The Ice Next Door

Chapter 2

HADLEY

The cafeteria is buzzing with conversation at lunch, with tables of students talking about their days so far and plans for the approaching weekend. Maeve is sitting across from me, scrolling on her phone. She's addicted to social media, that one, and is never too far from the followers that live on the screen.

I pick up a fry and pop it into my mouth. "What's got you distracted today?"

"I'm just catching up on the reels that Sam sent. Since he's sick at home this is pretty much all he does." She says, showing me her screen. It's a compilation video of cats doing funny things. "Have you been checking yours?"

I shake my head. She knows I don't look at the things people send me. I don't use i********: for pointless videos like others do. I spend my time doing other things and scrolling through pages. One in particular. Okay, two. Sebastian's, and the hockey team account where there have been pictures of him posted multiple times, including one of my all-time favorite shots of him scoring the winning goal against the Blue Devils-our rival school team.

"Why don't you just humor the poor guy? He's sick with the flu." She says, reaching over to steal a fry from my tray.

I'm quick to slap her hand away when she makes a second attempt. "Back off. This is the only school lunch that I actually like, Maeve," When she gets the hint and pulls her greedy hand away, I change direction, "Why do I have to humor him? It sounds like you're doing that just fine for the both of us. Besides, I'm sure he'll tell me all about it when I call him tonight. "

She shakes her head im defeat and opens a small bag of chips instead, "I don't know why we even added you to the group chat in the first place."

That we agree on. I told them both not to when they first came to me with the idea. "I don't either. So remove me." I shrug my shoulders and then peg the clock on the wall behind her. Seeing that the period is almost over, I stuff the last few fries into my mouth and down the rest of my tea before gathering my things together. I have somewhere I have to be and a Center to see, "Throw my garbage away, please. I have to go!"

"That's right, the boys' gym class should be heading back inside any minute now you don't want to miss your precious Sebastian. " She chuckles with a disappointed shake of her head.

I'm not offended. I'm used to it. Maeve is always ragging on me about Sebastian. But I don't care. It doesn't bother me. I like who I like and I don't really care who knows it. Besides, it's not like I'm the only one crushing on the star player of the Hockey team.

"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up... just don't forget to take care of my trash. Thank you. Love you!" I mutter out a quick goodbye and then bolt.

******************

SEBASTIAN

Hadley is waiting for the guys' gym class as we all file back into the school, leaning against the wall and holding her binder down low, her head up high as she stands up on her tippy toes eagerly searching over the sea of heads to find me. When she does, her mossy green eyes brighten right up like some kind of light has been switched on inside her.

I don't understand the girl one bit. She doesn't even say anything as I draw near. She never does. She never greets me or tries to make small talk. She just stands there with that smile on her face, which I'll admit is a pretty nice smile. It's bright and genuine and makes a dimple appear in her left cheek.

That smile makes my mind wander for a second.

I wonder what she'd do if I approached her one of these days. How would she react if I waltzed over there and struck up a conversation while looming over her, my hand posted above her head and cornering her against the wall she's leaning against?

Would she stumble? Falter over her words? Maybe trip over and fall to the floor at my feet? I chuckle to myself. That would be something. You see, Hadley is known for being quick-witted, fast with the quips and remarks, and she wields bravery like a weapon, and no one has been able to challenge her. But how fun would it be to try? To succeed? Oh, what I wouldn't give to be the one to knock her back and send her reeling with my words... my actions. Watching Hadley Berry, uncontested queen of one-liners and bold statements-fumble as she struggled to react to me? Now that is something I would love to see.

Maybe I won't just let her watch me next time.

Devin snickers as we pass by her and enter the gym through the double doors. "Like clockwork, that girl." Watch this, he adds, turning to salute her in a teasing way. I wait for him to return, spinning on my heel and meeting her eyes. My stomach gives a weird clench at the eye contact. "Hi Hadley," He says, putting on his fakest friendliest smile.

A rosy blush creeps across her face as she nods her head and replies, "Hi, Devin."

Although she's talking to him, her gaze never leaves mine, even though I don't say a word to her. My jaw hardens, so I push him along and groan, "Alright, come on, man."

"I wish I had fans like you, Tate." Parker chimes in, shaking his head as we hit the locker room. He's our Right Defenseman and is always ready to keep attacking players away from our goal line.

"You do have fans, Parker." Devin corrects him, ripping off his shirt to change into the clean one he has stashed in his locker. "What do you call Britney and Jasmine?"

"Puck bunnies."

"AKA fans." Devin enunciates.

"They only want me because I'm good at hockey. They're not fans of the game. Hadley wants Sebby because she likes him and is a fan of hockey. There's a difference. " Parker explains, sitting on the bench to change back into his Nikes.

