Chapter 16
TRISTAN
I make sure Flip is in the bathroom before I pin Bea against the counter with my hips. She’s cutting fruit for her lunch. Her hair is down, so I sweep it over one shoulder and lean in to press my lips against the sensitive spot behind her ear. “Did you leave a bag upstairs for me?”
“Behind the privacy screen.” She tips her head, as if she’s waiting for my lips to keep moving along her neck.
It’s tempting, but once I start, it’s hard to stop. “Good. I’ll pick you up after work.” These stolen moments when I get to touch her like she’s mine are my favorite part of the morning.
I step away a few seconds before the bathroom door swings open and Flip comes out. I need to watch myself. There have been a few close calls recently. Hence the reason for tonight.
“Can you make me a coffee, Rix? I’ll be ready in ten,” Flip calls as he heads for his bedroom.
I bite my tongue so I don’t call him out for his lack of fucking manners. “You’ll have to take breakfast to go.”
“You’re driving then.” His bedroom door closes behind him.
This morning Flip and I are volunteer coaching a special-needs hockey team with my brother.
Brody and I have done it a bunch of times.
These kids get so excited about playing, and Hemi loves the positive promotion.
She gave me a bunch of team swag, including water bottles, pucks, and baseball caps. They’re already in my car.
I notice the newspaper on the counter is open to the ads section.
I’m quick to squash apartment options by sending her articles about crime in the neighborhood.
Truthfully, all I want is more time with her.
Also, I don’t intend to stick to the plan of this thing ending when she moves out.
Maybe I’ll broach that subject later tonight, when it’s just the two of us.
She finishes separating the fruit into plastic containers and heads for the coffeemaker.
“Flip can get his own coffee,” I say behind the rim of my mug. Lately it irks me how much he takes advantage of Bea. She’s not his personal fucking assistant. And she never complains.
“I’m already pouring one for myself.” She fills two travel mugs. “Can I pour you one, too?”
“Fill yours first. I’ve already had two cups.” In the weeks since she’s been living here, I’ve noticed that Bea always makes sure everyone else has what they need first. She’ll take the smaller portion and wait until we’re finished eating before she goes back for seconds.
She fills hers three quarters of the way and pulls out a travel mug for me. I cover the top with my hand. “Yours first.”
“I need room for cream and sugar. There’s enough left for you.”
We stare each other down.
She gives me a look. “Really? You want to argue about who gets the most coffee this morning?”
“Do the two of you ever stop fighting?” Flip asks.
“Occasionally.” A grin tips the corner of Bea’s mouth.
I move my hand and avert my gaze, because that expression makes me want to do dirty things. Well, I always want to do dirty things to her, but I’m getting a hard-on, which isn’t convenient with Flip in the room.
“Flip, you’ll have to doctor your java. I’ve gotta run, and I’m out tonight, so you’ll be on your own for dinner. There’s lasagna in the fridge and directions to reheat it here.” She taps the Post-it stuck to the fridge.
Flip’s eyebrow rises. “You got a date or something?”
“I’m out with work friends for dinner, and Hemi and Hammer invited me over later. Depends on how late dinner goes, though.” She tucks her phone in her purse and slides her feet into her shoes. Her cheeks flush pink and the tips of her ears turn red with the lie.
“Right. Okay. That’s great that you’re making friends at work.” Flip lifts his head. “You’re liking the job, then?”
“Yeah. It’s good. You guys have a good day.” She heads for the door.
“Your coffee.” I hold it out to her.
“Right. Thanks.” Our fingers brush, and our eyes meet for a second. If Flip wasn’t here, I would kiss her. Instead, I watch her walk out the door.
Tonight, she’s all mine. No interruptions, no being quiet, no her sneaking back up to the loft, no feeling guilty that we’re lying to Flip. Or less feeling guilty. It’s getting harder to remember not to touch her when he’s around.
“We should go, too.” I put the lid on my travel mug and grab my car keys.
“Sounds good.”
“Thanks for agreeing to come with me today,” I say once we’re on the way to the arena.
“No problem. It’ll win me points with Hemi.” He digs into the fruit and yogurt parfait Bea made this morning. It’s got all his favorite fruits, high-protein yogurt, and a separate container of granola and nuts to preserve the crunch. “How are you feeling about our next exhibition game?”
I tap the wheel. “Okay. I get why Coach wants to start Hollis on the first line.”
