Colton's POV:
I couldn't get this girl out of my head. On the ice, I was thinking about her. In class, I was only paying attention to her. She was in my head when I ate, showered, and slept. I was royally fucked.
I hadn't intended to get into a relationship at Eden. I hadn't dated since high school, and even that was never serious. The goal was always to push through until I made it to the NHL. Keep my priorities straight, stay focused. No distractions.
But somehow, I ended up in class with the biggest distraction of all time. And I couldn't stay away.
Her blue eyes haunted me, following my every move. When I looked at anyone else, I was looking for those tempting eyes, feeling disappointment in anything else.
Her hair was everywhere. Its soft texture was in my bed sheets, its warm brown color in every cup of coffee I drank. I had even found strands of it in my car that I refused to clean.
Her scent was warm and inviting, her lips the same. Her cute laugh rang in my head all day, and like a dog I followed the sound whenever I heard it.
I couldn't get enough. As much as I wanted to deny it, I was into this girl. Dangerously.
"Bro, focus," Chris yelled at me from across the ice. I had missed his pass, an easy one. Fuck, he was right.
I shook my head and tried to bring myself back to reality. Maybe bringing Jo ice skating was a bad idea, because now on the ice, she was all I thought about.
I made it through practice, my effort lacking. As much as I wanted to be mad at myself for being distracted, I just couldn't bring myself to. How could I be mad when Jo was on my mind?
"Dude, what's going on with you?" Chris asked quietly in the locker room. Drew had joined us, an equally concerned look on his face.
"It's nothing," I brushed them off, not wanting to get into the details. I opened my locker loudly, trying to indicate the conversation was over.
"This doesn't have to do with that girl, does it?" Drew asked, wagging his eyebrows. I scowled at him.
"Oooh, what girl?" Chris chimed in.
"This chick he has class with, he's with her all the time," Drew revealed to Chris, completely outing me.
"Not all the time," I said, suddenly feeling defensive. I didn't want the guys to think I wasn't focused. Hockey was important to me. The only problem was that Jo was climbing my ladder of priorities.
"Sure man, whatever you say," Drew joked, nudging Chris. They both walked away, finally taking the hint that I didn't want to talk about it.
Something about talking about girls in a locker room always felt weird to me. If I'm going to talk about feelings, I'd much rather do it over bong rips.
I grabbed my stuff and headed out to my car. I felt the urge to text Jo and see what she was up to. And if I could join.
C: Just finished practice. Whatcha up to?
She replied almost immediately.
Princess: Just resting, my brain is still scrambled
C: Perfect. Be there in 10
I didn't give her a chance to respond, partly in fear that she would say no. I just started my car and drove.
***
I pulled up to Jo's apartment, sending a quick text to let her know I was here. Within seconds, she opened the door. She looked adorable as always, wearing grey sweatpants and an Eden Eagles hoodie. Mental note to give her mine later.
"Hey princess," I grinned, walking up to greet her. Unable to control myself, I pulled her into a hug, desperate for her scent. Her hair smelled slightly of coconut, which I loved.
"Hey yourself," she joked, and I could feel her small frame laughing underneath me. "Let's go up, it's cold."
I followed obediently up the stairs to her unit. Her apartment was cute, decorated with bright posters and other decorations. Everything inside was colorful, which seemed so... not Jo? I wondered which one of her roommates chose the decor.
"Are you hungry?" she asked. "I'm not sure what we have but feel free to help yourself."
I smiled at her hospitality. She was such a stickler for manners. I had to admit, it was rubbing off on me too, and I wasn't mad about it.
"I could eat," I shrugged. Inside, I was starving after that practice, but I didn't want to pig out in her home.
She moved into the kitchen, opening up the fridge. She bent down slightly, and I took the opportunity to admire her beautifully shaped ass. "Oh, I think my roommates got pizza last night, there's some left. You want?" She looked up at me, and I quickly tore my gaze up to meet hers. At least I hope I did.
"Sounds perfect," I grinned, trying to ignore the urge to take her right then and there on the counter. Patience, Colton.
She pulled the box out, setting it on the counter. "Hot or cold?"
"Cold," I answered. She looked back up at me, surprised.
