Power Plays & Straight A's (CU Hockey 1)

Jacobs’s jaw sets like he’s gritting his teeth. “I’m not acting like … that. I’m acting like a concerned teammate. What happened to no relationships, no distractions? Are we making it to the Frozen Four this year or not?”

“No distractions,” I agree. “Zach isn’t a distraction.”

“Isn’t he?”

“Nope. He’s a friend. Last I checked, we were allowed to have those. I brought him here so he could make other friends.”

Jacobs’s focus moves behind me.

“I didn’t even want to come.”

I flinch at Zach’s voice and then glare at Jacobs. “Thanks for the heads up,” I mutter and turn to Zach.

“I’m going home.” Zach charges past me.

Shit.

It’s not like I said anything that was untrue, but I know the way it sounded coming out of my mouth. Like I only brought him so he wouldn’t be my responsibility anymore.

I catch up to him. “Zach …”

“I’m perfectly capable of getting home on my own. I’m not some helpless—”

“I know. I want to walk you home.”

He stops in his tracks. “Why?”

“Because I was the one who dragged you out. It’s the polite thing to do.”

“I didn’t think hockey players knew the meaning of that word.”

I bark out a laugh. “Because we’re so dumb? I like snarky Zach.”

He takes off again. “I wasn’t being snarky. I meant because you’re anything but polite on the ice.”

“Mmhmm, sure. Definitely wasn’t a dig at a hockey player’s intellect.”

His lips twitch. “Maybe a little.”

I grin.

When we reach his dorm, he goes to walk up the stairs to his building, but I pull on his arm and tug him closer to me.

With him on the first step, we’re at equal height.

His green eyes make me forget what I was going to say. “What?” he asks.

“What I said to Jacobs. I didn’t mean it how it sounded. I wanted to hang out with you tonight, not pass you off to someone else.”

“I know.”

“You know? I thought because I left you, and—”

“You took me there to try to make me more comfortable on campus, but you should probably know I’m never comfortable in big groups. I’m better one-on-one. It’s why—”

“Why you and my brother get along.” Seth’s the same way.

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry it didn’t go the way I planned.”

Zach bites his lip. “Your … friend or … teammate?” He cocks his head. “Boyfriend?”

I snort and shake my head. “Definitely not my boyfriend. He’s straight.”

“Oh. But he went to a queer event and—”

“Supposedly, he’s worried about the season.”

“It seems like an intense conversation if it was only about hockey.”

I laugh hard. “You really don’t understand sports. The word only should never be in the same sentence as hockey. You know, unless it’s: hockey is only the best sport ever! Or—”

“Okay, okay. I get it.”

We’re standing close with my hand still gripping his arm and his eyes locked on mine.

His Adam’s apple bounces. “Umm … you can probably let go of me now.”

Oh. Right.

My hand drops away, but I don’t move.

I know I should walk away here, but the simple fact is I don’t want to. Seth has told me to stay away. Jacobs thinks Zach’s a distraction and not good for hockey. Both of them make good points.

Zach is Seth’s friend, and I would never, ever let anything come between them. Or between me and my brother.

Which is why I know it’s wrong when the next thing falls out of my mouth.

“I have an idea.”

“That’s scary.”

I grin. “You never did anything like tonight back at UVM, did you?”

“I didn’t see the need.”

“You did college all wrong,” I tease.

Zach scowls. “I like the way I did college. I got my degree an entire year early.”

“But how many memories do you have of doing stupid shit for no reason? College is supposed to be about more than studying. It’s life experience.”

“I hung out with your brother a lot. Does that count?”

“No. Hanging out in your dorm with Seth doesn’t count as doing something stupid. Although, I will argue he’s stupid, just because it’s my obligatory brotherly right to call him names.”

The small smile that appears on Zach’s face is enough to know that even though I should stick to the original deal where I check in on him, there’s no way I will. That one smile gives me more purpose than anything else ever has other than hockey.

I want to see it on him as much as I can.

“What days do you have TA obligations?”

“Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Why?”

“Friday. I’m picking you up, and we’re going to start your college experience right.”

I back away from him, and his smile is replaced with confusion.

“I knew I had a reason to be scared.”

“Not at all. Trust me.” I spin and walk away, chuckling at his response.

“That makes it worse!”

It’s still dark when I arrive outside Zach’s dorm Friday morning, coffees in hand from the twenty-four-hour cafe on campus. It’s a little cold out, the last remnants of summer starting to disappear in the early dawn.