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There’s a flicker of warmth in my chest, appearing like the strike of a match lighting. It feels good to be in sync with my dad, to know I’m helping him.
But I spend the next ten loads trying to forget what I just agreed to.
CHAPTER THREE
AIDAN
Ilean to the left, gingerly. “I think Pierce broke a rib with that last hit.”
Hart appears unconcerned I could be grievously injured, squirting some Gatorade into his mouth as he watches the third line run through the drill we just completed. “Tape it.”
I stretch to the right. Wince. “I was thinking a massage.”
Some painkillers to help with my aching ribs and pounding head would be nice too.
I knew going out with Sampson and a few other guys last night was a stupid idea, but dumb decisions are kind of what I’m known for.
“And a nap.”
“I’m not waiting for you next time,” Conor tells me.
Since I’m still car-less, I had to rely on Hart to drive me to practice today.
Him banging on my bedroom door with his hockey stick early this morning is partially responsible for my headache. The rest of the credit goes to tequila.
“You can skip the lecture. You weren’t even home when I gotback.”
“I spent the night at Harlow’s,” he tells me. “Drove home to eat breakfast and get changed before practice.”
Dammit. Had I known that, I definitely wouldn’t have gone out last night. “Tell me next time, so I know to skip the earplugs.”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Phillips.” Conor swallows more orange liquid, then glances at me. “You’re louder than I am. We shared a wall in Colorado too, remember?”
“That was only for a few nights.” I reach out, grabbing a bottle. My mind immediately jumps to the brunette in the hot tub as soon as Conor mentions Colorado, and I really need to stop thinking about that night. It’s not like I’ll ever see her again, and it’s made my hookups of late seem dull and empty. “And at least I have the decency to keep it out of the house here.”
“I’m not sure the girls you fuck in random places at parties would describe it asdecency, Phillips.”
I swallow some Gatorade, annoyed this bottle is also filled with orange. My least favorite flavor. “They know what they’re getting,” I say, then take another drink.
I’m practically a campus attraction at this point. Library, coffee shop, student center, guy who guarantees a good time. I never say anything about more than one night and I never bring girls back to my room.
It’s exactly how I like my life: simple and uncomplicated. College is supposed to be about enjoying yourself—the window between being controlled by your parents and entering the real world with responsibilities.
Hockey is the one responsibility I allow to cut into my social life. Our schedule is only going to get more intense with playoffs creeping closer.
Plus, I’m going to have to startstudyingsoon.
I grit my teeth at the unpleasant reminder. At least Hunter haskept his mouth shut like he promised. The lecture I received from Conor about how I spent last night on the way to practice this morning would have been way worse if he knew I failed a class last semester.
“You ever think about dating?” Hart asks me casually.
I cough mid-swallow. I have to clear my throat twice before I can respond. “What?”
“It’s more than just steady sex, you know. Having someone to talk to…who always has your back… I didn’t realize what I was missing out on before.”
I shake my head, smirking. “You heartless asshole.Iwas your pillar of support long before you pulled your head out of your ass and noticed Harlow Hayes.”
Conor laughs once, sounding unamused. “Noticingher wasn’t the problem.”
