10. Matteo
Matteo
ELLINGTON
for fuck’s sake can you buy my sister a phone?
MATTEO
I’ve tried
she threw the last one at my head
ELLINGTON
I thought she was joking
MATTEO
I have the egg-sized lump to prove it
ELLINGTON
stubborn bitch
MATTEO
you’d be proud of her aim though
got me square between the eyes
ELLINGTON
atta girl
“You’ve got a set of lungs on you, Dove.”
She’s a heaving, sweaty mess, face red as a tomato, and yet I don’t think I’ve ever been more attracted to her than in this moment. That spark has finally reentered her gaze. It’s the first time I’ve seen a sign of life since finding her smashing Carter and Felicity’s car.
“Thought you knew that from all the screaming I did when I was younger.”
“That’s true, you were a screecher.”
“I’d say I was more of a bellower.”
“Like a husky throwing a tantrum.”
Evie’s eyes widen as I open the apartment door, letting her walk in first. “I did not sound like a husky.”
“Caleb has videos of you that would say otherwise,” I drawl. Moving into the kitchen, I open the fridge, assessing the contents. “But on a serious note, you did well. I thought when you said a run we’d go for a short one. Didn’t expect to go six miles—”
I’m cut off by the fridge door snapping shut, Evie smacking her hand against the other side. She looks up at me, my favorite blue eyes narrowing. “Never compare me to a dog, Valenti. Never compare any woman to a dog.”
I fight a smile the entire time.
Because she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know how fucking beautiful she is, how beautifully she glows when the spark is back. This is my Evie. This is my Dove.
Beginning to flap her wings once more and biting my head off at something I said.
Leaning my shoulder against the fridge, I murmur, “And what would you do if I didn’t stop?”
“I’d make you,” she declares.
I click my tongue. “Because you did so well at that the last time.”
She crosses her arms over her chest, and it takes everything in me not to drop my eyes to her sports bra, which at this height I have a clear view down, and with her arms crossed… Fuck me, I’m going to have to take an extremely cold shower after this.
“I’ve managed to get you to concede before.”
“When?”
Pink, full lips purse, her right foot tapping as her mind whirls.
My lip twitches. “If you have to think this long about it then you’re clearly not good—”
“Christmas, four years ago. Your stubborn fucking ass wouldn’t tell—”
A shrill ring cuts through the air, the tension between us that was a living, breathing thing evaporating as my phone vibrates across the kitchen island. I’ve never wanted to throttle it more than I do in this moment as Evie takes a healthy step away.
I want to keep her here, that spark dancing in her eyes, her lips moving a mile a minute as she chews my ass out, dishing jabs back at me with such ease it never fails to make my heart leap.
Picking up my phone, I’m about to have a few choice words for whoever interrupted us, except once I see the name, my anger fades. Holding it out to Evie, I announce, “It’s your mom. We really need to buy you a new phone. I can’t keep being your phone bitch.”
Evie rolls her eyes, ignoring the phone still ringing in my hands as she hip-checks me and grabs a bottle of water out of the fridge. “I’m good. I like the idea of you being my bitch.”
I all but choke on my surprise.
Evie winks as she takes a sip. “Cat got your tongue, Valenti?”
Glowering, I hold out the phone again as it stops and starts up once more. “Answer her.”
“No.” Shrugging a shoulder, she rounds the kitchen island, heading in the direction of the stairs. “Like I said, I’m good.”
“You need to at least eat after a run!” I call after her.
Evie spins, walking backward. “I’m not hungry.”
“I’ll force feed you.”
A cunning smirk dances along her lips. “And you’d love every second of it, wouldn’t you?”
For the second time this morning, Evie has me choking on nothing but air.
That spark is still flickering. It’s small but present. All I have to do is help her keep stoking the flame…without letting my emotions for her show.
Which is hard when all I love to do is banter with her. It’s like my drug of choice. I’m an addict and I never want to get clean. It’s the one thing I’ve truly failed at in life. I’ve never been able to stop myself from falling in love with my best friend’s little sister.
Punching the code on Grayson’s gate and driving through, it looks like we’re the last to arrive. There’s already twenty cars parked in his driveway.
Evie clicks her tongue in the passenger seat beside me. “Big turnout.”
“This is probably only half the team. The rest of the guys are traveling.”
Evie unclips her seatbelt before turning to me. “How come you didn’t go this year with Caleb?”
“I’ve got a project I’m working on. Chose to stay back and finish it instead.”
“What is it?” she asks, batting her lashes, making herself look so fucking cute I almost need to bite my goddamn hand to stop myself from touching her.
Instead, I bat my lashes back at her, leaning over the console and tapping her nose as I sing, “Nice try.”
Evie’s scoff follows us as we exit the car, the lock clicking into place as we round the back of the house to the yard.
She jabs my bicep, her finger—I repeat, her fucking finger—making a shiver run down my goddamn spine as she teases, “Always so secretive about your codes.”
Not the only thing I’m secretive about. I’ve been able to hide the fact I’m madly in love with you for twenty years.
“Because I like them to be complete before talking about them.”
“You mean you want them to be perfect.”
Rocking my head from side to side, I admit, “A little.”
She pats my shoulder. “I’m sure it’s good, Valenti. All your projects in the past have been amazing.”
Peering at her out the corner of my eye, I say slowly, “Thank you.”
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
“You don’t compliment me often. Hard not to be.”
“That’s because your ego is big enough as is. You don’t need me stroking it.”
“What if I said pretty please?” I call out as she follows the sounds of chaos, her hips swaying.
Cindy’s scream of excitement fills the air once she spots Evie, her blue summer dress flowing around her.
Turning, she smirks. “I’d stroke it if you got on your knees and begged.”
