Page 37 of One More Time

“That’s for sure! But with the fire he has on the ice, it’s no surprise.” Mouse turned his beady little eyes on me. “You’ve seen it firsthand though! One of these days I’ll get you drunk enough to know what happens in that room of yours.”

I chuckled. Mouse was all bark and no bite. He let the girls fawn over him, but he only had eyes for one. Too bad she wasn’t the type to be into hunky hockey players.

“I think it would burn your innocent little eyes, Mouse, to see what your mentor is like when he shakes off that straight and narrow act.” I bit my tongue. Straight and narrow—fucking hell, you idiot. “I mean, Kinsley has no complaints, that’s for sure.” Shut up, shut up, shut up.

Jarman’s eyebrow quirked. Like I said: doesn’t miss much. You did not just out Tyler; you did not just out Tyler.

“Sounds like you’re losing your regular hookup to an Aussie, Hunt” Mouse teased, jostling my shoulder.

“Oh, I’ll never lose Kins. But I’ll never refuse her a double dicking.”

Tyler is going to fucking hate you.

I ducked to hide the shame creeping under my collar. Out of the corner of my eye, Jarman’s lip quirked as if he’d figured it out. Instead of calling me out, he jostled my shoulder. “Mouse is just jealous, you and Tyler both manage to juggle two of the hottest girls on campus and he can’t get the one he wants. He hadn’t realized all he needs is a manga and a band tee and she’d be wrapped around his finger.”

I laughed, feeling my heart rate begin to slow. I shot him an appreciative gaze, maybe I was laying too many cards on the table, but he was my teammate, and I was going to hold onto that a little while longer. Because who knew if I would still have my team when I was forced to drop hockey and work for my father.

Chapter twenty

Tyler

“Hey, sweetheart.” Mum’s voice was like salve to a wound. It felt like we hadn’t had a proper conversation in weeks and with the lyrical questions that came through the line, I felt like a kid again. I answered each one with enthusiasm, letting her hear how excited I was about my success so far. Her praise made all the pain worth it. I was winning games, drawing attention for my skill and I hadn’t truly taken a moment to absorb it all. Because the second I stepped off that ice, I was planning the next one, berating myself for every little mistake. I knew I was doing it, but I wouldn’t get where I needed to be by taking it easy. I couldn’t let her down.

“So, that’s hockey covered—I’m not surprised you’re excelling in that department. But what about friends, or maybe… girlfriend? Or a boyfriend?”

I opened the door to the dorm quickly, hoping no one overheard. Cal stood in the kitchen, humming to his music while staring into the open fridge like it would materialize what he wanted.

“Ooh, is that Mama Riley?”

Most times, I strategically made it to my room for calls home. I wasn’t embarrassed by Cal, but after the last encounter with Holden, I didn’t trust him to keep his mouth shut.

“Oh, is that your roommate? Let me see!” Mum’s bright eyes widened, and I bit back a curse. They’d both been excited to meet each other—even it if were only a video call.

As if that were invitation enough, my phone was ripped from my hand. Boundaries were something we needed to discuss—quickly.

“Hey Mama Riley! Oh, your son didn’t mention how gorgeous you are!”

I groaned, letting him have the spotlight as I grabbed a water from the fridge.

“Oh, you are too sweet. I hear you torture my son with Taylor Swift music. I thank you for your service. He might pretend it’s annoying but it makes him feel right at home.”

“We both know he sings her songs in the shower.”

My cheeks were on fire. “I do not!”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Ty.”

“It’s okay Mrs. Riley, he seems to like the closet. Closet Swiftie, closet gay—maybe one day we’ll get him out of there.”

I gaped.

Mum laughed.

My stomach fell through the floor.

Cal never once looked at me, continuing on as if he hadn’t just outed me to my mum.

“Aha! So you know who he’s seeing? What’s he like? Do we like him?”

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