ICED (Boston Terriers Hockey Book 2)

by Jacob Chance

  “Good to know. Because you kind of seemed like an asshole. But I can admit that it could’ve been a result of how skeptical I am about the male population as a whole.”

  I bark out a laugh. “That’s the first time anyone has ever said I’m an asshole.”

  “To your face at least,” she retorts.

  “Right. I appreciate your direct approach.”

  “It’s the way I am. I guess if we’re going to spend any time together you need to know that about me. I’m painfully blunt.”

  “I think I’ve already gotten a taste of that.”

  “Oops. Sorry not sorry.” She giggles and my stomach lurches from the sound. She’s adorable. Helping her out might be harder than I imagine. Keeping the friend zone barrier up will be imperative. Ava is intelligent, beautiful, and talented. She’s the total package kind of girl that guys dream about, and I can’t allow myself to fall for her. Not even a little.

  Chapter Five

  Ava

  Sitting here talking to Oliver feels a little surreal. Over the past week, I’ve come to realize he’s different than I thought. In my mind, I had him labeled an asshole, and from what I’ve seen firsthand, he’s really not. He saved me from injuring myself last night and now he offered to go to the reunion with me. I think his motives are pure. If all he wanted was to get laid, there are much easier ways to go about it.

  Oliver drums his fingers on the bar. “So, I need details about the reunion if I’m going to go with you.”

  “Oh, yeah. That would be helpful.” Do I really want to involve him? Should I just suck it up and go by myself like a big girl?

  “What’s wrong?”

  I shrug. “Maybe I’m being silly wanting someone to come with me.”

  “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with bringing a friend. If it will be comforting for you, then you should. Do you want to be self-conscious the whole time?”

  He’s right. I will feel under the microscope the entire weekend. At least if it looks as though I’ve moved on, it will help.

  He holds his hands up. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to influence you one way or another. It’s your choice.”

  “No. You’re absolutely right. I don’t want to worry about people feeling sorry for me. If you come with me, they’ll think I’ve moved on. It will help me save face.”

  “There’s no reason for you to save face. You did nothing wrong.”

  “I know. But that doesn’t change everyone else’s perception of the situation.”

  “Stop worrying about what anyone else thinks. We’ll go to the reunion and I’ll make sure you have a great time.” He holds his hand out and mine slips inside before he pumps it up and down. “Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  “Tell me how Oliver agreed to be your date for the reunion.” Perri leans forward, resting her elbows on the table.

  “I don’t know exactly. He must’ve heard me talking to Mikey. I guess he felt sorry for me.” I shrug.

  “Yeah, I’m sure that’s it.” Perri rolls her eyes.

  “Is that sarcasm I hear?”

  “Absolutely. You’re in denial if you think he’s doing this because he feels sorry for you.”

  “What else could the reason be? We’ve barely ever spoken to each other. And to be honest, until he saved me at the party and then we spoke at Score, I always thought he was a jerk.”

  “I don’t understand what ever gave you that impression about him. It’s so off base.”

  “Stacey was always kind of a bitch and they dated forever. I have a hard time reconciling a good guy putting up with her mean-girl behavior for so long unless he’s a dick too”

  “Yeah, but guys think with their dicks first and their brains last. And she probably acted one way around him and another when he wasn’t there. She wouldn’t be the first girl to do that.”

  “True.”

  “Did you tell him about Brian and your sister?”

  “Yeah. I think that was the clincher for him offering to be my date. I really do think he felt sorry for me.”

  “I’m sure he could sympathize, especially with how Stacey did him wrong.”

  “I must be the only person who didn’t know she cheated on him.”

  “You might be. Everyone was talking about it.”

  “I guess I was dealing with my own shit at the same time.”

  “You need to make sure you go to that reunion looking smoking hot.”

  “Smoking and hot are two words that don’t describe me.”

  “You’re delusional.”

  “Smoking hot is Stacey. You need an abundance of tits and ass, and I have neither.”

  “That’s not true. I love Nolan’s dick, but even I can see you’re smoking hot.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. Don’t worry. I’m speaking objectively. I’m not going to make a move on you.”

  “Damn.” I snap my fingers. “You could’ve been my date to the reunion.” We both laugh.

  “Actually, that might fuck with Brian’s head more. Why didn’t I think of it?”

  Perri’s eyes mischievously sparkle. “Well, it’s too late now. Oliver is all set to go. And with his good looks, it’s sure to piss Brian off.”

  “Yeah, I think so too. And Beth will be green with envy.”

  “Have you two always been competitive?” Perri questions.

  “I don’t want to say yes, only because I’ve never felt competitive with her. She’s always been the one to want to outdo me and to pay attention to what I’m doing. If I had something positive happen in my life, then she had to announce to our parents something good that happened to her.”

  “That sucks. I think a lot of siblings have to deal with that, though.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure I’m not the only one, but it gets old after a while. And now I’m at the point where I want her to be happy and leave me the fuck alone.”

  “It doesn’t sound like she’s happy with herself. If she was, she wouldn’t care what you were doing so much,” Perri offers.

