Chapter 18
Carter
Willa did an amazing job on her first day with the team.
I was ready to stand up to anyone who dared to disrespect her, but she handled herself well. Especially against my asshole little brother. I’ll kick his ass at some point for that.
Me:Congrats on your first successful day.
I text her to let her know I’m not upset in the slightest. I felt horrible when she accused me of not being happy for her. I am happy for her. I was just selfishly upset for what I’d be losing.
Willa:Come celebrate with me?
I can’t help but think of the way I want to celebrate, but Willa doesn’t mean that. Unless… the girls’ hockey team is away today. That means Willa’s house will be pretty empty.
She said we couldn’t have sex anymore, but she could’ve changed her mind.
Me: What kind of celebration did you have in mind?
Willa: Food.
Willa:Drinks.
Willa:Just come over.
Oh fuck, she definitely changed her mind.
I scramble out of bed to get dressed. I have no idea why I’m so excited, but I’m desperate to get laid. It’s an addiction to Willa slapping me around. I can’t wait to get my face smacked by her.
Throwing on a T-shirt and jeans, I check myself out in the mirror and fix my hair. What am I doing?
It’s not a date. I should’ve kept my sweats on. Too late.
I grab my coat and drive over. I don’t want the guys asking questions about where I’m walking to. And just in case she wants food after. She gets hungry after a good orgasm.
I don’t get the chance to knock before she’s swinging the door open.
“Hey.” I smirk and check out the baggy jeans she’s wearing with holes cut out around her knees. Her sweater is cropped above them, under her coat.
Are we going somewhere?
“Come on, we’re going to be late.” She grabs my hand and drags me down the porch steps, hobbling in her boot. “I told Kandi to go ahead without me to wait for you. What took you so long?”
“Kandi?” Whoa, I didn’t sign up for this. “Where the hell are we going?”
“To the Ale House. I told the guys I’d ride with Kandi, but then I told you to come and I felt like a dick for not inviting you sooner.” She shakes her head as I help her into my passenger seat.
“What guys?” I ask to slow her down.
“Finn and Alex. Hurry, the game starts in twenty minutes.” She pulls the door to shut it on my face.
With no other choice, I round the front to climb in.
“I’m sorry I didn’t invite you sooner. I started getting ready as soon as I got home.” Willa flips the passenger mirror down to check her hair.
“I’ll drop you off,” I grumble and set out for the drive to the biggest sports restaurant in town.
“No, you’re coming in with me.” Willa laughs. “I already told them you were coming.”
“It’s fine.” There’s no way I’m hanging out with Finn and Alex at the Ale House. “They won’t miss me.”
“But I will.” She lightly slaps my arm. “I want to celebrate my first day as a coach by watching hockey with my friends. That includes you.”
I open my mouth to argue, but Willa is quick to shut me up.
“Don’t you dare isolate yourself from me. You’re my friend, and I don’t care what beef you have between them. You will do this for me.”
I shut my mouth and keep driving. I’m pissed, and my plan is to drop her demanding tight ass at the front door. The more I sit and stew in silence, the more annoyed I’m getting.
“I do a lot for you,” I mutter when I see the bright sign of the Ale House come into view.
“You do,” she sighs. “I didn’t mean you don’t, but that’s what friends do. If you want me to hang out with Gentry or Braxton, I’d do it.” She sighs again and rubs her hand on her leg. “I really want you to come inside and hang out with us. Please?”
“You think you got my friends figured out?” I smirk, still contemplating whether or not I’m going to go inside.
“I saw you do some kind of bro handshake with Braxton, and I know you hang around Gentry more than anyone.”
I smile at her observance. You could say Braxton is one of my closer friends here at school, but he has his head shoved so far up his girlfriend’s ass that I barely see him. We’ve had a few classes together over the years, and I’ve helped him out with a friend’s injury not too long ago.
I don’t really think of him as a friend.
“Neither one of those guys particularly like me.” She smugly raises her chin.
“Neither one of them has anything against you.” I pull into the parking lot and park the car.
“Well, I don’t isolate myself and make enemies like you do.” She sticks her tongue out at me with a cute shimmy of her shoulders. “Let’s go, the game is about to start.”
