Page 36 of That's Too Pucking Bad

“How’d your test go?” I ask, trying to bring her back.

“I passed.” She says it like it doesn’t matter, like she can’t even celebrate it.

I lift her chin, forcing her to look at me, and then I kiss her, slow, deliberate. “Congratulations, baby. You’re smart as hell.”

She gives me this look, one I can’t figure out, and then she pulls away, slipping back under the blankets. “You should go.”

I sit there for a second, trying to understand what the hell just happened. “You sure?”

She nods. “I have a boyfriend, Zane. I love him.”

I scoff, leaning back. “I don’t care about him.”

“You should,” she says, eyes meeting mine. “I should.”

She pulls the blankets tighter around herself, dismissing me like I’m nothing. I stand, my jaw tight, looking around her room. I’ll be back. I’m not done with her, not by a long shot.

“Bye, baby. Sleep tight.” I keep my voice casual, not giving her anything to latch onto.

“Bye, Zane,” she says, so soft I almost don’t hear it.

I walk out, shutting the door behind me, knowing I’ll be back. She may not realize it yet, but this isn’t over. Not even close.

Coach Jacobs’ voice breaks through my thoughts, sharp as hell. “Coburn! Focus up!”

I blink, dragging my gaze away from the empty part of the rink I’d been staring at, where I could swear I saw her standing in my head— Remy. That damn look she gives me, like I’m nothing but trouble. Trouble she likes.

I shake it off. I’m supposed to be running practice, not daydreaming about her. My hands tighten on the stick as I nod at Coach. “Yeah, I got it.”

His stare lingers a second longer. He doesn’t need to say more. He knows I’ve been off. I know it too. And I hate it because he’s right. I’m the captain. I shouldn’t be distracted by… her.

We’ve got an away game against Western University this weekend. The Blackridge Ravens are the reigning champs, but Western always plays dirty. Real scrappy team. But I haven’t been thinking about strategy. I’ve been thinking about Remy. About the way she said my name last time we hooked up. About how much I want to hear her say it again, breathless and mine.

“Alright, bring it in!” I yell out, trying to get my head back in the game. The rest of the team skates over, lining up around me. We go over the plays for a while, but I’m still distracted. I can’t stop thinking about her.

We finally wrap up and hit the locker room. I strip out of my sweaty gear, feeling the weight of Caleb’s stare.

“Zane,” Caleb says, leaning against the lockers, his arms crossed. “You loving the chase, man? We’ve got the NHL draft coming up. We need to focus.” Caleb warns, like he’s some fucking relationship expert all of a sudden.

“Don’t start sounding like my dad,” I snap, but he’s right. I don’t even know why I’m so caught up with her. This isn’t who I am. I don’t get tied down. I don’t do relationships. I do what I want and move on. But with Remy… fuck, I just wantmore.

Caleb doesn’t press the issue. We head back to the ice to run some drills, getting our heads back into the game. I push myself harder, but the image of her keeps creeping in. The way she looked the last time I saw her, all soft and flushed, her lips swollen from my kisses. I want to own that. All of her.

When we finish, the guys talk about getting food and hitting up a bar later, but I’m already thinking about seeing her. I need to.No, I have to.

“I’m out,” I tell Caleb, grabbing my bag. He looks like he’s about to say something, but he doesn’t. I don’t need another lecture.

I head back to my place, shower fast, and throw on some jeans and a black hoodie. My thoughts are already on Remy. Iknow exactly where she’ll be. She’s a creature of habit—always at the library this time of day. She likes the quiet. I’ve seen her there, head buried in her textbooks, looking all serious and focused. It’s fucking cute as hell, how into her studies she is.

If she’s not at the library, I’ll check her dorm. And if not there, her house. One way or another, I’m seeing her tonight.

I head to the library first. Sure enough, she’s there. But she’s sitting in a different spot this time, in the back corner. Trying to hide, maybe? Tough luck because I’m here.

I walk over, drop my bag on the table, and sit down in front of her. She doesn’t even look up, just keeps her head down, flipping through some textbook like I don’t exist.

“You switch tables on me?” I ask, leaning back in the chair, eyes locked on her.

She sighs, finally lifting her gaze to meet mine. Those hazel eyes. Fuck, I could get lost in them.

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