  “You’re probably right. She’s always been the type to want more, no matter how much she has, and not care how she got it. Hell, she stole my boyfriend. If that’s not the lowest of the low, then I don’t know what is.”

  “Karma has a way of working these things out.”

  “That’s the thing, I don’t wish bad karma on her. I just want her to forget we’re related.” I cover my face with my hands. “Does that sound horrible?” I slide my palms down until I’m peeking over the tops of my fingertips at Perri.

  “I don’t think so. She hurt you.”

  I nod solemnly. “She did, but she had help from Brian.”

  “Let’s not talk about them anymore. We have more important things to discuss.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like what you’re going to wear to the reunion.”

  I smack my palm against my head. “Ugh. I don’t want to think about that, much less shop for something.”

  “You leave it all up to me. I have a dress that will be perfect on you.”

  I glance at Perri skeptically. She’s all curves. How is anything she owns going to fit me well?

  “Trust me?” She arches a brow.

  I nod. “Yeah, I do.” I know she wouldn’t let me wear something that wasn’t right for me.

  She smiles and rubs her hands together. “This is going to be fun.”

  A backpack thumps onto the desk to the left of mine and my eyes flick over. Oliver sinks down into the chair and smiles at me.

  “Hey. How’s it going, Ava?”

  What is he doing sitting next to me? We’ve been in the same class for three weeks and he’s never ventured forward to this area.

  “It’s going. What brings you up here? Won’t your fan club in the back miss you too much?”

  He smirks. “I wanted to see if I’d get a better education in the front of the room. And since I am in my fifth year, maybe this is what’s been missing all along.” He nudges my sneaker wit
h the side of his and my stomach tosses and turns. One bump of our smelly sneakers and I’m a puddle of goo. I’m pathetic.

  “I hope it works out for you.”

  “Oh, I feel smarter already.” He winks.

  I take a sip of my coffee, just for something to do, and try not to fidget in the hard seat.

  “Do you ever go to any hockey games?” Oliver leans toward me.

  “You mean the Bruins?” I ask, knowing damn well he means his games.

  “Nah. I mean the Terriers.”

  “Nope. I’ve never been to one.”

  “Then you’ve never seen me play?” He sounds disappointed.

  “I have not.”

  “You better come to the game this weekend.”

  My knee bounces excitedly under the desk, but I keep a calm facade. “Why would I do that?”

  “For research purposes. If your boyfriend is a hockey player, shouldn’t you watch his games?”

  “You do know that we can say I go to all your games without me actually attending, right?”

  “It won’t be nearly as convincing.” His dark eyes implore me to say yes. Should I? He nods as if he read my mind.

  “Fine. I’ll come to one game.”

  He grins. “I’ll get you a couple of tickets. Are you going to wear my jersey?”

  “No. Don’t even think about it. That’s not happening.”

  “I think I should get a picture of you wearing it to add legitimacy to us.” He taps his pen on the desk three times. “You know, in case we need pictures.”

  “Why would we need pictures?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

  I guess I can throw his jersey on and take a few pics. Maybe I should send one to my mom to provide a backstory before we visit. My chest tightens with guilt as I think of lying to my own mother. But with the current situation, I don’t have much choice.

  My fingers pluck at the hockey jersey Oliver gave me to wear. It’s really comfortable and looks like it’s never been worn. “Is this brand new?”

  He nods. “Yeah, I bought it for you.”

  “Why would you waste your money on me?”

  “I figured you can wear it the weekend of the reunion.” He shrugs. “And I can always use a fan cheering me on in the stands.”

  “Thank you. I wasn’t expecting this.” My arms cross, hands rubbing over each arm. This might help to keep me warm during the game.

  “Come here?” Oliver beckons me closer with a tip of his head. He holds his arm out for me to slip under. His hand cups my shoulder, drawing me closer. “Perri, will you take our picture, please?” He hands her his phone.

  “Sure.” She grins like the Cheshire Cat and moves in front of us. “Make it look convincing.” She giggles before taking numerous pics.

  Oliver draws me even closer, which I didn’t think was possible. The front of my hip presses against him. Leaning down, his lips touch the side of my head. “Relax. You’re supposed to be crazy about me.” His fingers dig into my side, tickling me, and I laugh.

  “Ooh, good one,” Perri comments.

  I glance up at Oliver and he smiles down at me. “See, that wasn’t so hard.”

  “Ooh, another great one. You guys look totally legit.” She glances at the screen and scrolls through the pics. “If I didn’t know the current situation, I would assume you were together. These are all amazing.” She hands the phone to Oliver. “Ava, I’ll be over there.” She points to the snack bar sign and I give her a thumbs up.

  Leaning the side of my head on his chest, I settle against him as we examine the images. I’m surprised to learn Perri was right; we do look like an actual couple. His muscles are solid underneath my head and his masculine scent teasingly wraps around me. His warm breath wafts over my forehead, reminding me of our close proximity, and I pull away.

  “Everything okay?” Oliver inquires with a raised dark brow.

  “Yep. The pics look great.”

