Chapter 10 #2
“So, I should just tell them, right?” Fox asked stonily. “If they can’t criticize you? Hey, Temple, West, do you know who your baby sister is screwing in her free time?”
Anna’s face flushed and her stomach clenched. “Um, well…”
“Uh-huh, exactly,” he replied angrily. “God, I hate secrets! I hate all this love affair and romance crap that’s currently got the team running in circles. Why can’t you all just keep your hands to yourselves? Or date the right women? It’s not that hard. I manage!”
“You haven’t dated at all in years, Fox,” Lucas remarked matter-of-factly.
“Yeah! And I’m better off because I’m not going to be murdered by Dax Temple and Jack West! God, and you got the damn Innocent Cup!”
“You’re welcome to it,” Lucas replied, unfazed.
“Moreau!”
“Okay, you know what?” Anna interrupted.
“This is getting too uncomfortable for me. You two don’t seem to need me here at all.
And I – as a responsible atomic bomb – better get out of here before I explode.
Say hi to Melody, okay?” She nodded at Lucas, and before anyone could stop her, she slipped into the hallway.
If she wanted to listen to two hockey players argue, she’d let it slip in front of Jack and Dax that a center was more important than a winger.
She’d just reached the door when she remembered she still had to return Lucas’ key, the one Hazel had given her. She turned around…as Austin’s voice wafted in from the living room.
“What’s wrong with you, Moreau? You’re usually so cautious. You hate drama.”
“She’s not drama.”
“Of course she is,” Austin said bitterly. “Whether she wants to be or not. Besides…she’s nice.”
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
“Well, I’m just saying. Your usual fuck buddies aren’t nice.”
“She’s not my fuck buddy!” he replied harshly.
“Oh no? Then what is she?”
“Anna.”
“Anna Temple.”
“Her last name doesn’t matter. She’s Anna. Not Dax’s sister. Just Anna.”
Her heart skipped a beat and she pressed her hand to her chest, a warm feeling spreading through it.
“Tell that to Temple and West.”
“Fox, she’s an adult. She makes her own decisions.”
“And her decision was to jump into bed with you? Shit, she’s a doctor! I thought they were supposed to be smart.”
“It’s irrelevant. We ended things weeks ago.”
“So why are you still fucking her?”
“I’m not,” he growled.
“Ah, and if I hadn’t interrupted you…?”
“It doesn’t matter. We’re just…friends now. Anna’s right: We relapsed. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Friends.
That was the part she focused on. Not on it doesn’t mean anything, because he was right.
She swallowed. Yes. They were friends. This was what she had wanted.
This was good. Austin was right. If they continued sleeping together, it would create drama.
She didn’t want to risk the press finding out and Melody suffering because of it.
That wasn’t worth any orgasm in the world.
It was good that they’d been interrupted.
She inhaled deeply. Yes. They were better off as friends.
And friends didn’t eavesdrop on each other. So, she turned back to the door, placed the key in Lucas’ jacket pocket on the coat rack, and left.
It was merely a relapse. A stupid idea.
Too bad stupid ideas were usually the hottest.
By the time she parked in front of her apartment building half an hour later, she was drained, mostly because it took a lot of effort not to think about Lucas’ mouth on…
Her phone rang and she flinched. As blood rushed to her head, she bit her lip. She felt like someone had read her lewd thoughts. It didn’t help that the name Dax flashed across her screen.
“Shit,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. She took three deep breaths before turning off the engine and answering it. “Hey Dax, everything okay?”
“Yep. Just wanted to make sure you weren’t killed.”
Irritated, she unbuckled her seatbelt. “Killed?”
“Well, you had a Tinder date today. And since you ignored my messages…”
Right. She actually had planned a date with someone before canceling it to help Lucas. “I’m still alive, Dax.”
“I see. So, how was the date?”
“It was…surprising.”
“How?”
“Well, things happened that I didn’t expect,” she said, chuckling softly.
“Oh God, do I want you to stop talking?”
Yes. He did. “You asked!”
He sighed. “So, you had…a nice evening? Without studying? Without working? Just…living?”
She smiled and locked the car. “Yes.” Because that was what it felt like. “How about you?”
“Lucy forced me to watch a romantic movie.”
“And by forced, you mean asked?”
“Yes. As I said,” he replied, irritated. “How do you like the job so far? You haven’t said much about it.”
“Because you all just kept asking: Why are you using Tinder, Anna?” she said ruefully.
“I’m asking now.”
She smiled. “I love it. It’s fun to have so many new challenges. I’m looking forward to traveling next week. I also like seeing you all so often, even if you’re driving me a little crazy.”
“Hmm.” Dax paused before continuing grumpily, “Lucy thinks we’re overprotective.”
Understatement of the century. “And as always, Lucy is right.”
He sighed heavily before saying quietly, somberly, “We just want you to be happy, Anna.”
“I know that,” she murmured, her heart heavy.
“And I appreciate you looking out for me.” She understood them better now, since Lucas’ speech.
“But, Dax…” Hesitantly, she opened the building’s front door and climbed the steps.
“You know you don’t have to feel guilty, right?
About our past? For me having to mediate between you for so long… ”
A stubborn silence fell on the other end before he replied, “We’ve put a lot on your shoulders these last few years.”
“That’s okay. You’ve been burdening yourselves with problems my whole life. And I brought most of it on myself. My education, caring for Mom until the end… That wasn’t your responsibility.”
“We ran away to play hockey, Anna.”
Shaking her head, she unlocked her apartment and leaned against the door. “No. Neither of you ran away. I love that you pursued your dreams. I truly do. I don’t regret anything. You should stop hoarding all that responsibility. Everyone says siblings are better at sharing!”
Her brother laughed softly. “Okay. We’ll try. Did you get home safely?”
“Yes. I’m going to go to sleep now. So, I’ll see you tomorrow after you’ve beaten the Arizona Wolves.”
“Oh, no doubt about it, as long as Moreau pulls himself together. He was rather distracted at practice today.”
She smiled as a flutter settled in her chest. “Hmm. Really?”
“Yes. But who knows what’s going on in the guy’s private life. He’s a mystery.”
Was he?
“Good night, Anna.”
“Night. Say hi to Lucy.”
They hung up, and a feeling of lightness flooded her chest. That had been…a good conversation. She felt she owed Lucas a thank you for it.
She kicked off her shoes and inhaled deeply. Really, she should talk to Lucas again and clarify that they should keep their hands off each other from now on. Technically, he’d only told Austin he wanted to be friends, not her.
As she sank into the couch, her phone vibrated. She fully expected it to be a message from Lucas, but she was wrong.
It was another email.
Please answer me.
She stared at the three words, but this time, her heart didn’t sink. This time, the thought of responding to the email didn’t sicken her. Instead, something like…hope fluttered in her chest.
She recalled Lucas’ words.
She wasn’t the best mother. Didn’t know what to do with the child.
But she’d been a fantastic person. She’d just had her problems. Everyone deserved a second chance, right?
No one was perfect. Besides, she wanted to learn to confront the problems in her life head-on — and let go of whatever problems she couldn’t solve.
Then she could really start living. Then she could…
start believing in long-term happiness. She would become the best, most professional doctor the Hawks had ever seen.
She and Lucas would be fantastic as platonic friends.
And she would talk to her father, if only to close that chapter of her life, and finally start a new one!
Hey Dad, I think I’m ready to meet. Where do you live?