Page 14 of Power Play

The party is in full swing. Loud music, excited chatter, and bursts of laughter surround me, the air in the house is humid, and my skin feels hot and sweaty. Everyone is having fun, including Drake and my roommate, Grace. I should be with them, but instead, I sit on the third step of the stairs leading to the second floor, nursing a half-empty red cup with vodka and an orange juice. Getting an F in pre-calculus screwed my mood so bad, I honestly thought about staying at the dorm instead of coming to the party.

I hear steps behind my back as someone walks down, but I have no desire to move. A girl passes me, and once she’s by the foot of the stairs, she looks at something behind me. Her eyebrow arches. “Are you coming?”

“Go ahead, Chels. I’ll find you later,” a familiar voice says, and before I know it, Clay Rodgers lowers himself beside me and the girl heads into the living room. There’s not enough space for both of us to sit comfortably. Sandwiched between the wall and his body, his citrusy scent blankets me, and the heat of his skin where our shoulders touch sets my own on fire.

“What’s up, Layla?” Clay asks. He’s so fucking close, it takes a lot of effort on my part not to stare at him. “Why are you here alone?”

“I’m not in the mood.” I shrug. “Did you have fun?”

His yellowish-green eyes darken as he gazes at me intently. “I did,” he finally says. “Can I help you? To improve your mood, I mean,” he hastily adds.

I barely hold myself back from rolling my eyes at him. It’s been five months since I started college, since Drake made sure everyone on the team knew I was off-limits. But it’s also been five months since Clay talked to me for longer than three minutes. It’s like he’s been avoiding me, and now, all of a sudden, he’s not.

“I got an F on a test.” I sip on my drink, hoping it will cool off my skin at least a bit. “It ruined my mood, but it’s not the end of the world. I can work harder and get an A, or maybe I’ll drop out of college because I’m stupid and have no idea what I’m doing.”

“You’re not stupid.”

“You don’t know me, Clay,” I retort, press the cup to my mouth, and take a sip.

A smile lifts his lips, his eyes crinkling. “You’re a straight A student. One F in pre-calculus means shit.”

I frown and turn to peer at Clay. How does he know all that? “Are you stalking me?”

Laughter bolts out of his lips as he drapes his arm over my shoulders. “Your brother talks about you.”

That’s a bit of a stretch if you ask me because even with how open Drake is with his friends, he wouldn’t randomly talk about me and my grades. But whatever. I don’t want to question him.

“You’re right. I’ll fix it. Plus, it’s just my first year. It’s not like I should already know what I want to do after graduation.”

“No one knows.” Clay chuckles, his fingers gently skimming over my skin. It feels heavenly, and I absentmindedly lean into him.

“You know,” I insist. “Don’t tell me you don’t want to play in the NHL?”

“I do, but it’s not everything.”

“And what else do you want?” I ask, boring my gaze into his. Clay doesn’t look away at first, but then his eyes fall on my lips, and my heart gallops. Is he going to kiss me?

He swallows, his Adam’s apple moving up and down. A forced smile slips on his lips, and he slightly leans away from me.

“If I won’t have a chance in the NHL, I want to be a coach. To train kids, to help them learn everything about hockey, to teach them to be the best on the ice.”

“Why kids?” I ask.

“Why not?” Clay laughs, slowly standing up, then hovers over me. “My aunt has three kids, and I used to spend time helping her with them while they were living in Michigan. So I don’t mind. I love kids actually.”

Wow. I had no idea about any of this. Though should I really be surprised? He doesn’t notice me when we’re on campus.

“I better go,” he says, walking down the stairs. “Chelsea isn’t going to wait for me forever.”

I lift my hand with my red cup in a goodbye. “Bye.”

“See you, Layla.” He walks to the living room but pauses and lingers in the doorframe. “And stop sulking. Go have fun. It’s your first year in college, for fuck’s sake.”

“Yes, sir,” I tease him innocently, but with how his jaw clenches, I’m not sure if he found it funny.

Shaking his head, Clay steps into the living room, leaving me alone on the stairs. I sit for a few more minutes but then decide to go find Grace. It’s not that late for me to let loose a little.

The memory fades away, and a hesitant smile spreads over my lips. Clay’s always been good with kids. Always liked spending time with them. Maya probably feels it too. There’s nothing more to that.

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