Chapter 10
KELLER
Having Chloe in my apartment is much easier this time than it was the first.
“How do you ever convince yourself to leave this place with a view like this?” she asks, standing back in front of the large floor-to-ceiling windows.
I watch her from the kitchen, where I’ve busied myself with grabbing us drinks—a Diet Coke for her and a cider for me.
I try hard to save drinking for special occasions during the season, but after the day I’ve had, I need this.
I ordered dinner as soon as we got back, and I expect it’ll arrive any minute now.
“I told you, I’m practically a hermit. Leaving is a rare occurrence,” I tell her as I step up beside her, handing over her drink.
“Guess that hasn’t really changed over the years, then,” she remarks, and I know she’s referring to how I used to always decline invitations from teammates to hang. It wasn’t that I didn’t like them. I just liked being with her more. “Thanks.”
She shakes the can at me, then takes a sip of her drink, her eyes closing just briefly, same as they always do during that first sip. I grin into my bottle of Stick Taps cider.
“You know, I think some of the worst parts of traveling so much are taking the gamble on whether a place will have Diet Coke or not. They kept trying to peddle Coke Zero, but they don’t understand that it has a completely different taste.”
“What a travesty,” I say dryly.
She shoots me a dirty look, and I smile again.
While today has been far from perfect and we’ve avoided a lot of things we need to say to each other, it doesn’t feel nearly as heavy as it did on New Year’s Day.
It has me hopeful that, just maybe, things could be okay between us again, and that I could live with whatever version of a relationship that might be.
“Where’s that adorable cat of yours? It was Percy, right?”
I’m surprised she remembers, though I’m not sure why.
She’s always been good with names. She didn’t go to very many events with me over the years, but whenever she did, she’d squeeze my arm and push up on her tiptoes to whisper the names of a coach, GM, or whatever obscure alumnus was in attendance.
It was my favorite part of those damn stuffy parties.
“Yes, Percy. And he’s around here somewhere, I’m sure.”
I don’t mention it’s likely the spare bedroom, mostly because the chances of her questioning that are high, and I’m not sure I’m ready to dig into that just yet.
Almost like he knows we’re talking about him, Percy trots up between us, rubbing himself along Chloe’s black tights that have been the focus of my attention far too many times today.
I wasn’t lying to her earlier when I said I was running late because of the cat.
The three-legged monster was being particularly difficult when I was trying to feed him his allergy meds.
But it wasn’t just that. I was nervous, more than I have been since I made my NHL debut. So much so that it took me four tries to figure out what the fuck to wear. That wouldn’t be so embarrassing if my outfit were actually something to turn your head at, but it’s not.
It’s clear Chloe put more thought into her outfit, with her ivory sweater that looks so damn soft, a black skirt that barely kisses mid-thigh, and those damn black tights.
It’s a new look for her, minus the boots strapped to her feet.
Those look familiar, which isn’t surprising since they used to sit in every entryway we’ve ever had.
Something about her still wearing the old, thrifted shoes makes me smile, like maybe things haven’t changed as much as I think they have.
“Why, hello there, little man,” she says, bending over to scoop the cat off the floor.
I try not to be surprised that she just called him by the very same thing I always do, but I am. How, after all this time apart, are we still so connected? Will it always be that way between us? Does she feel it too?
“Gosh, you’re just the cutest, you know that?” she tells him, tickling his stomach. “I still can’t believe you got a cat. You never wanted animals before.”
“That’s not true. I suggested we get a ferret once.”
She scowls, just as she did the first time I said it, and I laugh.
“All right, so maybe I could have compromised a bit, huh?”
“Yeah, I’d say.” She runs her finger down the cat’s nose. “What made you change your mind?”
Because I missed having someone around. I missed being important to someone. I missed someone needing me.
Because I missed you.
I keep all that to myself and shrug. “I don’t know. He seemed like he needed someone, and I had nothing else going on.”
She eyes me warily, and I wonder if she can see through all my bullshit. Just when I think she’s about to call me out, the intercom buzzes, saving me.
“That would be dinner. Could you grab some plates?”
“Yeah, of course.”
I hurry out the door, and it has everything to do with needing a minute alone. While it’s easier having her here now, it’s still not as easy as it used to be, and I’m trying to wrap my head around it all.
I smash the button on the elevator and shake out my tingling hands as I wait for the car.
