5. Caroline

5

CAROLINE

“Why are there boys here? I thought this wasn’t a co-ed house, Caroline?” my father mutters, his gaze narrowing as a guy in a bright white linen polo passes by carrying a cardboard box. “You know I wouldn’t have agreed to this… I would’ve gotten you an off-campus apartment. Boys a—”

“Dad.” I cut him off from the spiral that he’s very much already going down. I can see the vein in his neck bulging as he turns a shade of red that means his blood pressure is already flying through the roof. “Dad. Take a breath, okay? In… and out.”

Since the moment I arrived in Chicago two months ago, my father has been hovering. And by hovering, I mean completely suffocating me.

I know that he means well and that he’s overcompensating for all of the time that he’s missed. We’re both navigating this rocky, foreign territory as best we can, and that’s why I get it. I do. I think, in his head, I’m still the little girl he left behind. But that little girl is gone, and I’m a grown woman now.

Reaching out, I place my hand on his arm and swear that I can feel him shaking, “It isn’t a co-ed sorority house, Dad. I’m pretty sure he’s just someone’s boyfriend helping move. Calm down, okay? You know the doctor said you need to work on lowering your blood pressure, and you can’t have a fit every time something happens or, god forbid, I’m near a man. I’m not a little girl anymore, okay?”

His eyes soften slightly, and a small smile turns his lips up, “Care Bear, you’ll always be my little girl. Doesn’t matter how old you get. I can’t help it. I just want you to be safe, and I’m nervous, is all. Chicago is a big city, and I hate that you’ll be here all alone.”

I notice in the sunlight shining through the high arched windows just how much my dad has aged. His dark hair is now peppered with gray, the corners of his eyes crinkled with lines that weren’t there the last time I saw him. It’s a reminder of how much has changed since we were together last.

I nod. “I know, but I won’t be alone. I have a roommate, remember? I promise I’ll be okay, but I need to know that you’re not going to have an aneurysm if I don’t answer my phone, Dad. I’m going to be swamped with classes and attempting to meet new people on campus.”

The truth is I had no intention of ever leaving Seattle, and certainly not switching colleges halfway through my college career, but my dad called me toward the end of my sophomore year and told me that he had a mild heart attack, and it was a wake-up call for the both of us.

He moved across the country when I was twelve to coach an NHL team after he and my mom got divorced. Our interactions went from nightly phone calls to once a week to birthdays and holidays. We grew apart like the tides, and for a long time, I was heartbroken.

And angry.

Part of me still is.

But I realized that we were both to blame for the wedge that formed between us, and when he called to tell me that he was sick, the rest didn’t matter.

All that mattered was the harsh reality that life is short and never promised. At any given moment, he could be gone, and then I’d be left with a lifetime of regret that we didn’t at least try to fix our relationship.

It still doesn’t change the fact that we’re virtually strangers who share the same blood. He remembers me as an awkward preteen, and I remember him as the man who divorced my mother and cared more about hockey than his family.

Even if it wasn’t true, I spent the majority of my life believing that. And it broke my heart and left me doing a lot of therapy and healing over the years to get to the point I’m at today.

So now, we’re back at the beginning, getting to know each other again and learning each other’s boundaries.

“I’m trying, Care. Let’s just get these boxes up to your room, okay?” He smiles, and I can tell it’s strained, but I nod anyway and offer him a small one in return.

He picks up the box at his feet and heads down the hallway to my assigned room, disappearing into the open door. My phone vibrates in my hand as I follow behind him with a text from my best friend back home.

Lena: Settled in yet? How’s your dad?

Me: Slightly suffocating, but it’s fine. We’re moving in boxes now. I can’t believe I live in Chicago now. Miss you so much.

Lena: Me either. It feels weird knowing you’re not next door anymore, but the plus side is your father coaches an entire team of hot ass hockey players. Have you seen the roster? Daddddddies.

Now is absolutely not the time to confess to my best friend that somehow, I accidentally boned the hottest man I’ve ever seen in my entire life, and as it turns out… he’s my father’s hotshot goalie.

Who I absolutely cannot stop thinking about, even though getting involved in something as messy as that is the last thing I need. And turns out he is kind of a jerk, but somehow, I can’t seem to stop thinking about the feel of his lips on my skin.

I may have left him in that closet with truly no intention of ever seeing him again, but it looks like the universe has entirely different plans.

