Page 12 of What Are the Chances
My mouth parted in surprise. “What do you mean?”
She dramatically rolled her wide eyes. “Riley, you’re freaking gorgeous. You have the fittest body I’ve ever seen, your long hair is literally so healthy it shines, and don’t even get me started on your killer rack.”
Despite my chaotic thoughts, I found myself laughing. Parker never failed to lift my mood.
“Yet in all the years we’ve been friends, I’ve never seen you date a guy.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but she spoke over me.
“And don’t say it’s because you don’t get hit on, because I’ve witnessed that. I’ve also seen you shut almost every single guy down.” She drummed her manicured nails on her closed laptop. “But I understand now. You’re jaded.”
“I’m not jaded,” I said defensively. “And there have been guys since him.”
A night here or there. Nothing serious. But if I was being honest, while there had been guys since Will, there hadn’treallybeen one since him. None that gave me butterflies like he did. None that kickstarted my heart the way he did. None that ignited my body the way he did. And none that I’d kissed.
With the handful of guys I’d hooked up with over the past three years, I hadn’t let any kiss me. Sex was fine. Oral was fine. Kissing was not.
When the first boy had tried after Will and I broke up, I’d found myself turning my head at the last second. To me, kissing felt so intimate. And for a while there’d been a part of me that thought maybe Will and I would work through things and get back together. Though even when that possibility fizzled out, I couldn’t go through with it.
I’ll bet Will could.
Heck, he’d kissed someone when we were still dating, and no matter what lies I told myself to excuse that horrible mistake, he’d still betrayed me in a way I never would have betrayed him.
“Clearly not enough,” Parker stated. “Babe, if you’re still this hung up on him, that just proves you need to get out more. Less running. Less studying. More fucking.”
Bad time to take a sip of water. My sudden burst of laughter caused me to choke. After coughing uncontrollably for thirty seconds, I looked at Parker with watery eyes.
“Speaking of, I’m going for a run.”
She groaned. “Of course you are. I’ll allow it today. But on Saturday night we’re on missionfind Riley a new guy. Trust me. You’ll have forgotten about your run in with your shitty ex in no time.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Radio silence
WILL
“What the fuck, Caufield?”
The good news was my slapshot was back in working order. The bad news was our goalie, Maxwell, had copped it today. Wasn’t my fault we were practicing a scoring drill.
When Coach blew his whistle to signal the end of practice, I headed off the ice. Though I didn’t get far. Ryan was in front of the gate, blocking it. He was talking to a group of sophomores about his birthday camp out. What had started out as his close friends from the team had transitioned to the whole team, and then their friends, and god knows how big it had gotten. Oh well. Better a campground in Allentown than my place.
“Caufield,” Coach Hall hollered. “Come here a second.”
I skated towards him. He was in the centre of the ice, turning a puck in his hand. Apart from our goalie, who appeared as though he was ready to castrate me, the ice was clear.
Coach slapped me on the back. “Your extra ice time has paid off. Your shooting was good today. Though your skating could use some work. I can keep the barn open if you want to come back tonight.”
I didn’t need to consider the offer.
“That’d be great. My last class ends at four. I’ll head over after.”
He nodded curtly. “I’ll still be here.”
Coach Hall was always here. He arrived first and left well after everyone else. He was dedicated to the game. He had been his whole life. He was an ex-NHL player. He’d debuted for the Texas Bobcats, the team I would beplaying for next season. Standing at almost six-foot-three, he was still a force to be reckoned with, which is why when he barked orders, we listened.
I headed back to the gate, stepping through easily now Ryan wasn’t in the way. The locker room was bustling. I trudged straight to my stall, sitting down and whipping my jumper over my head.