Cindy’s eyes widen. “Ooh, what are we talking about over here?”
“Valenti wants me to stroke his ego,” Evie says with an exaggerated eye roll.
Cindy fixes me with a look. “Is that right?”
“And I said he’d have to get on his knees and beg,” Evie teasingly adds.
Scoffing, I move past the pair. “I know when I’ve lost a battle. Stand down, ladies.”
“Awe, but I wanted to see you beg!” Cindy whines.
“There’s only one person I’d get on my knees for,” I announce, leaving the girls watching me with open mouths.
And it wouldn’t be to have Evie stroke my ego, is what I don’t say.
Emmy comes running past me, Bambi on her heels barking, and where Emmy is…
Kieran rounds the corner, keeping an eye on his daughter.
When he spots me, a smile lights up his face. “Valenti! Dude, where the hell have you been?” He wraps me in a quick embrace. “Locking yourself away coding?”
“Nah, just been busy helping Evie out,” I say, clapping him on the back.
Kieran pulls back, a knowing smile lighting his face.
I point at him, growling, “Don’t start.”
Him and his goddamn ability to read people. He’s the only one on the team that has noticed the feelings I’ve harbored for my best friend’s little sister. The fucker took one look at me while she was in the same room, whistled low, and clapped me on the shoulder with a gruff, “Oh you have it bad.”
He lays a palm across his chest now, affronted. “Me? Probe into people’s lives? I would never.” He follows my line of sight to Evie deep in conversation with Cindy. “I’m presuming lots of cold showers are happening though.”
My teeth snap shut.
“Wet dreams? Laundry loads?” Giving Kieran a look, he holds up his hands in surrender. “Fine, I’ll just ask…how is it going?”
Nodding slowly, I look over my shoulder to see Cindy and Evie walk into the house. “It’s…going.”
Kieran bursts out laughing. “You’re so far gone.”
Snapping my head his way, I glower at him. “No, I’m not.”
“Keep telling yourself that.” His eyes widen as Bella places a tray of muffins down on the table and just like that, he’s gone, yelling out, “Blueberry muffins!”
Bella rolls her eyes. “Kieran, please leave some for the rest of us.”
Ignoring her, he snatches three muffins, stuffing one in his mouth and then one in each hand. He lifts them in the air. “Layla! Look! Muffins!” he declares around the said muffin in his mouth.
Bella shakes her head, laughing as she walks up the back patio stairs to her best friend, Layla. She’s also laughing, but she can’t hide the love in her eyes.
“Layla, I swear to God, if he eats them all again…” Bella grumbles.
She just chuckles. “He can’t be stopped.”
I say my hellos to the girls, too, whispering, “How long did it take for him to sniff out the cereal?”
Bella gives me an exasperated look. “Twenty minutes. Grayson hid it in the garage.”
I shake my head as I watch Kieran go off to hand a muffin to Emmy. It’s then I spot Cindy and Evie in the window, lifting glasses of wine to their lips as they seem to study me.
May as well give them something to talk about. Winking, I soak up the flash in Evie’s eyes.
Turning back to the guys, Irving comes barreling around the corner, both his hands in the air as he calls, “What’s up, fuckers! The party has arrived!”
Grayson sighs deeply as he flips a burger. “Irving, we’ve talked about this. Keep the language to a minimum.”
Saluting our captain, Irving struts over. “Aye, aye, spider monkey.”
Ignoring him, Grayson claps me on the shoulder. “Valenti, good to see you. How’s Caleb and his frolicking?”
Eyeing the grill, I pick up the plate beside it, holding it out so he can start unloading the burgers and sausages. “Still has all his important limbs attached, last I heard.”
“Won’t be too long before we get the disaster call,” Kieran says as he joins us.
O’Connor snorts. “Remember last year?”
Groans ring out. Even Johnson runs a hand down his face. “Fuck, that was the worst one yet. Put Irving and his bullshit to shame.”
Mitchel rubs the nape of his neck, lifting his cap, revealing the new dreads. “Caleb’s shenanigans last year put Cabo to shame.”
“What the fuck even happened in Cabo? Why will no one tell me?” Grayson asks as he flips another round of burger patties.
“Trust us, Cap.” O’Connor winces. “There’s some things a captain shouldn’t know.”
After a minute of silence, Irving continues to frown. “I don’t fuck up that much.”
Johnson deadpans, “Don’t make me buy you mirrors so you can see for yourself.”
Smirking, Irving wags his brows. “No need, Johnson. I’ve got plenty of mirrors and love what I see.”
Kieran quickly jumps in, changing the subject before the two start jabbing at each other. I swear, they can’t stand in a room for more than a minute before the goading begins. “Any news on the trade?”
That effectively stops their argument. Instead, Irving perks up. “Did Kai decide to take the deal? I heard that three teams were trying to snatch him up.”
Nodding, Grayson closes the grill lid, making us all carry the plates of cooked meat to the table set up by the willow tree Grayson and Bella planted in memorial of their loved ones.
It’s the most touching thing I’ve ever heard of, and every family night, I catch the pair of them staring off at it with an equal mix of love and sadness.
“IceHawks is on the table. Apparently, it’s a toss-up between us and Chicago.”
Johnson scoffs. “Why the fuck is Chicago even in the running?”
“Beats me. They suck,” Kieran announces, stacking two plates on one arm to serve to each of his girls. His love for them never fails to amaze me. He wears it on his sleeve with such pride.
He was born to be a girl dad.
Grayson smiles up at the house, catching Bella’s eye by waving the food in the air before going on. “Chicago climbed the ladder last year after rebuilding their team. They aren’t bad.”
“But they’re not us,” I declare.
Grayson pauses, turning to me with a smile on his face. “No, they’re not.”