Chapter 10 #2
She wrinkles her nose in disgust, a scoff leaving her.
“I think so, but Chad has a way of worming his way back in and getting Macy to take him back like a parasite. You wouldn’t believe how many nights we’ve spent drinking after a breakup only for them to get back together while I’m nursing my hangover the next morning.
I know he didn’t cheat on her this time, but he has before and she’s still taken him back, so I really don’t know.
Macy likes to ignore me when it comes to Chad. ”
“I don’t see the point in relationships, but I guess that’s just me,” I say, taking a long drink of my coffee. “It seems like a miserable cycle to be caught in.”
“Not all relationships are as toxic as theirs,” Alondra says, pulling my attention back to her. When I’m with her, it’s hard to look away for too long, even if that’s not something a friend should think about another friend.
Maybe I’m just torturing myself by asking this question because Alondra seems like the kind of person who needs to be in a relationship to be intimate with someone, but I’m curious about how her answer compares to mine. “Have you had a good relationship?”
Her entire body stills, and I watch as she builds her walls again, brick by brick, right before my eyes. “Yes and no,” she says slowly, and it causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand up.
No? What is that supposed to mean?
Is her ex the reason she ran from Twin City?
“Who?” I ask, the question rumbling from my chest before I can stop it. I know I’m jumping to conclusions, but she looked like she’d seen a ghost, and I haven’t forgotten what Alondra said about making herself small, either.
Alondra looks away, her jaw clenching. “I don’t think Chad and Macy are right for each other, but I’m not sure I’m ready to give up on my hope that there’s someone out there for everyone,” she says, avoiding the question.
If I ask again, she’s going to run. Alondra’s always running from me, and I want her to stay.
“What about you?” Alondra asks, turning it around on me.
“Me?”
She twists her hair around her finger again. “I don’t see anyone else sitting by us, so yeah, you.”
“I’ve never had a relationship,” I answer, and finally, I’ve surprised her.
“Ever?”
I shake my head. “No, what’s the point? I don’t believe in love, and I’m not interested in tying myself to someone.”
“The point is, you’ll have someone there for you unconditionally. Someone who will accept you as you are and support you no matter what,” she says, and I admire her answer. I really do, but it’s not that easy.
“Sure, it sounds simple enough, but I’m sorry. I don’t believe there’s a perfect person out there for everyone. It always ends,” I explain.
“Who knew you were such a cynic about love?” she muses, her fingers resuming their tapping.
I haven’t seen anyone even move in this place since I sat down. Are we the only ones here?
“I’m not a cynic, I’m a realist.” Fuck, I mean after seeing my dad wail on my mom my entire childhood until he got locked up, I don’t think I ever stood a shot in hell at believing in relationships.
I try so hard to make sure I’m completely different from him in every way, but the fact of it is, I am his son.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and I’m not interested in finding out if I’m anything like him.
Ergo, no relationships.
“So you’re telling me you’ve only ever hooked up with people without any of the attachment?”
“I spend too much time at the rink to bother trying to have a relationship, even if I wanted one—which I don’t. Sex is just sex,” I say, dragging a hand through my hair before stretching, my muscles protesting.
“I’m going to find you a girlfriend,” she says, her lips curling into a distracting smile.
“Sure, Al. Whatever you say.” I laugh, brushing her off. It’s probably a mistake to ask, but I need to know if I’m creating shit in my head that doesn’t really exist. “Why did you need to leave Twin City?”
Her gaze averts from mine, staring instead at the coffee cup in front of her. “Drop it, please.”
Fuck, I should have left it alone. “Al—”
“Jack, don’t ask me about that. It doesn’t matter,” she snaps, and I put my hands up in self-defense.
“You don’t need to bite my head off. I was going to apologize since you clearly don’t want to tell me about it.”
Meanwhile, I’ve spilled my deepest secret to her last week like it wasn’t a big deal. This is great. My new friend won’t open up to me at all, yet I can’t seem to keep my mouth shut around her.
Her shoulders slump, and she drags her hands over her face, peeking at me through them. “I’m sorry, I just don’t want to talk about that.”
