Page 1 of The Good Girl Next Door

one

silas

I’m late,but what else is new?

It’s not my fault this time, but it won’t matter to Coach Parker. He’s the only person to stick his neck out for me, offering me a spot on his team once my last team dropped me for afailure to adjust to college life.

Cutesy speak for me being a fuck-up.

Yeah, I partied hard. Yeah, I damn near flunked out. But wind a guy up as tightly as my life has, and he’s bound to snap at some point. And now I’m out of my housing for the summer because of some bullshit paperwork mix-up during my transfer here.

I shove my fists into the front pocket of my hoodie, flexing them as I march across campus to my meeting with Coach. Anxiety claws at my chest like a wild, snarling animal. It’s ensnaring me, holding me hostage in its teeth as I struggle to breathe and think, blackness spotting my vision.

I need to get back on the ice. I need to throw some fucking weights around. I need to do something to stave off the uncomfortable emotions curdling inside me or else I’ll have a repeat of last year.

And that can’t happen.

Hockey’s my life. There’s nothing more important to me. I lost it once, and I’m not going to lose it again.

A group of students part for me as I stride through the quad. They’re damn near trembling when I pass through the gap.

“I-Is that Silas Cole?” one of them asks.

I glance back and all of them are staring, gripping the straps of their backpacks or clutching books to their chests. I snort, shake my head, and keep on moving.

Jesus, I’ve been here less than a day and people already recognize me. I’m cloaked in a nondescript hoodie, but I can’t hide my bulk. I’m the biggest man on the ice, so compared to them, I’m a giant. I thought I’d be able to blend in for a bit, but apparently, my reputation precedes me. My new start shattered before it began.

I check my phone. Fifteen minutes late. Great first impression.

I spent an hour in the housing department trying to fix the mistake, but nothing came of it. There’s no more housing available this summer, so I’ll be living out of my car until I find a cheap apartment. Maybe I can couch surf with one of my new teammates, but I doubt it. No one wants to anchor themselves to a sinking ship.

It takes me another fifteen minutes to find Coach Parker’s office across campus. I’ve been here before but last time I had an athletic department assistant guiding me through the maze-like corridors.

I take a breath. I take another because the first one did nothing. I pace in front of Coach’s office for another ten seconds before I finally calm myself down enough to knock.

I hear a chair creak. Footsteps. They’re heavy and get even heavier as they near the door. The handle turns and the door opens.

“Silas.”

It’s less a greeting than a statement of fact. And with his lips pressed firmly together and his thick muscles rigid, he doesn’t have to elaborate. His body is screaming what he’s left unsaid.

Glad you deigned to grace me with your presence, Silas.

“Sorry I’m late, Coach.” I plunge my hand through my hair, raking it out as I drop my hood. “There was a mix-up with—”

Holy shit.

The anxiety melts. My entire world melts when I seehersitting in the corner of Coach Parker’s office. I’ve only glimpsed a fraction of this beautiful angel but she’s flipped my world on its head—witnessing the rest of this miracle would crush it.

Whois she?And how did I not see her on any of my tours?

My chest is pounding, slamming against my ribs as I stumble forward.

“You okay, Silas?” Coach asks, gripping me by the shoulder.

Okay?I’ll never be okay after this. I couldn’t breathe before but now I’m suffocating watching her toy with a pen against her lips.

A pang of jealousy slams through me. I’m jealous of a pen because her lips surround it. Brilliant white teeth dig into it. Tongue…Jesus.

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