Chapter 22

When I opened my eyes, my head was throbbing, my mouth was dry, and through the tired haze, all I could hear was an incessant buzzing.

Where am I?

Squinting, I tried to move, only to feel the weight of Madison’s mostly naked body on top of me. With no covers on, she was curled up on my chest, doing her best to keep warm. I relaxed back down for a second, gently playing with strands of her hair and stroking her back in an attempt to wake her, but she wasn’t budging. Lightly snoring, she was exhausted. I was too, but I needed to turn my phone off to stop it from buzzing before it woke her up.

Ever so gently, I slipped out from underneath her and draped a fluffy, white throw blanket over her to keep her warm. As she snuggled into the bed, my body yearned to join her again because she looked so tiny in it without me.

This was it.

I could feel it.

She was the one. The one I was always supposed to be with. The one I didn’t want to be without. Now, I just had to take her on that date and tell her brother all about us. Simple. I inwardly groaned because if it were that easy, I would have told him already.

My phone was still buzzing, but finding my pants seemed impossible after Madison tossed them across the room earlier. When I finally found them behind the chest of drawers, I pulled my phone out, only to be met with a burst of messages from my teammates.

“Fuck,” I whispered sharply.

I had no time to read through any of the messages because I was already thirty minutes late for warm-up. Coach was going to kill me.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” I repeated like an annoying mantra and shoved my clothes on as quickly as possible. If I left right now, I might just get there in time for the start of the game, but that didn’t mean I’d be ready to play.

I had to get to the rink, either way. I couldn’t let my team down.

Holding on to the doorknob, I looked over my shoulder at Madison’s still-sleeping form and felt guilt slithering through my veins. I didn’t want to leave her like this, but I didn’t want to wake her either. Scanning the room, I smiled when I saw the pink Post-it notes on her desk. Grabbing the pad and a pen, I quickly wrote a message to her, inviting her to the game tonight. When I put the pen down, I took one final look at Madison, and my chest constricted.

I didn’t want to leave. Madison looked beautiful, but I promised myself I’d be straight back in her bed once this game was finished.

Gently closing the door behind me, I ran as fast as I could to the rink. Unfortunately, by the time I got there, the team was already out on the ice.

Shit.

I wasn’t just late. Goodman, our backup goaltender, was out on the ice. I’d been replaced and I couldn’t blame them. I was always early for games because of the stretching I needed to do, so missing warm-up entirely didn’t look good.

Coach was going to kill me, and I deserved it. I knew going to Madison’s dorm was a mistake. I should have gone to my room and stretched straight after the flight, but I just couldn’t help myself. I needed to see her, and planned to talk to her about everything, but as per usual, that went out the window the minute I saw her in my T-shirt.

After twenty minutes of trying to convince Coach I was ready to go out there, I was sitting in the locker room, stewing with anger, because I wasn’t even allowed on the bench. I blew out an annoyed breath, looking around at the empty wooden benches and only hoped that I’d somehow be called into the game, but I knew it was unlikely. Coach wanted me dead. Drawn and quartered, then skewered onto a kebob, was the exact way he wanted me to go. I knew because he told me. I was an idiot and let my dick do the thinking today.

Dammit.

My game was being affected by all this sneaking around, and I hated to admit that Cade might have been right. Maybe having a girlfriend really did make me a terrible goalie. Or maybe it was karma punishing me because I’d gone behind my best friend’s back and slept with his sister. Either way, I was pissed off that I’d somehow screwed myself and the team over because I couldn’t keep my dick in my pants for a couple of hours before the game.

“So, are you just going to sit there acting all broody instead of acknowledging that we’re sitting here together?” Henry said from across the locker room, looking at me like I was an idiot, which to his defense was the truth.

Glaring at him, I held back what I really wanted to say, which would be something along the lines of, “stay the hell away from Madison, or I’m going to add to those black eyes.” I still had no idea where he’d gotten them from or why he and Cade were suddenly okay with each other, but I had my own things to worry about.

