Ch41

ENZO

"Fuck, man. Coach can be brutal most of the time. If he makes us do any hour of drills today, I'm walking straight into the ocean."

I snort, shaking my head at the owner of the voice as I twist the cap off my water bottle. "You say that every fucking morning."

"And you guys don't take me seriously. Trust me, one of these days, I'm going to mean it." Roman says from the bench beside me, bending forward to tighten the laces on his skates.

"Just fucking shut up." Noah tells him.

"Fuck you, Graham."

"Get in line."

I roll my eyes at them. This is what I love about hockey. The noise, the insults, the sound of blades scraping against the floor. There's something comforting about being surrounded by a bunch of guys who would call you a dumbass to your face and still help you bury a body if you asked nicely.

Metaphorically speaking, of course.

We're in the home team's locker room, getting ready for practice. Our equipment is scattered everywhere, someone has music blasting from a speaker in the corner, and the air is filled with the usual morning bullshit.

Roman is busy complaining about his girlfriend.

Noah is busy pretending he doesn't care about the fact that his sister has barely spoken to him lately.

And me? I'm trying not to think about Nova. Which, considering the fact that I've been thinking about nothing but Nova since last night, is proving to be a spectacular fucking failure.

I take another sip of water. Her face flashes through my mind. Those wide eyes. The way she'd looked at me when I'd told her I had feelings for her. The way her mouth had fallen open when I'd asked her about her fantasies.

And, fuck me, the way she'd looked at me when she admitted what she actually wanted. Not the sexual shit. Not the books she'd read or the things she'd imagined.

She wanted someone to care. Someone to remember the little things. Someone who would pick up the phone when she called. Someone who would choose her.

I desperately wanted to tell her to her face last night that I wasn't that someone for her. I mean... I couldn't do such. I just didn't want to see the disappointment look cross her face so I'd agreed to do the one thing I didn't know how to.

I tighten my grip on the bottle.

Jesus Christ.

I'm so fucked.

"Hey, Captain."

I drag my attention back to the room.

Roman is looking at me with a grin.

"What?" I ask him.

"I heard you took a bet last night at the party."

My fingers pause around the bottle cap. I can see the way Noah straightens beside me. Yeah, Roman is a dickhead for bringing this up right now. Noah turns his head slowly, looking between Roman and me.

"You took another bet?" He asks.

I shrug. "Yeah, I did."

Noah stares at me. "Seriously? You've been betting a lot lately. Was it even a bet? Or a dare?"

I smile to myself. "In between. And relax man. It's not that deep."

"So?" he asks. "What's this one?"

I lift an eyebrow. "What's what?"

"The bet, dumbass."

"Oh." I take another sip of water. "A girl."

There's silence before Roman lets out a low whistle.

"A girl? What kind of bet involves a girl?"

I shrug, looking down at my bottle. "Some motherfuckers dared me to make a girl fall for me."

"You're fucking kidding me. You've got to be the most unsuitable person on this planet to make a girl fall in love with him."

"That's a compliment, right?"

"No, Enzo. It's not. You don't do relationships. You don't know how to. How do I even begin to explain the stupidity of such bet. You've got money to lose?"

I twist my lips. Noah's right but when have I ever listened? I mean... I do the exact thing people think I'm incapable of. That's why I took the bet or dare. That's why I said yes to Nova yesterday.

I sigh. "I've been known to do a few things."

"Yeah," he nods. "And yet, none of them involve commitment. Who the hell is going to fall for your lying ass, anyway? What naive girl are you planning to convince that you're Prince Charming?"

I smile at him. "I'm still weighing my options."

"Options? Brother, we're off to college early next year. No girl in our class is that naive. To be fair, there aren't that many naive girls running around this school."

I tilt my head. "Trust me. There are."

The words come out before I can stop them. Because there are. And amongst others, there's one in particular.

A girl with a sharp tongue, a stubborn attitude, and a heart so fucking big that she'd rather blame herself for being hurt than admit someone else has treated her badly.

A girl who thinks the man she's wanted for years could never possibly want her back.

A girl who looked me straight in the eye last night and asked me to be nice to her.

Not to fuck her. Not to show her a good time. Not to make her feel desirable for a few hours. To be nice to her. To choose her.

I swallow the thought before it can show on my face.

Noah's smile fades. "I don't like this. This bet. It sounds crazy to me."

Roman chuckles. "Aw, shit. Is the big brother scared his precious little sister is going to fall prey?"

Noah immediately turns to him. "Fuck you, Roman." Noah mutters something under his breath and turns back to me, studying my face. Then he shakes his head.

"You wouldn't do that to her."

Something inside my chest tightens. Noah looks certain. Completely certain.

"Nova is just like a sister to you," he continues. "You've known her forever. You wouldn't fuck with her feelings just because a bunch of drunk idiots dared you to."

I stare at him. A sister. Right. Just like a sister. I glance down at my water bottle, turning it slowly between my palms.

If only he knew.

If only he knew what his little sister had looked like when she'd stood in front of me last night, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright.

If only he knew what it had felt like to have her mouth against mine.

Fuck.

She hadn't felt like my sister when I'd ravaged her mouth.

She hadn't felt like my sister when she'd clutched at my shirt, trying to hide how badly she'd wanted me to kiss her again.

And she certainly hadn't felt like my sister when she'd told me she wanted to know what it was like to be my girlfriend.

I lift the bottle to my mouth and take a long drink.

"Dude, is that even a question?"

He studies me for another second before his shoulders relax. "Yeah. I guess not."

I force a laugh. "Come on. You know me."

Noah grins, but it doesn't last long. He looks down at his skates. "It's just..." He pauses, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "She's been so off lately."

My smile fades a little. "Off how?"

"I don't know. Quiet, I guess. Distant."

"I think you both hit a rough patch after the stuff with the recording. Maybe she just feels like she doesn't mean that much to you after the way you reacted."

Noah arches a brow. "What exactly do you mean by how I reacted?"

I shrug. "You know. You overdid everything. You know in way she could've helped me."

Noah's face is blank. There's no emotion crossing his face. Yeah, we've had this conversation before. It's a really hard one. Noah doesn't like it. He's told me multiple times to drop it.

"I love my sister. Sometimes, she's just so stubborn to relate to. You understand. You've met Nova."

I don't answer. Because I know he does. Noah loves his sister. He'd take a bullet for her without thinking twice. If someone hurt her, he'd be the first person ready to throw punches.

Noah exhales. "That's why I told that son of a bitch Caleb to stay the fuck away from her."

Right. Caleb. I don't like that son a bitch too. Makes two of us. But then... "Caleb isn't the problem."

"The fuck he isn't. I've seen the way he looks at her. She shouldn't be hanging around guys like him. He doesn't give a shit about her. He'll flirt with her, tell her whatever she wants to hear, and then move on to the next girl."

I keep my expression neutral. "And you think keeping her away from every guy in school is going to solve that?"

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "If she wants to hang out with you more, though..." He shrugs. "I'd be relieved."

My entire body goes still for half a second. I keep my face blank. "Sorry?"