Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
ALEC
Texting Evie definitely makes time on the road easier to bear.
The conversation we started at the beginning of the week has been going on for days, mostly just through text, but we’ve had a few phone calls too, and we’re talking about everything.
A lot about what she’s been up to in my absence. Hiring Ruth to provide daily childcare for Juno. Getting a North Carolina driver’s license. Meeting her landlord at her house to go over the list of repairs and improvements he plans to make before she moves in.
I don’t like thinking about that part—about the fact that if everything happens as planned, Evie will move out of my house within just a few days of my return. It feels selfish to grumble about it when I know she’s excited to set up her house and get settled, but hanging out with the twins without Evie around doesn’t sound nearly as much fun.
We’ve talked about our families. My teammates. All our favorites. Music. Movies. Books. Food.
She told me the story of her water breaking on a train car halfway between Manhattan and White Plains, and how Megan was the only reason she didn’t completely lose her mind while they waited for whatever malfunction had stalled them to be repaired. She made it to the hospital in time, but barely.
I told her about the time I fell asleep in the top bunk of a sleeper bus and didn’t wake up until I was locked inside a bus lot in Chicago, five miles from the arena with less than an hour before puck drop.
For once, I don’t mind so much that my closest friends on the team spend so much of their time texting their girlfriends or calling their wives. Because now, I have someone to talk to as well.
In all my past relationships, it’s never been this easy. It definitely wasn’t with Riley.
Not that I’m in a relationship with Evie. This is just friendship. I think it’s just friendship?
We’re outside of Philadelphia, an hour from our destination when a new message pops up.
Evie
ALEC. There is a lot of Midnight Rush on your playlist.
I chuckle as I type out my response.
Alec
It’s two songs. That’s not a lot. And they’re good songs.
Evie
It’s FOUR songs.
Alec
Real men aren’t afraid of boybands.
Evie
Can I put that on a t-shirt for you?
Alec
I’d wear it.
Evie
Consider it done. Your Instagram fans will love it.
Alec
Evie, do you follow me on Instagram? Is that what you’re admitting here?
Evie
Don’t let it go to your head. I find the comments very entertaining.
Alec
AND you read the comments?
Evie
Mostly so I can laugh at the lack of hockey knowledge people have. I swear, a lot of your fans don’t even watch the games.
Alec
Do YOU watch?
Evie
Of course I watch! I mean, it’s hard to watch the Appies because of how few games are televised. But I watch all the highlights on Instagram.
Alec
There’s an upgrade I can add to my streaming package that will let you watch the Appies games. If you want. Not that you have to watch. I’m just saying if you do, I don’t mind adding it.
Evie
I would love that. If it’s not too much trouble.
I like the idea of Evie watching me play. Though there’s an undercurrent of uncertainty attached to the feeling.
Last night, I spent a few minutes studying my stats compared to last season. My minutes played are a lot lower than they should be. Nathan and I have always played so well together, we’re usually on and off the ice at the same time, but lately, Coach has been shuffling defensive pairings. Last game, Nathan played quite a bit with Carter and Dumbo while I played with Theo and Tucker—something I didn’t love because it required me to play offside since we’re both left-handed. Overall, I still played with Nathan more. But I have to wonder what Coach is trying to do. Or what he’s trying to say.
Dr. Samuelson has repeatedly made it clear the injections are a short-term solution. If Coach thinks I can’t pull my weight, where does that leave me?
My phone buzzes in my hand, and I look to see another message from Evie.
Evie
Alec! Oh my gosh! Juno just rolled over!
Alec
Is that a big deal?
Evie
It’s a HUGE deal. She’s never done it before!
A minute later, she sends a video. I pull it up and smile through a twelve-second clip of Juno flopping over from her belly onto her back, then start it over and watch again. At the end of the video, Evie turns the camera and smiles into the frame, eyes sparkling. Her face is perfectly centered on my phone when a hand drops onto my shoulder.