  “Give me your number so I can send them to you.”

  I rattle off my number and shove my hands in the back pockets of my jeans. “I better go find Perri before it gets too crowded to find our seats.”

  “Right. Good thinking. Will I see you after the game?”

  I want to say yes, which is even more of a reason to say no. Yes. No. Yes. “No, probably not. I have a lot of schoolwork to do and I have to work tomorrow night.”

  He slowly nods, carefully scrutinizing my face. What is he looking for? “Okay, then. I’ll see you at Score. I’m working tomorrow night too.”

  Excellent.

  “You know I have to love football, right? I mean, I’m in love with a football player, so for Nolan alone, I love it. But after watching this game, I have a new appreciation for hockey players. Some of these guys are extremely attractive. And I mean that in the least ogling way I can.”

  My eyes stay on Oliver as he knocks the puck away from the Terriers’ net before

  I sweep a side-eyed gaze at her. “Right. I’m sure you do.” Perri’s mock-innocent expression makes me laugh. “But believe me, I get it. I’m trying my best not to notice since I’m in my ‘men are to be avoided at all costs’ phase.”

  “You don’t have to stay away from all of them. There’s one that I think you should give a chance.”

  My green eyes pin her in place. “Don’t start. I’m finally getting used to being single, why would I saddle myself with another boyfriend?”

  “Who said anything about a boyfriend?”

  “You did. Didn’t you?”

  “I think you should have some fun and let it lead you wherever it may.”

  “Sounds like a bad idea to me.”

  “You and Oliver have some major sparks flying between you. It’s impossible to miss the chemistry whenever you get within five feet of each other. Maybe you should see where that attraction takes you.”

  As tempting as the idea of some naked tussling with Oliver might be, I know that I’m not going to entertain the thoughts, never mind act them out.

  “It’s not going to happen, but I appreciate that you want me to have some fun. Besides, Oliver told me he’s avoiding women right now.”

  “That might be his intent, but it didn’t look like he was avoiding you very well.”

  “He’s just helping me out by making us look legit for the reunion.”

  “Sure.”

  “He is. We’re only going to be friends.”

  “I’m not sure two people who are attracted to each other can only be friends. Is that possible?”

  “Why not? All it takes is some willpower and the ability to think clearly.”

  “Who thinks clearly when they’re attracted to someone? And willpower?” She snorts. “That flies out the window with the rest of the good intentions as soon as the hormones kick in.”

  “You’re speaking from experience, right?”

  “Of course. I tried to keep things with Nolan friends only, and look how it worked out.”

  “Yeah, it’s horrible that you have a completely doting and devoted boyfriend who loves you more than anything.”

  “I mean that we crossed the line. And so will you guys. You should save yourself a lot of aggravation and give in now. Think of all the amazing sex you’re missing out on.”

  “I’m going to remind you of this conversation when we come back from the reunion and nothing’s changed.”

  “Sure you will.” Perri’s sarcasm is thick.

  My eyes glide around the ice with Oliver. He’s relentless in his pursuit of the puck. He gives one hundred percent effort with each play. From what I’ve seen so far, he’s a balls to the wall player. I can tell from observing how much he wants to win. His passion shows. It’s probably the same when people watch me dance. My love for it has to shine through. Someone can not like my performance, but they’ll never think I’m not trying my best.

  When the clock runs out, the Terriers are up by two goals, thanks to Oliver. The crowd cheers their approva
l, wildly shouting, “You got Iced, Iced, baby.” To the beat of the song “Ice Ice Baby”. It’s surreal how into the game the crowds get. Banging on the glass and shouting at each other in the stands is a regular occurrence if tonight’s game is any indication.

  Perri gestures with her thumb that we should step out into the aisle and we take advantage of the celebration going on inside to find our way to my car.

  “We managed to beat the rush. Now I better get us out of here before we get stuck in traffic.”

  “Thoughts on tonight?” Perri inquires.

  “It was fun to watch the game.”

  “That’s not exactly what I was looking for. I was thinking you’d list some of Oliver’s virtues at the least.”

  “Why are you so hell-bent on the two of us hooking up?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I just want to see you happy after everything you went through.”

  “I am happy. You don’t need to worry about me.”

  Am I really happy, though? That’s hard to definitively say.

  Chapter Six

  Ava

  Oliver’s capable hands grip the wheel as we drive along. His brown orbs sweep over me in the passenger seat before returning to the highway in front of us. “Tell me everything I need to know about your family. We’ve both been so busy we haven’t had a chance to talk about what I need to know as your boyfriend.”

  “Okay, one Madigan family crash course coming up.” I wipe my palms on my jeans. “Where do I start?”

  “Tell me about your parents. Are they still together?”

  “Yep, they’ve been married for thirty years. Dad’s an accountant and my mom’s his secretary.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. Which is why they’re not too disappointed that my sister is dating Brian. He’s been working at my dad’s firm for three years now. Dad planned on handing the business down to him. Hell, he probably still does.”

  “Were you going to be his secretary?” Oliver teases.

  “Ugh, no. And that was part of what we fought about.”