Prologue

Prologue

6months earlier…

Cody

Smack! The medicine ball bounces off the wall and hurtles into the hands of the smallest girl I have ever seen. Actually, I take that back. She may be short, but she certainly isn’t small. At least not in the traditional sense.

Smack! The mini powerhouse continues to lay waste to the exercise ball, causing other gym patrons to look her way. Taber’s fitness centre is never busy before 6am, so it’s easy to pick out the early-morning regulars.

This girl isn’t a regular.

I study her from across the gym, dominance and discipline oozing from her every pore. The tight black tank top and camo leggings show off a figure that could be used in biology class to mark all the muscles on the human body. I’m no stranger to fit individuals, hell only the most dedicated roll their asses out of bed before dawn, but this girl is a whole other level.

Finishing her round of wall balls, the girl drops the medicine ball and stalks over to the climbing cage. I stare, intrigued, as the fitness guru starts assembling boxes below the pull up bar. With a quick glance at her smart watch, the girl bounds up the makeshift stairs, latching onto the bar overhead, and proceeds to rip off pull ups like there’s no tomorrow.

“Holy shit.” The guy doing bicep curls next to me almost drops the dumbbells he’s holding as he watches the platinum pixie repeatedly heave her chin above the bar. I nod in silent agreement, watching the girl lightly drop to her feet and march over to start the wall balls again.

Wow.

Taber’s fitness centre has two floors: the upper allocated to the indoor track and cardio machines lining the walls while the bottom floor is split in two, one side for free range exercises with stretching mats and a climbing cage, while the other side contains dumbbells, barbells, squat racks, and any other heavy lifting equipment you can think of. From what I’ve seen this year, most early birds stick to either the track upstairs or the weights on the bottom floor. Until today, I hadn’t seen anyone use the free-range space, let alone the climbing cage. Especially during the ungodly hours before dawn.

There is an unspoken rule among regulars that when someone’s in the zone, you don’t intrude. We’re all here because of stubborn willpower, and honestly, no one feels like making conversation before breakfast. I’ve never considered this etiquette to be a hindrance before, but now I wish I was unaware of its existence so I could wander over and introduce myself.

I drag out my dumbbell set for as long as possible, hoping the new girl will finish up her workout so we can not-so-accidentally bump into each other on the way out. But despite my best efforts, there’s only so many variations of tricep dips you can do before it starts to look stupid, so, accepting defeat, I bend to scoop up my things and head towards the exit. Taking one last glance at the mystery girl, I find dark blue eyes staring back at me.

I’ve never been known for being smooth, or charming for that matter, but the water bottle fumble I do next is enough to make even the most confident guy cringe. Doing my best to recover, I tuck the traitorous bottle against my chest and send a quick wave towards the girl watching me with an amused smile.

And this is why gym regulars keep to themselves.

Mentally cursing my newfound clumsiness, I give Stephen, the front desk attendant, a nod on my way out and hurry back to my dorm. There’s a pile of homework I need to get done before attending the lacrosse banquet tonight, but as I walk across Taber’s manicured lawns, the only thing I can think about is how the girl’s topknot looked when it was coming undone.

Screw gym etiquette, next time I see her, I’m going over to introduce myself.

“Don’t even think about crying on me, Ellsworth. I did not mentor your ass all year just for you to crumble the second I leave.” Mo’s voice rings out over the chaotic chatter and with a laugh, I give him a shove.

“Dream on, old man. There are no tears here.”

Chuckling, Mo throws an arm around my shoulders and steers me around the room. I haven’t stopped smiling since being titled Rookie-of-the-Year and that was before Mo announced I was taking his place as team captain next year.

Me. Team captain. Taking over from Taber’s very own lacrosse legend, my friend and mentor, The Great Mighty Mo.

The announcement went over as well as can be expected, the seniors who have been working their asses off for the last four years were pissed, but there’s nothing they can do. If anyone but Mo had made my captain status official, there would have been some serious backlash, but given it was Taber’s graduating all-star, no one was brave enough to voice their opposition. So far, anyways.

I already know next year will be a challenge. There will be a lot of doubters, some potential retaliation once Mo’s gone, but I will stand my ground. Mo picked me for a reason, and I will prove to each and every one of them that I deserve this position. Even if it kills me.

“Congrats, Cody.” Mason claps me on the back as Mo and I pass him on our victory tour. His praise seems genuine, though chances are it’s more for the fact a defenseman finally won an award over the forward players. We both play defence, and part of the role is accepting the guys who score the goals are the ones who get the glory. The running joke on the team is the forwards score the points, the ladies, and the trophies while the defensemen support the line.

It’s not like all us defensemen are bitter, it’s simply the way it goes.

Well, until today that is.

“There is someone I want you to meet.”

Mo guides me away from our teammates, their rowdiness increasing with the alcohol level. Most of the parents have started to head out, so my teammates are downing the spiked punch like there’s no tomorrow.

If there’s one thing small universities are good at, it’s throwing after parties. And considering our team just broke the school’s consecutive championship streak with a fifth banner for Taber University’s repertoire this year, tonight’s party is bound to be a big one.

I spy a pretty blonde in a green dress that immediately makes me think of the girl from the gym this morning. I do a double take, thinking it might be her, but the brown eyes that smile my way don’t trigger the recognition I was hoping for.

