29. Rosalie
TWENTY-NINE
Rosalie
I ’m crammed in the backseat with Priya, who’s singing along with Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please.” Ri’s driving, his eyes flicking between the road and the rearview mirror. I’m glued to my phone, texting Jay, who’s in Derek’s car. I’m glad he didn’t drive with us because small places and us just don’t work well together.
Rosie: This is going to be a nightmare.
Jay replies almost instantly.
Jay: You wanted a distraction from The Nutcracker. Here it is. We just have to find a good time to tell your brother and everything will be fine.
I roll my eyes, but a smirk tugs at my lips and Liora catches my eye in the mirror. “Everything all right with the lawsuit, Rosie?”
I look up, startled. “Yeah, everything’s okay. It’s just my big performance stressing me out now, but I’m happy it’s just that. Everything with Kix Lyle was such a shitshow. I still can’t believe it.”
Liora nods, but there’s a hint of something in her eyes. She knows, but she’s not spilling it. I can feel the anxiety bubbling up.
Rosie: Liora’s acting weird. She knows about us. I can feel it.
Jay: Yep. But she won’t say anything in front of him, let’s just not be alone with her until we’ve told him.
I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the unease.
The car lurches as Riley turns onto the narrow dirt path, the tires kicking up gravel. The woods close in around us, the trees towering and dense, their branches weaving together like a canopy overhead. Sunlight filters through in golden streaks, but the deeper we go, the more shadows stretch across the road. It feels like we’re leaving the rest of the world behind.
And then, through a break in the trees, the cabin comes into view.
It’s massive—built from dark-stained logs, with a sprawling wraparound porch lined with old rocking chairs. String lights are strung along the railing, unlit in the fading daylight. A stone chimney juts out from the side, a hint of smoke curling lazily from the top, promising warmth inside. The windows glow softly, a contrast to the crisp wilderness around us.
Beyond the cabin, the lake stretches out like a sheet of glass, reflecting the fiery oranges and pinks of the setting sun. A small dock juts into the water, a couple of Adirondack chairs positioned at the edge, like they’re just waiting for someone to sit and take it all in.
Riley parks, throwing the truck into park with a grin. “Welcome to paradise.”
When I get out, the hockey boys are already in full swing. Shiny, in all his ridiculous glory, is carrying two enormous beer canisters over his head, howling like a wild animal.
“Well, this is cozy,” Priya says, a laugh in her voice as she takes in the scene.
The crisp air nips at my nose. The cabin is tucked away in the woods, the perfect hideaway. The hockey boys are laughing and joking, their voices echoing through the trees. It’s not the whole team—just the rowdy ones without family obligations. Colton’s missing, too, but he’s knee deep in shit right now so.
I catch sight of Jay, his tall frame leaning against the porch railing. He’s watching me, a slight smirk on his face. I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks, but I play it cool, giving him a casual wave since Liora is watching my every step, or maybe I’m just paranoid right now. This is going to be interesting.
The cabin, it turns out, is a beast of a thing, sprawling with at least fifteen bedrooms and a lake out back. I remember when Riley told us at family dinner that he bought a cabin so that he could take his family out for some peace every now and then. But the place is magnificent, all vaulted ceilings, wooden beams, and more fireplaces than I can count on one hand. I’m standing in the grand entrance, when Liora starts directing traffic. My brother is fortunate to have her because he wouldn’t know how to manage everything on his own at all.
“Rosie, you’re in the room opposite Jay ,” Liora says, pointing up the stairs. “Riley and I are next to you.”
Of course, we are.
I can’t help but feel like Liora’s playing chess with our lives. But then again, we’ve been lying to her fiancé for weeks now…I glance at Jay, who’s lugging his duffel bag up the stairs. His eyes meet mine, and he’s worried too.
I grab my bag and follow, feeling the heat of Jay’s gaze as I pass him. My room is cozy, all warm wood and soft lighting. When I drop my bag on the bed, I take a deep breath. This is going to be a test of willpower, that’s for sure. We didn’t even talk about how we would approach my brother. When? Maybe when he’s drunk? When Liora outs us? God…before I can even start to unpack, Priya pops her head in.
“Come on, Rosie, what is taking you so long? We’re already getting started!”