I think about calling Stefan, then I remember it’s Thursday, and he always goes out on Thursdays for boys’ night with his friends.
He’s likely already three beers deep, and I need someone to talk me down, not hype me up.
The elevator arrives, and I step into it without even bothering to look for anyone else. Big mistake.
“Well, well, well…”
Fuck. I know that voice.
I look up to find Lawson—who is grinning like he’s just caught me doing something I shouldn’t be doing, even though I live in this building—and his girlfriend, Rory.
She rolls her eyes at him, then gives me a tight smile, which, for her, is considered friendly.
She likes people about as much as I do, and it will never not amaze me how she ended up with Lawson, who is the exact opposite of us.
“Hi, Keller,” she says.
“Rory,” I counter. I take in their nicer clothes. “Date night with Locke and Vanessa?”
“Yep. I forced him to invite us over to show me his apartment. You were right. It does look just like yours except it’s, like, homey. Got a real lady’s touch, you know?”
His girlfriend looks thoroughly exhausted by him. “How are you, Keller?”
“Is the wife here?”
Rory stomps right on Lawson’s foot, and I grin when my teammate hisses in pain. “Please feel free to ignore him,” she says to me. “He’s obviously never been in public before.”
“With pleasure,” I respond, sliding back against the wall opposite them and closing my eyes. “And I’m fine, Rory. Thanks for asking.”
“Thanks for asking? What the fuck is that?” Lawson says, and I don’t need to have my eyes open to know Rory just smacked his stomach—I can hear it. “What? He doesn’t say shit like that to me!”
“That’s probably because you always say the worst thing possible.”
“I do not!”
I peek one eye open just in time to see her shoot him a look that says Are you serious right now?
“Okay, fine. So maybe I do. But can you blame me? He has a wife, Wednesday,” he says, using his favorite nickname for her. “A secret wife. That’s a big deal. You can’t fault me for being curious.”
Not that I’d tell him this, but I can’t fault him either.
I would be just as intrigued if one of them suddenly announced they were married.
I mean, we’ve had our fair share of surprises—like Hutch sleeping with a billionaire, Lawson and Rory sneaking around, Hayes falling for his nanny, Fox and Lilah pretending to be engaged, and Locke apparently having a one-night stand with Hutch’s stepsister—but a secret marriage? Yeah, that definitely takes the cake.
“I get that,” she tells him. “But you can be a little more…considerate with your words.”
“You’re right.” I hear the kiss he gives her. “Do you still love me?”
“Unfortunately. I’m not sure I could stop if I wanted to.”
It’s sickeningly sweet, but it reminds me of exactly how I feel about Chloe. Even if I wanted to stop loving her, it’s impossible. She’s embedded in my soul, and these last three years apart have only proved it to be so.
I open my eyes as the elevator comes to a stop in the lobby.
“How’s Percy doing?” Rory asks as she and Lawson pass by. “Is he taking his meds okay?”
“Depends on the day.” I lift my hand, showing off the scratch I have from our battle. “This morning? Not so much. But usually he does okay.”
“Good. And he’s still moving around all right? No limping or pain?”
I love how worried she is about him, even though she sees him regularly for checkups, being his veterinarian and all. “He’s all good, Doc.”
Her eyes narrow for only a moment before she nods. “Well, you know where to find me if there are any changes.” She tugs on Lawson’s arm. “Come on. I need a sweet treat and bed.”
“Anything for you,” he responds, a lovesick smile plastered on his face.
He gives me one last look like he wants to say something, but I guess Rory’s words in the elevator really did a number on him because he snaps his mouth closed and nods before escorting his girlfriend out of the building. It’s weird and so un-Lawson-like that I almost wish he had said something.
I grab the bag of food from Xander at the security desk, then head back toward the elevator, which is already waiting for me to ascend. Just as I’m about to step inside, the front door of the building is flung open, and Lawson sprints inside right toward me.
“What the—”
That’s all I’m able to get out before he presses his lips to my cheek in the loudest, wettest way possible, then pulls back and smiles at me.
“You almost forgot your kiss.” He pokes my nose with his finger before saying, “Boop.”
He races out of the high-rise, and I’m left standing there with a laughing Xander and a hot sack of food.
“Not a word,” I threaten the doorman, and he tucks his lips together to hold back his laugh.