Page 2 of What are the Risks
He sighed. “I was trying to impress a girl.”
I bit down the snicker that rose to the surface. Standing at six-foot-two, with brown hair, a chiselled jawline and a matching chiselled body, complete with a panty-dropping smile and a perfectly placed dimple, Ryker didn’t have to try all that hard to impress girls.
“Let me guess,” I drawled. “She’s blonde. Stunning. Killer body.”
“Yes to all those things. But not in the way you’re thinking. You would’ve really liked her, Rubz.”
“Liked?”
“Yeah. I’m quite confident she’s currently hooking up with the hockey captain in my room.”
“Ouch, Wheels. I’m sorry.”
He shrugged it off. “Wasn’t meant to be.”
“I’m sure there are plenty of other girls who would happily keep you company tonight.”
Ryker’s football team was throwing a Halloween party. They alternated hosting the annual notorious event with the hockey team.
Last year I’d been in Miami with Noah over Halloween, but the year before that I’d stayed at Ryker’s place. Hands down, it was the biggest and wildest party I’d ever been to.
Ryker and I had gone as Tinkerbell and Peter Pan. When I’d retired to Neverland – aka his bedroom – to call Noah, Ryker had snuck out and spent the rest of the night with a skimpy Snow White.
“I’d rather talk to you,” he said, lounging against an unfamiliar headboard.
“Where are you?”
“Hiding out in Brady’s room.”
Brady was Ryker’s cousin, and he was also on the Phil-U football team. While he wasn’t on Ryker’s level and wouldn’t get drafted after college, he was talented enough for Phil-U to offer him a spot straight out of high school
Sceptics from our hometown claimed that Brady was only picked up because Ryker was talented enough to make his cousin look good. Whatever the truth, I knew Ryker liked having Brady close by.
Ryker was the type of person who thrived when he was surrounded by family and friends. Next year was going to be challenging for him.
He was currently estimated to be picked sixth in the NFL Draft, and that pick could come from any team in any state. The chances of it being in our hometown were low. Detroit’s team was currently too high in the standings.
“You’re sounding kind of pathetic, Wheels.”
He exhaled slowly, shrugging. “I wish you were here, Rubz. When do I get to see you next?”
“Probably not before Thanksgiving. I only have one weekend off between now and then.”
“What about a midweek trip? Mondays and Tuesdays are my quietest report days.”
“I could probably make that work,” I admitted, mentally checking my roster. “But I haven’t seen Noah for over a month and I’m not seeing him until Thanksgiving. If I came to see you before him–”
“So we don’t tell him,” Ryker said dismissively. “Come on, Rubz. I’ll pay for your flights.”
“It’s not about the money, Wheels.”
He implored me with his puppy dog eyes – the same eyes girls tripped over their feet to be on the receiving end of. Ryker had gone his entire life being able to wield people with his handsome face, but it wasn’t going to work on me now.
“We’re playing in Huntington next Saturday,” he tried instead. “Are you working then?”
“I finish at midday.”
His dimple appeared as he beamed. “If you hit the road straight after, you’d be there by three p.m. The game starts at five.”