So, I haven’t filled my best friend in on that tea yet because that is not a conversation you have via text.

Me: Absolutely not. I’m staying far, far away from all hockey players, especially ones that my dad is coaching. Hello, here to fix our fucked up relationship… not make it even worse. That’s a one way ticket to “fuck no” for me. laughing emoji

Lena: Okay… true, but they’re only off limits for you, not me. winky face

Lena: Plus, I think most of them are married anyway. Bummer.

Lena: Go move in, and send me pics when your room is done. Oh, and let me know how your new roommate is. Hopefully she stays out of your makeup and isn’t a bitch.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous about meeting her. It’s always a little nerve-racking when you move in with a total stranger because, let’s be real, sometimes people just don’t vibe. I truly hope that isn’t the case. And if it is, well, I’m determined to make the best of it.

At first, I wasn’t exactly sold on moving to Chicago. Of course I want to spend time with my dad and get to know him again, but I also wasn’t really excited to move across the country where I know absolutely no one and am practically starting my life over.

I’m extroverted as fuck, but the thought of moving was daunting, even for me.

I’ve been in Chicago for only a couple of months, sleeping in my dad’s guest room until my room at the house was ready, and I’ve spent all my free time exploring the city and finding all the best places to eat and shop. I’m lucky that the sorority let me move in a few weeks early to get to know my new sisters and get settled before school starts. Which, thankfully, got me out of my dad’s guest room. Now it’s time to start my internship and get ready to start my classes. Settle into my new home and life here.

When I round the corner into my room, my dad is smiling, his arms crossed over his chest as he talks to a petite brunette. She’s tiny, and that’s saying a lot since I’m barely five foot one myself.

“Oh my gosh, you must be Caroline.” The girl bounds over to me and throws her arms around me, crushing me against her small frame. “I’m Tatum, your roommate!”

“Hi!”

I return her hug, laughing when she squeezes extra hard at the end. There’s absolutely no hint of awkwardness or shyness from this girl, and it immediately makes me feel so much better about our new living situation.

“This is my dad, Matthew Evans,” I say, gesturing to Dad, who just smiles and shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Obviously, you’ve met.”

“Yes. Honestly, everyone knows who your dad is. Your dad is practically a legend here in Chicago.” She winks at my dad, who seems to turn red under her attention and clears his throat at the praise.

“Well, I think I’ll head out and give you girls a chance to get to know each other. Care Bear, don’t forget your meeting with the director of Face-Off next week. I’ll call you again this weekend to remind you. She’ll give you a tour and get you familiar with the practice facilities.” He smiles, then disappears through the door.

“Oh, Face-Off? Are you an athlete?” Tatum asks.

“No, it’s actually funny—I don’t follow much about hockey, even though Dad is the coach. But I am majoring in sports medicine, so I know much more about the injuries and mechanical aspects of hockey vs the sport itself.”

Tatum laughs as she hops up on the edge of her bed, letting her Converse-clad feet dangle. “You’ll learn, trust me. Every man on this campus lives and breathes hockey and baseball.”

I have no doubt about it.

“Ah, well, I am definitely more of a baseball girl. I love it. So that’s good to hear. What about you? Tell me about you. And can I just say I’m so excited that we’re going to be roommates. I was really hoping to get someone I vibed with,” I admit to Tatum.

“Same here!” Her face brightens, and a genuine smile sits on her lips, further assuring me that I seriously lucked out by getting this girl as my roommate. “Well, obviously, I’m Tatum. I’m majoring in journalism, and this is my third year at Pi. My sister was Pi’s president a few years ago, so it kind of runs in the family? So, here I am. I love Gilmore Girls, early mornings, and running.”

“Jess for life.” I grin, and she squeals.

“Oh, that’s my girl! I mean, as if there was another choice though. Tell me about you! I wanna know all the juicy stuff.”

I walk over to the stack of boxes in front of my bed and hop on top of it to sit. “I moved here from Seattle this summer to be closer to my dad. I also love Gilmore Girls and have way too many books. I love romance, and hmm… I’m definitely not a morning person? I’m not fully functional until like 9:00 a.m. after a shot of espresso and a Venti cold brew from Starbucks.”

Tatum laughs. “Most people aren’t. I’m weird. I promise not to wake you up unless absolutely necessary.”

