Chapter 23
CHAPTER 23
MADDIE
A lec lay on the couch beside me with his head in my lap, his eyes closed, and his breathing even. I gently ran my hand through his messy brown hair and smiled at the ease on his face. All today, he had been so worried. It was nice to finally see him at peace.
My phone buzzed on the side table next to the clock that read one fifty-four p.m.
Vera: Where are you?
Vera: Is it okay if I bring over your backpack and the work you missed today?
Stirring in my lap, Alec turned over to lie on his back and blinked open his eyes. “What time is it?” he said groggily, rubbing his eyes with his fists. He yawned and stared up at me, pushing some hair behind my ear. “Late?”
“The afternoon,” I said, tugging at the ends of his hair once more. “School will be out in a couple of minutes, but Oliver won’t be home until after hockey practice tonight, so you can sleep a bit longer if you want.”
He turned over once more so his head faced my stomach and wrapped an arm around my waist. “I don’t want to go to practice tonight,” he mumbled against me. “Do you think Coach will punish me for it?”
“No,” I said.
Though … I wasn’t too sure with Coach Leo. From what I had seen, he was harder on Alec than he was on any of the other athletes because he knew Alec could go far. He wanted that pride of having coached a hockey star more than he cared about his players.
My phone buzzed again.
Vera: Blaise will be with me. I can drop it off out front.
“Who’s that?” Alec asked.
“Vera.”
“Will you tell me if that number messages you again?”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. Honestly, I didn’t want to bother him or stress him out more than he already was, but if it would give him peace of mind about us, then … “Sure, I’ll let you know.”
Fifteen minutes later, the motion sensors in the driveway sent me a motion detected notification on my phone. I spotted Vera and Blaise walking up the sidewalk out front, and then I headed to the front door while Alec woke up from his second nap of the day.
“Thanks for bringing my stuff,” I said to V after opening the door.
She handed me the backpack and smirked at Alec’s shoes by the door. “So, are you guys … like, a thing?”
“Sorta, but we’re not telling anyone.” I peered at Blaise. “So, keep your mouth shut.”
“He won’t tell anyone,” Vera reassured me, grabbing my hand. “But when people do find out … we should go on a double date sometime!”
I stepped closer to her. “A triple date with us and Piper and her guy.”
Vera flashed me a smirk, then returned her gaze toward me and glanced into the room at Alec. “Is he okay?”
I shrugged. “Worse than you were when everyone found out that you write smut.”
She pressed her lips together and frowned. “Really?”
“Unfortunately.”
With his skateboard flipped up onto his shoulder, Blaise leaned against the doorframe and arched his brow at Alec. Vera noticed the uneasiness between the two and grabbed Blaise’s hand, scolding him so he wouldn’t say anything to him.
Blaise Harleen said what he thought and didn’t give a shit how it hurt anyone.
And I’d bet he wanted to comment on Alec’s video.
Instead of saying anything, Blaise grabbed Vera’s hand back and tugged her down the sidewalk and back toward his father’s mansion down the road. He had lived on my street since we had been kids, but that guy had barely ever said two words to anyone.
“See you later, Mads,” Vera called over her shoulder, throwing me a wink. “Have fun!”