Inevitable (Book One)

Chapter 6

Shawn

I leave the ice feeling pissed off as I head to the dressing room and fall back onto the bench. We won our game, I should be ecstatic and cheering along with my teammates as they celebrate. Yet, here I am annoyed as hell at the fact that for the whole game I had to keep glancing up into the stands where Lyla sat with Tyler Kelley. Each time I looked back up I had hoped to find her sitting on her own, only to catch them laughing together. I undress, hit the showers, and put my suit back on. The shower did not help ease any of the tension from my body like I had hoped it might. I say bye to a few teammates as I leave the dressing room.

Tonight had been off to such a great start when I picked her up. She opened the door to her dorm room and I couldn't help but rake my eyes over her body, her outfit was simple, but the way it hugged her curves made my body start to instantly heat up. On the drive over she was so adorable with all her hockey questions, usually when someone is oblivious to the game it annoys me, but something about Lyla made it endearing.

I felt on like I was on cloud nine when I was getting dressed for the game, ready to work my ass off on the ice to impress her. Then when I glanced up into the crowd for probably the fifth time since the start of the game I was finally able to find her in the crowd, but she was facing Tyler beside her. It was as if someone took a pin and burst my bubble of excitement for the night in that moment. I literally felt myself deflate.

Tyler is a sophomore on the team and he's a total player with girls. He's always bragging in the dressing room about his latest conquest, some of the guys buy into it, but I usually tune him out. My mind ran wild with whatever he could possibly be saying to Lyla throughout the game and what kind of lines he was feeding her.

As I reach the top of the stairs and enter into the lobby I glance around the area for Lyla. There's a few small groups of people but it's mostly emptied out of all the fans. I find her and feel my anger surge again when I see her standing with Tyler, chatting away and not noticing me. I start to walk across the room to go meet them when Erica prances up to me and wraps her arms around my waist before I can move out of the way.

"Great game sexy," she comments as I pry her hands off from around me and she takes a step back, not seeming to be phased by my obvious gesture to get distance from her. I glance down at her and recognize the seductive smile she's offering me, making her best attempt to have an effect on me. This smile used to have me like putty in her hands, but now it only irritates me.

"Thanks," I mutter out as I glance past her to where Tyler and Lyla are still lost in conversation. Erica turns and follows my gaze to where the pair stands.

"They looked cute sitting together for the game," she comments and I know she must be trying to piss me off even more. I glance down at her and she has a smug grin on her face. I rolls my eyes as I move past her, not bothering to say bye as I approach Lyla and Tyler.

"Hey! Great game!" Lyla exclaims as she notices me walking up to them. For a split second I swear she makes a move to give me a hug, but my eyes must be dreaming things up as she just shifts on her feet instead.

"Thanks," I respond, offering her the best smile I can manage at this point. I turn to Tyler who's standing there, his eyes still on Lyla with his dickhead smile plastered on his face, "Kelley," I greet him, my voice short.

"Hey Nolton," Tyler replies as he finally turns his attention to me. "Way to get the W for us. And I must thank you for inviting this wonderful girl to the game tonight, she was great company." He looks over to her again and smirks, I watch Lyla blush slightly and shift on her feet again. I feel enraged watching the interaction between the two of them.

"Thought coach had told you to stay focused and watch the game," I challenge him, my tone slightly threatening as I eye him down. I can tell Lyla is uncomfortable as she glances between us then stares down at the floor.

"I still watched the game," Tyler responds as he grins cockily at me. He must realize he's pushing me to a breaking point because he starts to take a few steps backwards as he goes to leave. "It was nice to meet you Lyla, I'll see you Monday. Shawn, always a pleasure." And he smiles one last time at Lyla before he turns and walks out of the building.

"What's on Monday?" I ask, my voice coming out more angry then I had intended.

"He's volunteering at track practice I guess," Lyla responds hesitantly as her eyes lift from the floor to meet mine. She looks nervous and I try my best to control my temper before I say something that makes matters worse. I just nod in response. We stand in awkward silence for a moment and I hate it. I want to go back in time to a few hours ago, before the game, when we were joking around and I felt so comfortable with her, so at ease.

"Shall we head out?" I ask breaking the silence. Lyla nods her head in response and I make the first move to head outside as she falls in step beside me. As we exit the building I feel my stomach grumble.

"Are you hungry at all? Would you want to stop somewhere for food?" I ask her. Even though I'm annoyed with how this first date night is going, I can't help but want to spend more time with her and try to redeem the night.

"I'm starving actually," she replies, "But, if you are tired I can always eat something at my dorm." She offers me an out and I wonder if it's more of an out for her that she's hoping I will take. I start to wonder if she even thought this was a date. I never really classified it, I had just hoped it would be.

"I'm not tired and I'm hungry too, I'll take you to this spot close to campus," I say and watch her for any sign of disappointment that I didn't take her out. She shows no signs though and actually smiles up at me as we reach my car. I open the door for her and she climbs in. I start the engine and turn the radio on this time, loud enough we can still talk over it if we choose to but also fills the silence. On the drive I try my best to push the frustration out of my body, but it only reminds me again and again of the view of Tyler and Lyla laughing together. The smile she has been giving me all week long, the one I had convinced myself was only for me, she had been giving to Tyler. I grip the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white as I try to focus my mind on the road.