She studied me carefully, not saying anything. The silence was killing me.
“I’m not stupid,” I snapped. “Besides, he’s not my type. We’re just friends. I don’t feel like explaining why.”
She put her hands up in defense. “Okay, if you say so. Just saying, people saw you two together, and with his history . . .”
“What?”
“People are making assumptions. If you say you’re not romantic with him, I believe you, but you should know that people already think you guys are a thing. Or at least were a thing last night. All night.”
Blood rushed to my face and I ground my teeth. The last thing I needed was people gossiping about me more than they already were. Jeez, I couldn’t catch a break. All I wanted to do was blend in at school and I somehow got involved with a super notorious cage fighter who apparently had a reputation for sleeping with any girl he wanted. Fuck my life.
“Well, we’re not. I’m sure it’ll pass.” I waved my hand dismissively. “God knows I have experience with people talking shit about me.”
Daniela grimaced. “Lorrie, I know it sucks when people are gossiping about you, but you’re at Arrowhart—gossip headquarters—and that was a super-crazy story. It’s hard to blame them.”
“I just want to be a normal student. Why is that so hard?”
She smiled slightly. “This is getting closer to normal, right? Boy-girl drama is what college is all about. Well, also studying but that’s less important.”
I looked at her for a second, but then I started giggling. It was all I could do, really. As crazy as my situation was, she was right about the drama. “I guess that’s true.”
“Just be careful, okay? I don’t want to have to kick that guy’s ass.”
I nodded, smiling. “After watching him fight last night, I’m sure you could take him.”
She flexed and we laughed. Maybe this was a little closer to normal.
That night I laid in bed, staring at my poster of a Japanese drawing of a wave and thinking things through. My first week back at school had been more eventful than I’d wanted, but all in all it had been good. Rumors aside, I was glad to have some connection with Hunter as a friend. It was like what I’d told Daniela: this semester was about getting myself right. I couldn’t get too involved with anyone else’s feelings. My best friend reminding me that the guy I had just become friends with was a huge player would only help with that.
I rolled over and closed my eyes. A friendship with Hunter could lead to trouble, but all I had to do was avoid getting into a romantic relationship with him. Although his romantic interests in me were clear, he wasn’t overly aggressive in pursuing me. So I wasn’t too concerned about him pushing things further than I was comfortable with. I just had to avoid developing feelings for him, myself.
Although I was used to feeling numb, being around Hunter made me feel alive. I could see how that would make it difficult to resist developing feelings for him. But I was strong. Dad had even said so in his letter. I was dealing with the tragedies in my past and moving on with life. Compared to that, how hard could it be to stop myself from developing feelings for Hunter?
Chapter Seven
ICE CREAM
I spent the next week settling into a groove with my classes. I stayed awake during psychology class and even took good enough notes that I didn’t need to borrow Daniela’s afterward. My drawing class was already a lot of fun; I was starting to think that maybe it could be my major. Daniela had been right, there were some rumors about me and Hunter, but the looks I was getting from people weren’t too much different from what I had already been experiencing.
In fact, they might have been better. It wasn’t pure pity anymore; these looks were more curious. What’s going on between that girl and Hunter? I could hear them saying. That was a lot better than wondering about what it would be like to have both parents die from unnatural causes.
If people would have actually had the guts to talk to me and ask me what was going on between me and Hunter, I wouldn’t have been able to tell them anyway. He didn’t call me all week. I tried not to be disappointed, since I had made it clear that we were just friends. Obviously he wasn’t going to pursue me as hard as if he were trying to date me—the rules of dating didn’t even apply. We were just friends. Friends hung out whenever.
Friday rolled around, and this time I had no plans. Daniela had a cold and was going to stay in, and Kate and Petra were out at some date party. I had no one else to go out with. It was surprising how much this bummed me out. I could always entertain myself watching more Grey’s Anatomy but I knew there would be loud, drunk people coming back to the dorm at two in the morning, and they would make me feel bad for missing out on a lively night.
I was sitting on the common area futon after an early cafeteria dinner thinking about what I wanted to do with the rest of my evening when my phone buzzed. My heart raced as I checked to see who it was, and then it began pounding in my ears when I recognized the name: Hunter.
“Hey,” I said, a little too breathlessly.
“Hey Lorrie, what’s up?”
His voice was smooth, like we’d just casually run into each other around campus. The fluttering in my nerves made me realize how much I’d missed hearing his voice all week. I tried to steady myself so I didn’t sound too needy. “Not much, just ate dinner.”
“Have any plans for tonight?”
My heart rose. “I was actually just figuring that out,” I said. “Daniela and I were going to go out, but she’s not feeling good, so now I’m free.”
“Great! One of my buddies bailed on me, so I have an extra ticket for the hockey game tonight. Do you wanna come?”
I didn’t know much about hockey, but hanging out with Hunter sounded more fun than hanging out with Meredith and McDreamy. “That sounds like fun! When’s the game?”
“Game’s at seven, but I like to get there a half hour early to get concessions, watch the guys warm up, and all that good stuff. Want to meet me at the arena at six-thirty?”