Outside, the party is in full swing. Music’s blasting, drinks are flowing, and everyone’s laughing and joking. I grab a virgin cocktail because I’m not drinking when it means Jay would later kiss me and taste alcohol on my lips. He means way more to me than alcohol or drugs ever could. I find Priya by the makeshift bar on the porch. Derek sidles up, all smooth smiles and cheesy lines.
“Priya, you’re looking good tonight,” he says, leaning in a bit too close.
Priya rolls her eyes and takes a swig from her wine. “Derek, you had your chance and you fucked up. Just leave me alone.”
Liora overhears and raises an eyebrow at her best friend. “What did he do?”
Priya jumps up slightly. “Oh, he just said something dumb. It’s fine, but he’s not the guy for me. Besides, I’m engaged now.”
Liora’s and Derek’s eyes widen. “Engaged?”
“Since when?” Derek shoots.
Priya holds up her hand, showing off a sparkling ring. “My parents set me up with someone from India. It’s…well, complicated.”
I notice Jay wandering over to us, and it takes everything in me not to reach for him. “Complicated is one way to put it.” I snort, dragging my gaze away from Jay before I get too obvious.
Derek reaches out, fingers grazing Priya’s arm. “Priya, that’s—”
“None of your business, Der.” She takes another sip, cutting him off.
I barely register their tension, because Jay is standing next to Liora and Derek now, his fingers cramped around his sparkling water.
It’s his first time being around so much alcohol.
My fingers twitch at my side. His blue eyes catch mine for half a second—too fast for anyone else to notice but long enough for me to know that he needs a distraction soon.
He told everyone on his team that he struggled and needs to quit alcohol, so at least there shouldn’t be an asshole trying to give him a drink or anything. It must be so hard for him. Damn it. I want to touch him. I think he could use some right now.
Jay takes a slow sip of his sparkling water, his fingers gripping the glass a little too tightly. I can tell this is hard for him—being here, surrounded by alcohol, everyone else drinking like it’s nothing. But he’s here. He’s trying. And I want to help.
“So,” I say, nudging his arm lightly, “how are you? First time out with the chaos again?”
He exhales through his nose, giving me a half smirk. “Weird. Loud. Annoying.”
I smile. “Yeah, well, Riley’s here, so that tracks.”
Jay chuckles, but there’s something in his eyes—an unease, a tension like he’s still bracing for impact. I drop my voice lower, keeping my tone easy. “You really doing okay?”
His jaw tenses for a second, like he wants to brush it off. But then he nods, his fingers flexing against the bottle. “Yeah. I mean, I thought it’d be worse. But you’re here, so…” He stops himself, shakes his head. “It helps.”
Warmth spreads through my chest, but before I can say anything, raised voices pull my attention to the other side of the porch.
Derek has Priya cornered, his arms crossed tight over his chest. “It doesn’t make sense, Priya! We’re not in the Middle Ages—you don’t have to marry this guy.”
Priya’s eyes flash, defiant. “It’s not that simple, Derek.”
“Yes, it is,” he says. “You don’t love him. So why the hell are you doing this?”
“Oh yeah, because you know who I love or what that word actually means.”
Jay shifts beside me, his expression unreadable as he watches them. “That’s another disaster waiting to happen,” he mutters.
I glance up at him, a teasing smile tugging at my lips. “You’re one to talk.”
He huffs out a laugh, shaking his head. “But at least I’m aware of my disasters. I’m not sure they are.”
I lean in just slightly. “And you’re handling it. I’m proud of you.”
Jay checks our surroundings, but thanks to Derek and Priya, no one really is looking at us. “I want to kiss you.”
He watches me for a beat, something flickering in his gaze, and I can feel the pull between us.
“Yeah,” I say, my voice quieter as I just stare at his lips. “Trying not to.”
Before anything can happen, a loud, slurred voice cuts through the tension like a hammer to glass.
“DID YOU SEE THAT SHOT ?!”
We both jump as Shiny stumbles toward us, grinning like a madman, his arm slung around Riley’s shoulder for support. Riley rolls his eyes at the rookie, and Liora tries to stifle a laugh.
Jay clears his throat, stepping back from me slightly, trying to act normal. “Uh, which one?”
Shiny gasps, swaying slightly. “ Which one?! Bro. Bro. The best one. The only one. My one.”
