Page 8 of Ice Bet

“We should do a point system.”

A point system?! As if I were a game? My palms stung with the clenching of my fists.

“Ice bet secured.”

My face was hot. I wanted to stomp my way into their locker room and stare each of them in the eye to give them a little scare. It would besoeasy for me to run to my dad and get their asses handed to them, orworse.I could probably get them kicked off their precious little hockey team that they were all so passionate about, but some games were better played with slow manipulation.

I wouldn’t appear like an opponent to them. They were too blind to see me for what I really was:an enemy.

They could try all they wanted, despite my father’s threats, but none of them would ever get close enough to win their littleice bet. In fact, the entire Bexley U hockey team was going to have the biggest case of blue balls there ever was.

I sure hope it didn’t affect their skill on the ice.

* * *

Eventually, I made my way back to my apartment. It didn’t take long for the locker room to clear, but it was enough time for my irritation to lessen. That was, until I stepped out of the elevator and was reminded who my neighbors were.

“Finally!” Sutton flung herself off our door and rushed over to me, leaving my enemies to linger in the open space. Sutton leaned in close. “What took you so long? I’ve been standing here having a pointless conversation with the new guy for entirely too long.”

New guy?

I peeked around the curtain of Sutton’s summery blonde hair and shuffled backward in surprise. “What is he doing here at Bexley U?”

“You know him?” she asked.

The unease in my stomach didn’t stop me from walking toward Graham Sullivan. He was likely the only person on this campus that knew me beyond my label of being Coach Lennon’s daughter.

His cheek pulled, revealing his white smile. “I was wondering when I’d run into you. You were on a mission earlier in the locker room, or I would have said hi.”

“The locker room?”You mean the same dreaded locker room where my name was being thrown around like fucking confetti.“Are you a student at Bexley U now? What happened to Rosewood?”

“I could ask you the same.”

My eyes immediately fell to the speckled tile that lined the hallway. I knew no one heard my pulse strumming like a guitar, but I felt it everywhere.

“The last time I saw you was at the Delta house with Gray.” he said.

Ah, yes. The memories.

Delta Kappa was the fraternity that my ex was in, and their house was the most popular party spot on campus.

Sutton made an obnoxious noise that sounded like a buzzer, pulling my attention away. Her hand fell into mine, and she tsked her tongue. “We don’t talk about exes here. Now scoot along, boys. I’m moving in this evening, and we have plans that don’t involve hockey players.”

“You’re living here too?” Efrain asked over his shoulder while putting his key in the door. “What happened to the house on Fourth with Crew?”

Ford smacked Efrain against the chest. “She just said we don’t talk about exes. Keep up, bro.”

“Wait, you and Crew broke up?”

Sutton pulled me toward our door, and I almost tripped because I was too busy trying to match Ford’s, Efrain’s, and Graham’s—or I guessSullyas they called him—voices to the not-so-distant memory of my name being shuffled around the locker room an hour prior.

Once Sutton and I were in our apartment and she slammed the door, her hands fell to her hips. “Great, now my breakup is going to be the talk of campus. It’s already floating around everywhere online that has any interest in the NHL.”

“Don’t worry, it’ll blow over soon. No one will linger on your breakup for too long,” I tried to reassure her, but we both knew it was a lie. College was one thing. The NHL was idolized. The players were a hot topic everywhere, and it just so happened that Sutton’s ex, Crew Hart, was one of the best players the NHL acquired for the new season. “He’s an asshole for letting you go. All hockey players areassholes, remember?”

She tried to laugh it off, but it wasn’t very convincing. Her eyes glossed over, but she turned around and took in her new apartment.

“This is so much better than my old place.” Her tiny nose wiggled. “Smells better too. Do you know what it’s like to live in a house with sweaty athletes?”

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