It was already a little after five, and I had no idea how far away the hockey rink was. How long did that give me to get ready? What did someone wear to a hockey game, anyway? I’d have to figure this out fast. “I can do that,” I said, my mind racing.
“Do you know where the arena is?” he asked.
I stood up and started walking to my room to look it up. “I think so. Otherwise, I can figure it out. I’ll see you then.”
“Alright. Let’s meet me out front. I’ll see ya in a few.”
I walked into my room and threw my phone on the bed before racing to my closet to figure out what to wear. I settled on a school sweatshirt, and threw that on my bed before racing to my laptop to look up the location of Barton Rink. It was at least a twenty minute walk across campus. I’d have to rush.
It took serious power-walking skills, but I made it to the area at six-thirty sharp. The people filtering into the arena were all dressed in red and white school gear: sweatshirts, hats, and even baggy hockey jerseys. I gave myself kudos for a good fashion choice. So far, so good.
I scanned the crowd looking for Hunter’s short, brown hair and dark gray eyes for several seconds before we saw each other at the same time. He was standing by the doors and wearing a red and white hockey jersey that covered up his tattoos, but still hinted at his wide shoulders and huge chest. Even dressed in a baggy hockey jersey, he looked like someone you didn’t want to mess with—in a fighting cage. A bed would be different.
He held up the two tickets and smiled as we walked toward one another. “Thanks for coming,” he said, the low vibration in his voice flowing over me.
I smiled, both because I was glad to see him and to hide my antsiness. I hadn’t seen Hunter in person all week and I had to admit I missed the charge I got from being around him. “Thanks for inviting me.”
He handed me my ticket and I took it from him, careful to avoid brushing against his hand, knowing the effect a gentle brushing could
have on the both of us. Then I thanked him graciously. “So have you been to a hockey game before?” he asked.
“Nope,” I responded casually.
“Ever seen a game on TV?”
I shook my head. “But I know the basics: sticks, pucks, and touchdowns right?”
He lost his composure and laughed heartily. “I think you’re mixing hockey with football, Lorrie. Hockey has goals and football has touchdowns.”
“Oh, my bad,” I replied, laughing along with him. I kind of felt silly for mixing up the two sports, but after the time we spent in Neverland teasing one another and joking around, I knew Hunter wasn’t making fun of me mean-spiritedly.
He wiped a tear of laughter from his eye. “You’re so adorable, Lorrie. But ya know, I’m surprised to hear you’re a hockey virgin. You’ve just made tonight’s game all the better. I’m looking forward to breaking you in.”
I chuckled, amused by the flirtatious suggestion. Knowing Hunter’s reputation, my guard was already up, allowing me to let the suggestion easily roll off my shoulders. “Yeah, yeah, alright Hunter,” I said sarcastically. “Unfortunately, I’m not much of a sports girl, so I’m not sure how much ‘breaking in’ is going to happen.”
“We’ll see about that.” He grinned wickedly making my belly flutter in the way that it often did when I was around him. “But you’re really not a sports girl? Given your throwing arm, I thought you would’ve been.”
“Well, my dad and I would toss a baseball around when I was kid. I wasn’t really good or anything, especially with accuracy—as you might have noticed. But I could throw it hard.” I blew hot air on my knuckle and polished it on my sweatshirt. “Broke a few windows in my time.”
I smiled and he chuckled. “And an amusement park booth. I’m impressed—you’re quite destructive. Yet you’ve never seen hockey on TV?”
“I guess I’m more of a doer than a watcher. I think it’s more fun that way, but I have watched a few basketball games, so it’s not like I’m against watching sports. I mean, I’m certainly excited about seeing this hockey game.”
He grinned. “I get it, you’re more hands-on. I dig that. So you’re not afraid of chipping a nail?”
I looked at my nails with amusement. “I guess I’ve always just kept them short . . . Never really thought about growing them out, figured it’d be annoying.”
He chuckled. “Well I haven’t grown mine out either. Glad to see we’re on the same page. Anyway, you’re in for a treat. I’ll teach you the rules and you’ll be a fan by the end of the game. C’mon let’s get our seats.”
Hunter insisted on getting nachos first, and by the time we got our food there were only fifteen minutes to go before game time according to the giant scoreboard on the wall. He explained the basic rules of the game as we made our way down the steps to our seats: there were three periods of twenty minutes apiece, and the players were trying to score goals by shooting the puck past the goalie into the net. The second part I already knew, which made me feel good. How complicated could hockey really be?
We were almost to our seats when we were approached by two short brunettes with red ribbons in their ponytails and the letters “AH” painted on each cheek. They were wearing matching white and red school t-shirts advertising the hockey season. “Hi Hunter! We’re so happy to run into you!” one of them squeaked. The other one beamed at him.
“Hi Catelyn,” Hunter said coolly.
Her skin was tanned golden despite the winter season, and her teeth were unnaturally white. “What are you doing after the game?” she asked, tossing her head to one side.
He shrugged. “Not sure, this and that. By the way, this is my friend Lorrie.”
“Hi,” I said semi-awkwardly, putting my hand up to give a small wave.
