by Toni Aleo
She pauses for a moment. “Hmm, it could be good. Do you have time?”
I think for a second. Do I?
“I think so. Keep me busy so I’ll stay out of trouble, as Phillip says.”
She laughs. “As if you’ve gotten in any trouble in years, but yeah, it will get you out there. Meet some people, make friends, and plus, it will keep you dancing for the future.”
“Yeah. It’s for the school’s hockey team. I like hockey.”
“Yeah, so really, there isn’t a question. Do it. You’ll love it. Do you have a routine in mind?”
I am always putting together dances in my head, and the next thing you know, I’m knocking crap over in my little bitty dorm room. My poor roommate and friend since I moved in with Phillip, Skylar, hates it. I think I have the perfect routine, and glancing at the flyer, I could throw all the required moves into it. Come to think of it, I’ll make Skylar try out too.
I nod. “I think so.”
“Are there required moves?”
“Yeah, nothing I can’t handle, though.”
“Cool, so do it.”
I nod again, my lip between my teeth as I think it over. It could be fun. I like to dance, I like hockey, and sometimes I even like girls my age, so really it’s a win/win for me.
“Can you meet me tomorrow at the studio and watch it?”
“Sure, can we do it early, though? I’m watching Dimitri for Piper so that she can fly out to New York to meet Erik for their ultrasound appointment.”
Reese’s sister Piper is five months pregnant with her second kid. We’re all so excited and hoping for a girl this time around, even though Piper and her husband, Erik, want another boy. I guess if I had a kid as awesome as Dimitri, I would want another boy too. Dimitri is, I guess, my cousin? I don’t know, Piper’s son, who was Reese’s nephew, and I have no clue what he is to me. I have been around him since he was a baby, and I love his little bitty butt. He’s three years old and full of energy and basically the cutest little boy in the world.
But I was still stuck on why Piper had to go to New York for the ultrasound, especially when she lives in Nashville.
“Why are they going to New York for that?”
She laughed. “Erik is impatient, and he’s so busy right now with the season and all. Phillip wanted me to come with them, but I offered to keep Dimitri. He doesn’t need to be out in that cold New York air.”
“Yeah, that’s true, and that’s fine. Can I come over afterward and help with him? I haven’t seen him in weeks.”
“You don’t even need to ask,” Reese says lovingly. “Have you talked to Phillip?”
“Not today. I talked to him yesterday.”
“Okay, good,” she says, and then she pauses before asking, “Did he tell you anything about our honeymoon?”
I laugh. He did, but I’m not saying anything. Phillip wants to surprise Reese with the most amazing honeymoon in Cabo. She’s going to flip because she has wanted to go there for years.
“Nope,” I lie with a smile on my face as I head down the hall to my room.
“You know I know you’re lying, right?”
I continue to laugh. “I am not.”
“Liar. Anyway, have you found a date for the wedding?”
That stops my laughter. I let out a groan, and she laughs as I fall onto the bench outside my door. She has been on me about bringing someone to their wedding, and I have tried everything to get out of it. I mean, she has only given me two months to find a guy who would sit through my, basically, parents’ wedding. I don’t even know why they have to get married so quickly! Yeah, Phillip has been asking Reese to marry him for the past three years, like every day, but Reese kept strong, saying she never wanted to get married. But then, all of a sudden, they’re engaged. First they said they’ll have the wedding one day, but then a couple months ago, Reese was like, “Now! We have to have it now!” Crazy thing. Crazy kids.
“Not yet.”
“Come on, Claire, it can’t be that hard. You’re beautiful. There has to be a guy who would want to come with you.”
Why does Jude Sinclair come to mind when she says that? Damn it!
“Reese, I have bigger things to worry about than finding someone to go to your impromptu wedding.”
She laughs. “Whatever, bring someone. You’re gonna be bored otherwise.”
“I will not. I’ll have you and Phillip.”
“We will be making out the whole time. Bring someone,” she says sternly.