Disappointment tugs at my chest when I suddenly realize Mo has been talking to me this whole time, “…starting at Taber this fall. You consider me a brother, don’t you Ellsworth?”

“Of course.” I answer with as much confidence as possible, instantly feeling bad for tuning him out. Forcing my eyes to stop their fruitless search, I turn my full attention onto my graduating captain.

“Good, because I consider you a brother as well. And family never abandons family.” Mo’s words spread warmth through my chest and I can’t hold back the smile that creeps across my face.

“So, because you’re taking my place next year, I expect you to fill my shoes both on and off the field. You get what I’m saying?”

I nod, determined to make my mentor proud, “I’ll look after the team, Mo. On and off the field.”

Mo nods, leading us towards the dessert table. The chocolate fountain is a fan favourite, and the line to dip assorted fruit snakes across the back of the room.

“I’m happy to hear it. Of course, being my replacement means you’ll also have to keep an eye out for Stella next fall.”

“Stella?”

We slow as we approach the table, students waving us ahead as if Mo’s performance these last five years has made him an exception to standing in line. Leisurely grabbing a plate full of strawberries, Mo takes his time dipping each one, pushing his priority status to the maximum. I shift from foot-to-foot, uncomfortably aware of the people patiently waiting their turn.

“My younger sister. You’re going to need better listening skills if you’re going to lead our team to victory next year.”

My shoulders hunch with embarrassment as I hurry to apologize, “I’m sorry Mo, I’ve been distracted all day.”

Finally taking leave of the chocolate fountain, Mo sends a smirk my way, “Is the distraction female by any chance?”

“Maybe. There was this girl at the gym today who I’ve never seen before. I’m just curious about what her deal is.” I shrug as if said girl hasn’t been haunting me since 5am this morning.

“You should ask her out.” Mo impatiently checks his phone as he chews on a strawberry. I sigh, not wanting to explain the gym code situation. The more I think about it, the more ridiculous I feel. Why didn’t I just go over and say hello?

“Well, first I’ve got to talk to her, but once I do that…” My words die off as platinum hair materializes in front of me. I blink once, twice, thinking she will disappear, but she doesn’t.

Out of the topknot, the girl’s platinum hair hangs down to her waist, delicate braids intricately weaved throughout. The black dress she’s wearing hits mid-thigh, her toned legs flexing under the banquet hall’s lighting. I gulp as my eyes trail up to her face, the sparkly eye makeup making her eyes look like the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean.

My mouth goes dry as I stare at the girl in front of me.

It’s her. It’s the girl from this morning.

“Ellsworth, I want you to meet my younger sister, Stella. She won’t be part of the lacrosse team next year, but I expect you to watch over her like you would any other player.” My stomach drops as his words sink in. The girl from the gym is Mo’s sister.

His younger sister.

“I’m not a pet Mo, I don’t need to be looked after.” Stella rolls her eyes, completely unaware of the turmoil raging inside my body.

Mo sighs, equally oblivious, “I know you don’t, but I’ll feel better knowing someone is looking out for you. And Ellsworth is the best, you know I wouldn’t trust your wellbeing to just anyone.” Pricks of guilt needle my gut as Stella turns her fierce gaze onto mine.

“Don’t get in my way, okay rookie?” Her biting words tug at my lips and I find myself holding out my hand for a shake.

“So long as you stay out of trouble, we won’t have a problem. Freshman.” Her eyes narrow as she takes my hand and I fight to hold back a grin.

“We’ll see about that.” Her small hand fits perfectly in mine and for a moment I forget her older brother is standing just a few feet away.

“Alright, now that’s out of the way, Stel, I think it’s time we tear up the dance floor.”

Mo’s voice is like a bucket of cold water as I drop his sister’s hand and take a step back. Her dark blue eyes flick to mine and the pull between us grows stronger. I take another step back and something flashes in those beautiful blue eyes. Before I can decipher it, Stella gives me a polite nod, links her arm through her brother’s and together they head to the dance floor.

“You alright, Cap?” I hadn’t noticed I was staring after the sibling pair until Mason walks by with a friendly nudge.

Dragging my eyes away from the girl I lost, found, and lost all over again, I turn and give my teammate a weary smile, “You don’t have to call me that until next fall.”

Mason cocks his head to the side, his flaming red hair flopping with the motion, “The second you stepped onto the lacrosse field this season, you were bound to be captain. We all knew it, Mighty was just the one to announce it.”

He nods in Mo’s direction, “It’s about time someone took his place. Even if he wasn’t graduating, it was time for him to go.”

I frown as my protective instincts kick in, “Mo has done so much for this team, he will be leaving a legacy behind.”

“Hey, all I’m saying is it was time for some fresh blood. And I cannot be happier you were the one chosen.” Flashing me a grin, Mason motions to the blonde I mistook for Stella just moments earlier.

“That one has been eyeing you up all evening. Go have some fun, Cap. Tonight the defensemen are the ones scoring.”

I sneak a glance at the girl in the green dress and find her staring back at me. A sly smile comes my way, and I find myself smiling back.

I start making my way over when Mo’s laughter rings out over the crowd. I turn to see my mentor and his younger sister doing some sort of dance routine and the smile taking over Stella’s face stops me dead in my tracks.

Wow.

Shaking my head, I resume my path towards the blonde and paste a polite smile onto my face. Her brown eyes are a far cry from the ones I wish they were, but you can’t always get what you want.