“Why bother? I have nothing to say to you.”

Henry let out an amused breath and shook his head. “Really? You don’t think we have anything to talk about at all?”

Scratching my chin, I resigned myself to the fact that Henry wasn’t going to shut up. “Fine. What’s this about? Amy?”

“Amy?” Henry raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Oh, really? That’s what you think I want to talk about?”

“What else is there that we need to address? The cost of a nose job, maybe?” I groused. I could admit I was being an ass, but I was annoyed, and Henry deserved it.

Henry’s nose twitched at the mere mention of it. “Typical goaltender. Guarding the shit out of things that don’t need guarding.”

“What are you even talking about?”

“This team. You don’t need to be so protective of it. I’m not here to try to take down anything or anyone. I just want to play hockey.”

“Then why’d you come here knowing Cade and I play here?”

“I told you already, because we make a good team on the ice, and it’s been years. I didn’t think you cared about Amy while you were dating her, so how the hell was I supposed to know you’d still be holding a grudge about it now?”

“I don’t care about Amy.”

That made Henry laugh again. He stood, made his way to my side of the locker room, and took a seat on the bench opposite. This was why I hated people. The minute you interacted with them, they thought it was okay to come closer and talk about their feelings.

“No, you’re right. That much was obvious in high school, but you still won’t admit the real reason you hate me, will you?”

“And why exactly do you think I hate you?”

“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

“Say what?”

“Madison.”

When her name fell out of his mouth, I held back the urge to knock him out because that would be proving his point. “Not sure what you’re talking about.”

In his full gear, Henry leaned forward and whispered, “Ask me what I’m studying.”

“What are you studying?”

He pushed his tongue out, wetting his lips, clearly amused by the whole situation. “Computer science.”

Madison’s course.

“You know, I tried to speak to her the first day of my lectures, but as she walked out of the room, I couldn’t help but notice you were dragging her over to the corner, hiding away with her. Then you leaned in like you were about to kiss her. Almost like she was your girlfriend. ”

“Well, she’s not,” I spat out because I didn’t trust Henry with any information about Madison and me. Not when Cade was still in the dark about it. He had to hear it from me first.

“Really?” With another raise of his brow, he mulled over my words. “Because I could have sworn I saw you chasing Madison into the equipment room earlier this week. Don’t you remember?”

I knew that would come back to haunt me eventually, but I couldn’t control myself that day.

“Look, I get it. She’s cute and really nice, but coming from someone who’s been in your position before, I’d probably tell Cade sooner rather than later. I wasn’t his friend, and he held a grudge for two years. Kind of like you.” He pushed out a laugh. “Sometimes I wonder if the two of you are attached by the umbilical cord.”

“What makes you think he doesn’t know about Madison and me?”

“Because you’re walking straight,” he joked, but pursed his lips when I didn’t laugh. “I know you think you’re being discreet when you’re checking your phone or looking in her direction but, Dash, you’re a big guy. You trying to be inconspicuous is like a giraffe trying to hide in an ant museum. It’s so obvious you’ve got a girl on your brain.” He held his hand out and pointed at me. “Look at you right now. In all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never been late for a game, but here we are.”

I clenched my jaw, mulling over his words because I knew he was right. Scotty knew, Henry knew, and I had no doubts that if Alex thought about it long enough, he’d see right through it too. The only person who didn’t know was Cade, and it was because I let him believe that I was fucking Sienna instead.

“You’re screwing up because you’re trying to keep a secret that’s not worth keeping.”

“What do you mean she’s not worth keeping?” I stood, feeling the same rage I did when he arrived. I knew I’d just openly admitted to him that there was something going on with Madison and me, but what did it matter? He already suspected it.

“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Calm down. I didn’t mean Madison wasn’t worth keeping. I meant the secret wasn’t. You and Cade have been buddies for years. I really don’t think he’ll be ticked off that you’re making his sister happy. Seeing the way her face lit up when she saw you before Hockeyfest made it obvious how much she likes you. She seems a lot less anxious too.”

