Rookies Hit It Better

by Heather C. Myers

  Beth found a spot at center ice, a few rows up. At least the plastic chairs weren’t too cold to sit in, even if maybe they were a tad uncomfortable. She leaned back, taking a long sip of her drink. She didn’t even care that she burned her tongue on the initial drink. She needed warmth in any way she could get it. A maroon-and-white Mayhem blanket wrapped around her body and three layers wasn’t enough for her.

  She could easily see Knox from where she sat. Probably it was because she had watched him skate since kindergarten, since he made his first competitive mite team and invited her to his first local game. Of course, she came. She had had a little crush on him at the time.

  Now, though…

  Beth expertly dodged the thought. She didn’t want to get into that right now.

  Knox was lean and graceful. He skated on the ice better than he walked. There was just something that matched the two up, like he belonged out there rather than anywhere else. He always had this brilliant smile on his face too, different from any other smile he had. It was as though this was where he belonged, not drunk at some stupid college party she invited him to or doing stupid shit with their friends from middle school.

  Hockey was his destiny.

  And Beth wondered when he would understand that. Sometimes, his loyalty to her, to their friends, ran too deep, and he took more risks than he should. She hoped Seraphina Hanson actually talked some sense into him. The last thing he needed was to be dropped from the team for doing something stupid. He needed this more than he knew.

  She took another sip of her hot chocolate, running through her list of things she had to do today. She didn’t have any class which was the only reason she deigned to show up here at all. Mornings were meant for sleeping, and she tried to get as much of that as she could.

  The practice was just over an hour. The coach ran familiar drills, drills she did with Knox outside the ice because Beth couldn’t skate for shit and there was no way she was risking bodily injury so she could help him improve himself on the ice. Instead, she would do what she could off the ice. She was the only person he asked for help, too. The guys would turn it into some kind of game, something they could turn into a joke or sabotage Knox in some way.

  Not because they didn’t care about Knox. More like everything was a joke to them, even Knox’s hockey career.

  Beth was the only person he trusted to help him with stuff like that because she took it seriously.

  Really, she took him seriously, and there were times she wished he would take himself more seriously as well.

  During the scrimmage - the last fifteen minutes of practice, usually - she noticed the new guy skating on Knox’s line. She had noticed the blue jersey immediately though she couldn’t make out any distinguishing features on the guy except that he was tall and muscled. He seemed to have excellent passing skills as well. Every time he shot off a pass, the puck found its intended target, crisp and designed for scoring.

  Whoever this guy was, he was an excellent center.

  As the scrimmage went on, Beth found herself watching him more than even Knox, which she never did. Maybe it was because she was trying to get over this crush, get over being in love with someone who would never love her back, and Blue seemed like a safe person to throw eggs in his basket. Whatever it was, it eased the tension in her and she found herself enjoying this much more than she thought. Usually, she was tired and cranky and wistful. Usually, her heart skipped with excitement and clenched with pain because while it was excited at the prospect of being around Knox, it also knew it would probably never have him.

  Again, she was pathetic.

  She knew it.

  She never really grew out of this hero worship phase she had fallen into with him because of how kind he was to her that first day of kindergarten. Beating up Billy Hamilton because he called her fat was the best thing that had happened to her that year, and Knox immediately earned her devotion for his actions, whether he wanted them or not. He didn’t seem to mind having her around, and even now, still had yet to push her away.

  But that didn’t make this good.

  Hell, it wasn’t healthy. Beth knew that. She doubted Knox knew anything. He was probably oblivious to the whole thing. That didn’t necessarily make him a bad guy at all, but it made it that much harder to peel herself away from. At least, if she knew he was being an asshole, she could get it in her head to drop him.

  But Knox wasn’t an asshole.

  At least not to her.

  By the time the skaters finished, her head was throbbing with thoughts that seemed too heavy for her to carry. She considered slipping out before Knox could see her, even though they always met up after the morning skate for coffee. It was time alone together, time alone she wouldn’t give up, even if she wanted nothing more than to run far, far away.