“Don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t have asked,” I say, smiling at her in reassurance, but for the life of me, I can’t figure her out.
Al’s moods are all over the fucking place.
One minute, she’s smiling and laughing with me.
The next, she’s shutting down, and I’m on the other side of the wall she puts up.
And even now, I’m the sucker who still wants to know everything about Alondra.
“So Johnny asked me if you were seeing anyone the other day,” Coop says, holding the door for me on our way out of the training facility as I take a long drink of my water, causing me to choke when it goes down the wrong pipe.
It takes a moment for me to clear my throat, my eyes watering as I bend over, coughing.
“Why the fuck would he ask that?” I croak out, looking at Coop who is watching me with an amused look.
“Said he saw you with some girl at the barn, and I thought he was messing with me because there’s no way you’d risk Coach killing you to bring a girl there. Then Johnny said he saw you with her again around campus.”
Fuck, I thought Johnny was smart enough to keep his mouth shut about seeing her at the rink, but my friendship with Alondra isn’t a secret.
“What’d you tell him?” I ask, and he shakes his head.
“I said Alondra’s your tutor, and you don’t do girlfriends. Am I wrong?” Coop asks, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“I don’t do girlfriends,” I repeat, because my stance on relationships hasn’t changed.
Coop shakes his head, walking in the direction of the parking lot, leaving me to follow him.
“Al didn’t think anyone would be there,” I say, catching up to him. I’m tall at six three, but Coop is massive, standing at six five, and freakishly agile for his size.
“Have you forgotten her dad is our coach?” he asks, and I know I’m playing with fire by getting close to her.
“No.” Coop’s eyes slide to meet mine, and they say everything he isn’t. “I haven’t forgotten, Cooper. I didn’t know she was going to be there because it was the morning of our first game, and Johnny wanted to work on his backhand shots. Hell, I didn’t even know she could skate.”
“Now you’re being stupid. Coach’s kid knows her shit, and you didn’t think she’d know how to skate?”
Yeah, it was a stupid assumption on my part to think she wouldn’t, but it’s not my place to share what her relationship with her dad is like. If we hadn’t shown up early to practice that day, I’m not sure I ever would’ve known Alondra is his daughter. Hell, I’d probably still be calling her Alex.
“Schultz!” a voice calls out behind us, and I swivel to look back. I don’t know his name, but he looks familiar enough that I can place him as a football player.
“You know him?” Coop asks, and the closer he gets, the more I’m sure I don’t.
“No idea. You go ahead, I’ll meet you at my pickup,” I say, pulling the keys from my pocket and tossing them to him. Coop tips his head up in acknowledgement at the guy, walking off as I get a better look at him. “Hey, man. All good?”
I’m not a small guy by any means, and he’s built like a freaking freight train, which makes me think he’s a linebacker, but I don’t think we’ve ever spoken.
“Bradley Smith,” he says, flashing a quick smile. “I’m friends with Johnny.”
I’m sorry, what am I supposed to say to that?
“And I’m friends with Seth,” I say, dropping the quarterback’s name, but it doesn’t seem to faze him.
“I heard my girl’s tutoring you, and I’d hate for you to get the wrong idea.”
His girl? I set my shoulders back, clenching my jaw to keep from asking who the hell he thinks he is.
“I think you might be the one with the wrong idea, buddy. Al doesn’t belong to anyone, but good luck to you if you think she does because she hasn’t mentioned you at all.
I think I’ll stick with what I’m doing. Seems to be working out for me,” I say, forcing an easy smile on my face when really, I feel like I’m wound so tightly, the slightest move and I’ll detonate.
What the hell is Johnny doing being friends with this guy?
His dark eyes narrow, but he doesn’t scare me. It does cross my mind that maybe I shouldn’t have told Coop to go on ahead without me.
“She likes to play hard to get, but maybe you heard me wrong—stay away from her,” Bradley warns, checking my shoulder with his.
The goosebumps on my arms linger long after the encounter, and my number of questions for Alondra has increased tremendously.