Heart As Cold As Ice | 18+ | ✓

02: alondra

"They'll survive." He says, brushing them off like they're a speck of dust on his shoulder. "The only number I have a problem with is the low rating you gave me Friday night." Jack points out and I shrug my shoulders, trying to maintain my nonchalance.

"Guess you should have done better then. For the record, I'm not tutoring you. Find someone else if you actually need the help."

Keri smiles and pulls her laptop out of her backpack, settling in because the lecture is about to start.

I do my best to focus while the professor drones on for the hour long lecture, but it's hard to when Jack's leg is bouncing non-stop. A part of me is actually surprised that he's taking notes. His nose is slightly scrunched and his eyebrows are furrowed in concentration. I know it's wrong to make assumptions about people, but I judged him before he even approached me at the bar. Incorrectly since I didn't know he played hockey; Jack's worse than I thought.

As soon as the lecture is over, I grab my things quickly to dart around Jack, but he grabs ahold of my wrist. It sends a wave of emotion through me, along with a spike in my anxiety. "Where do you think you're going Al? We haven't had a chance to chat yet," He says, smirking at my eagerness to get away from him. Except it's not funny or cute.

"Do we have anything to talk about?" I ask, yanking my wrist away from him quickly. "I have to meet Pritchett."

"Great, I'll walk with you then." Jack's stubborn, leaving no room for argument. What would he even want to talk about? The kiss? The fact he's one of my dad's players and I want nothing to do with him because of it? He can't seriously need a tutor because we're only a month into school.

Slight problem is I also don't have to meet with Pritchett because she's in a lab all morning. I only said it because I thought Jack would leave me alone.

"Perfect," I say, sarcasm dripping from the one word. "Bye Keri, I'll see you Thursday."

She offers me a smile and a wave before I walk down the stairs with Jack following closely behind. There's a slight chill outside and I'm glad I decided to wear another sweater today. It feels like that's all my wardrobe consists of.

It's not what it would be if I'd gone to school in Texas.

Fucking Minnesota and their stupid snow.

Jack is greeted by some guys that I'm assuming are on the hockey team, and a few girls glower at me because I'm with him. I mean seriously? He's a jock that can simultaneously skate and shoot a puck. Not a god or anything incredibly special. He's just...Jack I guess.

I continue walking, hoping they'll capture his attention long enough for me to ditch him. Except the sound of his heavy footsteps catching up to me tell me that it didn't work.

"Darling, are we just going to continue wandering aimlessly or are we actually meeting up with your friend?" He asks after another five minutes of walking silently. I have no interest in hashing this out with him.

I turn my head to look over at Jack, noting the way the sun causes the lighter shades of brown in his hair to stand out. Hell, he was attractive in bar lighting. In actual daylight, his features are so much more noticeable. He has an amused expression on his handsome face, like he knows that I'm checking him out.

"Where are you from?"

My question catches him off guard, but Jack answers it anyways. "Texas, why?"

Figures.

"Because you have a southern accent. Plus no one in Minnesota calls anyone darling."

Jack smiles before mocking me, "Does it bother you, darling?"

Yes, but I'm not going to tell him that. "Doesn't bother me, but it might bother my dad if he hears you call me it." I smile at him as his expression changes to a guarded one.

"Why didn't you tell me that your dad was my coach? I never would have..." Jack trails off, rubbing the back of his neck.

I scoff and adjust my backpack on my shoulders. "Solicited me so your friends didn't make fun of you? Obviously I didn't know he was your coach."

"Seriously?" His blue eyes are scanning my face skeptically. I don't blame him for being skeptical. I didn't tell Jack my real name either. "Not to sound like a jerk or anything, but I'm pretty well known around campus. How do I know you didn't actually know or are you just trying to get me in trouble with your dad?"

"Why on earth would I try to get you in trouble with my dad?" I ask, getting slightly defensive because I'm pretty sure Jack is the one that came up to me at the bar. Not the other way around.

"I don't know. Did we hook up last year at a party and you're pissed I didn't call you?"

My jaw drops, "You didn't seriously just say that." Hockey star or not, he's acting like a dick.

Jack at least looks a little embarrassed. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just having a hard time believing that this is all one big coincidence."

"You came up to me. You said that your friends would tease you and I was drinking. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I in no way pursued you; pretty sure I told you to go away many different times. If I'd known that you were one of my dad's players, I would have stayed very far away." I say angrily and Jack closes his eyes, sucking in a sharp breath.

"Why didn't you say who your dad was?" He asks, still not getting the glimpse that I didn't intentionally try to hide it from him.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Do you go up to random people in a bar who are hitting on you and tell them who your dad is?"

Jack's face changes, "No. I don't."

"Exactly. So why should the same be expected of me?" I ask him point blank and Jack shifts, looking different from the confident man who hasn't stopped annoying me from the moment I met him.

"Al I'm sorry. I'm just a little stressed about this. Can you blame me? You're my coach's daughter which makes you extremely off limits."

I kinda do feel bad for him, but Jack has this all wrong. If Dad finds out, my ass is the one in trouble, not his. "Just forget about it okay? You have nothing to worry about."

He shakes his head, refusing to accept my answer. "I don't feel like doing suicides at practice because you run to Daddy after I eventually hurt your feelings."

"Seriously Jack, I mean it. If anything, I'll be the one that gets in trouble with my dad for Friday night."

"What do you mean you'll get in trouble? You didn't do anything wrong Al." Jack says, running a hand through his hair causing a piece to flop onto his forehead.

I back away from him, offering a small smile. "I really didn't know who you were. I'm a freshman so how could I have hooked up with you last year? It was just a kiss and I'm not going to rat you out to my dad. I'll see you around, stop worrying."

Jack looks confused, but I don't feel like explaining the dynamic of my relationship with my father to someone I hardly know. I walk away from him before he can try to change my mind.