“Whyyyyyy,” I whine. “Guys are dumb. The last guy I was talking to had crabs.”
“Ack!” she says in disgust. “That is gross.”
“I know, so maybe I should just stop looking for guys. You know, my vagina could get sick.”
She starts to laugh again. “You’re dumb, hush. Bring a guy who isn’t infested with bugs and have a good time at my wedding. Oh, by the way, we have dress fittings in a couple weeks! Aren’t you so excited?”
I groan, causing her laughter to fill my ear.
Chapter 4
Jude
Once I get back to the house, homework and even sleep are the last things on my mind. Pushing open the door that is never locked since someone is always home, I look around the main room for any sign of Allen West. Most of the freshmen hang out on the couches playing PS4; some are even studying, which surprises me since it is so loud. Passing through, I shake hands and greet my teammates before heading to the kitchen and then dining room to find that Allen isn’t there. I peek out in the back where we have a huge fire pit and tables for beer pong, but he isn’t there either.
He must be in his room.
Taking the stairs three at a time, I make it to the second floor. Our house has four stories. The main floor holds the living room, dining room, and kitchen, and the basement mirrors it but also has four bedrooms. It is usually where the seniors stay, as well as the captain. Since I’m the captain, I stay down there. I didn’t want Jayden to have to room with some dirty ass, so he’s rooming with me. It makes my mom happy to know that Jayden is looked after, when really it’s Jayden doing the watching. Especially when I start partying. The second floor is for the freshmen and sophomores, while the top floor is for juniors. It’s a huge house and a pain in the ass to keep clean, but it’s home.
Taking the next flight of stairs, I finally reach Allen’s door. I fling it open, not worrying about knocking, to find Allen on his bed with his computer in his lap.
“Sinclair. What’s up?”
I find a chair and sit down, crossing my leg to let my ankle rest on my other knee. “Claire Anderson. Start talking.”
His face scrunches up and he shrugs. “Why? You know I’m dating her, right?”
“Were dating her,” I say, emphasizing the were. “Past tense since you were sleeping with some Ellen chick and gave her crabs.”
“What!” he yells, visibly shocked.
“That’s the rumor that Claire told me. It’s easy to see that she doesn’t want anything to do with you, and the next time you see her, you better apologize.”
“Shit,” he mutters before shutting his computer and reaching for his phone.
“No, not now, and not over the phone. Do that shit in person, but before that, tell me everything about her.”
“Why should I? I don’t want you going after someone I was with.”
“I know you didn’t sleep with her, so she wasn’t technically yours. And also, if you don’t, I’ll make your life hell.”
I add in a smile to make sure he knows I mean business, and it must have worked because he runs his hands through his shaggy blond hair before looking over at me.
“She’s nineteen, hot as fuck, as you can tell. She kisses good but won’t put out. She doesn’t talk much about her family or anything. She really didn’t talk about anything, and that’s why I planned on breaking it off with her. I know she dances and enjoys it a lot. Teaches over at Reese Allen’s Dance Academy. She’s kind of boring, actually.”
“Or maybe she was too good for your piece-of-shit ass,” I say, giving him a dirty look. I don’t like that he calls her boring. Claire is nowhere near boring; she’s fucking interesting. “Where does she live?”
“Fisher Hall. She rooms with Skylar Preston.”
I know Skylar; we have the same English class. She wanted to have sex with me, but I’m pretty sure that girl could kill me with her thighs. Since I like my girls a little squishy, Skylar is out of the question. She may be freaking gorgeous, but I want to have sex with a girl, not Zangief from Wreck-It Ralph.
“Okay, she’s going for business?”
He nods. “She wants to open her own dance company.”
“Do you know her schedule?”
He shakes his head. “Only that she has geometry and English in the morning on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. We always met for lunch at the pit since it was right beside the core class building.”
I process all the info before standing up to head out. “Cool, thanks.”
Before I can reach the door though, he says, “I’m telling you, dude, it’s a waste of time. That girl has her shit locked up like a nun. She isn’t going to just sleep with you.”
