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CHAPTER6
ETHAN
I slept pretty well considering it took me a good hour to get the conversation with Shorty out of my head. Thankfully, most of the guys had hit the sack by the time I finally walked in the door, except for Liam.
He looked pretty damn tired as he sat at the kitchen counter nursing a coffee, and I knew he was waiting up to check on me. That’s just the kind of guy he is… and why we call him Padre.
“How you doin’, man?”
“Yeah.” I sighed, resting my shoulder against the pantry door. “Fuckin’ darts.”
“Can’t believe you took that bet.”
“I thought I could win.”
He grinned at me. “You gonna last?”
“Have to.” I shrugged. “Not about to walk around campus naked. Can you imagine the fallout? Coach would kill me.”
“Well, yeah. And then resurrect you, just so he could sideline your ass for a couple weeks.”
I snickered and clenched my jaw.
And that’s how I woke up this morning. With a clenched jaw, because shit on a stick, last night was not a bad dream.
Today marks Day One of No Come.
Pulling up the calendar on my phone, I mark my freedom date—October 7. Yeah, it’s gonna be a long four weeks, but I’m a man of my word, and everyone in this house knows it.
A cheer goes up when I step into the kitchen. I give them all the finger and have to force a smile when I look at Asher. Like I’m gonna give away how much losing riles me. He’s not getting that satisfaction on top of everything else.
I’m gonna show all these fuckers what a man I am. Bet none of these douche nuggets could go dry for a month. It’s like the ultimate challenge, and I’m going to make it my bitch.
Snatching the orange juice out of the fridge, I pour myself a tall glass and gulp it down before grabbing two bananas and the jar of peanut butter. I make quick work of my pre-workout snack, then grab my keys.
“Anyone coming with?”
“You know it.” Casey gulps down the rest of his protein shake while Asher demolishes the last of his eggs and avocado.
Liam doesn’t eat pre-workout and is measuring protein powder into his drink bottle while I shove my sneakers on.
Thursday mornings are always a workout day. We have practice in the afternoons, and I like to get my lifting done first thing. Hockey training is intense, and with the season just around the corner, we all have to up the ante. Practices are now four times a week, with two lifting sessions, one plyometrics workout, and two cardios expected in our own time. Between that and academic classes, we’re pretty damn busy. And once the season starts, we’ll have games twice a week too.
But bring it the fuck on.
If I’m gonna last this month, I need to work as hard as I can.
I start up my Ranger—a hand-me-down from my pop. It was my graduation present so I could easily make the two-hour trip to Denver without any hassle. I try to get down and see him once a month, and he’ll drive up for home games whenever he can.
The trip to the arena only takes about five minutes, and I park in the sunshine-soaked lot and wait for the guys to peel out of the car before locking it. Nolan U is a pricey school, and when I turn to look up at the building I love so much, I’m grateful I got in. I’m grateful my dad saved his ass off so I could be part of one of the top NCAA programs in the country, playing and working in this world-class facility.
Nolan U is known for their sporting prowess, and every major team has the best. From the football stadium to the shiny new basketball courts, athletes at this school are treated like royalty… and expected to perform like Olympians.
Which is why we drag our asses out of bed so damn early to work out.
“Hey, look at that.” Liam slaps my chest with the back of his hand, pointing to a lump near the arena door.
It’s kind of cast in shadow, and it takes me a second to work out what it is.
