Page 18 of Power Play

Lately,I’ve been finding myself thinking about Layla more and more often. It definitely feels as if my captain’s little sister took my brain hostage and refuses to let me go no matter how hard I try to convince myself to ignore her.

Not even hookups help, dammit.

I turn my head and watch Colton sitting on the bench in the locker room. He’s still half-dressed, with only jeans on. A crooked smile plays on his lips as he types something on his phone. I’m pretty sure he’s texting with Ava because why else would he grab his cell before he even had a chance to get fully dressed after practice? The guy is obsessed, and it has started bothering me. Not in a sense that I like her too and I’m jealous. No, it’s nothing like that. It’s about me wanting the same…with Layla.

And it more and more reminds me of wishful thinking. Because it can’t happen. Just no.

Ava’s words flash in my mind as the memory of my talk with her a month ago reappears in my head.

“Layla is pretty hot,” I say dismissively as I walk with Ava toward the pizza place. Though my attempt to sound nonchalant miserably fails because she halts in her tracks, making me stumble forward.

I look at her, my heart hammering in my chest. Not sure what to make of her reaction. Ava narrows her eyes.

“Do you like my best friend?” she asks.

Great. And now I’m busted. Strangely, it doesn’t feel wrong. I don’t think Ava will ever use it against me, and so I come clean.

“I always did.” I nod. “Her brother told us right away she’s off-limits for the team.”

The devilish glint behind her irises catches my attention. It’s like she knows a secret and is having trouble keeping it all to herself. I wait. Something warm forms in the pit of my stomach. Is it hope?

“What if I told you Drake is bullshitting all of you? About Layla, I mean?” Ava tilts her head to the side, a shit-eating grin splitting her lips.

I pinch my eyebrows together. “Can you be more specific?”

“If Layla ever started dating any of the guys from the team, he wouldn’t say a word,” she tells me with an air of confidence that leaves no doubt there’s not even an ounce of lies in her words. “He’s only against one of you fucking his sister and forgetting about her the next day. That’s all.”

But that’s what I do. All the fucking time. I’m not built for a relationship.

“That sucks,” I comment, slipping my hands in my pockets. “It means she’s still off-limits for me. I don’t do relationships.”

“Have you tried doing relationships?” Ava snorts, and I shake my head. “You have no idea how much you’re missing out.”

Am I really missing out?

It’s been several weeks already, but I can’t shake off this idea that Ava planted in my head. What if I asked Layla on a real date? How is Drake going to react? Would it create problems for our team? I hate when there’s unhealthy tension in the locker room and especially on the ice, so it’s a thousand times better if I continue keeping my distance, as I’ve been doing since I met her for the first time.

But what is better is not always right.

What if I selfishly do what I want? There should be some explanation for why I can’t stop thinking about her. Something. Anything. I’ve never been this hung up on a girl before, even with the ones I crushed on for a while before something happened between us.

Something in Layla just…draws me in.

“Rodgers, do you need a ride?” I blink and whip my head to my right. My eyes meet Colton’s, and I notice an amused smirk on his face. He’s fully dressed already too. Another proof of how deep in my own head I’ve been. “Are you okay?”

I lick my lips and stand up. “Yeah, I’m fine.” I zip my bomber jacket, feeling his gaze still on me. Then I pause. “Wait, did you offer me a ride?”

“Yeah.”

It takes a lot of power for me to stay serious. I stretch my hand and press my palm to his forehead as if checking for a fever. Colt grimaces and slaps my hand away.

“I changed my mind. You will walk,” he drawls and grabs his sports bag from the floor.

With laughter, I take my sports bag and swing the strap over my shoulder. “Nah, you can’t take your offer back.”

Colton rolls his eyes but doesn’t say anything, so I follow him, saying bye to our teammates on our way out of the locker room. The silence that settles between us as we walk down the hallway is comfortable. I’m used to it. As more time goes by, I cherishthis friendship way more than I did before, probably because I finally understand that for me a real friend is not only the person I can talk to about everything and anything but also someone I feel comfortable staying quiet with.

A girl’s laughter echoes in the hallway, bouncing off the walls. I instinctively turn my head to the sound. It’s some redhead, probably a freshman. I’m not sure. But she’s not the one I focus my attention on. It’s the guy Layla’s been seeing since her freshman year. His hand wraps around the girl’s waist as he pulls her to his chest.

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