I look back at him and shrug. “Who said anything about sleeping with her?”
Before he can say anything, because I know exactly what he’s going to say, I open the door and shut it before heading down the three flights of stairs to my room. I know I shouldn’t be surprised that Allen said that. I mean, I’m not shy with the ladies, and I make sure to please each one who wants my attention, but still, maybe I want something more. Okay, maybe I’m a complete liar. I haven’t wanted someone as bad as I want Claire in a long time, and I can’t wait to get in her pants, but a part of me wants to get to know her too. She interests me, and maybe she’ll be the kind of girl to calm me down. Teach me a lesson about being with a woman. Make me a one-woman man.
Hey, miracles can happen.
When I open the door, Jayden is at his desk, his nose in his book. He looks up and nods before going back to reading. Like me, he has dark hair and light green eyes. We’re both built the same way, strong and lean, but Jayden might be a tad bit bigger than me. Being a defenseman, it’s expected for those hard hits. I’m a center, so I’m leaner for speed.
Ripping off my pullover, I throw it on the bed before throwing my wallet and keys on our bureau where pictures of our family sit. In the middle, surrounded by pictures of Angie, is a picture of me, Jayden, and Jace at the ages of six, seven, and eight. We’re all wide-eyed and excited in our green jerseys for the rec league we played in. We always spoke of how we would all be in the NHL, on the same team, and how everyone would be scared of us because we were the best. I still believe that will happen, and I honestly can’t wait. That’s when life is going to be awesome.
I head to my own desk that holds my books and start my homework. I hate it, but it has to be done to keep my scholarship. We don’t say anything as we both work, but when I’m done, I lean back in my seat and run my hands down my face. I want to call my mom and check in on her. My dad has been gone for almost a month, working on a big case in New York with one of his NHL clients who’s divorcing his wife, and I know that Mom gets lonely. I know that Lucy, Jace, and Angie are there, but sometimes they make it worse. With Angie being so young, only a year, she gets into everything and Mom tries to take on so much. I made a promise a long time ago that when I got my first big check from the NHL, I was going to buy her a week at some ritzy spa. Somewhere she doesn’t have to do anything but be pampered. I wish my dad would do that for her, but he’s selfish. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a decent man, very well-respected, but that doesn’t mean he’s a good husband or father.
“Mom call you?”
I glance back to find Jayden in his bed, lying on his back. I nod before saying, “Yeah, dinner tomorrow?”
“Yeah, Dad is coming in, apparently.”
“That’s what I heard. How long you think he’ll stay?”
“Maybe a day or two. He said something about coming to our opener, though.”
I nod. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Jayden laughs. “Agreed.
My dad is somewhat of a workaholic, but like my mom says, he does everything to make sure she doesn’t have to work and everyone’s college is paid for. Not mine, though; I don’t want to owe him anything. I want to know I did this myself if this is what I’m supposed to do. If I’m not supposed to play in the NHL, that’s fine, I’ll deal with that when it comes, but at least I’ll know I did it myself. I’m not sure what my issue is with my dad, or if there is an issue, but I just can’t have him pay for me. I have to make my own way.
“Talked to Jace today, too. He said that they are saying now that he might need to do a year in college, just to see how he’ll adjust before they throw him in the NHL.”
“Really? How’s he taking it?”
“Pissed, of course. He doesn’t want to go to school – he wants to play.”
“Don’t we all?”
“Yeah, but Mom is wondering where he will go. The scout said something about Wisconsin.”
“Mom isn’t happy, I take it?”
“No, she cried at the thought. I told her I’d talk to him, that maybe I can get him to come here.”
“Yeah, it only makes sense that we all come through here before going into the draft.”
“I think he wants to see what’s going to happen to you.”
I smile. “We know what’s happening. I’m gonna play for a great team while y’all play school for another year.”
“Ah, fuck you,” Jayden says, sending me an envious look. “I’ll be up there soon and hopefully on the team that kicks your ass.”
“Whatever,” I tease as I stand up, chucking my jeans off before settling into bed.