  Beth leaned against the wall, sighing. She rolled her shoulders back, waiting for Knox to emerge from the locker room. There were times he was the first guy out, other times he was the last. It all depended on whether he was in a talkative mood or not.

  A few players trickled out and Beth inwardly rolled her eyes. This was starting to look like it might be a talkative mood kind of day, shock was fine, it just meant she’d have to wait longer.

  She sounded like a bitch right now. Maybe it was because she hadn’t gotten tons of sleep last night. Maybe being around Knox reminded her of everything she couldn’t have. She didn’t know. But she didn’t want to be a bitch, and she definitely didn’t want to feel that way around Knox.

  “You ready?”

  Knox’s raspy voice caused her to snap out of her thoughts, and before she could control it, her lips curved into a delighted smile. She always loved being around Knox, even if it wasn’t good for her. She couldn’t help it.

  She nodded, tucking stray hair behind her ear and glancing away. There was something particularly alluring about Knox right after a practice. His body was still coated with sweat, black hair pressed to his face. He wore Dickies pants and a tight red shirt that revealed how broad his shoulders were, how lean his torso was. She didn’t understand how he dressed like a skater than anything else, but it worked from him, even if it came straight out of the early-2000’s fashion. People teased him about it - no more than she did - but he took it all in stride.

  “Definitely,” she said with a grin.

  “Who’s that?”

  Knox cocked his head to the side, turning when the guy in the blue jersey emerged from the locker room. Beth tried not to stare. Really, she did. But the guy was too godlike for her to rip her eyes away from him. Every part of him was chiseled, every muscle in his body had muscle. She would probably fit perfectly under his chin and she wouldn’t even have to stand on her toes. And she didn’t even want to get started on his face - the piercing blue eyes, the high cheekbones, even a small butt dimple in his chin. She was a fucking fish, mouth open and everything.

  And she didn’t even care.

  “I didn’t know you had a sister, Knox,” he said, eyes scanning Beth. She tried not to blush under the intensity of his gaze but she was finding it increasingly difficult to do so.

  “She is not my sister,” Knox said.

  Beth picked up a hint of attitude in Knox’s voice though she didn’t understand why. The guy seemed like a good guy. There didn’t seem to be any animosity between them - how could there be? He was new, after all.

  “Hi, I’m Kent,” he said, sticking out a hand even though he was carrying a couple of sticks and his hockey bag on the opposite shoulder.

  “Beth,” Beth said, taking his hand.

  “How do you know Knox?” Kent asked. “Are the two of you -“

  “No!” Beth exclaimed. “We’ve known each other since kindergarten. We’re friends.”

  “Oh.” He lifted his eyebrows. Beth could be imagining things but it almost seemed like Kent was happy to hear that. “Okay. Well, then, in that case, maybe you’d be okay with showing me around? I’m new here and I haven’t really gotten settled in, bu
t I’m looking to get to know the area better.”

  He was charming, Beth realized.

  That was dangerous.

  She only knew two things about charmers - they knew what they wanted, and once they had it, they were gone.

  Maybe that’s okay, though. Maybe that’s exactly what you need.

  She wasn’t too sure about that. She wasn’t the type to have a fling and then be done with it. Then again, she had been pining for Knox for years, and look at where that got her. Maybe doing something different would snap her out of her funk and get her away from Knox and her feelings for him completely. At the end of the day, she knew he would never feel the same way, and letting herself continue to feel this way, torturing herself with maybe if I hold on just a little bit longer, she was miserable and getting nowhere. And nothing was going to change unless she actually did something differently.

  “Sure,” she finally said, lips curving up into a small, shy smile. “I’d love to show you around.”

  “Great,” he said. “Are you free later?”