“You mean the one where you tripped over your own damn skates and still managed to get the puck in because the goalie was too busy laughing at you?” Riley jokes.
Shiny points dramatically at Riley, then at Jay, then at me, as if we all just deeply offended him. “That was skill. That was grace. That was—” He hiccups. “That was some real cinematic shit. ESPN worthy. Legendary.”
Riley snorts. “Shiny, you actually face-planted. ”
“STYLE!” Shiny insists, waving his hands. “Not everyone can pull off aerial goal acrobatics like that.”
Aerial what?
Jay crosses his arms, smirking. “Dude, you fell. But it was a goal. Good job.”
Shiny glares at him. “I ascended, but thanks, Coach Two . ”
I bite my lip to keep from laughing, and Jay shoots me a look, amused. Shiny, meanwhile, looks personally offended that no one is giving him the hero’s welcome he clearly believes he deserves.
“Y’all don’t appreciate my greatness,” he mutters. “It’s fine. Y’all will realize it when I’m famous. I’ll be in a 30 for 30 documentary. They’ll call it The Fall and Rise of Shane McCain. ”
Riley groans. “Jesus, someone get him water.”
“I love you,” Shiny slurs, gazing up at Riley.
Liora smirks, patting Riley’s arm. “I can lend him to you for a few minutes. Test the waters.”
Riley looks at her, horrified. “Absolutely not. Look at me,” he says dramatically, adjusting his grip on Shiny like he’s carrying the weight of the world. “Desperate for you, but shackled to this. ”
Jay snorts, shaking his head. “So what I’m hearing is…you love him.”
“I loathe him.”
Shiny, still draped all over Riley, pokes him in the chest, eyes glassy but determined. “Say it back.”
“I’m going to throw you into the lake,” Riley says.
Shiny gasps, hand clutching his heart. “You wouldn’t. ”
“Oh, I would .”
I lose it, doubling over as Liora sighs, wrapping her arm through Riley’s. “Okay, come on, let’s get you both inside before you commit a felony.”
Shiny lets himself be dragged off, still muttering about his historic goal, and as soon as they’re gone, I let out a breath and glance at Jay, who’s watching them with an amused shake of his head.
“Well,” I say, nudging Jay. “That was entertaining.”
Jay chuckles. “Yeah. Kid’s a mess.”
“A legendary mess,” I correct, and Jay grins.
He’s suddenly so close and it’s so easy to forget that he isn’t fully mine. That I need to hide away to kiss his lips. I just want to get over with it. Tell Riley, but then the whole trip would be ass. We have to tell him close to the end so that he can be angry with us while we’re not in the same house.
I feel Jay’s hand on my thigh, and I lean into him, just a bit. To feel his body, and I get goose bumps.
“So, how are you two,” Liora says, looking at us as if she’s caught us.
Jay breaks away. “Well, actually, I’m beat. Heading to bed.” He looks at me, a silent invitation in his eyes. “Good night, girls. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Before I can react, Liora links her arm through his. “You know what? I’ll walk you up. I need to talk to you about something.”
I’m leaning against the window of my room, the cold glass seeping through my shirt, giving me goose bumps. Liora’s standing across from me, pretending to check if I have everything for the night.
“Hey,” she says softly. “You okay? You think you’re in the right place right now?”
“What do you mean?” I say.
She shrugs, picking at a loose thread on the window frame opposite from me. “Just seems like you’ve got a lot on your plate. You’re working your ass off for the team, and then there’s…Rosie.”
I stiffen at her name, like I’ve poked a bruise. “What about her?”
“Come on, Jay. You’re sleeping with a twenty-three-year-old who’s got her whole life ahead of her, and you’re…You need stability right now. Isn’t that what you’ve been working toward?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I mutter. It’s clear I’m lying. I know exactly what she means.
“I’m just worrying here,” she says, touching my arm. “I don’t want to lie to my Riley.”
“Well, that’s exactly why I’m telling you that there isn’t anything going on. You wouldn’t know.”
She presses her lips into a thin line and pushes off from the window. “Fine, don’t talk about it. But you can’t keep dodging this forever, Jay.”
I go up to her, hugging her and kissing her head. “I know. I won’t. And now I’m going to take a shower.”
“Fine,” Liora calls after me. “I’ll get you some bedsheets.”