Silence fills the room as we both play on our phones, but then Jayden breaks it by asking, “How do you think Mom’s gonna handle it when we all are playing all over the US?”
I shrug before glancing over at him. “I’m not sure. I don’t like to think about it.”
“Maybe Nashville will want you?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think they’re looking. Maybe they’ll want you or Jace?”
“Jace has his heart set on New York, and I want Chicago.”
I nod because I know this. While I don’t want to leave my mom, I know Nashville isn’t looking, but maybe they’ll start once the season starts. I know it’s not my responsibility to look after her, it’s my dad’s, but I can’t help but want to be there for her. Make sure she’s good. She’s always done that for me.
“Who was the redhead you were talking to today?”
Meeting my brother’s gaze, I smile. “Claire Anderson. My next conquest.”
Jayden laughs. “Lord help us all.”
“Oh, shut up. She’s hot though, right?”
He nods. “Really hot. Too hot for you, to be honest.”
I laugh at his smirk. “Please, she’s just right for me.”
“No girl is ever right for you, apparently.”
“Maybe that was true, but I’m starting to reconsider it.”
Jayden sits up, shaking his head. “I don’t believe that for a second. I bet ya a hundred bucks that you won’t get her and date her for more than a week. If she does give you the time of day, you’ll get bored, like you always do.”
Sitting up, I hold my hand out to him. He takes it earnestly, and I can see in his eyes that he thinks this is an easy bet. He couldn’t be more wrong.
“You got yourself a deal.”
Chapter 5
Claire
I throw open my dorm door, and Skylar looks up at me from her bed and then looks back down at her books that she has around her. “Hey, you.”
“Hey, yourself,” I say, throwing my bag on my bed. “What are you doing Tuesday around six?”
Before she can answer, I crawl into the bed with her, fitting myself in the little bitty space that doesn’t
have books and other crap on it. She sends me an impressive look, since it wasn’t an easy feat fitting my long legs in the space she allowed, before saying, “Nothing.” She thinks for a minute. “Yeah, nothing.”
“Good, we’re trying out for the Bullies’ dance team.”
She looks up and gives me a wary look. “Why on earth would we do that? We already have classes we do for Reese, and then we work all the time, and we have school.”
Skylar works at Ms. Prissy’s too, but instead of a dancer, she’s a cocktail waitress. She did work onstage in the past, but her brother came in while she was dancing. Thankfully, he didn’t notice her, but it ruined it for her, and she refuses to go onstage anymore. She’s right that we work a lot, but we can talk to Ms. Prissy and fix our hours if needed. When I say that, she shrugs.
“Yeah, I guess, but I hate those dance chicks. They are such bitches.”
I smile. “’Cause they are jealous of how beautifully gorgeous you are.”
Skylar scoffs as she rolls her hazel eyes. She really is gorgeous, and I’ve always thought so. Wide hazel eyes with freckles along her nose and cheeks. Her brown hair cascades down her shoulders in a wavy, beachy look, and her smile is always unstoppable. She’s beautiful and everyone thinks so. That’s the main reason I have to go find places to study when she has guys over. She isn’t a slut at all, but she doesn’t hold back from the guys. She loves them. I wish I were like that again. Sometimes I feel weird for not being the least bit attracted to anyone… Well, no, I take that back. Allen was okay, and I would have slept with him eventually, but Jude, he has me feeling all kinds of feels that I’m totally not used to. My clothes basically evaporated under his intense green eyes.
Jesus, he was gorgeous. Shaking my head, I meet Skylar’s eyes as she says, “Whatever. I really don’t want to, and probably won’t make it ’cause they’re bitches, but yeah, I’ll do it with ya.”
“Of course you’ll make it. We are amazing dancers.”
She shrugs and I lean against her. I know she’s stressing over her homework, and I want to help, but I have no clue about chemistry. She wants to be a vet, and while I support her and want her to succeed, I know it’s going to be hard. Her classes are freaking challenging as hell.