Hockey games are fucking crazy at Boston U. I'm used to being in sport arenas and surrounded by crazy fans after years of attending my father's and uncles' boxing matches but this is its own territory. You can tell how crazy the hockey spirit is around here. Everyone is dressed in the team's colours and are cheering so loud my teeth rattle. That could also be because of the cold. I underestimated how chilly the arena would be and I suddenly curse my choice to wear a tank top. Goosebumps break out all over my arms and I rub them furiously.

"We could run back to the dorm and get you a sweater," Grace offers from beside me.

I shake my head. "The match will start by then. Besides, we have really good seats."

We made sure to come early. I wanted to see Beck before the match started but I couldn't find him so we've been in our seats since. Videos of my performance yesterday have been circulating and I basically put a spotlight under myself. I'm grateful I've never been the type to care what others think but I do care what Beck thinks. He must be confused and I wanted a chance to clear things up. I know he's not my boyfriend and that we're only friends who occasionally flirt but I still want to offer an explanation of sorts. If he wants one, anyway. Today might not be the best time for that conversation because I know how important this first match is for him. Besides, he's racked up on fans right now. His name is on multiple signs and if I'm not mistaken he has groupies too. I honestly find it amusing because he's so modest about himself and led me to believe he wasn't a big deal when he actually is.

"When do they come out?" Grace asks and cranes her neck.

I nudge her with my elbow. "Looking for Alex?"

When her cheeks go pink I know it's not just from the cold. She mumbles an unconvincing, "No."

"What's up with you two?" I ask. "Are you guys a thing?"

"I don't know," She groans miserably. "What does that even mean? What does anything mean these days? You could be a thing, or you could be in a talking stage, or you could just be flirty. There's a million ways to date people without actually dating these days. How the hell is anyone supposed to know what they mean to anyone anymore?"

"Amen," I grumble. "That's why I'm stumped about this thing with Beck. I know we're into each other but we haven't made any move to take it further. So what are we? Should I even talk to him about yesterday? Is it his business?"

"Technically it isn't," She shrugs. "But you have an unspoken thing so now you have to read between the lines and hope you're right."

"I hate men."

"All day everyday."

We high-five and go back to sulking. I take a moment to eye Grace, noticing her cute outfit. "You didn't answer my question about Alex, by the way."

"Because even I don't know how to answer your question. We've been texting everyday but I don't know, Liv. He's a hockey player and constantly flanked by girls. I could be just another name on a list."

"Well, are you into him? Do you want to see where this could go?"

"Maybe?" She scrunches her nose. "Do you want to see where things with Beck could go?"

"Maybe," I give her the same response and we laugh. "God, we don't know what the fuck we're doing, so we?"

"Nope. These boys could ruin our lives and yet we're sitting here to cheer them on."

"Go Terriers," I spin a finger in the air. I sigh deeply and cross my legs, trying to warm them up too. When I feel eyes on me, I notice Grace is still staring. "What's wrong?"

She looks uncertain as she shuffles. "I could be totally off base here but...are you into Lucas?"

"What?" I immediately tense up. "No way. Why would you say that?"

She shrugs. "Are you really surprised I ask? Yesterday...I doubt it was part of your routine the way you danced on him. And then everyone on the field saw him drag you away."

"It wasn't like that," I shake my head. For the millionth time I regret my actions. The plan was to do a routine with Manuel and Zack to promote the salsa club and make Lucas uncomfortable. Kill two birds with one stone. I don't know what got into me. He tried to leave and I panicked because he wasn't affected the way I thought he'd be. So I impulsively put the moves on him. I realized what I was doing and snapped out of it within seconds but still. And he knew just as well that he got the better of me in that moment.

Don't act like you're not wet for me right now.

I've thought about those words way more than I'm willing to admit. Lucas is no-bullshit and sometimes I underestimate how bold he can be. I didn't think he'd actually call out the obvious attraction between us. But it's just lust, fuelled on by our hate. Don't people always say that hate and passion go hand in hand or some shit? That's all it is so...

"I'm not into him," I finally say. "Did people say anything? After we left the field?"

She cringes. "Not very good things."

"It's okay. Just tell me."

"Um, they kind of said that you're doing Zack and Lucas both. That the three of you are closer than you look. Just mean and untrue things."

"Figures," I roll my eyes. "Whatever. College gossip is nothing compared to all those sport tabloids that are constantly writing about 'possible romances in the Fighter's Den community.' I've grown up being the target of rumours all my life."

