Chapter 19
19
TUCK
“ W hatcha laughin’ about?” I ask when I come home after classes to find Summer curled up against Hudson on the couch, laughing at something on her phone.
“Oh, hey, Tuck,” Summer says, glancing over the couch towards me, her lips still tilted up in laughter. “Just a TikTok video Olivia sent me. It’s an edit about a character in a book we just read together.”
“Olivia roped you into reading one of those thousand-page tomes she’s into, huh? Was it some Russian novel?” I ask after slinging off my book bag and plopping down on the second couch in the living room.
She giggles. “No, it’s a romance.”
My brow lifts. “Olivia reads romance books?”
“Mhm,” Summer nods, typing something on her phone. “I’ve made a devotee of her.”
“Wow,” I say, the exclamation coming out as a breath. “That’s really cool.”
Hudson chuckles. “Cool?”
“Yeah, it’s just …” I tilt my head, trying to put my finger on why that piece of information impresses me. “Olivia’s into artsy and intellectual stuff, right? She’s in the drama department. Most of those people can be … kinda snobby, you know? They’d think they’re above reading anything except the classics . The fact that Olivia isn’t like that, that she’s as intellectual and artistic as they come but has no qualms enjoying what she likes … I dunno, just think it’s cool is all.”
Hudson’s quiet for a beat, but then sputters out a laugh. “Dude. If you could see the lovesick look on your face right now.”
I blow a raspberry. “Whatever, bestie. You’re seein’ things.”
I push up from the couch and head to the refrigerator for a beer.
Hudson’s probably not wrong about the look on my face. Not that I’m in love with Olivia or anything. I mean, that would be ridiculous. Despite my best efforts, we hardly really know each other.
But I can’t deny that I am in … fuck, I don’t know what it is exactly, but I’m in something with her.
The fact that I haven’t seen her or talked to her since we got in that argument over me having her car fixed last week hasn’t dulled any of my feelings.
I still think about her all the time.
Still hope that every time I turn a corner while walking downtown or step into a building on campus, that chance will put her in my path, that I’ll see a glimmer of forgiveness in her eyes, just the slightest invitation to make a stupid joke that has her fighting laughter that she wants to fight less and less each time.
“Oh!” Summer exclaims as I lower myself back on the couch, sipping on my beer. “We think we figured out the book Cindy gave Kazu!”
Now that news has me perking up. Watching the ramen shop owner Kazu and the bookshop owner Cindy awkwardly dance around their obvious feelings for each other has been my, Hudson, and Summer’s own personal reality-show-slash-romcom for the last couple months.
“What?” I ask, leaning forward with interest.
“A book called Days at the Morisaki Bookshop ,” Summer says. “We’re pretty sure it’s the book you guys saw Cindy give him, because get this. Hudson saw him reading the book last week and noticed that he was almost on the last page. I saw him reading the book a couple days ago, and he was definitely just starting it.”
My eyes pop. “He’s reading the same book over and over. Just because Cindy gave it to him.” I jerk my hand up to cover my heart. “It’s so adorable I can’t take it.”
“I know !” Summer exclaims, her legs kicking.
“You two,” Hudson murmurs, shaking his head.
“Don’t you pretend you’re not wrapped up in this relationship drama, too,” Summer reprimands him, slapping at his chest.
“Yeah,” I pile on. “You think it’s as adorable as I do. You’re kicking your feet on the inside.”
Hudson rolls his eyes, but he sure doesn’t deny it. Summer and I both know he’s a softie on the inside despite his gruff and grumpy exterior.
He unfolds himself from the couch. “Getting a beer myself. You want anything, Summer?”
“No thanks,” she answers.
“Tell me this at least,” I say to Summer as Hudson walks to the kitchen. “Did Olivia at least use her car to do those next audition rounds in Burlington?”
Summer smiles at my question. “She did. She’s feeling pretty optimistic about getting the role, too.”
I pump my fist. “Nice!” If she has to be mad at me in exchange for getting an opportunity she totally deserves, well, I’ll take that deal all day long.
“The car’s working great. So great that she’s got no worries about the two-hour drive she has to New Hampshire next weekend.”
I quirk an eyebrow. “New Hampshire? Next weekend?”
“Yeah. The drama department asked her to go to this event the college is participating in. It’s some kind of gala with other colleges from the region. They booked her a really nice hotel room and are giving her a big gift card for gas money that’ll have plenty left over. She’s treating it like a miniature vacation.”
The NECA gala. Olivia is going to the NECA gala.
The gala Rhys got selected to go to for the team. The gala that Rhys really doesn’t want to go to.
Suddenly, I’m starting to feel particularly charitable. I might just do Rhys a solid and tell him I’m willing to take the responsibility off his hands.
“Damn, Rhys. You look like shit.”
The burly defenseman turns to me, an eyebrow hitched. “Boy, Tuck, you know how to make a guy feel appreciated.”
“Don’t get me wrong. You’re still sexy as hell. I mean, that bad boy aura you’ve got with the tattoos and the messy dark hair that falls over your eyes? If I were into guys, I’d be ripping that towel off your waist right now.”
“I hate to eavesdrop,” Lane says, turning towards us from his locker. “But this is a strange conversation even for you , Tuck.”
“I’m just saying, Rhys looks tired. Worn out. Like he’s been working too hard, on and off the ice. It’s making me sympathetic. So sympathetic that I might … you know what, Rhys? I’ll do it. I’ll go to that stupid gala instead of you. You need the rest more than I do.”
Rhys folds his arms over his broad, ink-covered chest. “Why?”
“Why? What do you mean why?”
Rhys’ brow pinches, his eyes searching me. Geez, is it so hard to believe that I just want to do a solid for a good friend?
“It’s because Olivia’s gonna be there,” Hudson says, appearing suddenly and leaning against our row of lockers.
Damn it, Hudson.
“Huh? Who is? Olivia? Oh. That’s interesting.” I can hear my own voice well enough to know that I don’t share the acting talent of the woman in question. “I didn’t even know that.” I shrug. “I probably won’t even see her there. When I go. Because I’m going instead of Rhys. Because he needs the rest.”
Rhys rolls his lips thoughtfully. “You know what? I’m kind of looking forward to it. Nah, I’ll go.”
He turns around to his locker and steps into a pair of boxers underneath his towel before pulling on where he’s tied it to his waist and letting it fall to the ground.
“But … you don’t want to go!”
He shrugs. “Changed my mind.”
I know Rhys doesn’t want to go. Mingling with a bunch of academics and donors is his version of hell.
I know what he’s trying to do.
“You’re extorting me, aren’t you?” I grouse.
“Extortion? Tuck, do I seem like the type to extort a dear friend of mine?” He turns to me, his wry grin giving himself away.
“Yes.” My eyes narrow.
“I’m hurt. All I’m saying is, I’m really looking forward to the gala. I want to go so bad that it would take … persuading , for me to give my spot to someone else.”
“How much persuading?”
He pushes his tongue against his cheek and looks up to the ceiling in mock thoughtfulness. “I guess if someone did my laundry for a month … and took over my house chores for a month … I might consider it.”
“Done.”
Rhys laughs. “Wow, that was easy. I need to play poker with you sometime. I’d clean you out.”
Rhys can gloat all he wants. A couple extra chores and loads of laundry is a small price to pay for a miniature vacation with Olivia Lockley.