HE CALLED ME CUTE

CHAPTER 5

/NATHAN/

For the past two weeks, I had finally managed to get my shit together. Ever since that Tuesday when Maverick had called me cute and ruffled my hair, I had built my walls back up, thicker than before. I kept our tutoring sessions strictly professional and stopped any in-house lessons. I was pulling myself back from the edge because I knew falling for a straight hockey captain would only end in a complete disaster for me.

By Friday night, I thought I was completely safe. I was in my pajamas, sitting in bed, and scrolling through my laptop when my phone started buzzing on the nightstand at 11:45 PM.

I picked it up. It was a text from Mave.

“Teeach. Pick me up. Black Horse Pub.”

I stared at the screen and rolled my eyes. “Are you crazy?” I typed back a fast response. “Call an Uber. I am not your personal driver.”

I knew that extending the lessons was already a big mistake and this was proof. I never showed have given in to him and Dr. Marshall.

A minute later, my phone buzzed again.

“Cant. Left my wallet in locker. Teammates left with chics. Coach find out i get DUI or public intxoication im suspended. Ur letter goes poof, Nathan. Pls.”

I slammed my laptop shut, letting out a frustrated sigh. It was blackmail all over again. If he got caught drunk on campus, he’d get suspended, and Dr. Marshall would pull my SiporaTech recommendation letter in a heartbeat. He knew exactly which strings to pull to get his way.

Ten minutes later, I pulled up outside the Black Horse Pub in a cab, the bass from the music inside vibrating through the street. I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets and walked into the bar, smelling of stale beer and sweat. It didn't take long to find him. Maverick was sitting at a booth near the back, his head leaning against the wall, looking completely out of it.

I walked over and tapped his shoulder hard. "Get up, let's go."

Mave blinked up at me, his eyes heavy and slightly bloodshot. A slow, goofy smirk spread across his face when he recognized me. "Look at that. My favorite tutor actually came."

He stumbled as he stood up, tilting sideways as he did. I immediately caught him, his arm automatically slinging over my shoulder. He was heavy, smelling like alcohol and mints, and he was leaning almost all of his weight into me as I dragged him out to the cab.

Once I got him into the backseat, I got in with him and asked the driver to start driving.

"Give me your address," I said flatly as I looked at him. "I'm dropping you off at your house."

Mave just groaned, leaning his head back against the headrest and closing his eyes. "Too loud. Don't yell."

"Maverick, I'm serious. What's your address?"

"Don't wanna go home," he muttered, his voice slurred. "Just drive, Teach."

No matter how many times I shook his shoulder or demanded an answer, he just kept his eyes shut, refusing to give me a straight sentence. I couldn't just leave him in the car, and I didn't know where he lived. Left with absolutely no choice, I asked the driver to turn around and drive me back to my apartment.

Getting him up the stairs to my place was an entirely different workout. By the time I unlocked my door and dragged him inside, I was completely out of breath. I dumped him onto my small living room couch.

"Stay there," I muttered, turning around to grab a blanket from my room. "You can sleep here for tonight, but you're leaving first thing in the morning."

Before I could even take a step, a hand clamped around my wrist.

The grip was surprisingly firm for someone who was supposed to be wasted. Mave yanked my arm, and the sheer force of it pulled me backward. I stumbled, my knees hitting the edge of the couch as I landed right next to him.

"What the hell are you doing?" I snapped, trying to pull my hand back, but his fingers were locked tight around my wrist.

Mave wasn't looking sleepy anymore. He sat up, his face inches from mine, his dark eyes fixed on me like some weirdo. He was tipsy, sure, but he wasn't completely gone. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"Why are you acting like this?" Mave asked, his voice low and raspy.

"Acting like what? Let go of me," I demanded, my heart starting to do that stupid, erratic hammering in my chest again.

"Like I'm some kind of disease," he shot back, leaning closer until his hot breath fanned over my face. "For the past two weeks, you won't even look at me. You're treating me like a stranger again. What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything," I said quickly, trying to maintain my uptight voice. I looked away from his eyes, staring at his shoulder instead. "We're here to study, Maverick. Not to be friends and I'm keeping my distance because we need to focus on your grades. That's it."

"And you want me to believe that?” He asked with an amused chuckle.

Before I could mouth off another angry response, Mave leaned down and slammed his mouth against mine.

My entire brain went completely blank.

His lips were hot and demanding, pressing firmly against mine. I froze against the wall, my eyes wide in utter shock, my hands completely paralyzed at my sides.

The straight guy I had spent weeks trying to avoid, the popular hockey player who was supposed to be completely out of my league, was currently pinning me to my couch and kissing me like he wanted to consume me.

Just as quickly as it started, Mave pulled back just an inch. His hand stayed behind my neck, his chest heaving slightly as his eyes searched my face. A slow, dark smirk pulled at the corner of his lips when he saw me panting, completely flushed and ruined.

"Yeah," Mave murmured, his voice sounding completely satisfied as he stared at my wide eyes. "That's what I thought."

He said as he pulled me into another kiss and I found myself unable to resist him. That was my first kiss with a guy.