Catelyn glanced at me briefly before turning back to Hunter. Catelyn’s friend didn’t even acknowledge me, instead she preferred keeping her attention on Hunter while flitting her hair. “Well, let us know when you’re done . . . you know—” Catelyn looked at her friend who silently nodded back to her then Catelyn turned back to Hunter. “We can both come with you, wherever you’re going. Maybe your place or our place. We’ll come with you, anywhere you like.” The way she looked and smiled at him was more than suggestive.
I blushed as I rolled my eyes and looked at Hunter to gauge his reaction. He gave me a quick glance but his expression was impassive. “Cool,” he said evenly to them.
Both girls giggled. “Call whenever. We’ll be up if you are.” She winked and her friend nodded before they both bounced up the stairs.
Was that what I thought it was? Daniela had told me Hunter was a player but it hadn’t occurred to me that I’d be seeing what that meant up close. I suddenly started feeling nauseous.
Hunter and I were silent the rest of the way down to our seats. When we finally got there, I was surprised to see the seats were in the front row, right behind the glass. The school’s marching band was in the next section over with their trombones, trumpets, and drums. As we took our seats, I thought: this is going to be loud.
“So does that happen to you a lot?” I asked, more than a little curious.
“Does what?”
“Those girls were offering to have a threesome with you, weren’t they?” I asked, never thinking that I’d ever be asking that question to anybody in my life.
He chuckled and looked at the ice for a second. “Probably, yeah.”
“Does that happen a lot?”
He considered. “No, not a lot.”
I raised a brow. “. . . So you’ve had a threesome before?”
“I know you’re curious Lorrie, but unfortunately I don’t kiss and tell,” he said, zipping his lips with his fingers.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. If you hear anything about me like that, it didn’t come from me. I can’t control what other people say but I keep things like that to myself.”
I recalled him protecting me by lying to Gary about how we met. He did seem to keep things to himself. Still, I had my doubts about whether he was telling the truth. Weren’t guys always bragging about their sex lives? Plus, the idea of him even considering a threesome with Catelyn and her friend grossed me out. But the nausea I felt wasn’t jealousy, I told myself; Hunter and I were just friends. And being friends gave me a unique opportunity to pick his male brain.
“So are you going to call those girls?”
He shook his head casually. “Nah, probably not. Not really in the mood.”
His response somehow made me feel relieved. “Ah I see.” I looked at the all the people trickling into the rink and taking their seats. Some were in large groups, some were by themselves, and a lot seemed like couples. I dimly wondered if people saw Hunter and me together and thought that we were a couple.
“Have you had a threesome before, Lorrie?”
Breaking from my thoughts, I erupted in a burst of laughter. “What do you think?”
“Yes.” He smiled.
I smirked. “Well, you’d be wrong. I’m not interested in having one either. One guy is enough. Adding another guy would be too much. Way too much.”
He smirked back. “What about adding another girl?”
I scoffed. “In your dreams, buddy.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’d be a good participant in a threesome anyway.”
I was surprised at how much offense I took by that comment. “What? Why not?”
“You probably wouldn’t get along with the other girl. You’re kind of a lone wolf. You’d be either too selfless and let the girl have the guy all to herself or too selfish and take the guy all for yourself. There’d be no in between.” He wagged his finger at me playfully.
I scrunched my brows, uncomfortable with how much his reasoning resonated with me. “That’s quite a bold statement. And how did you come to that conclusion?”
“Just from our interactions . . . On the one hand, you’re ridiculously nice by taking out
my trash to repay me even though you didn’t have to—that’s the selfless part. On the other hand, you’re kind of selfish especially with how much you share yourself with others—or even just information about yourself.”
I shot him a wry smile. “A compliment and an insult all rolled into one. Remind me why I’m hanging out with you again?”
“Because we’re friends.” He flashed his boyish grin at me and I couldn’t help but smile back.
“Alright, so what if it was another guy instead of a girl?” I asked, eager to turn this weird first-hang-out-discussion in my favor.
“You’d only focus on one guy. I don’t see you wanting to please two at the same time.”
“Fair,” I said, thinking about the implications. “I don’t think I can argue with you there, but I’m confused about something. Based on what you’ve said, you wouldn’t be a good threesome partner either. You strike me as the lone wolf type yourself: clean apartment, solo walks, ignoring your adoring female fans. How do you do it then? How can you get along with people in a threesome?”
His eyes widened unexpectedly. “I’m shocked that you would even suggest I’ve ever had a threesome before!”
I rolled my eyes. I knew I wasn’t going to tease any details out of him—not that I particularly wanted to hear them anyway. Hunter was certainly keeping to his word that he kept his private matters to himself. It was a good thing as far as I was concerned, and I certainly wouldn’t have guessed he’d be that type of person based on my first impression of him.
Hoping to move onto a less awkward topic, I said, “These are nice seats, by the way.”
Hunter popped a nacho in his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed. “Yup, one of the perks of going to games every year for four years. Best seats in the house.”
“So they give you better seats if you’ve been to more games?”
“Pretty much. It kind of works on seniority, and this season it’s my turn to have the good seats.”