the treadmill.
He’s got long, muscular legs, thick thighs, that butt hockey players are famous for, and sweat dripping down a defined torso.
I try to swallow, but my mouth is dry.
Yeaaaah, I’m so not as straight as I thought I was.
He’s got earbuds in, so he hasn’t heard me. He hasn’t acknowledged me either.
I’m torn between turning around and heading straight back out of here or going and jumping on the treadmill beside him.
The only thing with doing that is I’d have to be normal Beck around him. I’d have to taunt him and pretend I don’t have a care in the world. I don’t think I have that in me.
Not tonight.
The longer this camp goes on, the more fun I’m having. Which is almost making me depressed. It’s a no-win situation.
Being on the ice gives me a purpose. Teaching those kids gives me something I’ve never had before. It might be that when it comes to maturity, we’re on the same playing field, but I think it’s more than that.
And that’s depressing because it’s going to end.
Then next year I will have graduated and moved on to become the intern everyone sucks up to at Beckett Enterprises because every employee knows I’ll be their boss one day.
“You gonna stand there and stare at me all night, or you gonna join me?” Jacobs finally turns his head in my direction.
I force a smile I don’t feel. “I haven’t decided yet.”
He gestures for me to come closer, and I relent.
We run side by side in silence that’s strangely comfortable for Jacobs and me. We’re either always at each other’s throats or ignoring one another with this weird tension pulled tight between us.
The animosity is absent, and for one brief moment, we’re peaceful.
It doesn’t last long.
Despite the comfort, the competitiveness is stronger than ever. I match his treadmill levels, and then he ups his. He smiles at me, so I up mine.
Next thing I know, we’re pushing our limits and I finally get out of my head.
My body may be responding to the guy next to me in ways I’ve never experienced. I might be having new thoughts that kinda freak me out but don’t at the same time. But right here and now, it’s only me, Jacobs, and our egos to keep us company.
We keep a pace that I know neither of us can sustain for long, and thank God, he’s the first one to slow down.
“What’d you say about chickening out?” I taunt.
“That’s your problem, you know.”
I slow to a walk to cool down. “What is?”
“You don’t know when to stop pushing. I saw you through the window earlier. How many laps of campus did you do before you came in here? Then you push yourself so hard so you can gloat and be the bigger man. You play with boundaries and don’t know your limits.” He breathes hard. “As a captain, you should know when to work your players hard and when to back off. Not everyone can go full speed all the time. Not everyone can party all the time, slack off when it comes to grades, and still get everything handed to them. A captain needs to be relatable and realize not everything is about them.”
“So, you think I’m going to become captain.”
“My point exactly.” Jacobs jumps off his treadmill. “You gotta look at the bigger picture, Beck. Stop looking for the immediate win and focus on what you want in the long run.”
He walks away, leaving me speechless because I have absolutely nothing to say to that.
I can’t tell him I don’t have the luxury of looking at the long run. My long run consists of business suits and corporate bullshit.
“Lock up on your way out.” Jacobs turns and leaves, and as much as I want to run after him, I can’t. My legs won’t let me.
Shit, maybe I did push too hard because my muscles are spasming.
Ouch.
I limp my way the following night to the meeting spot with the rest of the team.
Final challenge.
Let’s hope it’s not another race because my legs are killing me.
Jacobs, the asshole, strolls in like he doesn’t have an ache in his body.
“Excursion night!” Cohen calls, getting straight into it.
“Off campus?” I ask.
“We all know the University of Vermont is our enemy.”
Everyone hoots and hollers.
“And tonight, it’s up to our potential captains to show true school spirit.”
Yup, not liking this.
“Your final mission is to defile the University of Vermont’s catamount statue.”
Jacobs and I glance at each other. Our eyes lock.
He breaks