“Probably because she isn’t worried about her boyfriend cheating on her,” I muttered, ready to punch him at the mere memory of him doing that. What a douche.

He just gave me a wry smile. “Boyfriend, huh?”

“Why are you telling me all this? Are you planning on blackmailing me or something?” I changed the subject because having a heart-to-heart with Henry was not on my bingo card tonight.

“Blackmail? Wow, you really think badly of me, don’t you?” I grumbled as a response. “I’m not going to blackmail you. Honestly, what are you going to do for me? Try to help convince Coach to put me out there instead of Erik? I doubt that will help since you’re back here with me.”

My fists clenched, frustrated at how easy it was for Henry to annoy me without trying.

“I’m telling you this because I want to prove to you that you can trust me. I don’t want to get involved in any drama. All I want is to play hockey and win games so I can be seen by scouts.”

“So, you’re not going to tell Cade?”

He shook his head. “I’d have nothing to gain. It’s going to screw up the team dynamic, and like I said, I’m not here to create any drama. I’m just letting you know that I’m going to feign ignorance to the whole thing.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled, not sure how to respond. I was angry at myself today, and it was coming out in all kinds of ways.

Henry sighed before standing and walking back to his locker.

“Henry.”

He looked over his shoulder but didn’t turn around.

“You’re a great player. I have no doubt you’ll get drafted at the end of the season.” I fully expected my words to taste like poison, but they didn’t. Maybe I wasn’t as angry at Henry as I thought. I had Madison now, so what was the point in holding a grudge against him?

He rolled his head to the front and huffed out a sarcastic breath. “Thanks. Now, if only I could convince Coach to play me.”

“He’ll play you in the next game.”

“Oh, yeah? What makes you think that? ”

“It’s against Southern Collegiate, and you hate them, right?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s how Coach Hansen works. He’s just warming you up by letting you stew in your anger. Do well in that game, and you’ll be fine.”

“If you say so.”

Leaning against my locker, I watched the players walk in, celebrating their win. One I had no part in because I didn’t get called up. The idea of doing post-game stretches felt moronic, so I decided to check my phone to see if Madison had woken up yet.

No messages.

Surprising. That orgasm must have knocked her out cold. Maybe I could somehow subtly sneak away from the guys later and give her another one. That would definitely help my mood.

Just as I was about to type out a message to her, I noticed Scotty making his way to me, so I dropped my phone and started taking my gear off.

“How you doing, Sasquatch?”

I rolled my eyes and grumbled out something so incoherent, even I didn’t know what it was.

“Uh oh. Angry Dash is back. Are you annoyed about not playing, or did you have a fight with Baby B?”

“Neither,” I said, pulling off my gloves and putting them back in my bag.

“Then why do you look so angry?”

“I’m just tired. That’s all.”

“Well, I just came over here because I wanted to warn you.”

“About?”

He glanced over his shoulder and then leaned down so he could talk to me. “Rumors are starting to spread.”

“About?”

Scotty gave me no other explanation except a glare, and I knew exactly what it meant. There were rumors about Madison.

“Who’s talking?” I asked gruffer than I intended. Had Henry played me just now? Was he the one starting those rumors ?

Scotty shrugged, taking his gloves off casually so he didn’t draw attention. “After Alex’s little show on the plane the other day, people have started talking about Madison and who she might be dating.”

“In the context of Alex, why is that a problem?”

Scotty rolled his eyes. “Because Erik mentioned the other day that the only time they see her now is when it’s with you.”

I paused, knowing that I was getting in too deep. People were getting suspicious, and eventually someone was going to tell Cade. But could I hold out for one more day just so I could take Madison on that date?

“Cade seems to be immune to any suggestion, though. When someone asks him about it, he plays it off like you and Madison hanging out isn’t a big deal.”