"Hadley doesn't like me." I object as I strip out of my gym shorts and back into my black jeans. "She wants to sleep with me. There's a difference. "

Devin and Parker look at each other before laughing. "You think the girl stalks you solely because she wants to f**k you?"

Well, yeah.

She has a crush on me, sure. But it's not a crush crush. It's just a lust crush. She lusts after me. That's it.

"Sebastian, no one is that hot. She stalks you because she's smitten like a kitten." Devin spells it out for me. "And it's beyond her just wanting to see your hockey stick, man."

"Hockey stick. Oh, you're funny." I give him a mocking laugh and throw him some praise on the piss-poor attempt at a pun. "But you're wrong. You're both wrong. Hadley wants me for my body and nothing else." I finish lacing up my Under Armors and toss my gym shoes back into my locker.

"Sebastian, when did you become so dense?" Parker stands after closing his locker and claps a hand on my back. "The girl has it bad for you. So why don't you just give her what she wants?"

"You don't mean-"

"Screw her little heart out." Devin chuckles as he too stands after shutting his locker. "It's not like she'd be the worst lay of your life. Remember braids at the bar a few weekends ago? You said she almost broke your... stick."

I cringe at the memory. Yeah, that wasn't my proudest moment, or my best decision, come to think of it. That girl had no clue what she was doing and the sloppy makeout session we shared was all the warning I needed, but after three shots of tequila and a couple of beers, I didn't care. I just wanted to get my d**k wet. It didn't matter whose p***y I used. But it should have. It only took three minutes of her riding me and bending the wrong way to nearly snap my c**k off. I yelped and pulled out, then shoved her to the floor and bolted before she even realized what happened.

"I'm serious here, why haven't you slept with her yet? She wants it, probably more than she wants to breathe. Think of how willing she'd be to please you. Give you anything you want. Give you any hole you want." Devin pushes on, trying to paint me a pretty f*****g picture.

I still. My feet stop moving. The guys make jokes about Hadley all the time, so many times that I've learned to expect them, anticipate them, but this time something inside me clicks. And a thought I'd never had before forms inside my head.

Hadley is the smartest girl in our senior class. She's certainly the smartest one in science class. There would be no better lab partner I could get than her...so why don't I give her what she wants? Why don't I finally agree to give her what her pretty little heart desires? Why don't I agree to have mind-altering s*x with her... if she helps me pass my class first, that is?

In the looks department, she's attractive, cute, even, with mossy green eyes reminiscent of thorny vines, and light fiery red hair that skirts her shoulders and appears soft to the touch and smells so damn good. What? Her desk is right next to me in science class. Of course, I've gotten whiffs of her coconut shampoo before. Plus, that mouth of hers. God, it's something else. It has that cute little pout to it and her lips have the teasing bow which makes it the perfect plump invitation for kisses.

And my c**k.

Yeah, the girl definitely has that fire in her that would make hitting the sheets with her eventful and exciting, a better time than I've had in months. Add in the fact that she'd probably be beyond desperate to satisfy me for the chance to be with me and it becomes a no-brainer.

I have to do it.

But wait a minute. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself here. She wants me, sure. But would she be so eager to please me, or do anything I asked of her simply because her body craves mine? She doesn't strike me as the submissive type, and I would certainly prefer the brat that I know lives inside her—but would she surrender control to me if I asked for it? Would she let me do anything I wanted to do? Let me f**k her in whichever hole I wanted to? Obey my every request? Fulfill my every wicked need? Suck me off at the snap of a finger? Spread her legs for me with just one look?

My c**k stirs awake at the idea and I groan. It sounds like fun. It sounds like a whole helluva lot of fun. A goddamn good time. A better time than I've been having lately.

Well, s**t.

Devin just might be on to something here without even meaning to do it. He might have just saved my ass and our season. And he might have just made Hadley Berry the happiest little stalker on the planet.

A bell rings out overhead to mark the end of the final period of the day and pulls me out of my thoughts. Perfrct timing because I've got somewhere I've got to be... and a stalker to...stalk. "I've gotta bolt. I'll catch you at practice later." I rush out quickly, turning to mumble a fast goodbye to my friends before I disappear around the wall.

It's almost time for classes to let out and I know where Hadley will be.

Racing through the hallways, bustling with students and staff, I dodge the flood as I spot the back of Hadley's head just a few feet away. She exits the school and crosses over to the woods and I move like an animal to surpass her without her seeing me...until I want her to notice me.

She's only taking the trail through the woods because she knows it's the pathway I take home and is hoping to stalk me through it. Might as well turn the tables on her. Turn the predator into the prey, so to speak.

It only takes a few minutes before her footsteps follow behind me, the sound of nature and crinkly leaves turning to dust beneath her sneakers as we move further into the forest.

And a sly grin spreads across my lips because I know that I've got her. She's too easy. Too predictable. Already so much fun to play with.

Well, let the games begin.