Chapter 15
LAWSON
For the third time in one week, I’ve been knocked on my arse.
The first was when Sydney flipped my world upside down and agreed to date me.
The second happened two days later when the lads surprised me by being completely supportive of the idea. Especially since I expected Jace to freak out even just a little bit. But no, he was as calm as ever and I had absolutely no idea what to do with that.
And the third? Well, my legs were quite literally swiped out from under me.
Sydney giggles as she glides to a stop next to me. “Are you sure you don’t want me to get you the glider?”
I glare up at her from where I’m laying flat on my back on the freezing ice. “Careful, sunshine, or next time I’ll take you down with me.”
Her eyes spark and she smiles. “You’d have to be able to catch me first, darkling.”
I quirk a brow and before she can react, sit up and nab her hand in mind. With a tug, she squeals, falling hard on top of me. She sputters a laugh and props herself up on her forearms against my chest.
I smirk. “Gotcha.”
Her eyes drop to my mouth and my body tenses at the flicker of heat in the bright blue depths. Without thinking, my hand lifts up and I tuck a wayward curl behind her ear.
She sucks in a breath, her eyes shooting up to mine and everything around us fades.
I don’t feel the cold seeping into my bones from lying on the ice.
I don’t hear anything but the blood rushing through my head when she leans into my touch.
I don’t see anything but the blush deepening over her already flushed cheeks.
My arms tighten around her on instinct when I feel her shift and she pauses, giving me a shy smile. “Everyone’s staring at us,” she whispers.
I don’t care.
I don’t say the words though. No matter how true they are. Instead, I clear my throat and force my eyes to the side. Yep. I can see Ryder’s smug smirk all the way from the other side of the rink.
Reluctantly, I let her go and she shifts to her knees between my sprawled-out legs. I drop my head to the ice and close my eyes, trying to picture anything but the perfection that is her on her knees before me so I don’t make an even bigger fool out of myself.
“Are you okay, Uncle Lawson?” A small voice from the side has me opening my eyes and I silently thank the universe for the distraction.
“I’m grand, Coop.”
“Yeah, you are,” Blake snickers under her breath.
I glare at her before softening my face to reassure Cooper. “I just took a tumble. Not the best at ice skating.”
His eyes brighten. “Maybe Aunty Sydney can teach you. She’s really good.”
I glance at the ‘really good’ skater and lift an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
He hums and skates on slightly wobbly legs to Sydney, still clutching Blake’s hand. “Can you, Aunty? Maybe if you teach him, then Uncle Lawson won’t keep falling all the time.”
“Hey! I don’t fall that much.”
“We’ve been here for fifteen minutes and I think your backside has been on the ice for almost all of them,” Blake deadpans and I growl.
“Of course I’ll teach him,” Sydney says, smiling at her nephew.
He beams and gives me a thumbs up before slowly skating off with my suddenly least favorite King.
“Okay, big guy. You heard him, up we go.” Sydney effortlessly stands on her skates and holds out her hands.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” I grumble.
“Don’t be a baby. Look”—she gestures towards the side and I look to see Beckham gliding across the ice without even a hint of him possibly falling—“if an eight-year-old who constantly trips over himself off the ice can do it, then so can your grown arse.”
My face drops and I stare up at her. “Since when did he get into skating anyway? I swear Jace has brought him here every other day for like the past month.”
“He and Cooper stayed over with Blake and Ryder a couple weeks ago and I guess Blake was watching a hockey game. She said Beckham had his eyes glued to the screen and didn’t move a single muscle the entire time. Now he wants to play hockey when he grows up.”
“And how did Jace take him no longer wanting to race like his dad?”
“Last month he said Beckham wanted to be a monster truck driver. The kid changes his mind every five seconds so he thinks he’ll move on from this the next time something cool catches his attention. Now stop trying to delay the inevitable.”
“And what would that be?”
“You getting up and letting me teach you how to properly skate. By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be able to make it around the entire rink without falling.”
Groaning, I put my hands in hers and she helps me up to my skates. When one goes rogue, I wrap an arm around her shoulders in a death grip. She laughs and pushes it off but doesn’t let go of my hands.
“That’s a lot of groaning you’re doing.”
“I’m still sore from the self defense class the other day.”
“Oh the one where I totally kicked your butt?” I peer at her and she cackles, tightening her hold on my hand. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to let you fall.” Too late for that, sunshine.
An hour later, Sydney cheers me on as I round the last bend, beelining it for the exit. As soon as I make it over the threshold and onto the carpeted floor, she flings her arms around my shoulders. I stumble back into the barrier with a laugh.
