SWNOVELS What Are The Odds?: Chapter 22
Grace.
Tripp and Ryan bounced through the party. It was their house, and we all knew it. Tonight I had seen their popularity firsthand. I kind of forgot they were well known hockey players when I was hanging out alone with them. Tonight was a stark reminder. The packed rink. The cheers from the crowd. The congratulatory drinks. The attention from everyone. There’d been almost eight-thousand people cheering them on tonight. Eight-thousand people who knew their names, their stats and even wore their jerseys. There’d been lots of Holloways in the crowd tonight. He was number 20. My mum’s birthday.
“Richardson,” Tripp called out.
He sauntered over with Ryan, all post-win-high-and-multiple-beers-deep-energy.
“Get some of your guys and verse us in a game of beer pong.”
Ryker shook his head politely. “I’m good.”
We were sitting on the couch. Ryker on one side of me and Stella and Ava on the other. We’d been forced to squish together. To make room, Ryker had draped his arm around my shoulders. I think Stella had done that on purpose.
“Come on,” Ryan toyed. “Scared you’re gonna get your asses handed to you?”
One of Ryker’s friends snickered. “We could drink you hockey guys under the table.”
Tripp’s lips turned up. “Prove it.”
Man, this rivalry was exhausting. More of Ryker’s teammates were here now than were at the game. Basically, all the team he’d explained. Stella was particularly chuffed about it. And even more so chuffed to be sitting in their inner circle. She’d been chatting non-stop to a blonde with blue eyes. I didn’t count on her coming back to the dorm later.
“You better show them how it’s done,” I told Ryker.
His brow furrowed. “I’m pretty content here.”
I kind of wasn’t. I hadn’t seen Levi since we arrived over an hour ago. The main reason I’d gone to the game was to watch him play. I was glad I had, it was impressive as hell, but I hadn’t spoken to him since he stalked off.
“Play,” I encouraged Ryker. “I’m going to get some fresh air.”
Ryan arched a playful eyebrow. “Better do what Hughesy says, Richardson.”
Evidently unimpressed with the heckling, Ryker stood. His eager teammates jumped up too.
“Here.” He slipped off his football jacket and draped it over my shoulders. “It’s cold out there.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
When I stepped outside, it felt like it dropped 15-degrees. My breath instantly formed in front of my face while I searched the crowd for Levi. It didn’t take me long to find him. He always stood out. Or maybe he only stood out to me. He was sitting at the back of the yard around a bonfire, the bright flames climbing high. Tightening Ryker’s jacket around my shoulders, I made my way over. It was mainly hockey players out here. Clearly those teammates that weren’t as outgoing as Tripp and Ryan.
“This seat taken?”
The smile fell from Levi’s face when he looked at me. He raised one eyebrow.
“Nice jacket.”
“I needed it to come and find you.”
I sat down and tucked my hands within the jacket sleeves. It was bloody freezing. I was tempted to climb into the bonfire. Levi turned back to it, crossing one ankle over the other while he stretched out his legs. His teammates were chatting about tonight’s game, going over references and terms that meant nothing to me. As much as I’d learnt about hockey tonight, there was clearly a long way to go. I leant closer to Levi.
“Tonight was really fun.”
His jaw twitched. “What part?”
I frowned at him. “The watching you play hockey part.”
His lip pulled up in a barely there smile. “Yeah. Thanks for coming.”
He sounded so formal, like he was thanking an aunty for a generic Christmas present.
“Thanks for coming. I’ll maybe see you later,” I parroted. “What’s going on, Holloway?”
My eyes widened when a brunette with milky skin and legs for days fell into his lap. Oh. That’s what was going on.
“Hi Captain.”
Her bedroom talk was already in full swing. She’d practically purred the sentence. Looking at her alone was enough to cause me to shiver. This girl must’ve been freezing. So this was how Levi liked to celebrate and burn off steam. Noted. I shouldn’t ought to be surprised. I’d heard the reputation. At least his standoffishness made sense now. I was kind of cockblocking him. I untangled myself from the chair, my feet hitting the ground.
“Who are you?” the girl asked, blinking behind thick eyelashes.
They had to either be extensions or fake. Nobody had eyelashes like that.
“I’m, ugh, leaving,” I said, standing. “You two have fun.”
“Hughesy, wait.”
Levi hurriedly got to his feet, lifting the girl off his lap, and setting her on the ground. When she stumbled slightly, both Levi and I reached for her. She wasn’t far from tipping into the fire. Levi looked at me.
“Can we talk?”
I didn’t get him. He’d avoided me all night and wanted to talk now there was a girl hanging off him. Literally.
“It’s fine, Holloway.”
When my eyes returned to the girl who was now rubbing her pushed up tits against his arm, he brushed her off and gestured his hand between them.
“This was never happening.”
“It wasn’t?” I clarified.
“It wasn’t?” she pouted.
I grimaced. I could smell the sweet drinks on her breath from here.
Levi shook his head. “No. Misunderstanding. Will sent her because–”
The girl tripped forward. I reached out, catching her in my arms. And then she vomited all over me.