We turn our attention to the ring when a whistle rings out and then everyone in the stands is on their feet. The Terriers skate out onto the rink, ripping apart the banner that two other students were holding up. One by one they skate to the other end until they've formed a line that spans the width of the rink. From the other side of the rink, the Harvard players — the Terriers' opponents for today's match — make their entrance and join the line one by one. When all the players are on the rink, they go to their respective sides and huddle. A timer comes on the scoreboard that reads two minutes.

"This is it," I say and look around. My arms have goosebumps but it's not just from the cold. There's loud and boisterous cheering that comes with a contagious energy and I can feel myself grow more excited. I look at Grace and grin. "Crazy."

"Crazier than that?" She whisper hisses and discreetly points behind me. I turn around and startle when I see Beck skate up to the glass where I'm seated at the front row. I stand up and go over to him.

"What are you doing here?" I laugh. "The game is about to start."

He points a finger to his right, to where the small gate is that lets you off and on the rink. I go there while he skates over and we meet in the middle. He opens the gate and hands me something. A sweater, I realize. I look up at him in question.

"You looked cold," He elaborates. It's hard to understand him through his helmet and mouth guard but I make out the words. "It's mine. You can borrow it."

"Thank you," I can feel myself grow tender. Damn it. He's almost too kind. "Beck...I want to talk to you about yesterday."

Most of his features are hidden behind his helmet but I can tell they tighten momentarily. "After the game, okay? Wish me luck."

"I'll be cheering the loudest," I promise.

He winks and closes the gate again, skating back to his teammates. I gratefully put his hoodie on and exhale in relief at the immediate warmth I'm engulfed in. The sweater is practically a dress on me so I'm warm all over as I make my way back to my seat. As soon as I sit I can hear whispering behind me.

"First Lucas and Zack and now Beck? Is she trying to break some kind of record? Slut."

I smile. Trust me, it's genuine. I waste no time throwing my two cents out there, speaking to Grace but loud enough for the girls behind me to hear.

"When a girl calls another a girl a slut, do you know what it means? She's hella insecure. She thinks a girl's value is dependant on how much attention she gets from men which is really fucking sad, isn't it?" I scrunch my nose and face the girls. There's three of them and two are gawking at me. Only one looks pissed off so I know she's the one who took that jab at me. I point to her. "You're beautiful. Seriously. I wish I had your face structure but I have a naturally full face. Yours is model worthy so whatever asshole made you feel like you're not good enough, fuck him. You're worth more than the attention of a boy. And for the record, if I was a guy I'd pick you instead of me any day."

The third girl is gawking at me now too. I smile and flutter my fingers before turning around. There was no point in me defending myself or clearing my name. People are going to think what they want to think, not what they should think. So why waste my breath changing their minds about me when I can change their minds about themselves?

"I can't believe you did that," Grace whispers.

I shrug. "I know who I am. My parents taught me to know me before trying to know anyone else. My mom was the same, you know? She got a lot of attention from men and enjoyed the casual fling and people thought she was a slut too. But she told me not to give a fuck about that because the same women who call you a slut are the same women who will want help when a man kicks them down. You've got to make them realize you're on their side so they can be on yours too."

"You know, I always thought your parents were awesome because of the whole boxing thing but it's pretty obvious that's the least coolest thing about them. They sound amazing."

I grin. "Cameron and Avery West did not play around when they raised me, bébé. Believe that."

"Adopt me," She stage whispers and I laugh.

The next whistle calls for our attention again and the game kicks off. Alex, who plays center, has his hockey stick positioned by the puck like Harvard's center. The ref gives it a couple of seconds and then blows the whistle. Alex manages to snag the puck first and passes it to his left defence and the game is on.

Hockey is intense. It's a violent game that's dependent on speed and strategy. It's so different from boxing because there's a million things going on at once and it's hard to keep up but that's what makes it exciting. There's never a moment where things are calm or slowed down. As soon as the game starts, you can't even blink or you might miss something. The first period is neck and neck where neither Boston U or Harvard scores. Beck manages to block two shots. He looks focused and intense and his reflexes are insane. By the time I realize where the puck is he's already blocked it and passes it off to one of his teammates. He's insanely talented and it's obvious he's been playing his whole life.

The second period is more intense. Harvard scores their first goal but they got lucky. One of Harvard's forward took a shot that Beck quickly deflected and passed to BU's right wing but he let the puck slip. Harvard's right wing swooped right in and shot a second time when Beck was still recovering. He jumped to block it but was off by maybe a second and the puck went in. There's five minutes left in the second period and everyone is on edge. It's only the first match but if Boston U wants to qualify for the frozen four this year, they need to rack up on their wins. Apparently getting off to a rocky start is bad mojo or so I heard from the dude beside me.