“Okay, time to talk,” Felix says, his brown eyes serious as he sits down beside me.
Camden, Eli, and Van file into the row in front of us, standing so they can face me, and Nathan pops up behind me so I’m fully surrounded by my teammates.
I look at Felix, then shift my gaze from one guy to the next. They’re all looking at me with matching expectant looks. Like this was some kind of planned ambush. “About what?”
“We think you know what,” Van says.
I look over at Nathan, my jaw ticking. “Dude, I swear, if you said something about my knee…”
“What’s going on with your knee?” Felix asks, and I frown. Oops.
Nathan rolls his eyes. “Evie,” he says, like it should have been obvious. “We’ve all noticed. You’re texting her all the freaking time.”
“I’m not,” I lie. “And it’s not like any of you have room to talk. Van calls Amelia at least twelve times a day.”
“And she answers every single time,” Van says with a smirk.
“You are texting her all the time. Evie’s face was on your phone not five seconds ago,” Felix says to me.
“We’re not saying it’s a bad thing,” Camden adds. “We’re just curious where your head is.”
I consider the question. Technically, I could dismiss their concerns, claim Evie and I are just friends, and leave it at that. All we’re doing is talking. Texting. But I am thinking about her all the time. And a part of me is curious to know what the guys think.
I run a hand through my hair. “Nothing is going on—not officially. But I do think I like her.”
“ Are you worried about the age thing?” Nathan asks. “Summer said you mentioned it.”
“Nah,” I say without even having to think about it. “If I think about it too much, it starts to feel weird, but when we’re talking, I don’t really notice it. She doesn’t seem all that much younger.”
“Does anyone else think it’s weird that we’re asking about the age thing but not the baby thing?” Eli asks. “A baby is a big deal.”
“Does it have to be?” I ask, because honestly, so far, hanging out with Juno has been awesome.
“It’s a kid, ” Van says. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t date her. But we aren’t talking about one of Eli’s puppies. If you go down this road and you’re serious about it, you have to be okay with that kid eventually being your kid. You’d be a dad, man. Like, instantly. ”
My gut tightens at the thought. So far, I haven’t really thought of myself in that context, and it sends a wave of uncertainty washing over me. “I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves.”
“Are we?” Felix says. “If you’re starting something, you have to think about Juno because Evie definitely will.”
“I’ve never even held a baby,” Eli says, shaking his head, but there’s a glimmer in his eye that makes me think he’s excited about the prospect. “Have you?”
“I held Juno before we left,” I say, happy I can at least claim that much. “For like an hour. Long enough to get her to go to sleep.”
“Wow. A whole hour,” Van says dryly. “You’re a pro.”
“I like my sister’s kids,” Nathan says, ignoring Van’s sarcasm. “This could be good for you. But Felix is right. You can’t approach this like any other relationship. Juno will take priority over everything else.”
I sink back into my seat, feeling the weight of the new reality my teammates are presenting. So far, texting, hanging out with Evie while she’s living in my house has been easy and fun. Very in the moment. But if we were to date for real, how would that even work? Once she moves out, I won’t see her near as frequently. She’ll be working, juggling childcare for Juno. Would she even want to go out at night when she’s been away from her daughter all day long?
My travel schedule already makes stuff complicated enough.
“Dude. What’s with the face? We aren’t saying you shouldn’t do it,” Felix says.
“No, I know,” I say. “I’m just…recognizing a lot of the potential complications.”
“I know a thing or two about complications,” Van says. He would know since he’s the one who married the coach’s daughter. “If it’s right, it’s right, and you’ll figure everything out.”
“I hate to be the wet blanket here,” Eli says, “but aren’t we forgetting something?”
When no one responds, he rolls his eyes and pulls out his phone. He scrolls for a second, then holds it up.
“Aren’t we forgetting her ?”
A picture of Riley fills his screen.
Van lets out a low ohhhhh, but there’s no reason for him to.
