Puck Drills & Quick Thrills (CU Hockey 5)

Rossi shoots, and it bounces off the goalie’s pads right into Asher’s waiting blade. With a flick of his wrist, Asher scores.

The play is so smooth it’s NHL-worthy.

Coach Hogan slaps my shoulder. “Good call.”

I let out a loud breath. I can’t believe that paid off.

With the score even, we send Schofield back out there.

At the next face-off, Asher wins again, but we barely have time to blink before another perfect play has Simms putting one in the net. Back-to-back goals in a matter of minutes.

I blink. Then I blink again. “Did we just—”

The buzzer for the end of the game sounds.

We just fucking won.

34

Jasper

I stretch out in West’s bed, completely naked and more sated than I’ve ever been in my life. The sheets are pooled by my feet, and I’ve never been more grateful for locks in my life.

It’s the first day of summer break, and with any luck, we’ll wake up like this every day for the next few months.

There are still a few days before West starts summer training, and for the first time since he started at CU, he’ll be doing it full-time. Mrs. Peterson and I are splitting babysitting duties, and while I’m glad he trusts me enough to let me watch his siblings, I also get the feeling it’s going to be more work than actual work.

West pulls on a pair of sweats, and I tug the blanket over myself as he slips out to clean up. This house is … not ideal. Three, sometimes four, grown men sharing a bathroom with five younger siblings is a big ask. Especially with Zoe taking so long in there in the morning, and Rhys’s showers are getting … long.

Despite what West might think, I do remember being that age, and I can’t imagine going through all those hormones and not having an ounce of privacy.

They need a bigger place, but I understand the emotional attachment here, so it’s been tricky for me to bring up.

There’s loud banging down the hall, and I sigh. I’d hoped being summer would lighten the demand for the bathroom in the morning, but apparently not.

“Quick, West, I need to pee!”

I’ve been kicked out of their bathroom at least three times for that exact reason.

I hear the toilet flush, hushed voices, and then West is back, a strange look on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

He doesn’t answer at first, just looks around his room, taking in who knows what.

“Do you live here?” he asks.

A rough laugh comes from me. “No, I have my own place. You’ve seen it, remember?”

West hums as he drops onto the side of the bed. “No, I remember. It’s just … there’s an extra toothbrush in the bathroom.”

“Oral hygiene is important.”

“And half my washing yesterday was your clothes. I even cleared out a drawer to put them in.”

I pause. “You did my washing?”

“The coffee downstairs is the brand you drink.”

“I …” I mean, we ran out. It only seemed polite to buy more. Since I was drinking it. Nearly every day.

“When was the last time you slept at home?” he asks. I can’t make out his tone, but he’s clearly thinking. “Did you last week?”

I count back. “Probably the week before. I was going to on Tuesday, but I gave Rhys a lift home from CU, and then I was still here when you showed up—”

“And we ordered dinner—”

“And then you blew me, and leaving suddenly wasn’t high on my list of things to do.”

West lets out a strangled laugh. “Jas … I think we live together.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

I catch sight of one of my shirts hanging in the open closet. “Fuck. I think you might be right.”

He crawls over to lie on top of me, my mind still spinning at the thought. I have a boyfriend who I apparently live with. And somehow neither of us knew.

“On a scale of one to ten, how dumb do you think it makes us that neither of us realized?” His eyes are bright with amusement as he looks down at me, and I don’t think he’ll ever not take my breath away.

“Or another perspective?”

“Yeah?”

“It felt right, so we didn’t question it.”

“And that’s why you’re the smart one.” He gives me a quick peck. “We’re not stupid—we’re in love.”

The door to his room suddenly bursts open, and West jumps off me, leaving me to check I’m fully covered.

“We’re out of milk,” Bennett or Emmett says.

“Okay, I’ll duck out in a second.”

“But I want breakfast.”

I’m about to say I’ll go when the other twin’s voice sounds from downstairs. “Em, Asher says he’s going!”

Apparently happy, Emmett leaves without another word, forgetting to shut the door behind him.

I sigh, not wanting to get up but knowing the day won’t wait for us.

“What’s that sigh for?” West asks.

I look from the door, back to his heart-stopping expression. He blows me away, the way he looks at me. “I’m going to ask a question, and if it’s not my business, say so. Do you … do you think the house is a bit, well, small for all of us?”