Page 99 of What Are the Chances
When the music amped up, the crowd reacted to it. It might not be our fans out there, but it was still an arena full of energy to feed on.
I’d been playing hockey since I was six – sixteen years later and I still experienced the same dizzying excitement before any game. I doubt I’d ever tire from this.
I followed the line until it was my turn to hit the ice. The cool arena partially dimmed the fire burning in me, one that had been set alight when I fucked Riley on the therapy table.
Hands down, it was one of the top five hottest moments of my life. Her sucking me off in the hockey showers was a close second. So was last Saturday morning in her shower. And while I couldn’t draw on the other two instances right now, I knew they both contained her.
I picked off a loose puck and danced it on my stick as I skated behind the net. Maxwell was already in position, working through his stretches.
Quickly casting my eyes around the arena, my heartrate settled after spotting Riley on the bench. Though when Tanner Holbeck skated past and mumbled something to her, that feeling shifted.
I didn’t feel like I had reason to be jealous of him. Especially not after the pre-game bang. But I was definitely missing part of the puzzle.
If I asked Riley now, I wondered whether she’d tell me. When we’d first started talking again, I doubt she would’ve filled me in on her mum. Things had shifted. I just hoped they’d shifted enough.
The pregame routine passed quickly. Before I knew it we were gearing up to skate into position. Heading for the centre ice, I chewed my mouthguard between my teeth. Looks like I was facing-off against Tanner.
Of fucking course.
I studied him like it would somehow give away what was going on between him and Riley. Or whathadgone on. She’d said things between them were platonic, but maybe she’d hooked up with him at some stage over the past three years. Maybe, like Riley and me, they had history.
I glanced at our bench, watching Riley as she worked through something with Richard, until Tanner skated up beside me and pulled my attention. He was too close considering the linesman wasn’t even here with the puck yet.
“Still pining after Riley, Caufield?”
The comment caused my blood to literally fucking simmer. I could handle hockey trash talking. What I couldn’t handle was people bringing Riley into it. Probably a good thing she’d never come to my games back in the day. If she had, I might’ve served more penalties alongside Tripp.
“If you want to trash talk me Holbeck, fine. But leave Riley out of it.”
Tanner barked out a laugh. “I’ll be damned. Will Caufield has a sore spot. Given what you did, I didn’t think you cared about her that much.”
He was wrong.So wrong.I cared about Riley more than anything. Sometimes I even think I cared about her more than hockey.
Levi had mentioned to me recently that when Grace went home, he’d considered what it would be like to give up the game. I’d never pictured my future without hockey, but now I was struggling to picture it without Riley either.
I stood to my full height, hoping everyone around us was assuming Tanner and I were simply exchanging some pre-game banter.
“What’s going on with you and Riley?”
Tanner snickered. “If you don’t know about Riley and me, then she clearly doesn’t trust you still.”
The linesman finally appeared and skated to the centre of the ice.
As Tanner got into position, I shook my body out before doing the same. I couldn’t let him get in my head before the game. Though the final comment he murmured just before the puck dropped made that impossible.
“And for good reason you cheating asshole.”
CHAPTER FIFTY
The ironic bombshell to my life
RILEY
The bad news was that Allentown had won – but the good news was it wasn’t a total beating. Like last game, it had come down to overtime. Only this time it was Allentown who’d come out on top.
Not wanting to get caught in the post-game crossfire, I kept my distance from the team and coaching staff as they trudged down the tunnel. With my things packed up, I headed to the concourse where most people waited for the players to come out. Brooklyn had text saying her and Marnie were waiting. It was a shame I hadn’t been able to watch the game with them, though working alongside Richard was worth it.
“Riley,” Marnie called out, waving me over.
