"Dude, you look weird." I shoot a glance in Clay's direction, scowling. What the hell does he want? "Before we went to practice, three hours ago, you were checking your phone almost every 15 minutes. Now you are doing it again and the more you do that, the angrier you look."

"I'm frustrated." And horny like a fucking rabbit, but that bit I'm keeping to myself.

"About what?" My best friend furrows his brow, eyeing me suspiciously.

"About..." I grab my sports bag from the bench and drape it over my shoulder. "... a lot of things."

Clay blinks and immediately snorts. "Such a mysterious asshole."

"Shut the fuck up." I mumble, edging to the door of the locker room and nodding my head to the guys as I go.

All my muscles are sore now because practice was shit. It ended with the coach yelling at all of us for being useless pricks. Not that we didn't deserve it. Being a bunch of cocky assholes, we let our latest wins cloud our minds, feeling as if we already won the cup. No matter what, we should always keep our eyes on the prize, not letting our confidence control our actions. The main thing we all need when we are stepping on the ice rink is a cool head and indisputable desire to win. Nothing else.

"What are you planning to do?" Rodgers chimes in, interrupting my thoughts. He follows me down the hallway, and I don't even need to ask. He's sure I'm giving him a ride. Pretentious motherfucker.

"Need to finish my essay, and then I'm going to crash on my couch and do nothing."

"Boring." He mocks, and I show him my middle finger. "It's our last year, Colt! We need to have fun!"

"I think we had our share of fun already starting our junior year, don't you think so?"

"Of course not! We're fucking young and before we graduate, we should enjoy our youth, do-"

"Clay, you have no idea how much I want to be signed by the San Jose Sharks once I'm out of this place. I don't want to risk my chances. Ever again."

"You were their first-round pick, and your game only got better with time. Hanging out with your friends, going to parties, banging girls..." And I'm not listening to him anymore. Her image pops up in my mind like a bulb in the darkness, and my skin instantly warms up. My palms still remember her soft skin under my touch, how her fucking tits felt perfect in my hands, and how sweet she tasted. Dammit, why didn't she answer my message? Is she going to avoid me again? "Thompson!"

I wheel my head towards him, pinch my brows together and gape at my best friend. A stupid smirk plays on his lips, as he looks me up and down. "What?"

"You weren't listening." He states mockingly, as we exit the building and stomp in the direction of the parking lot.

"Kinda got lost in my thoughts." Or more like memories. Vivid and fucking real, I even feel her scent all over me. As if she's here, with me. I'm so under her spell, so much that even my head is spinning. For the first time in my life, I have no idea what to do with myself because I'm afraid to ruin everything. "What did you say?"

"Baker is throwing a party in two weeks, after the next game." Clay exclaims, and I roll my eyes. "It's his birthday, and he expects all of us to be there."

"Not interested." I unlock my car and toss my sports bag into the backseat. "As soon as he mentioned it would be at his house, I knew I wouldn't go."

"It will be after our home game." He presses, putting his sports bag into the backseat too. "If you decide to skip, it will look weird."

"Since fucking when do I worry about other people's opinions?" I scoff, climbing inside my car and seeing him joining me. "It's not a secret that I don't like him. He knows it too."

"Isn't that exactly what our coach said? A healthy atmosphere between our team members is as important as our behavior on the ice rink. Even Drake is going, and you know they were pretty hostile with each other because of Ava."

Ava. Ava. Ava. She's fucking everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Definitely not within my arm's reach. Fuck! "Benson is free to do whatever he wants, even being friendly with that asswipe. I can't think of anything that can change my mind about this party."

"I know exactly what can change your mind." He states, and I sneak a glance at him with my eyebrow arched. "The cheerleading squad is always at the parties, and it means Layla will be there too... along with Ava."

"And what?" My heart is pounding in my chest, making my palms sweaty.

"I saw how you looked at her yesterday." Clay points his finger at me, narrowing his eyes. "You like her. Don't you dare deny it."

"I was being friendly, nothing else." I shrug, trying to play it cool. Cracking a fake smile, I stop my car near his dorm. "Plus, I can admit she's gorgeous and it's hard not to pay attention to her."

"First, Thompson, you suck. Second, the next time the girl you like hooks up with another guy because you were a damned coward and couldn't make a move on her, don't take it out on her. It will be a hundred percent on you." My jaw drops open, and my eyes widen as saucers. What the actual fuck?!

"Rodgers, get your fucking ass out of my car." I stare daggers at him, as he opens the door and jumps outside.

Clay takes his bag from the backseat, slams the door, and then comes back to the passenger side. Our gazes lock on each other, and he shakes his head. As if he's disappointed in me... is he for real?! "Baker hasn't given up, and he's running out of time, Colt. Do you really want him to win the bet and bang her at this party?"

"This bet is fucking stupid!" I comment, remembering the uneasiness spreading through my veins when I broke their hands. Yet, I don't want him to know how I really feel about all that. And I do what I'm the best at to keep people away from me, I turn this situation around. "Do you think she will want to be your friend if she knows you made a bet on her?"

"Indeed, Colt, you're a predictable fucker. Nothing else." He spins around, closes the car door with a bang and storms inside the dorm.

I don't move for the next 10 minutes for sure. My thoughts are going in rounds, one stupider than the next. She certainly doesn't like Baker, because if she did, she would have already given in and slept with him, instead of telling him off over and over again. So, I'm sure he won't be successful. Also, Layla knowing the truth about her best friend and her brother will prevent them from hooking up again. Though, they can always sneak away, like they did at the last party...

