Keeping Casey (Keeping Him #1) - Amy Aislin Page 0,23

handle it.”

A dubious eyebrow rose. “By pretending to have a boyfriend?”

“This is a very bad plan,” Cody piped in, sitting back to let the server deposit his meal onto the table.

“His stepbrother’s on the team too,” Ethan said. “A freshman, like me. He says that Britton will spend the entire season trying to convince me I’m straight. That’s why Casey’s pretending to be my boyfriend.”

Roman held up a hand. “I get what you’re trying to do. Having a boyfriend proves that you are gay and him trying to convince you otherwise would be useless. But that won’t stop the slurs and derogatory remarks during practice and in the locker room. I’m not convinced the arrangement you two have is the right way to attack this.”

“It was Casey’s idea,” Ethan mumbled.

“Oh sure, throw me under the bus.”

Silently, Roman regarded Ethan for a moment. With the sunglasses covering his eyes, Ethan couldn’t read his expression, and he glanced away. Finally, Roman stole a fry off Cody’s plate and stood. “Take a walk with me, Ethan.”

Left alone with Cody, Casey’s knee bounced again. What did one talk about with the husband of a two-time Stanley Cup champion?

Behind Glen Hill Hall was Glen Hill, the actual hill for which the college was named. It wasn’t high. In fact, from the top one could barely see over the treetops surrounding the Hall. It was much more of a knoll than a true hill.

Casey watched Ethan and Roman meander up the hill, questioning, not for the first time, what the hell had possessed him to suggest a fake-boyfriend arrangement with Ethan. Cody was right—it was a bad plan. But if it kept Cole Britton off Ethan’s back . . .

There wasn’t anything Casey wouldn’t do for his best friend, and if he had to kiss him a few times while visiting the House . . .

Oh, the hardship.

“Is he going to tell his coaches about his captain?” Cody asked, swirling a fry in ketchup.

An unamused laugh escaped Casey’s chest. “Ethan? Nope. He’ll fall on his own sword first.”

“Why? His team management is there to help him. Why wouldn’t he take advantage of that?”

Casey shifted in his seat. “That’s just Ethan for you. He doesn’t like to bother other people with his problems.”

It was a holdover from their parents’ death. From Ethan’s dad being so overwhelmed with grief when his wife had died in the accident that he hadn’t been able to stomach his kids’ pain too. And so Ethan had bottled all of that up and focused instead on being there for his sisters—April, two years his senior, and Laura, who’d only been seven years old at the time—and for Casey.

Now Ethan was determined to weather everything alone so he wasn’t a burden on anyone.

A burden.

Sometimes Casey wanted to smack him.

The only person Ethan burdened was himself, by refusing to lean on others. It was only one of the reasons Casey had learned to pay attention—both to Ethan’s body language and what he wasn’t saying underneath his “I’m fine” attitude.

The other reason had everything to do with Ethan himself, and Casey’s feelings for him.

So no. Casey didn’t miss when Ethan rubbed an aching wrist or winced when he moved wrong. Ethan could try all he wanted, but there was no hiding from Casey.

At the top of Glen Hill, Ethan and Roman sat side by side, arms over their knees as they talked. Ethan caught him watching and waved, squinting against the sun.

“Okay,” Cody said slowly. “But there’s bothering people and there’s asking for help, and the line between them isn’t that blurry.”

“Yeah,” Casey said with a sigh, gaze straying to Ethan once more. “Tell that to Ethan.”

Chapter Six

Glen Hill Hall’s ballroom was lavishly decorated in the Glen Hill College Mountaineers’ colors for the GH Hockey Kick-off Gala—deep green with black accents. Round tables seating eight each were covered with black tablecloths, the chairs sporting green bows over black chair covers. Centerpieces made of tall glass vases sporting leafy greenery sat on every table, along with jugs of ice water. The championship banners normally suspended in the arena at the athletics facility hung on the walls, showcasing the Mountaineers’ achievements.

Casey had known that the ballroom was only used for special events. Having never seen it before, though, he hadn’t expected it to be so fancy. Marbled flooring, crystal chandeliers, stained glass windows, dark wood paneling.

And about a hundred people dressed in their finest evening wear.

“How long do you think we have to stay?” Ethan asked, pulling at