“I told you that you could do it!”
I shake my head when she pulls back, bouncing in excitement.
“Well, I had a good teacher.”
She rolls her eyes. “Whatever. I’m going to go out and do a couple more laps before they bring out Beckham’s cake. Do you want to—”
“Sit on my bruised arse? Absolutely, I do.”
She shakes her head and stands on the tips of her skates, bringing her face closer to mine. “Big. Baby,” she teases.
I growl, but before I can get a hold of her, she jumps onto the ice and skates away—backwards, might I add—effortlessly.
“No one likes a showoff!” I call after her.
Hobbling over to the bench, I pull my trainers from the cubby and switch them out for the weapons on my feet. Standing on solid ground, I roll my aching muscles and shake out my legs.
“There’s our next gold Olympic figure skater,” Jace jokes as I approach the party area we had set up for Beckham’s birthday.
“You’re a comedian,” I deadpan, dropping into one of the chairs. Ryder and Nikolai both chuckle and I glare at them which only makes them laugh harder. “I don’t see either of you out there.”
“I know the extent of my abilities and ice skating is not one of them.” Ryder shakes his head, taking a sip of his drink.
“My leg is hurting,” Nik says simply.
I peer at him. “You know, one day you won’t be able to use that excuse anymore.”
“Oh, I’m sorry I had nerve damage on over half of my body after literally walking through fire.” He stares at me and I lean back in my chair, folding my arms.
“I said one day; you can obviously still use it today.”
The three of them laugh and I roll my eyes.
“So,” Jace draws out the word and I look at him with a blank face. Here we go in three… two… “How’s it going with you and my sister?” Yep. There it is.
“She’s grand.”
“That’s it? That’s all we get? ‘She’s grand?’ It’s like you’re talking about how your Nan is doing, not your girlfriend.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “Fake girlfriend, remember?”
“Fake or not, I’m doing my brotherly duties of making sure you’re treating her right.”
“I’d never hurt her, Jace,” I say, my tone defensive.
He studies me for a moment before his serious facade breaks into his usual grin. “I know. Anyway, any grand plans for next week, lads?”
My eyebrows furrow. “What’s next week?”
He looks at me with a slightly horrified face. “Dude.”
“Seriously?” Ryder asks in disbelief and Nik simply shakes his head.
“It’s Valentine’s Day,” Jace whispers like he’s scared for anyone to overhear him.
Realization dawns on me and my shoulders drop. “Fuck.”
“How could you forget? It’s literally her favorite holiday,” Ryder says, humor in his voice.
“Maybe I gave my approval too soon.” Jace tilts his head at me, a slight frown on his face.
“There’s been a lot going on and it honestly just completely slipped my mind,” I’m quick to defend.
“Well, now that it has un-slipped, what are you going to do?” Jace asks, leaning forward like I will magically pull out the greatest plan ever.
My hands begin to sweat and I slide them over my black jeans.
How could I forget that Valentine’s Day was coming up? I’m a week into this fake relationship and I’m already fucking it up. I lean my elbows onto the table and drop my head into my hands.
I can’t let her down. I have to make this special. Sydney deserves to have the best Valentine’s Day ever. She deserves the best of everything.
I let out a groan and Ryder whispers, “Bruv, I think you broke him.”
“I didn’t break him,” Jace retorts.
“Didn’t break who?” My head shoots up at the sound of Sydney’s voice.
“No one. Nothing,” I practically shout.
Nik chokes on a laugh and I glare at each of them before meeting Sydney’s confused gaze with a forced smile.
“Okay,” she draws out before throwing a thumb over her shoulder. “Becks is asking if it’s time for cake yet.”
“Whatever the birthday boy wants.” Jace nods and stands. “Give me like five minutes to set up the candles and we should be good to go.”
“You okay?” Sydney asks quietly, placing a hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah, I’m grand.”
She studies me for a moment before thankfully accepting my blatant lie and walks over to where the girls are helping the boys take off their skates. I blow out a breath when she’s far enough away and cast my eyes to the ceiling.
For the next thirty minutes, my spiraling thoughts over the looming holiday take a backseat as we sing happy birthday and Beckham rips into all of his gifts. When we part ways at the end of the night, I don’t miss the look each of the lads send me as if to say ‘good luck.’
Since Sydney lives across from me, we decided to drive together and on the drive home, she sits in the passenger seat, humming along to the music softly playing through the speakers while I internally freak the fuck out.