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DANIEL

The whistle blows ending practice and I’m the first one off the ice. Eli isn’t far behind me, followed by Blue.

“Was that your roommate?” Eli asks. “Earlier at the glass?”

“Quinn Mackenzie? That’s your roommate?” Blue scoffs.

“Why that tone?” I say over my shoulder as we enter the locker room.

He tosses his gloves into his cubby. “He was best friends with my step-brother growing up.”

He doesn’t add more, but I’m sure there’s a story in there somewhere. I’m just tired enough from practice not to ask.

Eli’s eyebrows go up as he starts stripping out of his pads. “Small world.”

“Yeah, real tiny,” Blue says, and starts ripping at the tape on his stick.

I drop onto my stall and unlace my skates. The room fills up around us.

“He’s quiet and brilliant,” I say, because Blue’s tone doesn’t sit right on my nerves. “He’s a good guy.”

Blue grunts, but doesn’t argue. Okay. Again, there is something else there, and I’m not sure it has to do with Quinn but more of something to do with his step-brother. He rarely brings him up. I assume his family life just sucks.

Peter walks in last and points at me without breaking stride to his cubby. “Nice finish. Next time keep your head in the play when you’ve got an audience.”

Eli coughs a laugh into his stall.

I peel off my jersey. “I’m going to shower and go.”

“Hot date?” Eli says.

“Homework.”

Blue snorts, but I ignore him.

I wash up fast. My mind going to Quinn and how he sent me to the shower first last night. I smile into the spray. I can’t wait to get back to the dorm and start our tutoring.

I should probably check my expectations right this second. I’m just helping him out. That’s all. Even if he is fucking adorable and has a sexy brain.

In fact, I need to text Luke, see how he’s doing after the dinner with his family. They are terrible, and I am so thankful my family was so accepting of me as a person. I don’t know how he keeps smiling all the time knowing that’s what home is like.

I turn the water off and wrap a towel around my waist before going to get street clothes on. My muscles are pleasantly sore, that’s one thing I like about hockey, the daily workout.

On the way out of the building, I thumb open my messages and text Luke.

Me: How you doing?

Luke: Great. Why wouldn’t I be?

I huff.

Me: Dinner was rough the other night.

Luke: Well, thanks to my fake boyfriend, I survived.

Me: You busy?

Luke: Yeah. I’ve got a hot date.