“That’s because he doesn’t think it is.” Scotty raised a brow in question, and I rolled my eyes, feeling stupid for having to mention this. “It’s because he thinks I’m dating Sienna, and a couple of weeks ago he asked me if I’d talk to Madison and find out why she was acting so strange.”

“Wait a minute. Are you telling me that Cade thinks you’re spending time with his sister to help him, but you’re actually sleeping with her?”

“Shh.”

“Dude, no one can hear me over the cheering going on over there.”

He had a point. The rest of the team were either in the showers or still out on the ice, celebrating our performance because we were now seven wins away from qualifying for the Frozen Four.

“Don’t say anything to Cade. I’m going to speak to him.”

Scotty laughed sarcastically. “Believe me, I won’t.” Clasping my shoulder, he looked at me seriously. “But for your own sake, you need to tell Cade. Screwing with his sister when he thinks you’re helping him is a new level of betrayal. You get how bad that is, right?”

I paused, trying to think of something that would make it sound better than it did. “He didn’t unintentionally bring us together. He asked me to help him after things had already progressed with Madison.”

Scotty blew out a sarcastic whistle and chuckled. “This gets better and better every time I speak to you, I swear. So, what you’re telling me is that he asked you to help him find out what guy she was dating, and you’re just avoiding the answer while sleeping with her?” I blinked and gave him the slightest of nods as my response. “This is going to blow up in your face so badly, and I want to be there when it does.”

“It won’t be that bad.”

“If you say so.”

Just as Scotty started to take his boots off, Cade walked into the locker room, laughing about something with Brooks.

Traitor. Traitor. Traitor.

Dammit. The word echoed in my brain again because Scotty was right. I was the worst kind of friend, and I shouldn’t have kept this from him for as long as I had. I still had the taste of Madison on my lips. Hell, she nearly sucked the soul out of my body before I came here. Things were getting serious between us, and neither one of us was built to hide things. Especially from her brother and my best friend.

Cade tipped his chin when he saw me looking at him. “Coming over to you in a second, Bridges. I need to talk to you.”

I froze. Scotty did too. “Fuck,” he whispered under his breath.

I nodded in response and bumped Scotty on the shoulder to make sure he moved a little, so we didn’t look so suspicious before turning back to my locker. As I put my pads away, Scotty did the same. “What are you going to do?”

Letting a breath out, I thought about my options, but I knew what I had to do. Throwing the final pad in my locker, I put my shirt on and said, “I’m going to tell him the truth.”

“Now?”

“There’s no time like the present. Things aren’t changing between Madison and me anytime soon. He’s my best friend. He needs to know.”

It was like I’d suddenly had an epiphany. The sooner I told her brother, the sooner I could kiss her on campus without anyone caring. Madison wasn’t a girl who was going to be gone in a day or a week. She wasn’t someone I’d forget about, either. She’d been in my life since I could remember, and frankly, I only imagined that trending in a more positive direction in the future. Yes, Cade might beat me down, but if he did it now, at least I’d have time to recover before the Frozen Four—if we were lucky enough to get there.

“Well, just so you know, I’m going to act as shocked as everyone else in the locker room when you tell him because there’s no way in hell I’m going to let Cade break my nose for your indiscretions. My father would probably pay for some Hollywood dude to redo it, and I don’t want to end up in some tabloids over a botched nose job.”

“Are you done?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Don’t worry. I started this; it’s only right I finish it on my own.”

I considered messaging Madison to ask her if she’d be okay with me telling Cade, but at this point, it almost felt like that would be stalling. She probably wouldn’t answer and then I’d have to wait to get her approval.

As Cade made his way over to me, I’d never felt his presence more in my life. Sure, I was a grumpy asshole, but Cade had this menacing aura about him that gave off a vibe of, “I’m going to beat the living shit out of you, and then set you on fire.” With his eyes dark, it was the first time I was concerned that I might be the recipient of his wrath.

