Chapter 5: Deal?

Raven POV

The air inside the hockey arena is warm as I enter. A few dozen of hockey players sitting outside the rink. While another few training inside the ice rink. Apart from that, are a few people scattered across the arena.

I walk down the steps. Shoving my phone into my pocket. I knew Jace was here because he'd just posted a picture of him on the rink on his i***a while I was at the cafeteria.

Each step drew me closer to the rink. Heads snapping my way. But one stood out. Jace. A little smirk fixed at the corner of his lips. As he skates towards me.

“An hour and ten minutes.” Jace types on his phone with one hand, shoving off his skates with the other.

“Is that how long you've trained?” I asked.

“Nope... How long it took you to come back.”

“You keep a record of how long it took you to get a girl?”

“I don't, but it took you shorter than I expected, so I guess I'd start now.” Jace steps out of the rink. “And by 'get a girl' have I got you?”

Shit. Now I realize how stupid that sounded. “You have zero chances at that.” I shoot a frown at him.

Jace doesn't flinch, like my obvious hostility towards him didn't move him. “So why are you here then? To watch the boys train?” his expression laced with sarcasm.

His sarcasm tells me he thinks I'm definitely here because of him. Of course I am here because of him. No.. not because of him. Because of my senior year project. Which I have a plan he can help with. So I'm here because of him. Shit.

“I’m here only because I need your help,” I exhaled. “Nothing more.”

“If it's an autograph you want, you can just say it.” he leans close, whispering just right beside my ear.

“Your autograph?,” my annoyance cuts through my voice. “Why would anyone want your autograph?”

He trails his gaze around the arena. And I follow, sighting a few group of girls who were giggling at what seemed to be a picture of Jace.

“Alright, I get it. A lot of girls would kill to have your autograph,” I give a frustrated sigh. “But I'm not that type of girls... I'm definitely not here for that.”

“So why are you here, Miss 'not that type of girl'” Jace blurts out.

I hiss. But I don't have the strength to start another round of verbal sparring. Moreover I could already see some of the players already gossiping, and I don't plan to be part of their after training topic.

“I need your help to ace my senior year project.” I finally say.

“Huh?”

Another frustrated sigh leaves my throat. And I remember why jocks are number 1 in my dumb list. They just don't get anything not related to sports and sex.

I take my time to explain everything to Jace, why I actually needed his help, why I feel him allowing me be his exclusive Journalist for the N.I.C would give me an edge over Zoey.

Yeah, that was my brilliant idea—To be Jace’s exclusive Journalist— alright maybe not so brilliant idea. But I don't care. I've already been thrusted into this stupid hockey thing that I can't get out of. The best I can do now is beat Zoey in her own game.

“And why do you think I'd agree to that?” Jace blurts, but this time something is his face was different, like he'd already expect me to do this. No Can't be, he doesn't even take the same classes with me. He couldn't have known I'd be drafted to NIC if didn't just inform him.

“Cause I know you still want that tour around school.”

Jace doesn't reply immediately. His expression is still blank, like he's....thinking. Shit. I've never been this frustrated about not being able to read a jock's expression. Usually I don't even give them the time in a day.

“Alright, but giving me a tour around campus is not going to cut it.”

I hiss. “You don't have to be so transactional about it.”

Jace steps closer. “You the one who came asking for a deal.”

Fuck, he's right. I'd dropped the word 'deal' when I was explaining everything—but that's partly because I wanted him to know this is strictly business and not me gushing over him and mostly to reassure myself I wasn't just jumping from one Grimviel to another—not for him using it to strongarm me.

“I'm more than happy to take back my offer, if your project doesn't really matter to you.” Comes Jace's voice.

Of course I care about this. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. And something tells me Jace knows how much I care about the project too.

“Alright, what's going to cut it then?.”

Jace straightens, and I fear he's about to say something way over what I'm willing to do. “You have to come for the welcome back party tomorrow.”

“Huh?” I try to believe I'd mistaken what he just said. Welcome back party? a stupid party is what's going to make him agree to the deal? “Why the party? Is that your way to create another stupid scene that goes viral. I'm already tired been called the 'Jace towel girl.'”

“Finally the media got something interesting to talk about for once,” the corner of Jace's lips twitched to a little smile. “Hey, I'm not interested in creating any scene, and you're the one who saw me naked not other way around.”

I frown at Jace's first sentence, but his later eases the tension in me. “Alright, but I'm going to have to put it on raincheck.”

Jace leans closer, close enough this time I could feel the heat radiating off him. “The party's tomorrow, if I see you there, then we have a deal.” my mind races back to two days ago. His dick flashing in my head again, but I manage to fight of the thought this time. I can't let him know I'd been drooling over him... Or rather his dick.

~~~~

I'm obsessed with the few minutes before I'm fully awake. I roll over my bed, slamming my hand at the alarm clock that had played little or no part in waking me up—that credit goes to Lyra and Damian.

I could already hear them laughing and screaming in the sitting. I push my weak legs off the bed, cathing a gaze of my sleep deprived face from the mirror as I stood.

I made my way to the sitting room. Our dorm room was composed of two bedrooms and a sitting room thanks to Lyra being my roommate and her father being a respected patron in Everfrost.

“Morning Ly,” I say, paying more attention to the smell of freshly toasted bread that pushed me towards the kitchen counter. I shoved one slice of toasted bread down my mouth swiftly. Fuck, I hated how hungry I'd always be whenever I woke up.

“Good morning, Rav.” Damian's greets and I finally fix my attention on the sweet couple. Lyra is laying on Damian's chest, barely clothed. While on the other hand, has his two hands strapped around Lyra, the oversized shirt he had on telling me he slept over in Lyra's room.

“Morning Damian, you didn't go for training today?”

“Nah, the hockey teams hasn't fully resumed, our new captain suggested we take day off.”

Lyra jumps up, “Speaking of the new captain, do you know he's twin to Rav's crush, Jett?”

“That can't be, Rav has a crush on Jett Grimviel?” Damian shoots me a surprised gaze that seeked confirmation.

“Yes... No.. not really, I had a crush on Jett, had being the most important factor here, I'm all over that now.” I correct.

“Yeah,” Lyra says, “She's replacing him with Jace instead, she's his date for the party tonight.”

Damian's mouth drops slightly. But I cut in before Lyra could spread anymore overexaggerated rumor. “Firstly, I'm not replacing anyone with anyone. Secondly, I'm not his date, he's only helping me ace my senior year project, nothing else.”

Damian shrugs for a second. “Well, not a lot of people are going to see it as that simple, when you are spotted again with him after... you know,” he gives me a wink and we all burst into laughter.