"Really? I think you're the first person I've met that likes cold pizza," she said. "Well, besides my brother."
I smiled wider, reaching over to open the box. "Don't get me wrong, hot is great," I said as I grabbed a slice, "but cold is even better." With that, I took a large bite, groaning at the delicious taste.
I saw Jo staring up at me, her eyes darker than usual. She swallowed, turning back to face the box. "Mhm, it's good," she mumbled.
Weird. I never knew what I was gonna get with her.
"So what were you up to earlier?" I asked in between bites.
"Honestly, I've been in between watching shitty TV and napping," she laughed. "Pretty boring."
I shrugged. "Well, you deserve it," I stated plainly. "You've been working your ass off all semester." I noticed that pretty pink blush on her cheeks, and I knew I said something right.
We walked over to the couch, where she had the latest season of The Kardashians up on the TV screen. I couldn't help but laugh.
"I didn't peg you as a Kardashian fan," I joked. Her blush deepened, looking slightly embarrassed. Something inside me stirred when I got her worked up like that.
"It's an easy watch," she defended. We settled on the couch and I instinctively wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. She fell into my touch, curling up by my side. I loved how much more comfortable she's gotten with me - it was like solving a jigsaw puzzle and finally finishing the border. Now I just needed to fill it in.
She turned on the TV, and we sat and watched as I polished off their pizza. Mental note to bring food the next time I come.
We didn't speak, but we really didn't need to. Just spending time with her was enough.
I noticed her start to doze off, her eyes fluttering as she fought sleep. I reached behind us to grab the blanket draped on the couch, wrapping it around her. As if it were a signal, she fell asleep instantly, her head falling from my shoulder to my lap.
I ran my hand through her hair, unable to stop myself. It was so soft and buttery, and I craved the feeling anytime I was around her.
I kept The Kardashians, not wanting to disrupt her sleep. I thought that if I never left this couch, I'd be okay with that. It'd be Kardashian purgatory but Jo heaven, and I thought that a fair compromise.
***
Jo's POV:
I woke up still on the couch, somehow splayed all over Colton's lap. Whoops.
I slowly got up, careful not to hurt him. I turned my head and saw that he had also fallen asleep, his head leaning back against the couch.
I sat up and took the opportunity to admire him: his messy golden hair, his dark long lashes, his rough but gentle lips parted ever so slightly. He had a slight 5 o'clock shadow starting to come in, giving him a more rugged appearance than usual.
I watched his chest expand and contract with each breath he took. I felt a little creepy watching him like this, but I wasn't sure if I would get the chance to admire his beauty again. Besides, I felt him playing with my hair as I feel asleep, so I'm sure he got plenty of time to watch me.
His eyelids started to flutter, and I quickly looked away to not get caught. He cleared his throat, slowly coming to life.
I turned back to him once I thought it was safe. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," I apologized.
He smiled lazily, his eyes still partly closed. "You didn't princess, don't worry."
I smiled back. I found my phone on the table and checked the time. 5 pm.
"Oh shit, I didn't realize how late it was," I said to Colton. "I actually had some stuff to do," I added with a laugh.
He gazed down at me, coming fully to life. "I can leave, if you need some time," he offered.
As much as I didn't want him to go, I knew I had a million chores to do, not to mention I needed to start studying for finals. I had been so caught up in my LSAT that my classes had fallen to the back burner. Besides, I was sure Colton also had a bunch to do. No way he would want to waste an entire day here with me.
My mouth pulled into a frown. "I don't want to keep you tied up here, if you have stuff to do too," I admitted.
His face fell slightly, but his smile stayed plastered on his beautiful face. "Sure thing, princess. Do what you need to do."
He slowly got up from the couch, walking his dishes over to the kitchen to set them in the sink, then he grabbed his bag from the floor. I followed him like a puppy on a leash. When we were at the door, he turned to face me, smiling down at me.
"See you around, princess." He leaned down and planted a kiss on my cheek, my body shivering in response. I smiled back at him before he opened the door, and was gone.
Suddenly my apartment felt colder.
***
A/N: I'm rlly gonna try to upload a bunch this weekend bc I'm SO BEHIND!!!! I have a million ideas for this and no time to write them down. Crying screaming throwing up.