11. Tyler

Istepped into the coffee shop, the aroma like a jolt to my system. I suppressed a groan that threatened to escape at the imminent arrival of caffeine. It wasn't as good as the stuff back home, but it beat having nothing at all. I surveyed the shop, my eyes catching a hand waving at the far end. There sat Cal with a wide grin on his face. I felt one curl my own mouth, but it wasn't in response to him—it was the large breakfast and coffee he had waiting for me.

"You are a lifesaver; my head is pounding." Sliding into the booth, I cradled the coffee in my hands. It was still too hot to take a sip but it was the perfect temperature for warming my frozen fingers.

Cal looked at me with a cheeky grin. "So…" he drawled. "Spill. You're still in last night's clothes."

I groaned and let go of the warm mug to snatch my beanie from my head. I tried to shake off the hangover by tousling my hair. "Can't you wait until I have something in my stomach? What happened with you and your Sunday golf partner."

Cal rolled his eyes. "But don't think I'm going to bypass your first sexual encounter with a guy."

"How do you know there even was one?" But as soon as I said that my cheeks flamed. I brought my mug to my face in the hopes I could mask it.

"Because that kind of blush doesn't come from the cold. And your eyes have that post-orgasmic smile to them. Most importantly, my gay power is knowing when someone has been laid, and you have been thoroughly fucked."

I inhaled my first sip of coffee, making my nose burn.

Does that power also tell him I was the one who got fucked?

"Oh, hot damn, you totally bottomed!" Busted. "Is his dick as good as I remembered?"

That felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over me. The blood drained from my face, the realization hitting me like a ton of bricks—I was just another number. My own roommate had slept with the guy, for fuck's sake. If not for the pounding headache I might have bolted, hitting the pavement to blow off the tension building in my chest.

I woke up to Hunter holding me tight, his hand over my heart and his head tucked into my neck. Hunter was many things, but I never had him pegged for a cuddler. His body heat and strong grasp were something that caused a visceral reaction that had me scrambling from the bed and rushing out the door. I panicked. The last problem I needed was to fall for the team's playboy. As much as I wanted to believe that his behavior in the locker room was all an act, I'd been wrong before. And I wasn't making the same mistake twice.

"No baby, this is something different."

The sentimental part of me wanted to believe him, but I knew I wouldn't survive another loss.

"Shit, Ty, I'm sorry. I have a big mouth. He never looked at me the way he looked at you. The night we shared was nothing but a quick fuck. I never slept over. No one ever has—not even Kins. But you did."

I shook my head, trying to clear the warring thoughts.

"What happened with you?" I was desperate to change the subject. I wanted to forget all about Hunter Graves. Like that'll ever happen. "Please say that preppy dipshit is now your ex-boyfriend."

"Yep, he is. I followed them back to his dorm and watched him fuck that twinky little punk with a dick piercing in our bed."

I made the mistake of taking a big gulp of my coffee just as he began to speak, and now I was coughing and spluttering, the hot liquid shooting out of my nose.

"Jesus, Cal. Fucking warn a guy when you are about to mention a pierced dick."

This was my life now, I went from blocking my ears of my teammates speaking about pussy, to apparently having a new friend that spoke about dicks and piercings.

Cal laughed. "Sorry. Forgot. you're a baby gay. To be honest, I kind of get my ex's fascination with the guy. If he hadn't already tainted him I'd be interested myself. Total waste if you ask me, being exclusively top and missing out on what that piercing—"

I raised my hand to stop him. "I get the picture."

Cal only laughed harder. "Okay, okay. Well, I walked in, made a big scene while he was balls deep in the punk's ass, then I watched as he pulled out and wailed that it was a moment of weakness, that he still loved me but I was so busy with my training that I made him feel alone. Blah, blah, blah. I told him to have fun, but at least let that pierced cock be used for good."

I wanted to laugh, but I refrained, biting my lip to choke it down

Cal smiled despite the pain in his eyes "Can we go back to talking about your night? Did you get the answers you were after?"

My gut tightened. "It was just one night. Life is the same, Hunter Graves will still be the pain in the ass he's always been."

Cal nodded at me, but his eyes sparkled. "I will ignore the pain in the ass comment, just this once."

I rolled my eyes and finished my breakfast wondering if I could ever forget the "Hockey Hottie."

That was Cal's idea. Not mine.