“She’s not an issue,” I say. “We were never exclusive, but either way, it’s over. We aren’t talking anymore.”
“Does she know that?” Camden says, looking over Eli’s shoulder at his phone. “Because you’re all over her feed.”
“Am I?” I reach for the phone. Sure enough, I find at least a dozen photos of me and Riley on her profile, including the top three posts pinned to the top.
“She knows,” I say. “I had no idea she was posting like this.”
“How?” Eli asks, looking over my shoulder. “You’re tagged in all of them. This one was only posted a week ago.”
“I don’t spend any time on Instagram,” I say. “And I haven’t seen her in person in two months.”
“Could she just be using you?” Felix asks. “Not in the relationship sense, I just mean with her posting. She’s got a pretty big following, but not as big as yours.”
I run a hand over my face. “Yeah, maybe.”
“If you want to start something with Evie, you need to talk to her,” Felix says. “Get her to stop posting. Because this reads like you’re still together.”
“You want to start something with Evie?”
I spin around to see Carter standing in the aisle of the bus.
I would cringe if not for the hopeful expression on his face. Despite his brother’s questionable attitude, Carter is a hard kid not to like.
“If he does, you won’t say anything about it,” Nathan says, and Carter quickly nods.
“No, definitely not.” He hovers for a moment, indecision crossing his expression like he can’t quite decide if he should stay or go. A few seats ahead, his twin is dead asleep, which makes it easier for me to motion him over with a slight tilt of my head. I trust Carter, at least, if not his brother. And it might be nice to have an ally in the house.
Eli clears his throat. “You should probably consider the possibility that Evie has seen Riley’s posts too.”
My stomach sinks at the thought. Evie was just talking about following me on Instagram. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume she’s come across Riley’s profile, since Riley is still actively tagging me in her posts.
If Evie has seen the photos and it hasn’t stopped her from texting me, maybe to her, the dynamic between us really is just friendly and I’m the one reading into things.
I swear under my breath. “What if Evie has seen them and she doesn’t care? What if this is all just friendship to her?”
“I know I don’t have the relationship experience you guys do,” Carter says, “but I don’t think Evie looks at you like she only wants to be your friend.”
I breathe out a sigh and drop back into my seat. “Why does this suddenly feel so complicated?”
“It doesn’t have to,” Camden says, his quiet voice cutting through my spiraling thoughts. “You just have to ask yourself some important questions before jumping in. When a kid is involved, you have to count the cost up front and make sure you’re willing to go the distance.” He frowns and runs a hand across his face. “If you make it that far.”
I really think about his question, wanting to be circumspect. But the answer clicks easily into place with little hesitation. “I don’t think Juno is a reason for me to walk,” I say.
Van reaches over and claps me on the back. “Then go for it, man.”
“Just maybe go slowly,” Nathan says. “She’s been through some stuff. You might need to play the long game.”
“Yeah, that’s probably true.”
“Evie plays violin, right?” Felix asks.
I nod. “She actually met Gracie the other night at a symphony concert.”
“Gracie told me,” he says. “So once we’re back home, bring her over for dinner at my place. I’ll cook and invite everyone. Low stakes. Lots of people around. But you’ll still get to spend time with her.”
“Yeah, that could be good,” I say.
“Do I get an invitation to dinner?” Carter asks. He looks around at each of us. “Don’t think we haven’t noticed there are team dinners and then there are Dream Team dinners.”
The guys joke and tease Carter about one day earning his spot on the invite list, but I zone out, falling into my own thoughts.
It feels good to own how I’ve been feeling about Evie. Saying it out loud makes it feel a little more real. But there’s one part of the equation my teammates haven’t mentioned, and it might throw a wrench into everything.
The only thing Evie and I haven’t talked about this week is Devon.
I know he’s still texting her. What I don’t know is how Evie feels about it or if she’s texting him back.
He’s Juno’s father, so he has every right to reach out. But he’s also Evie’s ex. And where her heart is relative to him has to be something I consider.