Chapter 24
Twenty-Four
BASS
I probably shouldn’t engage in this conversation, especially after the day I’ve had, but I text Gia back before I can think it through.
Me: We don’t need to talk about shit.
The response comes immediately, like she's been waiting for this argument her whole damn life.
Gia: Aww, are you upset about how badly you stunk it up tonight?
Bass: You’re a bitch.
Gia: When a guy treats me like crap, yeah, I can be the biggest bitch you’ve ever seen.
Damn, do I regret ever sticking my tongue down this girl’s throat.
Gia: Just meet me at 2 pm tomorrow, or I’ll go straight to your little girlfriend and tell her the disgusting noise you make when you come in my mouth.
I throw my phone on the bed and lean back, staring at the ceiling while my mind races through every possible scenario tomorrow could bring. None of them end well.
I decide to do something I rarely do, and that’s ask for advice. I head back downstairs and am relieved to see that Neo is still here.
“You’re back,” he says to me as a couple of my other teammates wave ‘what’s up’. “You want a slice?” Neo points over to a stack of pizza boxes.
“No, I’m not hungry.” I look around for his better half. “Where’s Violet?”
“She has an early hair appointment or something tomorrow and went home.”
“You didn’t go with her?”
“Dude, I’ve left here, taken my girl home, came back, and ordered pizza all while you’ve been upstairs moping.”
“Oh.”
“Earlier, you told me you were good, but I’m sensing that shit was a lie.”
“Maybe an exaggeration.”
“Listen, you played like a zombie on meth, but we’ve all had a shit game before. The great thing is that you get to get your ass back in the saddle tomorrow at practice and shit whatever crawled up your ass tonight back out.”
“Yeah, you’re right, but um–that’s not what I need to talk to you about.”
Neo grabs another slice and starts walking toward our patio in the back. A few of the younger guys are out there with some puck bunnies, but they immediately head back inside once we give them a simple but serious look.
“Okay, you’ve got my full attention. What is it?”
“It’s Kai.”
“Okay…” Neo looks worried.
“Why do you look like that?”
“Just not sure what you’re going to tell me. I’m not used to having more than one serious conversation in a lifetime about women with you.”
“Things are getting complicated.”
Neo stares at me quietly for a moment. “You mean Gia complicated?”
“How do you know?” My eyes widen. “I mean, what exactly do you know?”
“Violet may have mentioned that Gia has purposely been flexing her Ice Mafia privilege around your girl.”
“Do you think Kai knows about Gia and me?”
“I think even a blind man would know what’s up with Gia, my dude. She doesn’t make it much of a secret that you are her meal of choice in this house. It was stupid of you to think that you could keep that from Kai.”
“You’re right.” I scrub my face in frustration. “Kai is many things, but stupid is not one of them.”
“No, she’s not. But let me say this, I’m pretty sure Kai knows better than most that you’re no virgin, so I wouldn’t give this Gia thing much energy. That girl will be warming somebody else’s bed before our next away game now that she knows things with you are over. Trust me.”
“It’s a little more complicated than me just ignoring Gia.”
“Why? What do you mean?”
“Kai could get in trouble for having an inappropriate relationship with me.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“Her professors would strongly disapprove of our relationship—professors who have to give her a final grade or eventually recommend her for a job.”
“Ah, okay. That sucks.”
“So what’s your advice?”
Neo folds his pizza slice in half and takes another huge bite, then says with his mouth full, “Protect your girl.”
“That’s it?”
“Were you expecting me to say something else? If you are feeling half as much for Kai as I do for Violet, then I don’t even need to explain myself.
Protect your fucking girl. Period. That’s all I’ve got.
Oh, wait, that, and get your head back into the fucking game.
If you play like you did tonight again, Shane and I are going to whoop your ass. ”
“Is that right?” I say facetiously.
“Play like shit again,” Neo grins. “And see what we do.”
“Luckily, we’ll never have to test that theory because I ain’t never going to play like that again. I've learned my lesson.”
Neo gives me an approving slap on the back. “Exactly what I wanted to hear, my dude.”
***
The knock on my door comes around midnight, just as I’ve finished my shower and am getting ready to crash.
"Yeah?" I call out, expecting Claude to bother me with something like he usually does.
The door cracks open, and Kai slips inside like a beautiful, curvaceous shadow, closing it quietly behind her.
My heart stops, and my dick goes on high alert. "What are you doing here?"
“That’s not a proper response to me sneaking inside your bedroom,” she chastises me.
“I mean,” I grin like a Cheshire cat for effect. “What brings you here tonight?”
“That’s much better, Morelli.” She flirts. “Sue's visiting a friend tonight, and I couldn't sleep."
Kai's in a tight-fitting graphic tee that says ‘Prince’ and a pair of purple sweatsuit shorts. Her hair is out, creating a curly halo effect around her face. She looks even more beautiful, more vulnerable in the dim light from my desk lamp.
If my dick could cheer, it would.
If it could speak, it would say “fuck yes!”
But regretably, I have to tell it to calm the fuck down as I remember the text exchange I had with Gia, plus the advice I got just from Neo.
Protect your girl.
"Kai—" I start to protest, because her being here is risky as hell. “Did anyone see you?” If anyone notices her coming into the Ice House at this time of night in those shorts, word could definitely get back to the wrong people.
But then she crosses the room and puts her finger against my lips, silencing me.
"No one saw me," she whispers. "At least no one who cares. And I know it's a bad idea. I know we said we'd be careful. But Bass, you looked like you were drowning tonight, and I just... I needed to make sure you were okay. You’re more than an assignment or a fuck buddy to me, you know? You’re my friend.”
And those are the kinds of random things that seem to always come out of her perfect mouth that make my chest feel like it's being crushed and expanded at the same time.
“We're just friends, Kai Vega?”
“You caught me." She steps closer until we're almost touching. “I was always a horrible liar.”
“So you admit that this is more than just a physical thing between us?”
She runs her hand down the side of my face and then traces her fingers delicately along my shoulders. I think they’re one of her favorite parts of my body.
“Tell me what's really going on, Bass. And then tell me what I can do to make it better.”
Aw, damn.