Page 25 of Call Me Teach

I don’t know how much time has passed when I feel him pick me up. I press my check into his chest in my sleepy state, and he carries me through the dark apartment and back to the couch.

The pad of his thumb trails down the side of my cheek before he rests it on my lip.

And then he turns and heads back to his room before my brother finds out that his best friend and teammate just showed his sister what it’s like to be worshiped in the bedroom.

NINETEEN

HERS

Nolan

I no longer want to be called Teach.

Instead, I want to be calledhers.

I’m in deep fucking shit. I can’t even look in Hannah’s direction without bursting at the seams, and for once, I’m not referring to my dick. My best friend’s little sister has somehow turned my entire world upside down with just a few stolen moments behind closed doors.

The hockey puck flies into the net when I hit one after another during warmups. My muscles are tight, and my eyes dart to the stands every couple of minutes, wondering if Hannah is going to stay true to her word and show up with Wilder U’s quarterback beside her.

I heard her talking to her best friend on the phone. Neither one of them seems to remember that anyone within earshot will overhear their conversation. Or maybe Hannah wanted me to hear her conversation.

“Are you going to sit with Reign tonight?”

“Well, yeah. It would be awkward if he picked me up and I ended up sitting somewhere else.”

“He’s picking you up too? I was right. It’s totally a date!”

“I don’t know if I want it to be a date…”

“What? Why?”

“I…I don’t know.”

She hesitated, and I wanted her next words to be,“Because I’m interested in Nolan.” But they weren’t, because why would they be? We’ve been sneaking around the apartment for weeks, and I’m nothing more than her mentor. I volunteered to secretly help her gain confidence in the bedroom, and that was it. I’ve given her no indication otherwise, and who would ever expect it? I have never even been seen with the same girl more than once.

I mean, hell, I can’t believe the thoughts rolling around my head.

“Dude, is that your sister with Reign Kendrix?”

Hayes and I both turn at the same time. My teeth crack together as my teammates skate zig-zags around us. Hayes turns to me with awhat-the-fucklook on his face, like I’m supposed to answer for her actions.

“That’swho she was talking about with Aria?”

I shrug to hide my irritation. “How would I know?”

Hayes squints at my gruff tone. “Because I saw you listening to her conversation right before I started to listen.”

I turn and skate away, trying to keep my eyes from going in her direction, which is a struggle during warmups that later leads into the first period.

I chug some water but stare up into the stands past my water bottle. Hannah has her brown hair pulled back, and she’s laughing at something Reign has said. I huff before turning my back to them.

Van elbows me from beside the bench.

“What?” I snap.

“If you want her, go get her.”

I feel like I’ve been caught red-handed. My jaw flickers with irritation.

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