Sitting on the bench in front of me, Scotty was chewing on his granola bar inconspicuously. “Hey, C. What’s up?”

Cade didn’t say a word, he just kept his focus on me. Scotty’s chews slowed as he looked between the two of us, seemingly getting the hint that Cade wanted to talk to me alone. “You know what? I’ve got to check on Erik and Alex.”

When Scotty was out of earshot, Cade finally started to talk to me. “Are you and Reporter Girl having problems or something? Because she’s fucking with you, and I don’t like it.”

I was taken aback by his abruptness, and honestly, the way he was looking at me made me think he had something else on his mind. His leg was bouncing, and his hands were jittery. When I didn’t immediately answer, he looked down and cursed under his breath.

“Is, uh, everything okay?”

He ran a hand through his buzzed hair and sighed. “It’s nothing. It’s just this stupid shit.”

“Stupid shit involving Behind Closed Doors ?”

“Maybe,” he drawled out. “But that’s not why I’m here. Why were you late today?”

The confidence I had to tell Cade about my relationship with his sister suddenly dwindled because this was going to hit him like a freight train.

“Umm, yeah. About that. There’s something I need to tell you. I saw Madison.” Saying her name was at least a start.

“Oh no. This doesn’t sound good. Did you find out who she’s dating? It’s Aiden Matthews, isn’t it?”

“Nope. She’s not secretly dating Aiden.” It was all I managed to get out before Cade’s phone started ringing, and he pulled it out of his pocket, cursing again.

Holding his finger up, he kept his eyes on his phone. “Give me a minute. I’ve got to get this. Sorry.”

I nodded, and he walked out of the room, speaking in hushed whispers. Judging by the way he was talking, I didn’t think he’d be back any time soon.

“You’re not dead?” Scotty assessed the parts of me he could see as he strolled back, now chomping on a crisp, green apple. Where did he get that? He dropped his arm, looking disappointed. “You didn’t tell him, did you?”

“I was about to, but he got a phone call.”

“Convenient,” he said with a quirked lip.

“I’m going to tell him once he’s back.”

“Sure, you are,” he drawled out, taking a large bite of his apple.

“I will. I told you; I don’t care if I get beaten up. This has gone on too long. He needs to know.”

“Party tonight,” Cade hollered as he walked back in the room with an edacious grin on his face. People who didn’t know him as well as me would mistake that look for happiness, but it wasn’t. You didn’t grow up with someone for the better part of eleven years and not know when he was hiding something. Someone pissed him off on that phone call, and he was just masking the problem by partying.

There were a few grumbles, but since no one questioned him, I decided to. “We just finished a game. We’ve got another one in two days. We need to rest.”

With a smirk drawing across his face, Cade said, “We can rest when we’re dead.”

When he looked around the locker room, he realized there was a lackluster response to his party idea, so he held up his phone. “Message has already been sent out. There’s a party at the hockey dorm tonight. If you don’t want to be part of it, then you don’t have to come home until we’re finished, which will be tomorrow morning.”

“Asshole,” I said under my breath and grabbed my foam roller, begrudgingly planning on doing my non-post-game stretches. “See you at the dorm when I’m done with this.”

“Wait, you’re going to the party?” Scotty asked, surprised. “I thought you’d be sneaking over to a certain someone’s dorm.”

“I think that certain someone is still sleeping. Besides, last time I wasn’t home for one of Cade’s parties, my door got a hole punched through it. I refuse to let that happen again.”

“You’re almost guaranteeing that outcome if you tell him about Madison tonight.”

I pursed my lips, pushing them out as I thought about it. “You’re right. I’ll feel him out, and if there is something going on with him, I’ll wait until the morning, but that’s it. He needs to know.”

“If you say so.” Scotty couldn’t hide his disbelief, and I couldn’t blame him. I’d been talking a big game for the last twenty minutes but still hadn’t made a move.

That was all going to change tonight.