  5

  Knox

  “No.” The word was out of his mouth before Knox could stop it. If he was being honest, he didn’t want to stop it. Not really. In fact, he completely ignored Beth as she began to sputter - she only sputtered when she was angry about something - and maintained eye contact with Kent. “She’s not free later.”

  “Knox, you don’t -“

  “She’s not.” Kent shifted his gaze over to Beth before he rested it back on Knox. “Are you, what, her big brother or something?”

  Now, it was Knox’s turn to sputter. Except, when Knox got angry, he laughed. Of course, the sound came out much hollower than it normally did. It was a touch of crazy. Beth always said she knew when he was really angry just based on his laughter. He wondered if she could still tell things like that, if she knew just how angry he was.

  The thing was, Knox didn’t even know why he was angry. He barely knew Kent and from what he did know, the guy was a decent enough guy. He was a damn good hockey player and was only in the AHL was because of an injury. There didn’t seem to be a scandal attached to him as a person. Besides the rare exception, hockey players tended to keep out of the limelight and stay in their lane. It wasn’t about the fame and fortune that came with playing the sport, it was about the sport first and foremost. He seemed good. Honestly, Beth could do worse. And yet, Knox couldn’t bring himself to care. The fact that she was interested in him at all was enough for Knox to think this was a bad idea. She had never been interested in any of his teammates before. It was like this unspoken rule between him. As his best friend, Knox knew he would take her side no matter what. But what would happen if his teammate broke her heart? He would feel obligated to beat the shit out of him, and that was never good for team morale. And what if she was the one who did the breaking? What if it created an issue on the team?

  He wasn’t sure how to handle any of these scenarios. Quite honestly, he didn’t want to think about it.

  “Well?”

  Knox blinked and looked over to Kent. More of his teammates trickled out, including Jack and Alec. Alec seemed to have some sort of shit-eating grin on his face, almost as though he knew exactly what they were discussing and it humored him.

  Asshole.

  Just because he finally had a girlfriend and suddenly, everything singles had to go through was hilarious.

  Eat shit, Sinclair.

  “She has plans,” Knox said when he realized Kent was waiting for him to speak.

  “Then, perhaps, tomorrow?”

  “No.” He shook his head.

  “Actually,” Beth said, shooting a glare at Knox. “I don’t know what he’s talking about. I am free tonight - if that works for you.”

  “Beth -”

  “Don’t listen to him,” she said. She stuck out her hand. “I’m Beth, by the way.”

  “You already told me,” he said with a grin. Knox didn’t like the way he was smiling. Didn’t like the way he was looking at Beth. “Okay, well, why don’t you give me your number? That way, I can text you and we can set something up for tonight? I know there’s this restaurant at Fashion Island the players won’t stop talking about.”

  “Sure.”

  Knox sighed audibly, staring up at the ceiling. He dropped his hockey bag with a loud thump, but Beth ignored him. A couple more players stepped out, glancing curiously at Beth and Kent as Kent took her offered phone and began programming his number into it. This was not what was supposed to be happening right now. He couldn’t exactly say what should have happened, but it was definitely not this.

  His fingers itched. He slid them in his sweatpants, leaning against the cool, brick hallway wall, kicking up one foot in order to keep himself from tapping it over and over again, making it obvious that he was...what, nervous? That wasn’t right. Why would he be nervous? Anxious. Yes, that was the better word. Though he had no idea why he would be anxious either. Beth was just being asked out on a date. That happened way more than he wanted to admit. More than he wanted to acknowledge.

  Beth was...she was great. Why wouldn’t she get asked out? She was smart and beautiful and funny. And honestly, if she could put up with his shit, she could pretty much put up with anything. And she was dependable. That one was important. He knew he could call her and she’d be there. Hell, he couldn’t even say that about his friends.

  “You done?” he found himself asking after Kent handed her phone back.

  There was a light blush on Beth’s cheeks.

  She was blushing?

  Beth was blushing?

