The Forbidden Freshman: A College Sports Romance (Nolan U Hockey Book 1)

Mikayla’s been living at Hockey House for nearly a month. She keeps saying it’s a temporary fix but seems pretty settled here. Plus, just quietly, I think she doesn’t want to live alone but doesn’t know how to find a roommate either. It’s not like she’s got a bunch of girlfriends to hang out with. She’s a tomboy at her core, and I can’t imagine Ethan wanting her to move in with some other guy, even if it is just a platonic thing.

I wonder how long she’ll stay.

Not that it bothers me. She’s cool, and I don’t mind having her around. Ethan’s been the happiest I’ve ever seen him, but I’m not sure everyone is as cool with the arrangement as he is.

Baxter would never say anything, but he’s a pretty private, reserved guy, and I don’t think he appreciated walking into the bathroom to find Mikayla shaving her legs the other day. He was red for the rest of the afternoon.

Asher would have sprinted right up there to check it out for himself if Ethan hadn’t blocked his way with a feral snarl. Asher was only riling him up, but I’m worried that it might turn into a brawl if Asher doesn’t figure out where the frickin’ line is. The guy can be so damn clueless.

Running up to the front door, I wipe the sweat off my face with the bottom of my shirt. Despite the fact that it’s mid-November, it’s still pretty warm. I love the cold. Give me snow and ice and all things chilly.

We’ve had a bunch of frosts and two decent snowfalls, but I’m hanging out for those weeks where the entire campus turns into a winter wonderland. It may sound cheesy, but I love that North Pole promise. That crystal-white snow coating everything, your skin tingling with that icy chill while you sip a hot coffee.

I love standing in the middle of a snowfall, the flakes dancing through the sky and landing on my jacket and boots and beanie.

There’s a silent beauty to snow. And waking up to a clear morning after a heavy dump is pure magic. There’s no other way to describe it.

I open the front door and strip off my shirt, using it to wipe the sweat off my body. The house is toasty warm. Mikayla’s gonna love that. She’s a tiny speck with a very thin layer of fat to ward off the chill. She’s used to Southern Californian winters, and she’s already complaining about how freaking cold everything is.

Wait until January and February, Mick. You’re gonna turn into a popsicle.

I don’t feel the cold. I was born and raised in Colorado, got my first pair of skates when I was three. I spent my youth hanging by the rink—any excuse not to go home, right?

The dark thought makes me frown, and I whip out my phone, sending a quick text to my younger sister, Sofia.

Me: Checking in. How’s your week going?

Sofia: All good, big bro. Nothing that interesting. School is boring. Math is the devil’s spawn, and Mom’s not letting me go out with Elena this weekend even though her older brother is coming with us to play bodyguard.

Me: Where were you gonna go?

Sofia: Just dancing.

In other words, clubbing with fake IDs. I shake my head, hearing my sister’s voice as if she were in the room with me. She’s a junior in high school, and I’m siding with Mama on this one.

Sofia: Maybe if you came too…

Me: Sorry, chica. I’ve got hockey. I’m sure you’ll find something fun to do instead.

Sofia: Argh! You suck too.

I grin.

Me: I love you.

She makes me wait it out before finally replying with a “love you” GIF that cracks me up. The fact that she’s complaining about math and Mama is a good sign. No mention of Dad, which is what I always like to see.

Clenching my jaw, I stalk into the kitchen, trying to shake off memories—screams and the dull sound of knuckles hitting flesh followed by those stomach-convulsing whimpers and the soft begging to stop.

I’d hide in the closet with my two sisters, trying to be brave and strong while Mama took those beatings. I wanted to go help her, rescue her, but she made me promise not to. Seeing her son black and blue was more than she could handle. After the first few times I got in the way, she made me swear to hide my sisters and keep them safe. Even though I was the middle child, she looked to me. Treated me like I was the oldest and strongest. It was my job to protect the girls.

And that’s exactly what I did, until I was big enough to make a difference.

Until the night he nearly killed her, and I broke my promise.

