Page 45 of The Game

The doorbell rings at seven thirty while we’re still scrambling around to get everything in order and in walks the rookie, as well as Mack and his girlfriend.

“You’re early, assholes,” Dev says.

“Oh, sorry,” Mack says, glancing back at the door as if he’s going to turn around and walk back out to return in half an hour.

“Lucy’s just fucking with you. Come on in guys.” Beau pops his head out of the kitchen to wave them in.

“DJ JJ, can you get the tunes pumping?” Jazz directs the order at our goalie, who is dancing around the room even without music.

“Yeah, I got it.” He bounces off to do her bidding, and the Monster Mash is pounding out of the big speakers shortly after.

People trickle in. The team first, and then Jazz’s friends promptly at eight o’clock. They’re all dressed in costume except for the biggest guy in the group. He’s wearing a snazzy black suit that stretches tight across the barrel of his chest. The pair of dark shades he’s got on is the only sign that he’s got some sort of costume on, but it could be any number of things.

“Cole. This is Amira, Trinity, Deacon, Molly, and Rob. They’re my biz family. And this is Cole... my boyfriend.” She pauses as if it’s hard for her to get the lie out to her friends.

“Nice to meet you.” I shake their hands. Rob squeezes my hand in a fuck you grip as if he’s trying to assert his dominance. Ah, he’s that kind of guy. I’m vaguely familiar with the football players. He’s a decent player, but not going to make the NFL by any stretch of the imagination. I guess that’s why he’s getting a business degree. He’s one of the ones who has a life plan after college sports are finished.

If I don’t make it in the pros, I’ll probably go back to school. Get my masters, maybe my PhD in philosophy. Become a professor. But that’s not what I want. I love studying philosophy and trying to figure out the why behind human actions, but that’s not where I want my life to go. I’ve dreamed of playing in the NHL since I was a tiny kid. It’s always been my dream. Not to mention the things I can do to help my dad and siblings once I get that sweet paycheck. Dad won’t have to work two or three jobs anymore to send his other kids to school.

“Need a drink?” I ask Jazz, wiping an arm across my forehead to catch a couple of errant drops of sweat. She’s deep in conversation with a pretty girl with long dark hair wearing a Barbie costume. Amira, I think.

The number of bodies packed into every room on the main floor has the temperature verging on Florida in August levels, complete with damp humidity emanating from all the sweaty bodies. My Charizard onesie is pulled down off my arms and tied around the waist by this point.

“I’ll take a cola or something,” she says, turning to me with that gorgeous smile of hers that lights me up in a way that has me shifting uncomfortably on my feet.

I head upstairs to hit the bathroom first, stopping when I hear voices at the end of the hall.

“You shouldn’t be here, and you definitely shouldn’t be wearing that.” Beau’s tall form is blocking my view of the girl he’s talking to, and my protective big brother hackles rise. Who is he talking to like that?

“Your roommates invited me, and our parents own this house. I have just as much of a right to be here as you. Even if you wouldn’t let me move in.”

The hackles settle. It’s the infamous Cecelia, his twin sister, who transferred to Lakeview this year. I still haven’t met her yet, even though I think she was at the last game. He’s keeping her away from his hockey team on purpose. The knee-breaking threat he issued at the beginning of the semester wasn’t enough. Go near my sister and... insert menacing glower.

“The house is full, and would you really want to live with a bunch of hockey bros, anyway?”

She snorts. “I dunno. Some of them are pretty hot.”

“Cecelia.” Her bright laugh outshines his growl.

“Don’t worry. I’ll leave your precious teammates alone. I know you’re worried I’ll break them.”

“That’s not what I...”

She ducks under his arm, popping out to reveal a skintight Spider-Gwen bodysuit with the hood and mask flipped back. Her tousled blonde hair and blue eyes match her brother’s, but she’s over a foot shorter than him.

“Hi.” Her bright blue eyes lock on mine, and she gives me a smile so big it scrunches up the cornersof her eyes.

“Sorry. I was just going to use the bathroom. And hi.”

“Don’t even look at her, Cole,” Beau says to me. “Ouch. Fuck.”

I press my lips together to avoid laughing at him when his sister lands an elbow in his ribs, and I throw my hands up in the air.

“Hey, I wasn’t doing anything. I’ve got to get back to Jazz, anyway.”

“Is that your girlfriend?” She asks my back. “Can I meet her? I need to make more friends at this school I’ve been banished to. A girl always needs more friends. Come on, take me down and introduce me.”

She hops over, ignoring her brother’s glare. I shrug at him. What am I supposed to do against the enthusiastic force of nature that is his sister?

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