Chapter 10 #3
They won their first two games and lost the third.
Fee
We’re heading out for dinner now!
Tally
We’re about to make dinner, too. Big hugs! Have the best time tonight!
Cammie
You too!
Fee
I feel bad that I didn’t go with them, but it wouldn’t have been as fun for me, and I wanted to spend it with the Terror and Flip, even if he can never be mine. Who knows where I’ll be next year. This could be my first and last New Year’s with them.
I slide a scrunchie onto my wrist and head downstairs. The whole team is in the kitchen, and I love the way we fall into an easy routine, thanks to our regular fajita and taco nights at Tristan and Rix’s.
“You having fun?” Dred asks as we cut carrots into coins.
“So much. Thanks for inviting me to tag along. It’s a nice getaway before I start my final semester.”
“Are you excited, or is it bittersweet that it’s almost over?” Rix asks.
“A bit of both. I love Tilton, but it’s very hockey focused and that makes it tricky with my friend group.”
“It must have been hard staying in Toronto,” Everly muses. “I applied to Tilton, but a bunch of other places, too.”
“It’s good to keep your options open,” I agree.
“There are benefits to commuting,” Connor interjects.
Dred hugs his arms and kisses his cheek, whispering something to him.
I love that they’ve made a family for themselves.
Dred grew up in foster care, and so did the twins.
Connor’s family is filthy rich, but his parents are kind of jerks.
Well, his dad is. His mother seems like she’s caught in the middle of it with his sisters.
A sudden jolt of fear makes my spine hot.
What if Dred and the twins finally have the family they’ve always longed for, and it all falls apart like my parents did?
“You okay, Talls?” Flip’s fingers drift down my arm, startling me out of my morbid thoughts.
I shake it off and tuck my worries away. I force a smile, stomach fluttering at his attention. “I’m good.”
I end up between Flip and Hammer at dinner.
I’m hyperaware of his proximity, of every brush of elbows, of the smell of his cologne, the warmth of his laughter.
And now I can’t stop thinking about what Hammer said about the vibe.
Flip seems to be orienting himself so he’s close to me and Quinn is not.
Afterward, we congregate in the common room with mugs of spiked hot chocolate, and once again, Flip sits next to me. He and Tristan have been exchanging meaningful looks that would be easy to miss if I wasn’t so tuned in to Flip.
“We could play a game,” Dred suggests.
“We’re not playing board games. You kick everyone’s ass every time,” Flip says.
“What about hide-and-seek?” Everly suggests, then ducks her head. “Or maybe that’s too kiddish.”
“I’m in,” Dallas says.
“Same!” Flip agrees.
“This place is perfect for hiding and seeking,” I add.
Everyone else seems excited too, and Everly’s answering grin warms my heart. We pick numbers to determine the first seeker. Connor is closest, so the role falls to him.
“You have to stay inside the house, and no hiding in other people’s bedrooms.” Connor dims the lights on the main floor. “Any other rules we should lay down?”
“You can’t steal someone else’s spot once they’re in it,” Rix says.
“Sounds good.” Connor turns to face the wall. “I’ll count to one hundred. Get to hiding!”
Everyone scatters, the guys yelling after each other. Everly’s gleeful giggles bounce off the walls.
“Find your own spot, Dallas!” Hemi calls.
I rush upstairs, along with a handful of other people. I wait until most of our friends have found their spot before I start searching for my own. Sometimes it’s best to hide in plain sight.
I peek my head into a small sitting room. A huge barrel chair is set in front of an enormous window. To the left is a small alcove with a door that’s been covered in the same wallpaper as the rest of the space, so it’s nearly seamless, apart from the ornate knob.
I open it as Connor calls out seventy-nine. Spare bathrobes hang in a neat row. Connor calls out eighty-two. I’m running out of time, so I duck into the closet, pull the door closed behind me, and tuck my body behind the robes.
Connor’s voice is muffled, but I finally hear, “Ready or not, here I come!”
A moment later, the closet door opens and another person pushes into the small space. “Fuck, shit.” Flip pulls the door closed with a quiet snick. The metal hangers clink against each other.
“Flip, shh,” I whisper. I don’t want to be the first one found.
“Talls?” He bangs his arm against something.
“Shh. Yeah.” I tap the rod with my nail. “You have to duck to get under this.” His silky hair brushes my fingers as he does.
The hangers tinkle loudly. He mutters more profanity.
The space was cramped with just me, but now it’s impossible to move without touching him. My stomach twists with fresh nerves and anticipation.
“Sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to steal your spot.”
“It’s okay,” I whisper. “You’re here now. Let’s just stay quiet.” I try to calm my breathing, but it sounds loud in my ears.
Tension sparks like a live wire between us as his fingers skim my arm. “You okay?”
I nod, then realize he can’t see the movement in the dark. “Yeah,” I breathe.
His fingers continue to drift up my arm, sending a hot shiver down my spine. They sweep over my shoulder and brush my neck. I don’t know what’s happening, but I don’t want it to stop.
He drops his head, and his cheek brushes mine until his lips are at my ear. I exhale a shuddery breath at the closeness and the contact.
His voice is a barely audible whisper, warm minty breath breaking across my skin. “Feels karmic to end up in here with you.”
“You can’t escape me today, can you?” I murmur.
“Or maybe you can’t escape me,” he counters.
He cups my cheek in his palm, the tension between us visceral.
“Maybe it’s me who keeps seeking you out,” he whispers. “Even though I shouldn’t.”
“I don’t mind being trapped in here with you,” I whisper.
“Fuck, Talls.” His voice is a pained whisper as his thumb sweeps along the edge of my jaw. “You’re breaking me down.”
I suck in a breath as my heart gallops and races. “I’m not trying to.”
“Not even with that bikini today?”
“That was an accident. I packed the wrong bottoms.”
He chuckles darkly, his lips brushing my hot cheek. “I believe you, your blush is your truth serum.”
His other hand finds mine and he laces our fingers. All I want is to feel his lips on mine.
I tip my chin up.
His warm, minty breath breaks across my mouth.
Will he kiss me?
Please kiss me.
“I’ve been trying to see you the way I used to.” His admission is full of the same longing that makes my chest ache. “But I can’t anymore.” He raises our clasped hands and presses mine against his cheek.
“How do you see me now?” My voice wavers with nerves and excitement.
“In ways I shouldn’t.” His lips touch the corner of my mouth. “Please, Talls, tell me not to do this.”
“But I don’t want to.” I hold my breath. Will he crack or run?
“Fuck, kitten.” His hot palm curves around the back of my neck. “Why can’t I stay away from you?” His lips hover over mine, and time suspends.
I skim the shell of his ear. “Maybe you’re not supposed to.”
His groan is pained, but before his lips touch mine, the closet door swings open. Flip shoves away from me as the robes part.
“Found you!” Connor’s gleeful grin drops as his eyes flit between us.
“Fuck.” Guilt laces the word and Flip’s expression as he pushes past Connor and disappears down the hall.
“I’m sorry, Tally,” Connor says, looking after him.
I shrug and smile, though it feels like my heart just took a right hook. “Curse of the coach’s daughter.”