A Hockey Player's Guide To Deception

Chapter Sixteen

Kayla was already regretting her decision by the minute. Maybe she shouldn't have let her empathy and guilt get the best of her because as she stood there frozen across from Louis, the urge to dash out the door consumed her thoughts. Louis, sitting casually on his bed, shrugged off his shirt. Her eyes briefly flickered to his toned abs before she forced them away, fixing her gaze on the ceiling as though it were the most intriguing thing she had ever seen.

"Help me up," Louis commanded. Even in need, he managed to assert his dominance. Kayla bit back a retort, her lips twitching in annoyance. He could use a lesson in how to ask for help politely, but she stayed silent, opting not to challenge him...for now.

Kayla stepped closer, wrapping her arms around Louis's waist, which was surprisingly slim. His arms draped over her shoulders, gripping her firmly. They slowly rose together, but Kayla stumbled, unprepared for the added weight. Louis's hold on her tightened, and she braced herself, pushing against him to support both their weights. Step by step, they trudged toward the shower, each movement making her lungs constrict further. She had seen her fair share of naked men over the past few weeks, but helping one shower was an entirely new challenge. The dorms had self-contained bathrooms connected to the rooms, and as they finally leaned against the tiled walls, both of them breathed heavily, grateful for the support. 

"So, how do we go about this?" Kayla asked, her voice wavering with uncertainty.

"Help me move over there." Louis nodded toward the toilet, his face tight with pain. Kayla slid her arm around his back to support him, and together they shuffled across the small bathroom. Louis groaned deeply as he sat down, his body clearly protesting the movement.

Kayla hesitated, unsure of where to stand or what to do next. She glanced at him, waiting for instructions.

"I'll need you to hold the shower cap over my body while I scrub," he said, wincing as he spoke through gritted teeth. "And help me rinse off. I don't want to get my cast wet."

"Okay..." Kayla's replied softly, nervousness creeping in. She stood awkwardly by his side, her eyes scanning the room for something to focus on other than him.

Louis's gaze flickered toward her hands. "You'll have to be... careful."

Kayla swallowed and nodded. "I'll be careful."

Louis's hands moved down to his waist, the sound of his pants hitting the floor filled the crisp air. Kayla's breath caught in her throat, she refused to look down.

"Uh...Nathan, can you help me with... you know..."

"Oh?" Kayla swallowed, still frozen in place. She hadn't realized her eyes had fluttered shut. Slowly, she peeked through barely opened eyelids, only to find Louis as naked as the day he was born, his pants pooled awkwardly around his ankles. Her mind went blank for a moment and her brain seemed to stall. Kayla blinked, momentarily stunned, trying to grasp what he was asking her to do.

"Right, uh... yeah. Sure," she mumbled, falling to her knees. Her hands moved to help push his pants further out of the way, her eyes stubbornly glued to his feet, refusing to travel even an inch higher. Her heart raced, her mind spinning with the awkwardness of the moment.

"Thanks," Louis muttered. Kayla didn't need a mirror to know her face was probably the color of a ripe tomato, burning with embarrassment.

She heard him shifting again. "Help me up," he said, the words abrupt and impatient.Kayla's eyes widened to the size of saucers. 

"What?" she squeaked, looking up at him in disbelief.

"I said, help me up," he repeated, this time with a sharper tone.