Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

KAYDEN

TWO WEEKS LATER (OCTOBER)

" S witch with me."

"No."

"Dane, come on," I pleaded.

I wasn't above begging to get what I wanted.

It was a cloudy afternoon, crisp but not cold, as we waited for our bus at the campus gates, along with the rest of the hockey team. Everyone had their bags by their feet, headphones on or around their neck, ready to roll.

Me? I wanted to run right back to my dorm.

Why the fuck had I gotten stuck with Maddox as a roommate? I'd approached Coach about it, but he told me that barring an emergency, there were no changes. Suck it up and deal.

"I sympathize, bud, but you know how Coach sets this up," Dane replied. "It's done. And someone has to room with Rocher. You're probably the best choice."

"What? Why me?" I asked.

"Come on, you're the nicest guy on the team. If anyone has patience for assholes, it's you."

I sighed. Dane wasn't wrong about the patience part. I was training to be a social worker, so empathy and patience were mandatory, but I wouldn't go so far as to say I was the nicest guy on the team. That was Jace. Not me. And, yeah, usually I could always find something good in everyone. But my exposure to Maddox so far left me with a restless twinge in my gut. Like the kind I get when a game is going downhill real fast, and the clock is running out. Despite all the practices to date, I still couldn't get past that mask of his. I was starting to think it was permanently attached to his face, and his personality.

"He hates me," I added.

"Maddox hates everyone," Dane lowered his voice and leaned in closer. "I heard he had it out with Coach. Demanded his own room on the road. Said he'd pay out of pocket, but the request got denied. And Maddox was pissed."

I shoved a hand through my messy hair and tugged. "Great. Now he's gonna be extra snarky, and I have to sleep in the same room. I'll be lucky if I wake up at all."

"Ignore him. Wear your headphones all the time. Do your own thing. Chances are, he's not gonna talk to you, anyway. It's not that big of a deal."

"Says the person not rooming with him," I replied.

"Sorry."

I glanced behind us and counted heads, and the entire team was lined up. Everyone except Maddox.

When our bus pulled up a few minutes later, I was still pacing like I was hopped up on too much sugar. Still, no sign of our snide goalie. Maybe he wouldn't show up at all. Maybe the Coach's rules were gonna push him over the edge, and he'd quit.

Nah. No one dropped their team over something like that. The hockey world isn't that big. If you get saddled with a difficult reputation, it can have consequences. I couldn't afford to fuck up, but maybe Maddox didn't give a shit. Still, I found it odd that a guy like that played a team sport.

"Maybe I'll ask Silas." I looked around and spotted the defenseman with his ear pods in, ignoring everyone around him. "I'm sure he won't mind sharing with Maddox."

"The answer to that is a hard no."

I turned at the sound of Coach's voice. Shit.

"You know the rules, Kayden. Rooms are set," Coach muttered before he stepped onto the bus.

Fuck.

Ignoring my nerves, I shoved my bag into the underbelly of the bus and stepped on board. At least I could sit beside whoever I wanted. Same thing when we went out for a team dinner.

Dane and I took the seats behind Coach, with Jace and Sean on the opposite aisle, and everyone else filing on behind us. I pulled out my phone and checked my messages. We were leaving in five minutes, Maddox or not. The bigger part of me hoped he wouldn't show up. I felt a bit guilty about that, but it was short-lived.

The bus driver talked to Coach, then got back to his seat, readying us to go.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Maddox finally stepped onto the bus, resting asshole face in place. His undercut was slicked back, with a few stray pieces of black hair falling into his eyes. He didn't look at me, though. Didn't even glance my way. Maybe Dane was right. Maddox would ignore me. Fine. The room situation wasn't going to be a problem, right?

When he walked past me, I smelled tobacco and the muskiness of his leather jacket. That unsettled feeling in the pit of my gut hit me again. Or maybe it was motion sickness. Oh, wait, we were still in the parking lot…

Five minutes later, we pulled out of campus and headed for the highway. It was a six-hour drive to Rochester, and since I hardly slept last night, I crashed hard.

When I woke up, three hours later, I was starving and had the drool-crust on my mouth to prove it. I glanced around to find Dane typing on his phone. Jace and Sean were asleep, their heads back, mouths open, snores abundant.

