Page 5 of Treacherous
A smile lingers on my lips–it’s strange and unfamiliar, but I like it. Lakewood University could become the best thing that has happened to me.
Chapter 2
Jayden Allen
Senior year was supposed to be a breeze.
Pass my classes. Win the Frozen Four. Graduate and start my career with the Lions–a Los Angeles-based NHL team. All these tasks sat in the front of my mind like a checklist, each one waiting to be ticked off.
Now, the only images flashing in my head are red hair, hazel eyes and her tall figure, with the outline of toned muscles on her abdominals and arms. Willow fucking Rogers. The woman who has been driving me up the wall for over a decade with her unpredictable and chaotic nature.
I force the lump in my throat down, back into the vault buried deep inside me. Even thinking about going through life without a plan or routine has me sick.
It is one of the reasons I can’t stand Willow.
Control keeps me grounded, while a loss of it places me on a path of destruction. This is one of the attributes I share with my twin sister, Jaz. It is why I’m striding into her house without a care in the world.
Surely, she knew Willow was moving to Lakewood. The two women have been inseparable since meeting at elementary school in Meadow Beach, the small coastal town we grew up in.
Jazmine and her boyfriend, Theodore, recently moved into this house, which is, conveniently, only fifteen minutes away from the Hockey House. I twist the door handle and search the house.
I end up in the lounge room almost immediately. Looking around the room, I swear under my breath.
I’m a fucking asshole.
Today was Jaz and Theo’s housewarming party. After seeing Willow in my driveway, she was all I could think about, so this event slipped from my mind.
Everyone stares at me as I stand behind the couch, frozen. My sister looks at me, a slight frown on her lips.
I grit my teeth, fists tightening. “Did you know?”
Jaz tilts her head, eyebrows raising at my question. She doesn’t seem to know that her best friend has decided to move barely two blocks away from her. Why would Willow not say anything? I shake my head, not likely that I care about the answer.
“What?” She replies.
I inhale, gulping the breaths down. “Willow fucking Rogers is moving to Lakewood University. She is our new winger.”
Jazmine’s eyes bulge, like they might pop out of her head. She turns toward Theo, their eyes flashing as if they are exchanging a secret message.
My sister and her boyfriend both know Willow and I can’t stand each other. The prime example being last year when I yelled at her for having no regard for Jaz, deciding to interrupt her life for a night of partying.
In hindsight, I was too harsh and only wanted to make sure Jaz was okay after struggling with her mental health for years.
I take a deep breath, remembering the second thing I need to say. “And she is moving into the fucking Hockey House,”
A lump forms in Jaz’ throat. “I promise, I had no idea, Jay. I haven’t talked to Willow in weeks.” She pauses. “Willow said she had family things going on. I didn’t think anything of it.”
I tilt my head to the ceiling, letting out a heavy sigh.
“This makes a lot of sense,” Sofia interrupts.
Sofia has been Jaz’s roommate for the past three years, though I don’t know her that well, she has my sister’s back and that’s all I need to know. I direct my question toward her. “Why is that?”
“My new roommate, her name is Cameron Rogers. She said her sister was on the hockey team. It completely slipped my mind,”
My head falls back slightly, everything making sense in my brain. Cameron is three years younger than Willow and starting college is a scary prospect.
Although, I don’t know a lot about Cami, I know Willow and she would do anything for her sister. I admire that about her.