“You know it has nothing to do with you not being the better player, right? They want to be careful with Hollis this season and playing him on first line when he’s fresh is better for him,” Flip says.
“I know. It’s a rough transition from last year. I’m still hoping I’ll be on the starting line for the opening game of the season.”
“You will,” Flip assures me.
I want to believe he’s right, but I don’t know where I stand.
Hollis has been visiting Coach regularly.
Lots of private meetings. He’s upped his PT to make sure he’s in good condition for the start of the season.
It’s tough not to worry about where my value to the team will fall.
If Hollis makes a comeback, will I slide down the ranks again?
Was last year the highlight of my career?
I sigh. “Maybe. We’ll see.”
“It’ll be fine,” he says through a mouthful of yogurt. “Man, this is good. I should have taken two.” He scrapes the bottom of the container with his spoon.
“I’ve got those almond muffins in my bag, if you’re still hungry.” I thumb over my shoulder.
“Really? I didn’t even know Rix made those.”
That’s because I asked her to, and because I hid them so Flip wouldn’t eat them all before I could. “Save me at least one.”
He pulls the plastic container out of my bag. “Damn, you’ve been holding out!” He pops the lid. “You want one?”
“Sure. Yeah.” He passes me a muffin.
He eats the first one in two bites, crumbs falling into the container in his lap. “You and Rix seem to get along better these days.”
He doesn’t know the half of it. I accidentally inhale a crumb and start coughing. Thankfully, we hit a red light, so I set the muffin on the dash and cough into my elbow. When I’ve got myself under control, I wash it down with coffee. “She’s helpful around the condo,” I offer.
“Yeah, it’s been nice having meals prepped, and not having to do the groceries and stuff.
I know it’s been a lot having her in the loft, and she’s looking for an apartment, but I don’t want her to end up in the same position again.
She was looking at some place a few blocks from her work, but the neighborhood wasn’t the best, so I told her to skip it. ”
“It’s fine if she stays a while longer. We’re traveling soon anyway, so we won’t be there half the time.” My stomach tightens. I don’t want her to move, but the guilt is eating at me.
“I appreciate you being cool about it. I know you two rub each other the wrong way.”
I grip the wheel tighter and fight with myself not to confess. If I do, this thing with Bea ends, and I want that less than I want to unload my conscience. “I don’t mind her.”
He snorts a laugh. “You don’t mind having someone picking up after us.”
“Nah, man. I mean, that part is nice, but she’s cool to hang out with. She’s got good taste in movies, and she’s smart as hell. I just didn’t want someone else to look after.”
“She’s too proud sometimes. I wish she’d let me help her with rent. Then she could get a decent place.”
“She doesn’t want to mooch off you.”
His expression reflects surprise. “She say something to you about it?”
I scramble for something plausible. “I overheard her talking to Essie. You paid for her university, right? Maybe she thinks that’s enough. Plus, she’s living with us rent free.”
“Yeah, but she’s taken over as our personal chef and housekeeper.
And she’s managing my finances, and the change has made me like twelve grand in interest since she’s been living with us, so it’s not like she’s loafing around, playing video games.
And I only paid for what her scholarship didn’t cover.
She worked a part-time job throughout university to cover her rent and stuff.
I think I gave her twenty grand,” he says.
“Twenty thousand is a big deal to her, no?” I reply. “This new job she has. What does it pay? Like sixty grand a year or something?” I don’t even know the answer to that. And I feel like I should. We spend most of our time together naked, but sometimes we talk after, before she falls asleep.
He frowns. “I don’t know. I never asked.”
“Renting an apartment in Toronto is expensive.” I tap the steering wheel.
“A nice studio is around two thousand a month. If she’s making between sixty and eighty thousand a year, twenty-five to thirty of that goes to rent.
She’s pretty careful with her money. She price matches groceries every week. ”
He glances at me. “How do you know that?”
“The flyers are always covered in Sharpie, and she makes a spreadsheet. She leaves them on the counter.” I’ve also tried to entice her into sex when she’s been in the middle of price matching more than once. She gets really fucking annoyed.
“Huh. I didn’t realize that.”
I bite my tongue. If he hung out with her more he might have a goddamn clue about his sister. Then again, he might also realize what’s going on. It’s getting harder to keep this secret for a lot of reasons. I pull into the arena parking lot, which thankfully ends the conversation.
My brother is already dressed in his gear, so we get changed and meet him on the ice.
“Damn, Brody.” Flip claps him on the shoulder. “You’re filling out, eh?”