Chapter Fourteen
SOPHIE
Carter’s blue eyes pierce mine from across the room, and before I can blink, he’s moving. Shit. He’s coming over here, walking straight towards me and?—
“Sophie, Abbie. The two of you look beautiful tonight.” Carter’s smile is all charm.
“Hey, Carter,” Abbie says lightly, and when I don’t immediately say something, she elbows me.
I can’t help it. He looks so fucking delicious, and if I open my mouth at this very second, I might end up inviting him back to my bed here and now.
“Do you guys want to come over and have a couple of drinks with us? My treat.”
My eyes dart behind him to see Jake rooted to his spot at their table, his eyes locked on Abbie. She notices his stare and bites her lower lip, looking him up and down. I can’t blame her, he looks almost as good as Carter with his tight black shirt that shows off his muscles. She used to tell me how much she wished she could run her hands through his mess of brown hair. He’s not as broad as Carter, but is still as toned as any player in the NHL.
Abbie always had a huge crush on Jake all throughout high school, but she was shy and he was popular. Carter, Jake, Abbie, and I would often hang out in a group setting though, along with my friend Gwen, who moved away after graduation.
Abbie had come out of her shell with him around the end of senior year, but then he left for college after graduation and so did she.
“That sounds great.” Abbie turns her attention back to Carter and loops her arm through mine. Although having drinks with two NHL hotties we already know seems counterproductive to the whole idea of going out to meet new guys. It looks like Abbie won’t back down from this one. I’ll just have to keep my cool and not climb Carter like a damn tree.
“Danny!” Carter calls over our heads, “whatever these two want tonight, put it on my tab!”
I turn just in time to catch Danny’s curt nod. He glances at me and raises his eyebrows in question, and I only shrug in response. The corner of his mouth tilts up ever so slightly, and that’s as close to a smile anyone will ever get out of him.
Tom thinks that getting to a first name basis with Danny is the height of friendship with the surly bartender, and maybe he’s right because that little mouth quirk took me four years and a couple of drunken tirades about my love life.
Embarrassing? Yes.
Worth the look of surprise in Carter’s eyes when I turn back to face him? Also yes.
My own smirk teases my lips as Abbie and I follow Carter back to the table where Jake is waiting, still slightly slack jawed and staring at Abbie.
“Hey, Jake!” I smile, pulling him into a hug and breaking his one sided staring contest. I sense Carter bristle at my familiarity with Jake, especially considering I haven’t offered him a hug since he’s been back. “You remember Abbie, right?”
“I remember the Abbie we used to hang out with, but damn.” He makes no attempt to hide the way his eyes look her up and down. “I’m feeling like an idiot right now.”
“Oh, yeah?” Her tone is flirty. “Why’s that?”
“I must have been an idiot or an asshole to not realize how absolutely stunning you are.”
“Maybe it’s both,” she says coyly, her eyes sparkling, and he barks out a laugh.
“It might be,” he concedes right as a waitress comes by and drops a tray of drinks in front of us. Eight shots of tequila, two margaritas, and two whisky-looking drinks.
Danny does always know what we need.
Abbie immediately grabs two of the shots and shoves them at Carter and Jake before taking two more and handing one to me. We all look around our little group before downing the shots. The tequila burns as it goes down, but warmth immediately fills my chest, causing me to relax a little bit.
We slam our glasses back down on the table, and Abbie turns towards Jake. “So, hotshot, what are you doing back in town?”
Jake grins in a way that I’m sure has all the puck bunnies dropping their panties. “I just thought I’d come back for a visit when I heard my buddy was back in town.” He claps Carter on the shoulder. “Though now I’m kicking myself for not coming back sooner.” Abbie’s cheeks flush slightly under Jake’s gaze. “Didn’t you go away for college as well? What are you doing now?”
“I’m an RN,” Abbie says, picking up one of the margaritas. “I’m working at my uncle’s medical practice.”
“Does that mean if I hurt myself playing hockey or… dancing, you can patch me up?”
“Only one way to find out.” Abbie puts her margarita down and grins mischievously, taking Jake's hand and dragging him to the dance floor.
I can’t help but smile as I watch the two of them dance together.
“So… how has your week been?” Carter’s question catches me off guard, but I keep my eyes on my friend. It’s an effort to bite back my knee-jerk reaction to be snarky, but I’m supposed to be giving him the benefit of the doubt. When I do turn my head, he’s looking at me intently. It’s a look full of promise, one I remember from high school, but on his older, more mature face, it is somehow hotter. It’s possible this isn’t the first time he’s looked at me like this since he’s been back, and I’ve just been too angry to see it.