“Thank you.” I grin. “I’ll probably be on the struggle bus for a while with my caseload, so I will need literally every second of sleep I can manage.”

“Totally understand. We’re going to have the best year ever, I have no doubt. And speaking of…” She hops down from the bed and walks over to her desk, plucking a neon pink flier off her already half-full bulletin board. “This is the perfect way to introduce you to Northwestern!”

I take the flier from her and skim the page. It’s a local bar that’s doing a back-to-school event in a few weeks, and drinks are two for one if you’re wearing cowboy attire.

Now that I can get behind.

I told myself that I would dive into making new friends and falling in love with my new home like I loved Seattle.

Starting with two for one at this pub night with Tatum. I mean, I think I would look so hot in a cowboy hat if I do say so myself.

“You had me at two for one, babe. Now, the question is… what are we gonna wear?”

She squeals, taking the flier back from me, “Oh, I have the perfect outfit. A pair of shorts that will make your ass look so good. And you’re in luck. I’ve got the best hat for you from last year’s cowgirl-themed rush day. We have plenty of time to have you looking so hot.”

Perfect. It’s only the first day at a new school, in a new house, with a new roommate, and I already have a feeling this is going to be the best year yet. I’m manifesting that shit.

* * *

It’s fine. You probably won’t even see him,I tell myself as I walk through the entrance of Face-Off. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t spend the last hour dreading coming here and repeating the same pep talk over and over in the Uber ride here.

It’s not that I wasn’t excited to be able to work with the youth teams. I’m getting the hours I need for my degree, all while doing something I love. That part I’m ecstatic about. What I’m not ecstatic about is seeing Hudson Rome.

I’d prefer to never see him again if I can help it.

I was perfectly fine with a meaningless hookup, and after our… creative discussion in the locker room, I’m absolutely dreading coming face-to-face with him again.

But I refuse to let his grumpy, stick-up-his-ass self ruin this experience for me. I’m excited to actually be able to work with kids and even more so to make my dad proud.

Inside the main lobby of the building, there are hundreds of photos framed on the walls of players at various ages, several awards, and even more newspaper clippings. There’s a small desk in the front, where a woman sits, working on a laptop. When she glances up and sees me standing there, her face lights up.

“Caroline?”

“Yes, hi!” I rush forward and extend my hand across her desk, which she shakes. The smile on her face immediately quells some of the nerves that are dancing in my stomach, the same feeling that has remained since I walked out of the locker room with my heart in my throat.

“I’m Laura, the program director here at Face-Off. We’re so excited to have you here volunteering with us! Your dad mentioned you attend Northwestern?”

I nod. “Yes. I’m a junior getting my undergrad in sports med. Thank you so much for allowing me to intern and learn from your trainers. I’m so excited to be getting hands-on experience.”

Laura’s smile is genuine as she nods. “That is so exciting. I’m actually a Northwestern alumna myself! Girl, you are going to have a blast. Those years were some of the best of my life. What I wouldn’t do to turn back the clock.” Her gaze turns faraway as she reminisces on those days before returning to me.

“I am really looking forward to this. I haven’t had much of a chance to tour the campus yet, but I plan to this weekend with my new roommate.” I smile, tucking my hair behind my ear. I’m thankful that Laura is so sweet and easy to talk to because it’s helping with my nerves about seeing Hudson again.

“If you ever need anything, you just shoot me a text and let me know.” Her eyes shine with kindness. “But for now, I’ll give you a tour of the facility and then let you meet some of the kids.” She glances down at her watch, “Practice is about to start for the team Hudson Rome is coaching. I think your dad mentioned you know him?”

I nod. “Uh, we met once in my dad’s office briefly, so I wouldn’t say I really know him, but yes, I know he’s my dad’s goalie.”

Laura laughs, turning back to the desk and swiping a folder off the tabletop. “Yeah, he’s a superstar around here. The kids love him. He’s actually coaching the older team—U14. We’re going to place you with the U14 team today since your internship will focus on shadowing the teen trainers.”

“Sounds good.”

It doesn’t sound good, not at all, but what could I say? Please don’t put me around the hottest man I’ve ever seen, the one whose dick is obviously magic since I can’t seem to stop thinking about it?

He was right when he called me a liar because he did make me come harder than I ever have.

