What Are The Odds?: A college hockey romance. (Phil-U Book 1)

Grace.

I hunched over, resting my hands on my thighs. The treadmill slowed to a stop. I watched as a bead of sweat appeared with the turning conveyor belt. Despite the freezing temperature outside, I was sweating as though I was about to walk out to a sunny day. I listened to the complaints and haggard breaths of my team. That workout hadn’t been easy for anyone. Ava fell to the ground beside me. She rolled from side to side, resting her hands on her ribs as she fought to regain her breath. I was tempted to do the same, though I knew my chances of getting back up wouldn’t be high.

“Bloody. Brutal,” she choppily exhaled.

It was. But I liked it. My favourite out of water workouts were the ones that left you hunched over, contemplating every bad health decision you’d ever made. I’d forget all about this feeling tonight when I snacked after dinner. Then tomorrow morning, I’d pay the price all over again. It was a never-ending cycle. One I’d been familiar with for as long as I could remember. I pulled my baggy t-shirt over my head, using it to wipe my face. My chest and the slither of skin between my sports bra and gym shorts glistened with sweat.

“Stretch then clear out,” coach instructed. “The hockey team has this space in fifteen.”

I moved to the wall, propping my toe against it to stretch my calf. Usually after a workout the team was chatty, but today we were nothing but a group of heavy breathers. I could feel the bottom of my ponytail sticking to the sweat on my back. I may as well have gone in the pool I was that wet. I switched legs, sinking my teeth into my lip. My muscles were so tight. It was going to take a lot more than stretching to recover from this workout. As if reading my mind, Stella suggested an ice bath. As hard as they were in the moment, my body always thanked me afterwards. I needed to foam roll my legs first though otherwise I’d be limping around campus tomorrow. I started with my hamstrings, getting into position before gliding back and forth. I’d seen first-hand the injuries that happened to athletes when they didn’t take the right steps to recover. It wasn’t just about how fast you could swim, or how you held up in out of pool trainings. Recovery was just as important. If anything, it was the most important part. Bodies couldn’t perform if they were damaged. The atmosphere among the swimming team shifted. When I glanced over my shoulder, I realised why. The hockey team were making their way over. It was easy to tell the hockey and swimming guys apart. While the guys on my team were incredibly fit, the hockey guys were huge. None of them were below six-foot, and half of them were either covered in tattoos or facial hair. I wondered whether Levi had any tattoos. If he did, none of them were visible right now. He walked alongside Will, dressed in black shorts and a fitted black t-shirt. The silky material clung to his torso. While the ice hockey team spent a lot of time training in the ice rink, the practices I’d overseen in the athlete’s gym were always hard hitting. They lifted heavy. They pushed the limits in conditioning workouts. And from what I’d heard, they went hard on the ice as well. Both Ava and Stella froze when Levi headed towards us. He carefully dodged the many swimmers stretching on the floor.

“Morning, Hughesy.” He cocked his head. “Tough workout?”

Looking up at him, I feigned innocence.

“How can you tell?”

I’m sure I looked as spent as I felt, but I didn’t have the energy to be bothered by that. Levi lowered to the ground, sitting on a spare foam roller and resting his elbows on his thighs. He was so big it was almost comical. Like a full-grown adult sitting on a toddler’s chair. He dragged his hands through his hair, causing his biceps to flex.

“What are you doing Saturday night? We have a home game. Then there’s an after party at our place. You keen?”

“Sounds fun. What time does . . .”

I trailed off when Levi’s eyes darkened. I followed his eyeline. Ryker was strolling this way. A smile stretched across his face when he caught my eye. I smiled and waved back. Like Levi, Ryker was dressed for his workout. Ours had been extra early this morning. Probably a conscious decision from our coach to ensure we didn’t get in the way of the hockey or football teams.

“Hey Grace.” Ryker’s tone shifted. “Holloway.”

Levi responded with a head nod. Ava scrambled back to her feet. Stella followed suit.

“We’re going to hit the ice baths,” she said. “You ready, Grace?”

Nodding, I got to my feet too. I wrapped my t-shirt around my neck, using it as a sweat towel. My chest was still heaving from the workout.

“So, Saturday night?” Levi prompted.

Ryker shifted from foot to foot. “What’s happening Saturday night?”

Levi squared his shoulders. “Grace is coming to my game.”

“Really?” Ryker faced me. “I’m free. If you’d like company.”

Stella poked her head around my body, a smile transitioning her face.

“Grace would love that.”

Ryker winked at me.

“It’s a date.”