"Come on," My leg starts bouncing anxiously as I watch Alex pass the puck to the left defence. He whizzes across the ice with Harvard's right defence on his heels. He passes it back to Alex who's suddenly flagged by all three of Harvard's forwards. My stomach sinks. "Get out of there, dude."

"He's in trouble," Grace mumbles.

I crane my neck trying to see him. BU's left wing is trying to get the puck from Alex but he's cornered. There's no way he's going to be able to pass it to anyone even though he tries to skate around them. No such luck.

"Shoot it!" People started yelling. "Take the shot!"

"Can he do it?" I ask without expecting a response. He's not exactly at the best angle to pull it off. I'm not sure he can even see where the net is.

"Just take the shot!"

"Take it before Harvard gets the puck!"

There's a minute on the scoreboard and everyone's patience is officially on thin ice. Pun intended. I get to my feet along with everyone else as we try to get a better look at what's going on. I spot Alex in the cluster of huge men just as he whips his stick at the puck and send it off. Time seems to be suspended as we watch it fly through the air higher than it should. It's not going to go through. Harvard's goalie raises his glove to block the puck but only lifts his hand halfway, like he's expecting the puck to go over the net instead. But it doesn't. It grazes they outer edge of the net just barely but hits the netting a moment later. The scoreboard goes off seconds before the period ends. Point to Boston U.

"Fuck yes!" I scream and everyone in the arena is losing their shit. Holy crap, I can't believe how thrilling that was to watch. I don't even like hockey for fuck's sake but that was the single most epic thing I've ever witnessed. "I can't believe he pulled that off!"

All the Boston U players flank Alex in celebration, roaring their approval and jostling his head good-naturedly. The second period ends and it's like all the students breathe a collective sigh of relief. Now that we're tied with Harvard and have one more period to go, there's a better chance of winning.

"Am I insane or is this actually fun?" Grace scrunches her nose. "I don't have a single athletic bone in my body."

I nudge her with my elbow. "You don't need to be athletic to enjoy big hunky men aggressively kicking ass. This is porn."

"If you hear me getting off to NHL highlights tonight, mind your business."

I choke on my drink and burst out laughing, pleasantly surprised at that snarky remark. It's slow progress but it's great to see Grace coming out of her shell the way she is.

"Did I hear that right?" I hear from behind me. I turn around, surprised to find Zack heading my way. His brows are raised and he looks highly amused.

"You're late," I punch him in the gut. "This is Grace, by the way."

I gesture to her, my own brows going up at the sight of her flushed cheeks. She looks like she's going to burst into flames as she avoids Zack's eyes, offering a wave and hastily looking out onto the rink.

"Don't think we've met yet," He extends his hand to her. "Zack."

Grace clears her throat and shakes it, still not quite meeting his eyes. "Grace. I swear I don't actually get off to sports highlights."

I cover my mouth to contain my laughter. Oh my God, she did not just say that. Zack's brows jump another mile.

"Um...no judgement if you do. To each his own."

I'm unable to stop my snort as he sits between the both of us. Zack looks confused as hell and Grace's eyes are blazing in warning. I look out onto the rink before I say something to make things more awkward.

"That was a fuck show," A deep voice mumbles right before another body is plastered to mine. I jerk and look over at Lucas who's sitting so close I may as well be on his lap. My scowl is immediate.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Watching football. Am I in the right place?"

I roll my eyes at his sarcastic tone and push against his shoulder. "Can you not sit so fucking close? Actually, can you not sit here at all?"

I might be imagining it but I swear there's a ghost of a smile on his face. He looks away before I can tell for sure, his eyes scanning the rink. When he speaks his voice is low and smooth. "That wasn't very nice, Olivia."

"Were you expecting nice?" I toss back and look away too. He seriously needs to back off. I don't like feeling the warmth of his body or being able to smell his cologne. It's messing with my head. I can feel his eyes return to me.

"The fuck are you wearing?"

I keep my gaze on the ice. "Clothes."

"Whose?"

"What's it to you?"

He has no answer for that but I can feel the anger radiating off of him. Whatever. He has no right to be angry in the first place. Even so his presence is bothering me and I hate that I can't focus on the game, not even when the whistle rings and the third period starts. Why does he have to be everywhere? I drum my fingers on my thigh in frustration.

"Seriously, why are you here?" I can't resist asking. This is the one place I'd never expect to find him but here he fucking is.

"Because you're here," He answers simply.

"Oh, so you're stalking me now?"

"Don't be stupid. I'm just making sure no one fucks with you."

"What do you mean?"

"Thanks to your little show yesterday everyone is talking shit about you. You're officially the target of more rumours than I am and that's a fucking record if I've seen one."

"So? I don't give a shit."

"I know."

