Chapter 18 Zhuri
eighteen
Zhuri
Cameron
Zhuri baby
What are you up to?
Zhuri
I’m watching my niece tonight
Why?
Cameron
I thought that we could do something together since we’re trying to be friendly now
I didn’t realize you were with your niece
Zhuri
I hope I don’t regret this, but you could come over
We’re just doing a spa day
Nova is also kind of obsessed with watching you play
Aunt Zhuri probably won’t seem as cool next to Cameron Kovacic
Cameron
Kid’s got good taste
What can I say?
Zhuri
You can come over, but leave the ego at home
Tonight is meant to be relaxing
Cameron
Fineeee
That’s boring, but fine
Zhuri
Drama queen
Cameron
Damn right
See you tonight, Z
Zhuri
See you later, Cam
“I wasn’t told I was going to be taking part in this,” Cameron grumbles, referencing the face mask we just put on him, as he leans back against my sofa from his spot on the living room floor. Nova and I are sitting across from him.
“I told you tonight was for relaxation,” I shrug. “That means you also get the spa treatment.”
“We should paint his nails, too, Aunt Zhuri.”
“I think we should,” I agree, and Cameron rolls his eyes while laughing.
“As long as you promise I get pink. Pink is my color.”
Nova snickers as she runs off to my guest bedroom, where all of the nail polish she brought over is in her overnight bag. I get up to grab a towel before laying it out on the ground.
The last thing I want to do is have to scrape nail polish off my nice hardwood floors.
I take my spot back on the floor across from Cameron.
“So pink is your color, huh?”
He chuckles while showing off his stupidly dazzling smile, dimples popping at the corners. “Do you not agree? I think I can pull it off.”
I smile back at him. “I have no doubt that you can, but I’m not going to hold you to it. It’s fine if you don’t want to actually do it. Nova is twelve; she’ll be fine.”
He shrugs. “I don’t mind. It’s just a little nail polish. She’ll be happy about it.”
“You just met my niece tonight, and you’re already willing to paint your nails to make her happy? Why?”
“She seems cool, and I don’t really care if anyone wants to make fun of me for it. I’m sure some of the guys will, but fuck ‘em. It’s just nail polish.”
I rest my hand on the ground behind me and lean backward a little bit. “You surprise me more every day, Cam.”
“I think I like surprising you, Z,” he grins.
Since our heart-to-heart in the rafters after practice on Monday, Cameron and I have slowly been getting closer. It’s hard not to when you now both know things about each other that practically no one else does.
The worst mistake I ever made was listening to everything Jack told me about Cameron.
I see all of that now for what it actually was—pure jealousy.
Cam was always a better center than Jack, and he couldn’t stand it.
He actually had me convinced that Cameron earned his spot on Michigan’s team because his dad played in the NHL.
After my talk with Cameron, I see how wildly inaccurate that was. Not only is he actually an incredible player, but I don’t think he even wants to be associated with his dad. He wants his approval, not his handouts.
I think that’s admirable.
Nova walks back in now and sets her container of nail polishes on the ground beside the towel.
“There are a few pinks in here if you actually want one, Cameron,” she says nervously. Aunt Zhuri might be a famous hockey player, but she’s known me her entire life; there is no novelty there. But Cameron? Girl is starstruck right now in the presence of one of her favorite players.
Cameron immediately reaches into the container and shows off his choice—bright ass hot pink. “This one looks good.”
“I’m surprised you aren’t going with purple or cyan,” I say, sifting through all the color choices. “Figured you’d want to rep the Comets.”
“Next time,” he winks, and my heart does this weird flutter at the thought of us doing this again sometime.
Nova grabs the polish she wants—she apparently took my advice to Cam because she grabs purple and cyan.
Not surprised at all to see my Nova Star already wanting to support the new team.
“What color are you going to pick, Aunt Zhuri?”
I pull out a yellow-orange color. “This one looks cute. It’s called Honey.”
I see Cameron smirk. “You should use some glitter, too.”
I let out a loud laugh. “Glitter and honey, huh?”
“I know how much you like that.”
Nova looks between us for a moment before making a strange face. “You’re acting like my parents.”
My face snaps to hers. “What do you mean?”
She shrugs. “You’re being secretive. My parents talk like that when I’m not supposed to know what they’re talking about.”
Cameron cocks his eyebrow. “What do you think we’re talking about?”
“If it involves glitter and honey, I don’t think I want to know.”
“You’re not supposed to know things like that, Nova Star!” I sputter. “But Glitter & Honey is a song.”
She gives me an absolutely disbelieving look. “Aunt Zhuri, I’m in middle school. I know a lot of things.”
“Things you shouldn’t know,” I mutter.
“Maybe things have changed then.” Nova gives me a devious smirk. “It’s been a really long time since you were in middle school.”
I tickle her side while she squirms and laughs. “I’m not even thirty yet! I’m younger than your mother.”
“What about him?” she asks, jabbing her thumb toward Cameron.
He chuckles. “Sorry, Nova. Won’t be thirty until January.”
“I didn’t realize you weren’t that much older than me.”
He looks at me curiously. “When’s your birthday, Z?”
“May fourth.”
Cameron looks positively giddy right now. “Please tell me you’re a Star Wars fan.”
I throw my head back and groan. “I’m not, but I’ve gotten, ‘May the fourth be with you,’ for years now.”
“I can’t believe you don’t like Star Wars,” he gasps, hand to his chest as though I’ve physically wounded him.
“Oh my God,” I laugh. “I didn’t realize you were such a nerd, Kovacic.”
“It’s a classic,” he asserts, finger pointing directly at me.
“It’s not my thing. ‘Luke, I am your father?’ I’ll pass.”
He crosses his arms as he stares me down. “That’s not the line, Hart. ‘No, I am your father,’ is the real line.”
I decide to tease him now. “You were totally Darth Vader for Halloween before, weren’t you?”
“Yes. Been Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, too.”
“Of course you have,” I shake my head.
“Just you wait, Z. I’ll make you dress up as a Star Wars character for Halloween this year.”
“There aren’t any black characters.”
“Ahsoka was played by Rosario Dawson.”
“I don’t even know who Ahsoka is.”
“I’m just gonna paint my nails and ignore this,” Nova says to herself, and Cameron and I both laugh.
“Come on, Kovacic,” I say. “Let’s get these manicures done.”