I chug down a glass of water and lean against the counter, staring out the window. My lips start to twitch as I notice some flakes dancing past the glass. Snow. It’s only a few flakes, and it won’t turn into a proper snowfall, but just the promise is enough to make me feel better.

Glancing at my watch, I check the time and figure the guys will all be piling in soon enough. The due date for my big assignment is looming, so I bailed on Offside and figured I’d jog home for my cardio today. Yes, I’ve already done practice, but it wasn’t an intense one, and I still had energy to burn.

Ethan was happy to be designated driver, so I’m off duty and like being a free man for the night. Zero responsibility. It’s a nice change.

I’ve got the house pretty much to myself—I can hear Baxter in the shower—so I’ll take the chance to get some reading done and try to nail down my assignment plan before the house is bustling with bodies and noise.

Wandering through to the stairwell, I’m about to climb up to my room when the doorbell rings.

Not thinking twice about answering the door shirtless, I swing it open and am surprised by the audible gasp that greets me.

Big green eyes hooded by a long set of bangs bulge at me before the nervy woman looks at the ground. “Um… uh… Hi.”

“Hey.” I grin, gripping the door and relaxing my pose, hoping to put her at ease.

Her gaze flutters over mine again before running down the length of my body. I figure since she’s perusing, I can do the same thing, so I study her from head to toe. She looks around my age with a long, lean body. Like, really lean. Her leggings leave nothing to the imagination. I can already tell that if she turns away from me, I’ll get a perfect view of a very tight little butt. I swallow and track my eyes back up her body, lingering on her oval face and struck still by those big green eyes. They really are beautiful.

My chest constricts, and I grip the door a little tighter when I think I spot a flash of fear coursing through them. But then she blinks, and it’s gone.

She gives me a polite, closed-mouth smile, then looks to the ground, the porch light above her highlighting the chestnut brown of her long, straight hair.

“Can I help you with something?” I keep my tone light and friendly.

“Maybe.” She rubs her forehead, messing up her bangs with those shaky fingers.

This one’s twitchy.

Oh man, I hope she’s not standing at the door with some surprise pregnancy news. The rate the guys in this house sleep around, it really wouldn’t be that surprising.

I wince, just waiting for her to ask for Asher or Casey—yep, it’s got to be Casey—but instead she murmurs, “I’m looking for Mikayla Hyde. I think she lives here?”

“Oh yeah.” My voice brightens. “She does.”

Her shoulders sink with relief, and that’s when I notice the suitcase at her feet.

“She’s not home right now.”

The girl’s eyes jump back up to mine. And there’s that flash of fear again.

“But you’re welcome to come in and wait for her,” I continue, adding a smile for good measure. “I don’t think she’ll be too much longer. She’s out with⁠—”

“Ethan,” she finishes for me, then let’s out a soft laugh that almost sounds sad. “Of course she is.”

I frown, wondering who this woman is and why she has a problem with Ethan. Her jacket rustles as she crosses her arms and looks over her shoulder. The snow is picking up just a little. A few light flakes float around her, some landing on the ends of her hair before melting away.

“So… do you want to come in and wait for her?” I step aside, gesturing for her to get her cute little butt inside.

She gives me a cautious look, her dark eyebrows crinkling.

“It’s perfectly safe.” I grin. “I’m a gentleman, I swear. I’ll set you up in the living room with a coffee or hot chocolate, and I’ll leave you alone if you want me to… or I can sit and keep you company. Whatever you need.”

She stares at me for a long beat, and then out of nowhere her eyes fill with tears. Covering her mouth with her hand, she dips her head as a sob shudders her body.

I move without thinking, darting out the door and wrapping my arm around her. She stiffens at my touch, and something horrible snakes through me. A warning. A sinking dread that’s all too familiar.

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” I whisper. “I promise.”

She sniffs and lets me gently nudge her into the house. As the door swings shut behind us and her suitcase, I let her go, keeping my hand lightly on her elbow as I check on her.

“It’s gonna be okay,” I murmur, then throw in a comforting smile. “I’m Liam, by the way.”

Her lips tremble as she attempts a smile of her own, then rasps, “I’m Rachel.”