23. Shane

I”min the locker room, pulling off my sweaty gear after practice when Neo plops down on the bench next to me. Bass is right behind him, flopping down and stretching out his legs. They”ve got that look on their faces, the one that says they”re about to launch into one of their tag-team lectures.

“I’ve got ten minutes tops for whatever this is,” I tell them.

“Why, are you speeding out of here to walk Prez back to her apartment?” Bass says in his know-it-all voice.

“Is that a rhetorical question?” I quip back.

”Yo, Shane,” Neo starts, his tone casual but his eyes sharp. ”We need to talk to you about Prez.”

Of course, I think to myself. Because we work as a team on the ice, each of us dependent on the other for our success, they think that they should protect me off it as well.

“What about her?” I sigh, tossing my gloves into my bag. “Is this an intervention?”

“Don’t get us wrong.” Bass leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “We love Kennedy, but you’re really going all in on her? Ignoring every other girl on campus for someone who won’t even go public with you? It hurts to watch, man.”

I feel a twinge of annoyance but keep my voice steady. “You’ve misunderstood the situation. It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it like?” Neo raises an eyebrow. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re chasing a ghost. She’s got you wrapped around her finger, and she’s not giving anything back.”

They’re right about one thing.

Kennedy Bing has me completely pussy whipped. If only she used her superpowers for good. They don’t know the half of it. I’d burn down half this campus if she told me she needed it to happen.

“You’re a goddamn rock star, Shane,” Bass adds. “You could have any girl on campus.”

“I know what I could have, and I know what I want.”

“You’re hurting the puck bunnies’ feelings,” Bass adds. “They damn near were going to hold a house meeting to discuss it.”

“They’ve got all of you,” I smile.

“Yeah, but you’re the prettiest one of us.”

“Listen, I appreciate the concern.” Not really. “But neither one of you needs to worry about me. I know what it might look like on the outside, but Kennedy and I are just figuring things out. I’ve got it all under control.”

”Figuring things out?” Bass snorts. “Dude, you’re scaring off every guy who even looks at her. It’s like you’ve claimed her without her claiming you back. How’s that fair?”

I clench my jaw, trying to stay calm. ”I’m not scaring anyone off.”

”Bullshit,” Neo retorts. “One week, you’re telling me about how the baseball player was into her, and the next, his jaw was swollen. Now if he sees her, the motherfucker crosses the street.”

“Coincidence.” I shrug.

“Guys on campus talk about you, Shane. They won’t even try with her anymore because they know you’ll kick ass and ask questions later if they do. You’ve got a reputation, and it’s not a good one.”

“So the fuck what?” I grit my teeth, frustration boiling over. ”I care about her. Is that a crime?”

Bass sighs, rubbing his temples. ”No, obviously, it’s not a crime. But you’ve got to think about what you’re doing. Like it or not, you’re a part of this little triad we’ve got going. Our faces are plastered all over campus. We’ve got an image to maintain.”

“A fuckboy image?”

“If Kennedy’s not ready to go public, fine,” Neo interjects. “But that doesn’t mean you should act like her personal bodyguard and scare away every potential friend or date she might have. I like Prez. I think she’s one of the coolest girls on this campus and I respect the fuck out of her. But you know how she is. She doesn’t have a lot of friends. She only tolerates Pepper and Minka nowadays and is becoming too dependent on you. So if you don’t want to consider yourself in all of this, think about her, Shane.”

All I do is think about her.

That’s my damn problem.

I sit down heavily, the weight of my team captain’s words sinking in. ”I just... I don’t want to lose her,” I admit out loud for the first time ever.

Neo’s expression softens a bit. ”We get that, bro. We do. But you’ve got to chill. Give her space to come to you. If she wants to be with you, she will. You can’t force it.”

I run a hand through my hair, feeling more conflicted than ever. ”It’s just hard, you know? We have this connection, and I don’t want anyone else getting in the way.”

“Is your mom still dating the daddy?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you know what I’m going to say. It’s going to be hard to convince Prez of anything if that’s still a thing.”

“Which is why I’m waiting.”

“Well, maybe in the meantime, don’t act like a possessive jerk?”

“Yeah, you can’t beat up everyone on campus,” Bass jokes. “Who am I going to fight?”

”You’re right.” I let out a short laugh, despite myself. “I’ll try to take a step back.”

“That’s the spirit.” Bass grins, clapping me on the back. “So should I send Gia to your room tonight?”

“Fuck, no, Bass.”

The two of them laugh at me.

“Okay, baby steps.”

Neo stands up, stretching. “We can’t force you to play with the bunnies, but just don’t let this complicated relationship with Prez mess with your head. You’re taking some of it out on the ice, and we’ve got a championship to win.”

“You’ve been in the penalty box more than me,” I tell him.

“Well, we can’t all be fucking up if we’re going to get to the big dance.”

“True,” I chuckle.

As I finish packing up my gear, I think about what they said. Maybe I have been going overboard with Kennedy, trying to control something that can’t be controlled. Maybe it’s time to take a step back and let things happen naturally, allow her to come to me.

Neo comes back from the shower, towel slung over his shoulder. He studies me carefully. “I see you’re thinking about what we just discussed.”

“Yeah.”

“And you think Kennedy’s worth all this?”

I look up at him, considering my answer. ”Yeah, I do. She’s worth it. But I know I need to play this differently.”

”Look, man, I’m not saying you shouldn’t go for her. Just because I’ve never been in love doesn’t mean I don’t believe in it. We’re just saying don’t lose yourself in the process. You’re one of the best players on this team, and we need you here, focused.”

”I get that,” I reply, nodding. ”I’ve been distracted. I’m gonna fix it.”

“Yeah, but,” Neo smirks. “You’re still headed out to meet her, aren’t you?”

“Um, yeah,” I admit with a grin.

“We get it.” Bass punches my shoulder lightly. “Baby fucking steps.”