We agreed to a one-night stand, so I’ll just have to accept the torture as what it is. And like he said… we’re going to act professionally. Which I totally am prepared to do, even if thinking about his magic dick is not in line with said professional behavior.

Easy enough.

It takes about thirty minutes to tour the facility, with Laura pointing out the staff offices, the locker rooms, the weight rooms, and other places I might need, like the sports closet and the restroom.

What they have set up here for these kids is seriously incredible, and as the tour progresses, I’m even more excited to dive in.

“Now, let’s go meet the team,” she says, disappearing through the door that leads to the ice. Her blonde ponytail swishes behind her as she steps out into the massive rink, and my mouth drops a little bit.

“Wow.”

Her laugh echoes around us as she nods, amusement shining in her gaze. “Tell me about it. Our program has come so far in the past few years, and honestly, the majority of our funding comes from the players. They are very generous, not just with money but with their time, too. The Avalanches guys are responsible for much of this.”

She sweeps her arm out and gestures to the state-of-the-art rink full of kids skating. It doesn’t take long for my eyes to seek out Hudson.

I tried not to, I really did. I had every intention of pretending he doesn’t exist, but the problem with Hudson Rome is that you can’t ignore his presence, even if you tried. He has the ability to draw all eyes to him. A magnetic pull that demands attention. Even from the few times we’ve been together, I can see that. Not to mention how it’s captured when he’s on the ice. And of course, I googled him the second I got home to attest to that.

As we approach the ice, our arms resting on the boards, my eyes rake over his body, clad in a pair of gray sweatpants that should be illegal.

God, he’s so handsome it is ridiculous.

His dark hair is cut close to his head, and a dusting of stubble ghosts his sharp jaw. Who knew an Adam’s apple could be so sexy?

Is that a thing? A sexy neck?

He’s in a black hoodie bearing the Avalanches logo and a pair of hockey skates that look like they’ve been through the wringer, with a shiny silver whistle around his neck.

His powerful legs take him to the far side of the rink, and I try not to think of each of his muscles rippling beneath my fingers as I slid them down his body and into the waistband of his pants in that stupid closet.

“Caroline?”

“Hm?” My gaze whips back to Laura, and my cheeks flame under her stare. “Sorry, what did you say?”

She laughs. “I asked if you wanted to meet the guys?”

“Oh, yes, of course.”

A few seconds later, she calls Hudson’s name, capturing his attention, and then he skates over, taking his time to cross the ice. I can feel his eyes on me even from across the arena, and I try not to let his attention cause any visible reaction. The last thing I want is this man to see the way that he affects me.

“Laura,” he says with a smile that makes my stomach dip. He turns his attention to me and nods. “Caroline.”

“The guys are looking amazing out there, really working together as a team. A handful of practices and you’re already doing great, Hudson. And you were worried you couldn’t handle these guys,” Laura says to him with a wink.

“Thanks. They’re incredible kids.” His throat bobs as he swallows. His eyes drift back to me and then drop to my shirt, the corner of his lips tugging up in a grin, before they lift back to my face. “Nice shirt.”

I’m wearing a vintage Mighty Ducks shirt that my dad gave me when I was a kid. It’s looking a bit distressed, not because it’s in style but because it’s been through the wash at least a hundred times. It’s my lucky shirt, and I knew walking in here that I’d need all the luck I could get since I was going to be around Hudson for an extended period of time. Not that I was particularly worried about seeing him face-to-face again, not after he was such a dick last time.

A dick that I can’t actually stop thinking about, but whatever. He’s hot, and I might have hooked up with him again, but his attitude is a big ole nope for me.

“Thanks.”

“So, Caroline is going to be with you guys as she shadows Marcus. He’s out sick today but should be back next week. If you need anything, get with her. I think she can handle some taping and minor things today.” She turns to face me. “Caroline, if you need anything, just give me a holler. I’ll be in my office until four.”

“Okay, thank you.”

She tosses us both a wave and then heads back through the doorway leading to the staff offices.

Silence passes between us before he clears his throat. “Looks like we’re stuck together, Bubblegum.”

“Mhmm.” I avoid his gaze, keeping my eyes on the kids. They’re skating and passing the puck to each other in what looks like drills. “Professional, just like you ordered. Remember?”

Something passes through his gaze, but it’s gone as quickly as it comes. “Easier said than done, Caroline.”