“Same old…” I shrug, picking up the margarita from the tray and sipping. “Flower shop, Twin Rinks, go home, rinse, repeat until the end of time.”
“Do you enjoy it? Working at your parent's shop, I mean.”
“They need me,” I say nonchalantly, “and I want to help. I enjoy making my parents’s lives easier.”
“It seems like you’re making everyone’s lives easier except your own.” Carter looks at me with a raised brow and takes a sip of the whiskey-looking drink Danny sent over. “You work two jobs, and then you still meet for Monday breakfasts and take care of Jordan.”
“You sound like my mom,” I almost snort. “Actually, about Monday, Carter… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have stormed out like that, especially when you were just trying to do something nice.”
Carter frowns. “You don’t need to apologize to me, Soph. But I need to tell you… there are some things that you don’t know about what happened. My dad… he isn’t a good guy. It’s a long story, but just … I wanted to come back. Not just for graduation, or after the accident, but all of it. For your birthday, every Christmas, every summer. I really did, but I couldn’t. Hell, I never wanted to leave you in the first place.” He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “I was waiting to talk to you in person and explain. It doesn’t excuse ghosting you, but please, just know that everything I’ve done is to keep you safe.”
Despite the old hurt, I believe his words. He’s right, it doesn’t excuse how he handled it, but hearing him say that he didn’t have a choice, that he didn’t want to leave me behind puts a balm on my soul that soothes the jagged edges I didn’t realize were still there. It doesn’t explain the cheating, but… I’m willing to hear his side of things on that.
“Will you… will you tell me everything? Not tonight, obviously, but… soon?” His gaze pierces my soul, and I’m leaning towards him. His eyes rove my face, searching my expression.
He gives me a soft smile. “Of course.” Then he leans in close so his mouth is next to my ear, “Will you dance with me?”
His lips ghost the shell of my ear, sending bolts of need straight through me. Biting my lip, I nod as he pulls back, before taking my hand and leading me to the dance floor. He pulls my back flush against his chest, his hands settling on my hips as we sway to the music. His thighs press to mine, and I can feel the evidence of his attraction against my lower back. Fire burns low within me. I want him so badly .
While I need to know what happened all those years ago, for tonight… for tonight, the fact that I’m going to get answers is enough. I want to let go and enjoy the feel of him.
The way his hands feel as they roam from my hips to my stomach and back again, like he’s trying to commit every inch to memory.
The heat of his body against my back.
I reach my arm up behind me, draping it around his neck. His hold tightens briefly, and I wonder if he’s remembering the last time we danced like this.
Our last night together. Could this night end in the same way? With him in my bed?
At the start of the next song, he spins me around to face him, and I put one hand on his shoulder, staring up into his ocean-blue eyes. His gaze flicks to my lips briefly, and I hold my breath.
He doesn’t kiss me, but his hands slowly explore my back as we sway to the music, and one of his thighs finds its way between mine, keeping us locked together as we move to the beat.
I’m not sure how much time we spend like that, lost in each other's arms, my fingers running up and down the muscles of his arms and chest, and his hands continuing their movements just above my ass.
His touch… it’s both familiar and new at the same time. Exhilarating and comforting. Lights every single nerve ending on fire while simultaneously feeling like the safest place I could possibly be.
And that’s with my dress in the way. How intense would the feeling be if there was nothing separating us?
Just past Carter, a wave by the door catches my attention. Abbie and Jake are putting their coats on before heading out of the bar.
“Oh my god.” I laugh softly, causing Carter to release me and turn to see what I’m looking about. Abbie winks at me and Jake is looking at Carter, eyes wide and jerking his head toward Abbie in a can you believe this? motion. They disappear out the door, and Carter lowers his head to be heard over the sound of the music.
“Who would have thought?” He chuckles. “I didn’t think she would go along with his terrible pickup lines.” His warm breath blows on my ear and I want to feel that breath all over my skin. On my stomach, my nipples, between my legs…
“Must be the magic of the evening,” I say, and wink. “I think I’m ready to get out of here.”
“Do you want to ride together?” His voice is husky, sending a shiver down my spine. “I’m at the inn, your house is on the way.”
I agree, and we walk to the coat rack. “Why aren’t you staying with your mom?”
“Oh… it’s just easier for her this way.” He rubs the back of his neck and won’t meet my eyes, but I let it go. Maybe it has to do with everything else he hasn’t told me yet.