are coming in short puffs. Coach doesn’t give a shit that it’s only seven in the morning. He’s trying to kill us with these drills and the fucker is enjoying it if his smile behind the whistle is anything to go by.

“He’s a sadistic fuck.” Decker pants, making me grin.

“Yeah he is. But we keep coming back for more.” The whistle blows and I burst from the blue line gaining speed as I corner around the first set of cones, dropping to my belly to slide under the hurdle before popping back up as quickly as I can, racing to the finish and coming to a hockey stop in front of the boys. A fresh shower of snow falling over them making me laugh as they shove me to the end of the line to finish up our drills. We usually spend the mornings scrimmaging, but a couple of the players showed up for practice hungover so we’re all paying the price. It’s my responsibility as the team captain to keep these guys in line and on time and all that shit. If their punk asses didn’t look so tortured I’d be giving them hell after practice. Seeing as how they look ready to puke I’m going to hold off ’til later. I’m not looking to get thrown up on.

“Sexy!” Murphy calls, catching my attention. I look over at him and he jerks his head up toward the stands. A quick glance and I see that Saffron is sitting there watching. She gives a small wave and then a shooing motion like she’s telling me “Get back to work.” I grin and give her a salute. No clue what she’s doing here or how long she’s been watching, but all of a sudden I’m ready for practice to be over. And that’s saying a lot since if I had my way I’d be on the ice just about every waking moment.

About twenty minutes later, Coach blows the whistle signaling the end of this morning’s torture session. Everyone skates off breathing heavily, some a little worse than others. I stand at the open door leading off the ice and wait for Saffie to make her way down. The door leads into a tunnel, so I meet her at the glass, looking up at her. “Stalking me?” I joke as I take off my helmet.

Saffron snorts. “Hardly.” She leans her arms atop the angled glass and looks down at me. “This was in my mailbox, I thought you might need it for class before the weekend.” With a flick she hands me a folded piece of paper.

“What is it?” I shake my glove off to take it from her.

“Oh my god, what is that smell?” Saffie asks, wrinkling her nose.

A smile lifts the corner of my mouth. “That’s called hockey, Briggsy.”

“Hockey smells like shit,” she fires back.

“It smells like success.” I wink and flash her my dimples.

“Whatever you have to tell yourself, Levi. Anyway, I filled it out and I wanted to get it to you.”

Unfolding the paper, I see it’s the form that I need to hand in to my professor for tutoring her. “Thanks for this. I forgot all about giving you a heads-up. You didn’t have to bring it all the way over here though. I thought we were studying tomorrow?” I ask, with a swipe of my sweat soaked hair.

“That’s another thing, I’m not going to be there. Coach was able to get a preseason scrimmage set up between us and the Cougars in their new fancy dome. We’re leaving this afternoon, won’t be back until late tomorrow probably.”

Happy that she’s still standing here willingly talking to me, I widen my stance on my skates and lean on my stick. “You nervous?” It’s gotta be hard coming to a new school, new team. They haven’t even been practicing together long enough to really form an opinion of her, let alone any kind of loyalties.

Saffie shrugs. “A little. Your sisters make me feel a little more at ease. They act like they’ve known me forever. They’re way nicer than their older brother.”

We both smile at that. Partly because it's true. My sisters are the shit.

“Well, you smell and I have stuff to do. I’ll let you know what my schedule looks like when I get back.” With a choppy wave she turns and picks her way down the rest of the stairs. I think she gets pissed at us both when she finds herself not hating me as much as she wants to and races to get away.

“Briggsy!” The shout echoes around us in the empty arena.

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