I shut my eyes closed, clenching my jaw. I fucking hate Baker. I don't want to go to his house. I don't want to celebrate his birthday or have anything to do with him at all. But if I don't want anyone near her, then being at this party is a must. Though, what if she keeps ignoring me? What if what happened at my place was just a moment of weakness? Her being a bit drunk? Ugh! My head hurts for real, and I start the engine. I drive aimlessly for more than two hours, only to take my mind off these thoughts. I don't understand myself. I don't understand her, and all this confusion plays tricks on me as nothing else.

At 10pm, I walk out of the shower, dry my hair with my towel and then just stare at myself in the reflection of the mirror. When did all this shit go down? When did my life turn into a fucked up version of a circus, that I have trouble navigating through? If anything, it all comes down to only one person. Toxic. Manipulative. Cruel. I often hear how people say that successful businessmen can't be kind, they are cunning, have a sharp mind and tend to act like a shark, who catches its prey and doesn't release it until it's dead. That's the best description for my dearest father. He's a fucking turd.

🏒💥🏒💥🏒

"Hello, Helen." I greet the secretary as soon as I step into my father's office.

"Hey Colt." Her rosy lips curl into a seductive smile, and my dick hardens in my pants at once. Well, what can you expect from a 15 year old? This chick is twenty-four and she's the hottest woman I have ever seen. I honestly use any excuse to visit my dad, so I can see her. And something is telling me... she's perfectly aware of it. "How have you been?"

I come closer and slump on the chair in front of her, letting my eyes rake over her form. Her blouse isn't buttoned completely, and with how full her boobs are, I see her lingerie - lacy red bra. Sexy and suits her damn well. Her brown hair is long and straight, shining bright under the lights in the room. She wears a lot of makeup, and for some reason, I like it.

"I'm good. Was heading to practice and thought I should visit Dad."

"Does he know?" She quirks an eyebrow at me, eyes brimming with mischief.

"It's a surprise." I lick my lips.

Helen chuckles and stands up from her chair. "I'll go tell him you're here. He has 20 minutes before his next meeting, so you can spend some quality time together."

I nod, heat forming in my abdomen and rushing down to my dick. She strolls to my father's office, while I can't take my eyes off her. Her ass is so fucking fine! Her skirt is tight, it's like a second skin! I have no idea how my dad can work with her. I would have wanted to fuck her all day every day, bending her over this desk and railing her from behind. Or just shoving my dick down her throat, watching her full lips sucking me dry and licking my balls. I almost came just from my thoughts, so I hurriedly put my hand on my crotch, feeling it tremble. Jesus Christ, this is illegal to be so hot.

"You can come in, Colt. Your dad is waiting for you." Hearing her voice, I blink away the haze and slowly stand up. I saunter closer to the door, and she steps aside to let me in. I catch a whiff of her perfume, and frown. I finally found something I don't like. Her perfume is incredibly heavy and definitely has notes of jasmine in it, probably the only scent I really hate.

"Thanks, Helen. You're the sweetest," I say slowly before stepping into my dad's office.

"You're the sweetest," she purrs, barely audible. "And the horniest..." I halt in my tracks, turning my head to look at her. She drags her gaze down my chest and lower to my groin. "Next time, try not to be so obvious."

Sooooo... she's in the mood for games, isn't she? I snicker, leaning closer to her ear. "You wearing such tight clothes makes it impossible to stay unaffected." I bask away and see her cheeks blushing. This girl didn't expect me to talk back to her. My smile blooms bigger and I wink at her. "I think I'll visit my dad even more often now."

Her lips part and she takes a step back, distancing herself from me. Shit, woman, you made this a thousand times more entertaining. Knowing that I can push her buttons, makes me feel powerful. And I will be damned if I say I don't like it.

Closing the door behind me, I amble to my dad's desk, seeing him speaking on the phone. I have no idea what I'm going to talk to him about, but I will figure it out. Maybe I should ask him how he keeps his hands to himself having such a gorgeous creation in the room next to him? Chuckling, I slump down on the chair and meet my Dad's gaze. Definitely not the question I can truly ask. We can always talk about hockey or his business. Anything. Not that I am really interested in anything he has to say. Whatever.

🏒💥🏒💥🏒

My phone buzzes and I grasp the countertop with my fingertips to steady myself. My forehead is sweaty, and my pupils wide. It's hard to breathe, and my heart is ready to jump out of my chest. Fucking rabbit hole! I hate myself for these memories, for letting them back into my mind... I hate everything that man represents, and that girl... I should have never thought she was worth even a minute of my time. Fuck!

I grab my phone, unlock it, and realize that I don't see anything. My vision is blurry, and I can't even put letters into words. I know this state too well, a fury whirls inside my chest, darkens my thoughts and my emotions. I'm nothing more than a tangle of anger, hate and bitterness. Do I really think anyone will want to be close to me if they see the real me? I'm fucking sure not even Clay will stay. No one. Especially not her.

Putting my phone back on the countertop, I whirl around and stride to my bedroom. I need to get myself together, and the only solution I have is going back to the ice rink. I can always practice getting the puck to the net, or just doing rounds on the ice. Hockey is my cure, and I can't imagine my life without it. It has healed me so many times, so one thought about not playing the game brings me down a peg or two. I can't have it. It's my dream, and I won't give up until I make it reality. Nothing can stop me.

Sliding inside my car ten minutes later, I finally take my phone in my hands. I sent her a message around 2pm and got the answer only at 10pm. She sure knows how to rile me up without even trying.

📱: What else do enemies make better?

🍯: Well, to answer ur question we need to test the theory first🤔. Do enemies really make the best lovers, or is it just a myth? Ur kisses definitely made it in my list.

I break into laughter and can't stop for a good five minutes. This girl is fucking hurricane, and she caught me right in the middle of it. And in all honesty, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Ever.

🍯