: Chapter 17

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his house is huge.” Cammie steps over an empty beer can and climbs the stairs of the front porch.

“Yeah. One of the guys who lives here is loaded. Well, his parents are loaded. So they bought him this house.” He’s a decent hockey player, but not pro material. He enjoys the perks of being on the school team and spends more time partying than he does attending classes. He’s been on academic probation for the past two years. Apparently, his parents regularly make donations and he keeps getting second chances. My friend Mac also lives with him. The only things the two of them have in common are their mutual love of hockey and a good party.

“Loooovvvvvvett!” One of my teammates slams his body into mine the second we walk through the front door.

I let go of Cammie’s hand and shove Docker back. “Dude! The fuck? You almost crushed my girl.” I put a protective arm around her.

Docker weaves and blinks blearily at Cammie. “Sorry. Didn’t see you there. You’re tiny, aren’t you?” He pats her on the head.

I smack his hand away. “Don’t touch.”

Docker raises both hands. “Sorry, man, sorry.”

“Are Stiles, Steele, and Meyers around?” I scan the living room.

There’s a keg in the middle of the room and some guy I don’t know with Freshman written across his forehead in black Sharpie is manning it. Girls in skirts and crop tops lean against walls, talking to each other and some of my teammates.

“Last time I saw them they were out back.” Docker thumbs over his shoulder.

“Cool. Thanks.” I keep my arm around Cammie’s shoulder and lead her through the living room, down the hall, past the kitchen, which is full of people doing shots, and out into the backyard. There’s a fire raging in the pit. I’m unsurprised to find Brody slouched in one of the chairs, a red plastic cup in his hand.

“Can I get you a drink?” I have to shout over the music. We’re standing under a speaker. I shuffle us away from it and bend until my ear is at her lips.

“I don’t drink beer,” she shouts.

“There’s a cooler out here with the good stuff for the team. We could check it out. See if there’s something you want?”

“Sure.”

We’re stopped five times on the way to the cooler, twice by teammates, and three times by girls who come to our games. I attempt to introduce Cammie, but I don’t always remember the girls’ names. And I don’t want to be rude by asking, so mostly I just let them talk about hockey and the next party before they move on to the next player.

“You really know everyone, don’t you?” Cammie muses.

“There are a lot of hockey parties,” I explain.

“Yeah, seems like it.” She stuffs her free hand in her jacket pocket.

We finally reach the cooler.

“Lovett. How’s it hanging?” Beans holds his hand out for a fist bump.

“Long and to the right.” I knock his fist. “Beans, this is my girl, Cammie. Cammie, this is Beans. He’s an enforcer.”

“Hi, Beans.” She bumps his fist. “I don’t know what an enforcer is, but judging from the size of you, I’m guessing you enforce…something.”

Beans laughs. “You’re fucking hilarious.” He turns to me. “She’s hilarious. And cute. Keep an eye on her.”

“She’s pretty good at taking care of herself.” I hug her tightly to my side.

She gives me an arched brow that makes my dick feel things.

Beans gives her a doubtful look. “What can I get you? We have wine, hard seltzer, cider, shots, and pop and water if you’re riding the edibles train.”

“I’ll take a seltzer, please.”

Beans passes her a can. I grab a beer, and we make our way over to Brody.

He frowns when he sees us. “I thought you were going to the movies.”

“Dinner took longer than expected,” I explain.

His frown deepens. “So you came here?”

“Yeah. I wanted to introduce Cammie to our teammates.” I give her a squeeze.

She smiles but it doesn’t look super convincing. “Do you know where the bathroom is?”

“Yeah. Through the sliding door, down the hall, first door on your left.” I point toward the house.

“Can you hold this?” She passes me her drink.

“For sure.”

“I’ll be back.” She kisses me on the cheek. “It’s nice to see you, Brody.”

“You too, Cammie.”

I watch her walk across the lawn, hands tucked into her pockets. She’s so fucking beautiful.

Brody kicks me in the shin as she disappears inside the house.

“Ow. What the hell?”

Brody gives me his famous dad look. Sometimes I swear he’s channeling his inner fifty-year-old. “What the fuck, bro?”

“What the fuck, what?”

“Why would you bring Cammie to a hockey party?”

“I already told you. Dinner went long and we missed the movie.”

He stares at me.

I stare back.

“I wanted to introduce her to our teammates.” I’ve already said this.

“Well, good fucking job, buddy. She’s in there by herself with them.” He flings a hand in the direction of the house. “I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to introduce their drunk asses to her boobs.”

I grab the front of his shirt. “Why are you looking at her boobs?”

“I’m not looking at her boobs. She’s dressed to highlight her assets. For you, dumbass. Because you took her out on a date to spend time with her. And then you brought her here.” He glances at my fist, which is still gripping his shirt.

I release him. “You think it was a bad idea.”

“It’s your first date and you’re choosing to end it at a party.”

We have another stare-down.

He connects the dots because I’m apparently an idiot. “Where everyone comes to hook up.”

“Shit.” I straighten and poke my cheek with my tongue. “Why are you here? Is this some kind of penance?”

“Gage was already half lit when he came up with the amazing idea. I don’t want him to get pass-out drunk and not make it to practice in the morning because then he won’t be able to play on Saturday and we need him. Of course, Mac disappeared a half hour ago and left me babysitting.”

“That makes sense.” And it’s a total Brody thing to do. And also, a Mac thing.

A girl I vaguely recognize drops into Brody’s lap and shrieks his name. She throws her arms around his neck. He looks like he’d rather be hugged by a grizzly bear.

“Are we finally going to hook up tonight?” she whines.

He tips his head back and cups her chin in his palm. “Sweetheart, you don’t want to hook up with me. I’m not the good time you’re looking for.”

She pouts. “You’re not?”

He shakes his head. “Now, you know my friend Gage?”

“The tall guy with the dark curly hair?” she asks.

“That’s the one. He’ll treat you right. I think he’s inside. You can tell him I sent you.”

“Okay.” She hugs him, hops off his lap, and stumble-runs toward the house.

“What the fuck was that?”

“I don’t even know.” He inclines his head toward the door. “Your girl might need saving.”

I follow his gaze. And a growl rips up my throat. Dougie, a second year and the douchiest guy on the team, is leaning against the sliding door, preventing Cammie from leaving the house. She looks uncertain and like he’s the last guy she wants to talk to.

“You’re so fucked.” Brody laughs. “Now go. And get her the fuck out of here. There are better places for her to meet our teammates.”

“See you later.”

“Hopefully not until tomorrow.”

I stalk across the lawn and shout, “Kitten, I have your drink!”

Cammie’s eyebrow lifts.

Dougie glances over his shoulder and frowns.

Cammie ducks under his arm and heads for me, mouthing, kitten?

But before she reaches me, some girl I’ve previously hooked up with comes rushing at me out of nowhere and throws her arms around me. Cammie’s drink hits the ground and splashes my jeans. Cammie stops halfway across the lawn, and the look on her face reinforces Brody’s assertion that this was not the best place to bring her. I extricate myself from the girl who seems to have eight arms instead of two and tell her I have to go, closing the distance between me and Cammie.

I feel like I’ve fucked this night up epically.

“Wanna get out of here?”

She bites the corner of her lip. “Yeah. That’d be good.”