Chapter 15
“You didn’t even give him a chance!” Angry tears fill Stella’s eyes. She leans forward from the back seat to yell at Felix.
Teddy is silent as he drives us back to the cabin. I hate when Stella and Felix fight. I’d usually be the one trying to make peace, but this is messy, and I don’t know who is right here.
“You’re catching me a little off guard here, Stell.” Felix’s voice is softer but still has an edge. “You and Beau Ricci?!”
“Yes!” She throws her hands up in the air. “He isn’t the guy you think he is. He’s funny witty, and sweet.”
“Sweet?” Felix’s voice rises in question. “He has a reputation for being a player.”
“He likes to have a good time.”
“The guy is a wrecking ball, Stell.”
“I know, I know. You think he took Garrison out on purpose. I don’t believe that for a second. You don’t know him like I do.”
At the cabin, we pile out of the car. Garrison is loud as he paces the front porch, obviously still riled up.
“Ah, shit,” Teddy says. “I got him.”
Felix lets out a long breath, then looks to Stella. “Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”
“There is nothing to talk about. I like him. I’m going to keep seeing him.”
“How do you know he isn’t just using you to piss me and the guys off?”
“That’s a low blow even for you.” She stalks off.
“Fuck,” Felix mutters. He looks to me for backup, but I don’t have any idea what to say.
I chase after Stella. I find her in the bedroom, packing.
“What are you doing?”
“I want to go home.”
“Stell.” I sit on the edge of the bed. “You caught everyone by surprise. Give him the night to calm down.”
“No. I can’t stay here and listen to them talk about what a shitty guy he is.” She waves a hand toward the living room. She’s not wrong. They are talking smack about Beau. “He is a good guy.”
“I believe you,” I say.
“You do?”
“Yeah.” I inch closer. “I wish you would have told me.”
“I wanted to. I almost did a hundred times. But I didn’t want you to have to keep something from Felix. It was hard enough for me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I have no idea. But tonight, I want to curl up with Whiskers and sleep in my old bed.”
“Are you sure? We can stay in here, watch a movie in bed or get really drunk.”
“I’m sure. I want to go home and wake up tomorrow and forget this entire trip happened. Please?” she pleads and then sighs. “Oh crap. I’m sorry. You want to stay for Teddy.”
“No. I mean, yes, but it’s okay.”
“Holl—” Her brown eyes are filled with so much pain, it makes my chest ache.
“If you want to go home, then let’s go home. Whatever you need.” I squeeze her hand for reassurance. “Let’s go home.”
It takes no time to pack up. Felix tries to talk us out of going back tonight, but he’s still so pissed, he isn’t very convincing. They both need time to cool off.
Our goodbyes are stiff, the entire mood of the cabin so different than it’s been all week.
Teddy comes outside as I’m putting our stuff in the back. His shirt is untucked and the top two buttons are undone. His hands are shoved in his front pockets. “Is she okay?”
I shut the back and lean against it. “She’s pissed. I can’t blame her.”
“Yeah.” His jaw flexes.
I cross my arms at my stomach. “I can’t believe Garrison.”
Teddy’s head tilts. “What do you mean?”
“He punched him. Without even hearing what he had to say. It just made everything worse. Now Felix and Stella are pissed at each other. It’s a mess.”
“He was looking out for Stella.”
“Is that what he was doing? It seemed like he was just getting payback for his own shit.”
One of Teddy’s shoulders lifts in a shrug. “Maybe so, but can you really blame him? Ricci cost him his season and maybe next year’s.”
“You said yourself that the hit was clean.”
“I said it was a tough call, but if I were Garrison, I’d have wanted to do the same thing. And he knew dating Stella was going to piss us off. Coming here was ballsy.”
“How can you say that? You don’t even know him.”
He doesn’t quite meet my eye as he says, “Drive safe. Get some rest.”
Something about this whole scene, him not answering my question, his words and almost dismissive tone, make my hackles come up. “You sound like my brother.”
Instead of my boyfriend. But I don’t say that part because we haven’t really established that.
He rubs at the back of his neck. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
Something? Anything?
I let out a breath as I compose my thoughts.
For years, I’ve felt like Teddy only saw me as Felix’s little sister, but he’s never made me feel as small as I do right now.
And worse, his words have left me questioning if I’m justified in my irritation.
I don’t know if he’s right or if I am, but I want to talk about it.
This is not the goodbye I had in mind. I pictured kisses and promises to talk over the break, maybe making plans for when we get back to Valley, but Teddy and I stand awkwardly in front of each other, not knowing what to say.
“I should go,” I say finally.
He nods curtly. “Yeah. Drive safe.”
“You already said that,” I mumble, and then I get in the Jeep and drive away from my winter wonderland.