The first thing I heard about Garrett Graham was:
"Do yourself a favor and don't get involved with a hockey player."
The second was:
"Especially not with Garrett."
Honestly, I should have listened to both warnings.
Instead, I was now standing in the middle of the Briar Sports Center with a ridiculously overpriced coffee in my hand, wondering why the hell I had voluntarily agreed to help out here.
People rushed past me: hockey players. Students. Coaches.
Noise everywhere. I glanced at my phone: No new messages. Perfect.
"Okay,"
I murmured quietly to myself.
"Just drop off the stuff and leave."
Actually, a good plan. Until I turned the corner and ran straight into someone.
The lid of my coffee popped off.
"Shit—"
A hand caught the cup before the entire contents landed on my shirt.
"Whoa, careful."
The voice was calm. Deep and slightly amused.
I looked up: Big mistake.
Garrett Graham was standing right in front of me, hockey bag over his shoulder, practice shirt, slightly tousled hair, and that completely relaxed expression of someone who knew way too well how good he looked.
His hand was still wrapped around my coffee cup.
"You really shouldn't try to attack people with coffee,"
he said dryly.
I blinked at him, then slowly pulled the cup back.
"You ran into me."
A grin appeared on his face immediately. Not arrogant... Worse: Amused.
"Interesting version of the story."
Suddenly Dean appeared behind him.
"GARRETT, COACH WANTS—"
Dean stopped mid-sentence, looked back and forth between us, and immediately grinned like an idiot.
"Ohhh."
I briefly closed my eyes internally: No. Absolutely not.
Garrett, on the other hand, looked completely unfazed.
"Dean,"
he said calmly, without taking his eyes off me,
"go away."
"You literally just said, like, three seconds ago—"
"Dean."
Dean raised both hands.
"Okay, okay. Jesus. Touchy."
He disappeared back toward the locker room, still grinning. Garrett shook his head slightly before looking at me again.
"Ignore him."
"Very convincing friend group,"
I replied.
"Just wait,"
he said dryly.
"It gets worse."
I should have left. Instead, I was still standing there.
"You're new here, aren't you?"
he asked suddenly, calmly.