  Granted, there were plenty of ways Knox knew to get her to blush if he wanted to. But to see it on her face because of someone else? It felt unnatural. It wasn’t right. Knox was insulted, though he didn’t understand why. He was getting ridiculous, and he needed to stop soon or this was just going to get out of control. He needed to stop being such a pussy and let it go.

  “We are,” Kent said, the smile still on his face. “For now.”

  Knox didn’t like the way Kent was smiling at him. Didn’t like the knowing glint in his eyes. Like he could see through Knox. Like he knew why Knox was so agitated. Which had to be impossible because Knox didn’t even understand why he felt this way.

  Kent turned his gaze from Knox to look back at Beth. There was a cross between anticipation and agitation on her face, and Kent had some sort of idea about which stare belonged to who.

  “I’ll see you tonight then?” Kent asked her.

  “Yeah,” she agreed with a small smile - was that a shy smile?

  Knox thought he was dreaming, but there was some kind of inflection of hope in his voice, like he genuinely wanted to see Beth. And maybe he did. Hell, maybe he really was this good guy and he genuinely wanted to hang out with Beth, but Knox wasn’t so sure. The thing was, he didn’t even know Beth, so how could he know he wanted to hang out with her? Sure, Beth was pretty. Gorgeous, even. But if he was going for her because of her looks, that just told Knox he was more interested in sleeping with her than anything else. He didn’t know that Beth didn’t like to drink or that she sucked at basic math or that she wanted to be a vet since she was in first grade but changed her mind in third grade when she realized that meant putting down animals. He didn’t know any of that stuff that made her a good, decent person. Kent only saw what was on the outside, and for some reason, Knox was concerned that spending time with her would result in knowing the inside.

  And if he knew the inside, how could Kent not fall in love with her?

  Not that Knox was in love with her. He knew all of these things and he knew he wasn’t in love with her. And yet, he was concerned that Kent would fall in love with her. In fact, at this point, it was practically guaranteed. He just didn’t know what the problem was. Knox didn’t know why that was such a bad thing, especially since she didn’t seem to mind Kent.

  Because then she wouldn’t be yours anymore.

  The thought slapped him across the face and
he quickly pushed it to the back of his mind. The last thing he wanted was to tease out that random thought right now where her sharp eyes would be able to pick up anything. She always had this uncanny way of seeing right through him, and he didn’t like it one bit. There were things he wrapped up so he wouldn’t know them, and she had a way of simply drawing them out of him like some kind of witch. She was the only person to have such power over him. In truth, he should run far away from her.

  But he couldn’t.

  He couldn’t go a day without seeing her or, at least, texting her.

  He shook his head. This was not what he needed to be thinking about right now.

  “Good,” Kent said, looking down as he nodded.

  Knox couldn’t believe it. Was the guy blushing? There was no way in hell someone like Kent was blushing over a date with Beth. Beth, of all people, who read fanfiction in her free time and lived in oversized superhero sweaters that did absolutely nothing for her figure. Beth, who was a full-time student at UCI and still had no idea what she wanted to do with her life, who ate cereal for every meal of the day if she could, who still watched Scooby Doo and Xmen cartoons.

  Not that he minded.

  These were all things that made Beth who she was. He highly doubted that he would like her as much if she wasn’t as quirky, as different. Then again, she had this nurturing personality who couldn’t help but be drawn to. She wasn’t judgmental, she was dependable, and she dropped everything for him if he needed it. She was his best friend, and honestly, Knox wasn’t sure if someone like Kent deserved any of her time.

  “I’ll see you tonight then?” he asked.

  “Tonight,” Beth squeaked out.

  Knox couldn’t help but widen his eyes. He didn’t think he had ever heard her sound like that before. The blush was still on her cheeks, and she was doing that thing with her hair she only did if she was nervous.

  How the hell could some asshole like Kent make her nervous? Sure, the guy was good looking. There was no denying that. But it wasn’t like she knew him as a hockey player or anything else.