Page 90 of Play Maker

I nodded to my teammates, passing Silas and Finn, and then Kayden and Maddox.

“Why’re you smiling so hard?” Silas asked me. “Or at all.”

I gave him my favorite finger in response.

“You finally got laid,” Finn blurted out.

“Who got laid?!” Ethan yelled and looked around.

He was really, really loud. And how the fuck had Ethan heard that comment with his headphones on? I could feel the eyes of everyone on the bus staring at me.

“Axel,” Silas announced and smirked at me. “Don’t bother to deny it. You’ve lost that resting asshole face.”

“You mean the one I borrowed from you?”

This time, it was Silas’s turn to give me the middle finger.

“Deets! Deets!” Ethan urged as he pulled off his headphones.

I shook my head. “Fuck off.”

“Was it Hailey?” Ethan asked.

“Nope,” I replied and shoved my bag into the overhead bin. “Now shut it, I need to rest.”

Once my ass hit the seat, my nerves crashed, and I passed out. But even in sleep, Jace wasn’t far from my mind. I dreamed about him, about the two of us, and that was as startling as the feelings he’d sparked. And from someone who used to take or leave sex, and who also avoided relationships, I was now officially obsessed.

It wasn’t just sex, though, and that’s what had me hung up. We talked about our hockey dreams and living in a big city one day, and all the places we’d travel to. We talked late into the night, and then I’d sneak out of his room—or him from mine. And when I thought about the way we kissed, and how I couldn’t ever get close enough to him, it almost didn’t seem real.

For the first time in forever, I was close to someone. Someone who didn’t care that I was a Lund. It appeared that Jace wanted me for me. Why? What did he see in me? Or was this just sex for him? Sex and maybe friendship too. I didn’t know, and though it was tough to admit, I was too scared to ask. Our relationship—if it was a relationship—was exhilarating and unnerving in equal measure.

“Axel! Wake up! Come on, we have a game to play.”

What? Didn’t we just leave Sutton?

I blinked and there was our captain, standing beside my seat, staring down at me with concern. Glancing around, I realized the bus was empty and we were the only two on board. I swiped a hand over my face.

“Already?” I murmured.

“Already? Dude, we had to listen to you snore for over three hours.”

“Haha,” I replied and stood up, stretching.

“I’m not joking. Thank God I don’t have to room with you,” Dane quipped and patted my shoulder. “You ready for tonight?”

“Fuck, yes,” I insisted. “I’m so ready to do this.”

Dane chuckled. “That’s what I want to hear.”

“Why isn’t Jace…I mean—” I coughed and cleared my throat. “Jace didn’t wait for you?”

“He was too fired up. He was halfway to the door before the bus even came to a stop, so I let him go. We’ll catch up in the locker room.”

I nodded and reached for my bag, following Dane off the bus. Snow was coming down fast and heavy, and the temperature in Albany was even chillier than Vermont. Or maybe that was just me. I had the cold sweats thinking about my parents showing up to the game tonight.

“I’m happy to see Jace like that. He’s always got the drive, the fire, but lately I’ve been worried. And I’ve barely talked to himthe past few weeks. He’s been quieter than usual. Any issues that I should know about?” Dane asked me with a pointed look.

“Nope,” I replied, not meeting his gaze. Would he see the truth there? I didn’t want to take that chance. “Did you see any problems at practice?”

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