Page 49 of Off-Ice Misconduct
“Get out, McKinnon.”
11
Ace
It takes some effort, but I put my focus where it should be, on hockey. The team kills it in practice, and Coach is so fucking pleased, he gives a half smile and tells us we’re ready to kick North Point ass. The man isn’t a smiler, not really. Even when we win a big game, he acts as if that’s a given. Shouldn’t one of the VanCourt brothers be sunshine and rainbows? But no. They’re both dark clouds of murderous melancholy.
Who hurt them?
Luke’s hands. Fuck. His hands. He was beating on something, most likely a punching bag by the look of them. You gotta train on a bag for a long time to destroy your hands like that.
But I can’t think of either of them for the next hour, it’s time to wow and hopefully patch things over with Delta Gamma.
I’ve been blocked on every social app, including Celeste’s cellphone, since the wine and cheese night. But Hudson, Shep’s boyfriend, has a sister in Delta Gamma. Phase one of our planinvolved him wearing his sister down until she agreed to talk to Celeste for us.
It wasn’t easy. At first, she flat-out refused. It would be a breach of the sisterhood. But after a little friendly brother-sisterly badgering and begging, she caved. Plus, no one wants to miss the first game of the season, especially against North Point.
Let me rephrase that a little.
Especially against the smoking hot, beefy men of North Point.
Sure, they could attend the game without patching things up with us, but they wouldn’t be able to attend the after-party. The North Point Firehawks are our most aggressive rivals, but that doesn’t mean we don’t—mostly—put our beefs aside off ice, and party with them.
It’s tradition for our teams to engage in a pre-season truce before we put all our energy into sweeping the ice with each other for the rest of the season.
Phase two is what I’m about to do: meet with Celeste. We had to meet undercover. Besides being virtually blocked, the sisters won’t let me near her, forming a widely unnecessary barrier around her, so I can’t randomly approach her between, after, or before classes.
I wear awayoversized black hoodie, hood pulled over my head, and black sunglasses with the warmest jogging pants I have, hoping to remain incognito. Pulling the hood up isn’t just to stay inconspicuous, but to protect my skin from the onslaught of October. It’s only a few days in, but it’s like I’m at the rink. I wait at one of the cement picnic benches, my ass on the table, feet on the seat, little icy shivers running through me, wishing I’d brought a jacket. Damn, winter’s coming fast.
Finally, I catch Celeste skipping over to me. Goddammit, woman. At least she’s wearing pants, but no jacket, not even asweatshirt of any kind. Just a t-shirt. She rubs her arms, teeth faintly chattering.
“What’s up?” she says with deflated enthusiasm.
We chose this location to be inconspicuous, but am I gonna be an asshole for suggesting we go inside instead because she’s gonna freeze her ass off? I’d give her my hoodie, but that’s off limits. Apparently. She won’t die from a little cold, I guess, and she’s the one who came out here without a jacket.Sigh.Okay, let’s just get into it fast, so she can be warm again.
“I was always genuinely sorry you were hurt, Celeste. I want you to know that. Someone can do the right thing, but it hurts anyway.” Fucking bitch-ass Luke comes to mind as someone trying to do the “right” thing. I know what he’s attempting to do, and he’s out of his damn mind if he thinks I’m letting him do it. I’ve never wanted anyone like I want him, and I know he feels the same. I still have a mark on my neck to prove it.
I fucking own your ass, princess.
You don’t say shit like that to just anyone. Plus, thewayhe looks at me. The way he takes care of me.Ugh.Let’s see him stay away for long.
“Whoa, you’re not kidding, Ace,” she says, worry furrowing her brow. Her ice-cold hand slides across my jaw. It’s so delicate, nothing like the monster hands I’m craving. But, goddammit, I can’t let her be cold.
I trap her hand between my two larger ones. “I’m just keeping you warm,” I clarify. “And I know you didn’t ask me to, butplease, Celeste?”
It comes out as a pathetic whine.
She nods, taking pity on me. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, actually. You need to take care of people to a fault, Ace. It was a totally you move to give me your jacket, platonically, and have no idea about the other implications. Like you said, ithurt all the same, but that wasn’t on you. My feelings are my responsibility—especially when your intentions were pure.”
“Yeah, well, I still hate that what I did hurt you. Any way you can forgive me?”
“I forgive you, and I wanna apologize for that black eye. You didn’t deserve it, babe. Forgive me?” Her teeth chatter harder, and her body shakes.
Okay, right or wrong, I fuckingcan’t.“Please wear my hoodie, Celly. Platonically,” I stress. I’m already yanking it off my body.
“But you’ll be cold.”
“My body’s heater has kicked in a little. I’ll be okay for a minute, but you might not be.” I give her a hard look that lets her know I mean business. Just because I’ve recently discovered I want to be absolutely taken and owned by one large wolfman, doesn’t mean this side of me doesn’t exist or has suddenly shriveled up and died. I can be just as much of a hard ass as Luke when I wanna be.
