“He’ll love me,” I say confidently. “We both love hockey, love the same girl, and we like riding. It’s a match made in heaven.”

She gives me a deadpan look and shakes her head. “If you weren’t dating me that might be the case, but since you are, he instantly hates you. So just be ready for that.”

Reaching for her, I pull her to my chest. “It will be fine. I’ll charm him. Everyone loves me.”

“Have you ever met a dad or uncle in this case?”

Shaking my head, I shrug. “Nope, can’t be that hard.”

“Yeah, keep thinking that, babe,” she says as she laughs.

I know she’s thinking the worst, but really this is going to be cake. He’s a supercool dude. He can’t hate me – I’m a cool dude!

Claire then kisses my jaw before turning out of my arms to take my sweatshirt off. When I see that she’s bare-chested, I go to get me a quick grab but she smacks my hand away. “I don’t have time. Do me a favor, grab me a sports bra out of that drawer real quick. I know if I walk past you, you’ll attack me.”

I laugh as I open the drawer because she is very right on that. Reaching in, I grab the first bra and throw it to her, but then something catches my eye. Reaching for the big hunk of cash that is wrapped in a roll with a rubber band holding it closed, I look at her. “Damn, babe, why do you have all this money in here?”

Looking up at me, her eyes wide, she pulls her bra over her sexy breasts and then shrugs. “It’s my paycheck.”

“Oh man, you make a lot. Perks of being the best damn dancer in the world, huh?”

She grins as she nods. “You know it. Tuck that back under my underwear; I must have just tossed it in there last night, not thinking. I was dead on my feet.”

I do as she asks even though I want to open it and see how much is in there. It’s huge, but the only bill I can see is a hundred. Since it would be rude to ask, I close the drawer and then say, “Make sure you put that in the bank.”

“Okay, Dad,” she teases and I give her a look.

“Ha-ha, just saying.”

“I know, thank you, and I will. I’m gonna go out today actually,” she says as she puts my jersey on. I like how it looks on her, so much so that I close the distance between us and hug her tightly to my chest, dusting her jaw with kisses. “Jude, I have to go.”

“You can be a tad bit late,” I say just as my mouth meets hers.

But we weren’t late, we missed our first classes completely, but as I lay beside her, running my fingers lazily down her naked back, I can’t find it in me to care.

Kissing her lips, I smile as she whispers, “Love you. I’ll see you at five, right? You’ll pick me up?”

I nod. “Yup, see you then,” I say and then kiss her jaw again. “Love you, have fun at class.”

She sends me a grin. “Thanks, hope that Skylar has notes for the one I missed!”

“It was worth it,” I call as she walks away.

Looking back at me, she says, “Sure was, bye!”

“Bye, babe,” I say, and once she goes inside, I turn to head to my own class.

Waving at some of my friends as I pass by, I know I’m going to be late, but I really don’t care. I’ve never been much of a student. I try to study, but I don’t try more than I have to. I make sure my grades are good, but I focus more on the ice. That’s where I’m meant to be. If anything, I’ll get the notes off someone in class.

Heading through the quad, I spot Rachael a few yards ahead of me. She’s walking alone, and even though I’m late, this is the perfect time to talk to her. Running up toward her, I fall in step with her.

She glances over at me and rolls her eyes. “What?”

“You have class?”

She shakes her head. “Nope, but you do.”

No, it’s not creepy that she knows that. Ignoring that fact, I say, “Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you.”

She lets out an annoyed breath and says, “Why?”

“’Cause we need to. I feel like I need to fix this.”

She turns to face me and I stop, doing the same. “Are you going to love me?”

I shake my head, my face scrunching up. “No, I love Claire.”

“Then you can’t fix this, Jude. I’ve loved you since I was nine and you friend-zoned me, which was fine; I figured I’d get you one day. But then when I did, you still wouldn’t be with me. I’ve constantly just followed along with you, waiting and hoping. And now, you’re with someone and it hurts. You broke my heart.”

A little taken aback, I hold my hands out. “I never meant to. I didn’t know.”

“Yeah, well, if you would have asked or cared more about the person you were fucking instead of just using them as a hole to get off in, then you would have known,” she says, her eyes cutting me left and right.

“I never wanted anything more than sex, and you knew that from the start. This is not my fault.”

“How is it not your fault?” she screeches.

“’Cause like I said, Rachael, I never made any promises to anyone. I never once promised anyone anything. Yes, I said if I started dating I’d call, but I never promised it. I went in telling you and anyone else I fucked that it was a one-time thing. Nothing more. You kept coming back for more, and I’ll admit that you were a great lay, that’s why I kept taking it, but I never once looked you in the eyes and promised that I would love you, or tell you to love me. So if this is anyone’s fault, it’s yours.”

When her eyes start to fill with tears, I look away. I hate it when a girl cries. “Maybe you’re right, but it doesn’t ease the pain, Jude.”

“I get that, and I’m sorry that you’re hurting. You are a sweet person when you’re not being a bitch, and you’ve been a good friend. I never meant to hurt you.”

She shakes her head, roughly wiping away a tear that falls. “I just don’t get how you can fuck everyone with no feelings, no cares in the world, but then one girl comes along, someone who isn’t even that big of a deal, and you change. It baffles me.”

“She may not be a big deal to you, but to me, she’s everything. I love her.”

“Whatever,” she says, dismissing me.

“It isn’t whatever, it’s for real, and I’d like it if you’d stop giving her a hard time and trying to fuck with our relationship. Respect that I love her and be a friend. Don’t be an asshole.”