"And I can take care of myself, Lucas."

"I know," He answers irritably, his jaw clenching.

"Besides, you're being a hypocrite. All you ever do is fuck with me but now that other people are doing it it's a problem?"

"Yes," He snaps and finally looks at me again. "Call it fucked up if you want but you're off limits to everyone but me."

I snort in disbelief. "Wow. My hero."

He leans forward, his face an inch away from mine. He's so close I can see myself in his eyes that are swirling with all kinds of frustration. "I'm not your hero, Olivia. Don't mistake this for kindness. I just don't like it when people play with what's mine."

It's an insult to myself that my heart actually stops for a moment. I'm not even going to address the sudden warmth pooling between my thighs. I muster up the remaining shreds of my dignity, keeping a cool face at his words.

"I'm not yours," I tell him evenly and look away again. I'm looking at the game but I'm not seeing any of it. All of my senses are honed in on Lucas.

"Keep telling yourself that," He whispers. He looks away too but he's not done with me just yet. I can't help but jerk when I feel his fingers graze the underside of my bare thighs. I look around nervously but everyone's attention is on the game. This is still way out of line.

"Stop," I demand, my breath catching when his fingers drift higher and dangerously close to my inner thigh. "What are you doing?"

"You proved your point yesterday," He murmurs. "Now I'm proving mine."

"We're in public, for fuck's sake."

"We were in public yesterday too. Didn't stop you from making my cock hard, did it?"

"Lucas," I hiss in warning and press my thighs together to stop his hand before he can go any further. But it's the wrong move because now he can make his movements even more discreet and he does. His pinky stretches out and he runs it along my center. I barely manage to hold in my gasp. Hell, I barely manage to stop myself from rocking against his hand. What the fuck is wrong with me? Then he suddenly pulls away and chuckles under his breath. My cheeks are warm with embarrassment.

"Don't tell me you forgot we're just playing," He says, referring to our game. I clench my teeth. Asshole. He drops his voice to a whisper once more. "You might be wearing McCarthy's clothes but you're also wearing my touch, Olivia."

He stands up then and stalks off. My breath knocks out of me and I grab the bench to keep myself upright. God, he pisses me off. I can't believe he just did that. I can't believe I let him.

I watch the rest of the game completely zoned out. I can barely find it in me to cheer when Alex scores another goal and wins the first match for Boston U. Everyone is on their feet and going crazy but I stay in my seat, unable to stand because my knees feel weak. Fuck him. Fuck Lucas and his mind games. I don't want to think about him for another second.

When the Boston U players head to the locker room, the crowd starts filing out of the arena. Zack immediately heads out, looking distracted and preoccupied these days. Grace goes to the bathroom so I take a moment to head to the locker room myself, feeling an immediate need to clear things up with Beck. I don't know why. I just need to give myself a task right now.

I wait patiently as the hockey players walk out of the room. They all cast curious glances my way and I smile back politely. When Beck walks out I straighten up.

"Hey," I wave to get his attention.

"Hey," He grins back and jerks his head to the side. We stand off at the end of the hall for some privacy. "What are you doing here?"

"Congratulating you," I punch him in the shoulder. "You didn't tell me you were so good."

He shrugs, though I can tell my compliment pleased him. "I do my best."

"Yeah, yeah." I roll my eyes but then grow serious again. "Listen...about yesterday. I know there's been a lot of talk about me. I can't even imagine what you must be thinking."

"I don't think anything Liv," His brows come together and I know he's being genuine. "These people don't know you. They haven't ever talked to you. I can say differently about you and I. I choose to believe what I know about you, not what others pretend to know."

"So you don't think I'm a whore?" I ask a little self-consciously.

"No," He shakes his head and pauses. "But...if you have something going on with another guy I think you should let me know. I like you, Liv. I'm fine being your friend but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more. I just need to know if there's room in your life for me to have a chance."

"Beck," I squeeze his shoulder. God, his honesty is refreshing and I know I owe him the same. "I...I don't really know what I want right now. From any guy, really. I think I'm still figuring a lot of things out."

"That's fair. I just wanted to let you know where I stand. I didn't make things awkward, right?"

"Not at all. And we're still friends, right?"

"Hell yeah," He throws an arm around my shoulder and starts leading me away. "In fact, you want to buy me my first celebratory drink?"

"Done," I wrap an arm around his waist and squeeze. It's a nice moment but Lucas is right — I still feel his fucking touch.

___________________________

A/N

Woah now! Thoughts? At this point who are you shipping?

The lust between Lucas and Olivia is officially too much for me to handle. I need more!

Please VOTE, comment and share if you liked this chapter!

Happy Reading :)