Page 9 of Puck You
“Why do I feel like I’m going to regret tonight?”
The question came from the girl in the middle.Though I could only see the top of her head, the rasp of her voice was instantly recognizable.For a moment, I was back in DuLane, staring into a mesmerizing pair of wide brown eyes.Although weeks had passed since our tense meeting, thoughts of her still crossed my mind on occasion.She’d taken root in my head like a stubborn weed, determined to last through the fast-approaching winter.
“You can’t attend Dallard as a hockey player and not go to this party.It’s a rite of passage.Anyway, it’s our last weekend free before our games start.Let loose,” Caroline said.
“She’s right,” said the other girl—it was definitely Lydia.“Just avoid the basement at all costs.That floor has never not been sticky.”
I held back a snort of laughter.I wasn’t sure how many years of spilled beverages had gone into creating that mess, but there were usually a few unlucky partygoers who lost a shoe to the basement floor.One particular Adidas sneaker had lived here longer than me.
“Hey, Bryce,” Caroline said.“Congrats on the win this weekend.You absolutely crushed Providence.”
“Thanks.It was amazing,” he replied.“How come you guys didn’t have an exhibition game?”
“St.Thomas pulled out last-minute.”She sounded disappointed.“An exhibition would have been great, but I’m not too worried.Having Grace out there with us has really rounded out the team.”Caroline gestured to my mystery girl.
Grace.So that was her name.
“You used to play for Boston College, right?”Bryce asked.
I wasn’t surprised that he knew who Grace was.His sister, who was just as skilled on the ice as he was and practically as tall, also played division one hockey.They’d both headed for higher ground after high school, Bryce settling down here while his sister made the East Coast her new stomping grounds.
“Holy shit, are you related to Faith?”
“She’s my twin sister,” he confirmed.“She was sad to see you transfer.They won’t be the same team without you.”
I watched from my spot as they continued to chat about hockey, hanging on to every word that left Grace’s mouth.
“These are some of my roommates.Landon plays goalie and Kent is at right wing.Our other two roommates are somewhere around,” Bryce said, referring to me and Bishop.
Kent was only a few beers away from being drunk, based on the way he swayed clumsily to the beat of the music.If anyone embodied the termdancing machine, it was him.All he needed was a little booze to become the world’s best and most embarrassing wedding date.Right now, he was ignoring Bryce’s introduction in favor of trying to make Caroline laugh.At least, that’s what I assumed he was attempting, based on the movement ofhis arms and the awkward way he was gyrating back and forth.
Meanwhile, Landon shook Grace’s hand, overly eager to make her acquaintance.Nobody took advantage of their athlete status around campus to land hookups quite like he did.I was pretty sure he had half the dance team on speed dial at this point.
As more people arrived, it became increasingly difficult to hear more than a few random words of their conversation.I was fighting the temptation to make my presence known, just to see how Grace would react, when Kate slipped out onto the balcony.I’d been avoiding her for the last hour.She still hadn’t congratulated me on our big win, and though we usually avoided the topic of hockey to keep the peace, I wanted to hear that she was proud of me.
“You can’t hide up here forever.Come on, let’s dance a little,” she suggested.
Kate’s manicured hand wrapped around my bicep, pulling me away from the railing.When she saw how reluctant I was to go, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed the side of my jaw.“When everyone leaves for the bar, we’ll have this place to ourselves.”
“All right,” I said in surrender, “but I need something with caffeine if you want me to stay up.Do you want anything?”
Kate shook her head and motioned to the cup in her hand.“I’ll be with Mace.Find me as soon as you grab your drink.”
I followed her out of my bedroom and down the hallway.As we reached the bottom of the stairs, Kate peeled off to find Bishop’s girlfriend, Macy, disappearing into the mass of bodies occupying every inch of the first level.It wasn’t difficult navigating the crowd; they parted easily at the sight of me.I could sense a shift in energy from the students.By now, they had either witnessed or heard about my return to the ice.Though they wereno longer watching me with pity in their eyes, I still disliked the attention.
Tucked into the corner of the living room was our sad excuse for a bar.The makeshift table was comprised of two stools and a large piece of plywood that was beginning to sink in the middle from overuse.The players stuck on bartending duty nodded to me as I ducked under the plywood in search of something with caffeine.I was elbow deep in the cooler when I heard my name.
“Evans is grabbing himself a drink.He can make you something before he leaves.”
Bryce was speaking to someone on the other side of the bar.My hand clasped around a can of Diet Coke, and I straightened from my position crouched over the cooler to stand at full height.Grace.Her eyes flashed in recognition as they met mine.She was dressed in a denim skirt that showed off the lean muscles of her legs.Her hair was pulled back into a braid, and her cheeks were flushed pink from the heat.I let my gaze linger on her lips.They were shiny with something I was sure tasted just as sweet as she looked.
She’s a weed, I reminded myself.An unwanted growth that is taking over your mind.I couldn’t allow myself to think of her as anything but.
“Hey, man, mind making these ladies a quick drink while you’re back there?”Bryce asked.
For a moment, I considered taking the polite route.I’d make her a drink, smile accordingly, and flee into the crowd.But something wicked inside me wanted to make her feel as unsettled as I felt in her presence, and the burning desire to watch her cheeks flush even brighter won out.It was a foolish decision, butI couldn’t help myself.
“I’m happy to provide refreshments for Caroline and Lydia, but I don’t make drinks for people I don’t know,” I said, making a point to look directly at Grace.
