Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
Savannah
Friends are the Best
Noah texts me before each of his practices this week, reminding me I should be studying so I can go to the hockey party on Friday. On Thursday, I get more of the same.
Noah
I would rescue you from Anna tonight, but the library is the perfect place to study, so I’ll leave you to it.
I get the message and text Parker.
Me
Are you going to the hockey party tomorrow?
Parker
Seems like a bad idea to leave a bunch of hooligans at my house so I can go to a different, lesser party somewhere else.
Me
You could’ve just said no. The rest of the team will be there too?
Parker
We travel in packs. Wolves for the Wyn!
We’ve also been warned to pretend we don’t know you in public, so theoretically you’d be fine, even if we showed up.
Me
You’ve never done that.
Parker
I never said I agreed. I’m just good at assessing the situation.
Me
Debatable.
Parker
I saw Noah Callahan follow you out on my bday. That’s the only reason I didn’t walk you myself.
Me
I knew it was too easy.
Parker
What’s the deal with you two?
Me
I watch his sister when he plays sometimes.
Parker
Like a babysitter? Or a girlfriend chilling with her future sister-in-law?
Me
A friend.
Parker
Girlfriend?
Me
Friend who is a girl.
Parker
Does D know?
Me
There’s nothing to know.
Parker
I’ll pretend I believe you.
Have fun at the hockey party
Me
Make good decisions
On Friday, I debate packing a bag, because I’m pretty sure no one will be in any condition to walk me home at the end of the night, but I don’t want to look too eager, or like I’m expecting anything, so I slip a pair of undies into the zippered part of my purse and walk to the house on Ivy.
The street is lined with cars, and there are people on the front lawn, but it’s a lot quieter than I was expecting.
“Welcome to our humble abode.” Owen bows when he opens the door, and I burst out laughing.
“Thank you, kind sir.” I attempt a curtsy.
“Noah was in the kitchen last I saw him, but I don’t think he wants you in there.”
“I’m banned?” I verify.
“Never. My dad bought the house, so you are always welcome everywhere. But Noah’s my captain, so what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him,” he teases.
I’d prefer to stay with Owen until I find people I know, ideally Noah, but he’s enjoying door duty, so I wish him goodnight and go deeper into the house that is so familiar, but so different right now, filled with people I don’t know.
This is why I usually went home on weekends, or stayed in the parts of the house that were off-limits.
I run into David, then Michael, and reassure Colt I don’t need him to extricate himself from a scantily-clad woman to say hi to me.
“You’re Savannah.” Someone stops me in the living room. I sort of recognize him as one of Noah’s teammates, mostly because he has his arm wrapped around Lacey.
“The goalie, right?”
“I’m Darren,” he agrees with a warm smile. “And this is Lacey.” He pulls her closer to kiss her temple, and she looks at him like I’m sure I look at Noah.
“Pleasure.” I’m about to ask what Noah told him about me, when he explains.
“I see you in the stands with Izzie.”
My heart sinks. Of course Noah didn’t say anything.
“She’s awesome.” I put on a smile.
“Noah’s so protective of her. Always has been.
Rarely lets anyone help.” I get the feeling he’s trying to reassure me, and I want to believe him, but it’s also hard to figure out where we stand when there’s so much back and forth.
Though he has been pretty consistent about wanting me here tonight, even if he says it’s for my book.
“Likes to do it all himself,” I agree.
“It makes him a great captain.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“But I’m glad he has you outside of it.”
“Oh, he does. I…we’re friends.”
“Friends are the best, right babe?” Lacey asks.
“She’s teasing because I was an idiot who thought I could bury my feelings for her into a friendship.”
“You guys are adorable together.”
“It’s all her,” he tells me. “I think Noah’s downstairs.”
“Thank you.”
“See you at the next game,” Lacey tells me before I go to the basement.
They’ve moved most of the furniture to the walls to make it more like a party area with the tiniest of dance floors.
This is where the music is coming from, and where the rowdiest are contained so the neighbors aren’t bothered by the noise.
Not that Mabel would ever complain, but it’s nice of them to be considerate.
“Savannah!” Noah calls as soon as he spots me. My first thought is that he’s drunk, but when he comes closer, he’s drinking water and smells like soap. “You came.”
He wraps his arms around me and I’m so surprised it takes me a moment to hug him back. There are at least forty people in the basement, when he usually won’t even hug me in front of his roommates.
“You didn’t give me much of a choice,” I point out.
“I’m sorry.” He doesn’t look it.
“It’s fine. Sometimes I need a push to do things.”
“Things you want to do?” he verifies.
“Sometimes.” I smile.
“What is it about parties you don’t like?”
I consider making a joke, but choose honesty instead.
“I feel really awkward just standing around in a corner by myself.”
“You could talk to people.” He smiles, not like he’s making fun of me, but like he thinks I’m adorable.
“I don’t get the concept of talking to people without having something to say. Like I walk up to someone and just what? Say hi and stand there hoping they play along? Then I tend to babble nonsense when I’m nervous, and why would anyone listen to that?”
“Maybe because they’re also interested in you and want to strike up a conversation?”
“There’s nothing about me that’s interesting,” I argue. My family, yes. But me? It’s not like I was turning down invitations before this, unless you count my brother’s old teammates.
“You’re literally writing a freaking book right now. That’s cool.”
He looks genuinely impressed, and I’m sure I blush, but he’s in the minority.
“Most people just think I’m really intense about journaling.” They sometimes comment on how small my handwriting is, but the few times I’ve admitted I’m writing a book, they lost interest as soon as I said I hadn’t been published yet.
“Even that is intriguing,” he tells me. “My point is that you rule yourself out before giving anyone the chance to see how awesome you are.”
I want to argue and remind him that I’m not awesome, but Noah’s not looking at me like my brothers, who are super biased and wouldn’t hang out with me if we weren’t related. He looks at me like he means it, and wants to know more about me. Which is terrifying
“Let’s get you a drink.”
He takes my hand and leads me upstairs to the kitchen.
“We have lots of alcohol…” I hesitate, but he moves on before I can decide to be adventurous.
“Holiday themed cocktails, or I found these really cool watermelon drinks that are slightly out of season, but if you mix it with this fake gin and a splash of club soda, it’s really tasty. ”
It’s exactly what I drink during summer pool parties, or whenever everyone is drinking and expects me to join in, which is why Parker had it at his birthday party. I don’t know if this is a crazy coincidence, if Noah knows something, or if he just saw me with it at the party.
“The watermelon gin sounds great,” I thank him. “Why aren’t you drinking?”
“A bunch of us had an exam this morning, so we’ve been pre-drinking at Slapshots all afternoon.”
“Meaning you’re drunk.”
“I’m sobering up,” he argues.
“Why? It’s a party. At your house. You should be letting loose.”
“Then there would be no one to watch the team,” Noah argues, but he looks at me like that isn’t really it, so I wait. “And I promised to take you home if you’re not having fun. You are though, right?”
“I am,” I assure him, trying not to wear my beating heart on my sleeve at that confession.
“Good.”
He takes my hand again and brings me around, introducing me to his teammates as his friend Savannah, but he’s holding my hand while he does it.
The guys are super nice, some of them even fake flirting to get a rise out of Noah, but some people look at me like the kids in high school when I’d show up with my brothers.
Like they’re wondering what the captain of the hockey team is doing with someone like me.
But I don’t want to go home and let them win, I want Noah to keep holding my hand, to put his on my lower back as he guides me through the crowd, making me feel like his.