Chapter 33
Thirty-Three
Bristol
I can’t believe my father showed up at Liam’s house. My blood bubbles and I’m seeing red. But it’s not because he invited us to dinner for the holidays, including Liam, it’s the fact he’s offering my boyfriend’s roommate and teammate entry into the draft.
“What’s wrong?” Liam asks, tugging my hand and pulling me back into the bedroom where we were so rudely interrupted.
We’d been cuddling, half-naked, teasing each other when we’d heard Luca shouting across the house for us.
Liam shuts the bedroom door, his back to it, raising an eyebrow at me. “What’s going through your head, Firebreather?”
My eyes narrow and I grab a pillow from the mattress, flinging it at him.
He snorts and dodges it, letting it fall to the floor. “You missed.”
That cocky grin stares back at me as he waits for me to say something.
“Dad should be talking to you about playing for the team, getting drafted,” I say. I fold my arms across my chest and plop down on the edge of the mattress, my legs dangling over the side.
“That’s sweet of you, but we both know Luca is a much better hockey player than I am.”
I grumble under my breath, hating that he’s right. I’ve been to enough games to know a good player from a great player. Liam is good. He’s amazing on the ice, a real team player, but Luca is the star.
Doesn’t mean I like it, though, my boyfriend getting tossed over for the star player. “I still think Dad should have entered you in the draft.”
Liam chuckles. “You have the cutest rose-colored glasses, Firebreather. But I’m not interested in playing hockey professionally. I told you, I’m planning on going to med school after I graduate. I want to be a doctor.”
“What type of doctor?” I press, staring up at him as he comes to stand between my thighs.
“The kind that gets to examine pretty girls like you,” he whispers into my ear. “Ever played doctor before?”
I giggle and gently push him back. “We can’t,” I say, eyes widening as I glance past him at the door. “My dad is still here.”
It’s too weird for me to do anything with him nearby, even if this is Liam’s place. I still feel a bit like a teenager, worried I’ll get caught by my father. Some habits and fears never die.
“Okay, okay,” Liam says and holds up his hands in surrender. “I’ll behave, but only because you told me to. It’s not because I’m not attracted to you.” The smile on his face lazily grows as he glances me up and down like he’s undressing me with his eyes.
“Stop it!” I laugh and shove him away, heading out of Liam’s bedroom.
“Where are you going?” Liam asks from inside the bedroom as I’m already in the hallway.
“Reminding myself of the consequences of certain actions,” I shoot at him over my shoulder as I plop down on the couch next to Zeke.
The perfect example of consequences. I love the kid, but I am not ready for one of my own. I don’t know how Harper and Luca are going to deal with two of them. Hell, I don’t know how Liam is going to deal with a newborn living under this roof in about eight months’ time. Or is it seven?
By the time the little one is born, I’ll be in the dorms. At least I won’t be getting woken up in the middle of the night. I’m betting Liam will be asking to stay the night at my place for a while after the second baby is born.
Harper hasn’t exactly told us the due date yet. She’d been quiet about the pregnancy, avoiding speaking of it entirely until the cramps and bleeding during the guys’ hockey game.
Worry doesn’t even begin to express the dread that I’d been feeling, knowing how much losing that baby would hurt them.
They’re all like family, and being Liam’s girlfriend has made them accept me as one of their own. Already, I have more friends here than at Great Falls, which is probably for the best because I’ll be moving into the dorms soon.
Zeke climbs onto my lap and cuddles. The kid is getting big; I can’t believe how much he’s grown since we first met. He’s enthralled with the cartoons on the television, and I quietly let him watch while Liam comes to sit next to me on the couch.
He leans in, his lips brushing against my ear. “Should I be jealous?” he teases, and I knock my elbow into his chest.
Liam chuckles and we both glance toward the hallway where Luca and my father come out, after having a rather lively discussion in the study.
“Bristol,” Dad says and nods at me. “I’ll see you for Thanksgiving.” His stare is nothing short of demanding.
“Do you think you might have space for one more?” Liam asks.
I raise a curious brow at my boyfriend. He’s already told my father that we’ll both be joining him.
“My sister,” he says, his voice hardly above a whisper.
My eyes widen, realizing my mistake, not inviting his twin.
Dad seems to catch on faster than I do. “Everyone is welcome. Just let us know the headcount a couple days prior, so we can make enough food.”
I hand Zeke over to Liam to walk Dad outside. “I’ll be right back.”
I grab my coat and slip on my shoes, heading out into the brisk autumn air. The wind whips around, it’s rather chilly outside.
Dad is quiet as he heads to the car. “Everything okay?” he asks, glancing at me, unlocking the door with the key fob.
“I was just a bit surprised you showed up unannounced. You could have called first.”
He stops walking, right outside his car door. “I could have, but I came here as much to see Luca as to talk to you. I honestly wasn’t sure if you were here, at Great Falls, or hanging out someplace on a Sunday afternoon. It’s been a while since you’ve been home.”
“You mean the new place,” I say. It doesn’t feel like home, at least not to me, but I know he’s moving here permanently, and it is their home.
They didn’t just move out here for Mom’s job or the team.
Dad moved the team here, in part, for me.
I hate knowing I’m the reason, but I also appreciate why he did it. “I’ll try to visit you more often.”
“We know you’re busy and I’m sorry about Liam, not accepting him at first. I really do want to get to know him. We should have dinner, aside from Thanksgiving, sometime, the four of us. Five, if you want to bring his sister along. We’d be fine with that.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
I give him a quick hug goodbye, watch him climb into his car, and I hurry back inside the house where it’s warm and toasty. Shivering, I shut the door and lock up the house, making sure we’re safe.
Liam and Luca don’t talk to me about what happened, about Harper’s abduction, or how they managed to rescue her.
What I’ve heard and learned was entirely from Jaxson, which has given me a greater respect for the work Mom does, and while changing colleges wasn’t entirely because Liam is here, it certainly factored into the equation. I just didn’t tell anyone.
And I never will.
I snag the seat next to Liam on the sofa and Zeke climbs right back into my lap, returning to his position from just a few minutes earlier, curled up in my arms.
I love kids, and while I’m not ready to have any of my own, I’d be happy to be around Luca and Harper’s two little ones.
And maybe, just maybe, I’m already considering changing my major, again. It’s not like I’ve even started any classes yet. But seeing the difference that Jaxson made, without having to be in the field and physically risking his life, dare I admit, I’m hooked.
“You’re quiet,” Liam says, his fingers finding the back of my neck, his touch featherlight as he plays with my hair.
My eyes lazily close with a smile curling on my lips.
I love when he touches me. Even just simple, light touches are relaxing.
“Just thinking about things.”
Liam’s breath tickles my ear as he whispers, “What kinds of things?”
I smile and my eyes lazily open. “That I might want to change majors.”
“Didn’t you just declare your major when you applied for EU?” Liam asks. He’s curious, not prying, there’s a difference in his question, his tone.
“I did, but after what happened with Harper,” I glance at Liam, doing my best to keep the conversation as discreet as possible. I don’t want to worry the little one seated in my lap. “I think I might actually want to work for Jaxson one day, more than just as their intern.”
Liam raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”
I laugh under my breath. I’ve learned my lesson, jumping to conclusions. “Yes, he’s a good guy.”
“Oh, I know. He helped with things—” he gestures, avoiding saying certain words and phrases as well, glancing at Zeke. “I think it’s a great idea. You’d make a great spy.”
I snort. “I am not going to be a spy.”
“Of course not. At least you can’t tell anyone you are,” Liam jokes, winking at me.