I looked back and it was the same thing. The bus was quiet, except for the chainsaw that was Ethan's nose, and the hum of someone singing with their headphones on. We'd be stopping for a bathroom break soon, thank fuck, and hopefully, a decent fast-food chain while we were at it. I needed carbs and fat.

Then I smelled it.

A cigarette. Not stale, like the day after a party. Actual smoke drifted over me.

I stood up and turned around to find Maddox, ear pods in, smoking a cig, relaxed as can be. When he glanced up, instead of his usual glare, I got a smirk, the corners of his lips curled up. I didn't know which was scarier, his angry face or this one.

Coach was still asleep, but probably not for long. Without thinking, I got up and stalked to the back of the bus, not pausing until I reached Maddox.

"Put that out."

He yanked out his ear pods. "What?"

"I said, put that out."

"No."

"No smoking on the bus, or didn't you see the sign?" I hissed. "Coach catches you, and you're fucked."

Maddox shrugged and took another drag, then blew the smoke in my face. "He's gotta have two goalies for the game. I'm not worried."

"No one's impressed by this so-called rebel routine you're trying to pull off. It's just annoying," I snapped. "Now put that thing out before we all get kicked off the freaking bus."

"You heard him."

Thank you, Captain. I turned to find Dane standing behind me, giving as good a glare as Maddox.

Our goalie had one foot resting on the opposite knee, so he pushed the lit stub of the cigarette into the sole of his running shoe.

"Happy now, Cap?"

"You don't have to like us, and we don't have to like you. But you do need to have respect. That includes road trips and any group event where we represent the school—on or off the ice," Dane continued. "Unless, of course, you prefer to find another team to play with."

Maddox shoved his ear pods back in and closed his eyes. Was he agreeing with Dane or being a brat? At this point, who knew? Who cared?

"Come on," Dane encouraged me with a pat on my shoulder. "We're about to make a pit spot."

"Thank fuck," I muttered as I turned around, and we headed back to our seats. "Can we leave him there?"

Dane stared at me. "Really, Kay? That's so not you."

I would never. But…

"He's pushing my nice limit," I admitted.

When we got back to our seats, Coach was talking on his phone. Once he was done with his call, he turned to us. "Is there a fire I should know about?"

Dane and I both shook our heads.

"It's taken care of," Dane confirmed.

I didn't say anything, but I was half tempted to ask Coach to let me switch rooms. Again. But the stressed look on his face told me not to push my luck.

When the bus finally came to a stop, there was practically a stampede to get off. Every damn time. There's nothing hockey players hate more than sitting still for any length of time.

The service center was busier than I'd expected, with lineups at the burger place and the sub shop. After using the restroom, I got in line with Dane. Thankfully, I was familiar with the sub chain and their menu. Otherwise, I'd have to pull out my phone to read what was on display. Only a few of my teammates knew about my learning disability. Not sure why, but if it didn't come up, I didn't bother saying anything. It didn't affect my ability on the ice, so most guys probably wouldn't give a shit about it. I worried, though, that they'd see me differently. And treat me the same. I'd had enough of that in high school.

After I paid for my sub, I sat down with Jace, Dane, and Sean, and scarfed down my meal. Silas, Axel, and Ethan were sitting at the table beside us, with the rest of the guys beside them. Everyone was eating as fast as they could so we could get back on the road.

I spotted Maddox sitting alone at the very end, an unwrapped burger and a pile of fries in front of him. He'd barely eaten any of his meal. Instead, he sipped on a soda and was looking at his phone.

It hit me all at once. I flashed back to myself at age fourteen, sitting in the cafeteria. By myself.

My turkey sub sat like a rock in my stomach as I remembered how shitty that feeling was. Not fitting in. Everyone around me laughing, caught up in their conversations.

This is different. He wants to be alone.

It still didn't sit right.

Maddox had a prickly outer layer. But acting the way he did, the anger, the snarky vibe, I was pretty sure his attitude was all about defense. He was protecting himself. From what, I had no idea. And given that he didn't want anyone near him, it'd be hard as hell to suss out what the issue was.

On the ice, it was my job to protect him. But off the ice? I had a feeling I'd need more than my pads to protect myself from him.