Page 29 of Ice Bet

I didn’t bother turning around. “I’ve got it under control. She’ll get home safe.”

My breathing didn’t return to normal until I felt the cool night air fill my lungs. I caught up to Theo and walked in stride with him. “Are you going to Rush’s tonight?”

“Yeah.”

That was a surprise. I would have bet my left testicle that he was going to his dorm to lust over his roommate.

“I know damn well you are.”

I scoffed. “You make me sound like a party animal—which I am not.”

I’d never been a huge partier. The only time I got black-out drunk was one time in high school when Savannah and I pounded an entire bottle of vodka over the course of a few hours, skinny-dipped in our friend’s pool until their parents came home, and then puked in the bushes outside her bedroom window until I hoisted her back through before the sun started to rise.

That was beforeeverything hit the fucking fan.

The drive to Rush’s took no more than ten minutes from the arena.

Their house was even closer to the football stadium.

Rush and many other seniors were destined for the NFL, just as most of the hockey team was destined for the NHL. Bexley U hadn’t always been great at pulling elite athletes and furthering their careers to the pros, but over the last few years, the school had become one of the most sought-after colleges in the northeastern part of the United States. One good thing had come out of my hometown drama, I guess, because I wouldn’t have attended Bexley U if it weren’t for that.

“Party is in full swing,” Theo mumbled, catching up to me. “As always.”

I squeezed past a couple practically fucking on the porch, and though I couldn’t see the guy’s face, I had a feeling it was one of our players. It was too cold outside for it to be anyone else. Hockey players dug the cold.

When I was a kid, my mom used to have to dig through the snow to pull me back inside to rest for a while before I would put on my wet snow gear the second she turned her back and head right back out to practice slingshots on our icy driveway.

I’d pick winter over summer any day of the week.

I pulled on the collar of my hoodie when Theo and I moved through the party, because it was a fucking sauna inside. Berkley threw his fist in my direction, and we touched knuckles.

“What’s up? Did you drive over?”

“Why?” He grinned. “Looking for a ride for when grandpa over here leaves immediately after getting his dick sucked so he can head to bed?”

Theo chuckled, and although we drove separately, he couldn’t help but throw a dig. “Sorry. Some of us have to get their rest because they’re too tired from carrying the team during that win.”

We laughed because we all knew Theo was kidding. He was all for team morale, and we knew we were all working parts on the ice.

Theo slipped away and headed right toward Claire, his roommate. I scanned the party. I was on the lookout for a raven-haired, blue-eyed little devil that would likely show up just to piss me off.

I blew out a breath when I realized she wasn’t here. I pulled out my phone. It was nearing eleven. I’d bet anything that she was waiting for the rink to clear so she could sneak in.

After our last quarrel, I cursed my need to irritate her, because I let it slip that I knew she was still going to the rink after hours. I understood that it made me look like a stalker, but in my defense, I saw her from my window while I was studying. She was walking down the street in the middle of the night.What was I supposed to do? Let her walk in the dark by herself? For the love of God, she didn’t even carry mace with her. It was the least she could do, considering she was openly choosing to walk instead of drive.

Stupid.

Imagine if she were taken, or raped, or I don’t know…fell into a sinkhole. Coach would throwmeinto a sinkhole.

I understood the loyalty the ice brought. The comfort. The solace. So I didn’t judge her too harshly for going to the rink—just her way of getting there.

After everything happened with Savannah and my parents were named the town pariahs, along with receiving threats of me being hung like I was a piece of meat for something that I didn’t have any control over, I used to go to the rink and hide out too. The only difference was that I actually got on the ice. Riley just stared at it.

I rolled out my sore shoulders and skimmed through my messages.

Mom- That was a good game, honey! I’d love to send Karen something as a thank you for video-calling me. Dad and I are so proud. I wish we could be there in person to watch you.

But we can’t afford it, was the last part of the text message that was left untyped. I knew why they couldn’t make the trip up here to sit in the stands like most of the team’s parents who were in the vicinity of Bexley U. My parents probably seemed unsupportive to most, never showing up to games and not making appearances. But that wasn’t the case. I used to let the guilt eat me alive, but over the years, I’d come to the realization that it wasn’t my fault.

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