PUCK ME ON ICE

Chapter 20

Ryder’s POV

“You’re back,” Rebecca murmured, completely naked as she stepped away from the bed. “What took you so long?” she added, striding toward me with a slow, confident smile.

“Rebecca, I didn’t ask you to come here,” I said coldly, holding my ground.

“I know you didn’t, but I really missed you,” she purred, sliding her arms around my neck. “And you know how I get when I miss you. I want to be around you all the time, which is why I’m here. So let's not make a big deal out of this... just f**k the s**t out of me.”

She pressed her lips against mine, but before she could deepen the kiss, I grabbed her shoulders and shoved her away.

“Rebecca, stop this,” I barked, irritation lacing my voice. “I told you, I have a girlfriend now.”

Her eyes flashed with instant annoyance. “What do you mean, you have a girlfriend?! You’re forgetting I was the one who lied and told everyone you were dating! You two are just pretending!”

“Call it whatever the hell you want,” I replied smoothly, crossing my arms over my chest. “I have a girlfriend, and you need to respect that. Now put your clothes on and get out of my room.”

A harsh, jagged laugh burst from her lips. “Oh... I get it now,” she smirked, taking a step closer and lowering her tone with desperation. “You’re still mad at me because I haven’t broken up with Danny yet. I promise I’ll leave him, okay? I just need a little more time, Ryder... so please, just f**k me.”

“Put your clothes on, Rebecca,” I repeated, my tone dropping to an unyielding threshold. “I don’t want anything to do with you, and I definitely don’t want Tessy getting the wrong idea about us again. My girlfriend happens to be the jealous type.”

Rebecca scoffed loudly, hurling a string of curses under her breath as she snatched her clothes off the floor and threw them on.

“You’re going to beg me to come back to you!” she spat, glaring at me with absolute fury before slamming my bedroom door on her way out.

I collapsed onto the mattress, letting out a long exhale into the quiet room. It hit me then—I had just turned down guaranteed s*x. I had never turned down a girl who wanted my d**k in my entire life. Whatever, I thought, rubbing my face with both hands. I need my relationship with Tessy to look as real and convincing as possible.

***

“King! Get over here!”

The coach’s booming voice echoed across the ice rink the next afternoon. I dug my skates into the ice and glided across the frozen surface toward the benches.

“How’s the leg injury holding up?” he asked, resting his hands on his hips.

My brows furrowed slightly. Leg injury?

“Tristan told me you had to miss practice yesterday because of it,” the coach added, keeping his eyes on his clipboard.

A quiet realization clicked in my head—Tristan had covered for me.

“Oh. Yeah, Coach... but I’m good now,” I said, keeping my face completely neutral.

“Good. Take care of yourself,” he warned, tapping his pen against the board. “Championships are next week, and we can’t afford any slip-ups.”

“Got it, Coach.”

I nodded, pushing off the ice and skating over toward the net where Tristan was leaning against his stick.

“Nice save,” I said, pulling up beside him.

“Don’t mention it,” Tristan replied casually, taking a long swig from his water bottle. He wiped his mouth with the back of his glove, then tipped his helmet toward the stands. “Your girlfriend’s here.”

For a second, I thought he was just messing with me—until my eyes followed his gaze up to the bleachers.

My chest pulled tight, a slow smile spreading across my face before I could stop it. Tessy was standing near the railing, wearing the exact outfit I had bought for her the night before. I dug my blades into the ice and skated straight over to the boards where she stood.

“Fancy seeing you here,” I said, resting my forearms against the glass with a smirk.

“I had to come,” she said, shifting her weight awkwardly. “You weren’t answering my calls. I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to be busy tonight.”

The smile faded from my lips. “Busy? Doing what?”

“You don’t need to know,” she dismissed quickly. “We’ll just have to reschedule our tutoring session for another time.”

“Tessy, you’re supposed to be tutoring me—you can’t just reschedule whenever you feel like it,” I said, a hint of genuine annoyance slipping into my voice.

“I know, and I’m sorry,” she sighed, offering a small, apologetic look. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

I let out a heavy breath through my nose. “I guess I can’t stop you.”

“Thank you.” She hesitated for a second, glancing past my shoulder toward the middle of the rink. “Hey... do you think Tristan noticed my outfit?”

A sudden, sharp frown tugged at my forehead.

“The clothes weren't bought for you to show off to him, Tessy,” I said, my voice turning icy and direct. “They were meant to upgrade your look now that you’re with me.”

“I know,” she muttered softly, her eyes searching mine. “I mean... I’m only with you to get his attention, right?”

I stared back at her for a long beat, my jaw tightening. “Yeah. Right.”

“Good. See you later, Ryder,” she said, turning on her heel and heading back toward the exit.

I leaned against the glass, my eyes locked on her retreating figure as she walked out.

“Damn... even her style has completely changed,” Owen whistled, skating up beside me and shaking his head in approval. “You’re really pulling out all the stops, Ryder.”

I rolled my eyes, keeping my gaze fixed on the doors.

“Better watch your back, man,” Owen joked, nudging my shoulder. “You’re gonna have a ton of competition for her soon if you aren’t careful.”

I didn't bother replying. He could joke all he wanted, but the truth was simple—when it came to Tessy, there was no competition.

Not even Tristan.