Goal Lines & First Times (CU Hockey 3)

Grant waves us off, and Zach joins us, ready to go.

Beck throws his arm around me as we head for the hotel underground parking. “Have a fun New Year’s?”

“Yep.”

“That’s all I get?”

I step into the elevator. “Yep.”

“You’re not fun.”

Pretty sure Seth would contradict that statement. Seth and I share a look.

“Or subtle,” Beck mutters.

Right.

Eyes up front.

I chant that motto for the entire two-hour drive home to Colchester.

It’s hard not to watch Seth as he focuses on the road and think about the last two nights I’ve spent wrapped around him. I can still taste his skin and his lips.

It’s when we get back to CU that it becomes tricky. We all file out of the car, and I figure the plan is to send Jacobs, Beck, and Zach on their way, and I’ll go with Seth back to his apartment, wherever that is, but Zach doesn’t move to get his bag out of the trunk.

“I was thinking I could come hang out at your place?” he says to Seth.

“Uh …” Seth rubs the back of his neck.

“I mean, is that okay?”

Seth looks at me, I stare at Beck, Beck blinks at Zach, and Jacobs is blissfully unaware of everything going on. He’s too busy taking his and Beck’s bags.

“Sure,” Seth says, and I deflate.

I guess I’m not going over to Seth’s, then. I shouldn’t expect him to choose me over his best friend.

Seth mouths, “Sorry,” to me as I take my duffel.

“Have fun,” I say to them and walk toward the jock dorms with Beck and Jacobs.

It sucks I didn’t even get to kiss him goodbye, but one hundred percent understand why he wouldn’t want Zach to know. Zach is a direct line to his brother.

Grant isn’t something I’ve really taken into account when it comes to Seth. This weekend didn’t really give me a chance to consider him even though he was right there. Since finding out Seth is Einstein, I’ve only been thinking about that. Is Grant going to be pissed?

“Hey, Beck?”

He cocks his eyebrow at me.

“If I’d slept with your sister over the summer, would you kick my ass?”

He rounds on me. “Did you have sex with Baby?”

I back up and hold up my hand. “No, but I think that answers my question.”

He seems to understand where I’m going with this and turns to Jacobs. “Can you take my bag back to the dorms? Cohen and I need a little chat.”

Jacobs’s gaze flits between us. “O … kay? I mean, you did hear him say he didn’t sleep with your sister, right?”

“I’m just making sure.”

“Okay. Just don’t kill him because I don’t want to come visit you in prison.”

“Aww, but you still would? That’s true love.”

I make fake gagging noises.

Beck glares at me.

“I’ll be fine,” I say to Jacobs.

As soon as he’s gone, Beck laughs. “Man, I can’t wait to see Grant kick your ass.”

“Do you really think he will?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t even know he had a brother until last summer. Are they close?”

I think back to the times Seth might have mentioned his brother in our messages but can’t remember anything specific. I do remember his drunken ramblings about him though. “I don’t think so. I mean, they could be? I have no idea.”

“Dude, you don’t want to be the thing that breaks their relationship.”

“True. Though, I don’t think it will matter anyway. I don’t even know when I’ll see him again.”

“Wait, what? You want to keep seeing him? I thought it was like a Hey, you’re alone, and I’m alone on New Year’s type situation.”

I contemplate exactly how much to tell Beck and decide I need to figure things out with Seth first. “You’re right. That’s probably what it was.”

We reach the dorms, and I’m bored as soon as I get to my room.

Maybe I should go get lunch somewhere.

My bed looks super inviting though. Seth and I didn’t exactly get much sleep, and when I would finally crash, my subconscious would trick me into thinking it might’ve been a dream and I’d jolt awake, only to settle again when I’d find myself wrapped around him.

I take out my phone and open the ChatUp app just to scroll through the numerous conversations we’ve had since August.

The clues were there the whole time: Montreal … twins.

I am such a dumbass.

My phone vibrates with a new message, and it’s him.

Einstein: I’m so so so so sorry. I’ll message you when I drop him back on campus later, and you can come over then. Maybe for dinner?

I smile.

Richie: And breakfast?

Einstein: Bring your toothbrush.

Richie: I’m in. But take your time with Zach. If he’s moving to Montreal, you won’t see each other as much. Hang out with your best friend while you can.

Einstein: You just earned yourself a blowjob.

My cock twitches.

Richie: Damn it. I take it back. Send him home so you can blow me.