Alex and Finn are eyeing me up when we get to the table while Kandi sits with her head in her hand and a playful grin on her face, as if she’s about to enjoy a good show. And not the show of hockey on the screen, but the one about to go down right in front of her.
“Did the game start yet?” Willa takes off her coat, and I grab it from her to hang on the hook below the high-top table. I help her settle in as she struggles to sit on the stool and move it closer with her clunky boot. “Thanks.”
“Well, this is interesting.” Kandi’s green eyes light up, watching us.
“Kandi,” Willa warns her and tucks her short hair behind her ear.
“I’m only addressing the obvious tension.” She flicks back her bright red hair with a shrug.
“I can leave.” I get up, but Willa shoots her arm out to stop me and pushes me back down.
“No, you’re staying.” Her big blue doe eyes plead with me to stay.
I can’t say no to her. I’ve never been able to and I wouldn’t start now just to appease Alex and Finn.
“It’s fine.” Alex is the first to speak of the two guys. “No tension. We don’t get to hang out so much without the rest of the team.”
“Oh, there he is,” Kandi squeals, and points to the closest screen at her boyfriend. “Woo!” she shouts and whistles.
In recognition of Luca, the restaurant erupts in applause as a bell is rung.
“God, he looks so good.” Kandi bites her lip as she stares longingly at the screen.
“Will you split the nachos with me?” Willa nudges me. “I can’t eat the entire thing, but I want chips.”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat and try to get comfortable.
“Anyone else?” She checks around the table.
“Aye.” Finn nods. “I could go for some.”
My leg bounces under the table while we silently watch the game and wait for our food. Willa swivels slightly on her stool and brushes her leg against mine to soothe the shaking nerves.
“Where’s Kylie tonight, Alex?” she asks across the table to get a conversation going.
“We’re on another break.” Alex’s knuckles rap against the table. “She got mad when I didn’t want to go to some party tonight. It’s like she was picking a fight with me for no reason.”
“Sounds like she’s PMSing again.” Kandi rolls her eyes with a smirk, as if it’s some kind of inside joke I don’t get.
“Sounds like she wanted to go to the party single,” I mutter, swiftly getting a kick from Willa on my shin. “Ow.”
Finn laughs with a shake of his head. “Hate to agree with him, but she’s done that shite before.”
I met Kylie a few times, and I heard them fighting through the kitchen floor. She was definitely picking a fight with him.
“Maybe I should go to that party.” Alex pouts in a deep thought. “Hey, do you think that girl, Danielle, is going too?”
“Do not start anything between my Beta sisters.” Willa points a finger at him. “They already got into a fight over Danielle kissing you.”
“Oh, Alex.” Kandi pats his hand. “Don’t stoop to her level. You deserve better.”
“So does Danielle.” I stuff a chip in my mouth. “Using her to get back at your girlfriend is a dick move.”
Alex glares at me and eyes Finn, who shrugs because he knows I’m right.
“Yeah.” Alex takes a huge bite of his burger, scarfing down half of it in one gulp. “She says I don’t pay enough attention to her just because I didn’t want to go to a stupid frat party.”
Willa looks down at her lap, visibly upset by something on her mind. I move my leg out to brush against hers, returning the favor.
“Get it Babe,” Kandi shouts at the TV, pulling all our attention to the game. “Get it out!”
We all watch and clap as Luca gets the puck and clears the zone.
“Did you guys know you can get a custom-made dildo modeled after your own dick?” Kandi asks, making us all sputter and choke on whatever we were drinking and eating. “I’ve been trying to get Luca to do it, but it’s taking forever.”
“That’s shite I don’t need to know, Kandi.” Finn wipes his mouth, responding with a heavy Irish accent and taking a long swig of his beer.
“Long distance sucks and I have needs.” Kandi points her martini glass at the screen, showing Luca again as he comes back on the ice. “My vagina needs that man’s cock.”
“I’m sure every vagina needs one,” I add, enjoying Kandi’s openness.
“You are absolutely right.” She grins at me and leans forward to speak quietly to Willa. “Have you had sex since Vic?”
“What? No.” Willa vehemently shakes her head.
Well, that answers the question if she told anyone.
“What happened to Hines giving you his number?” Kandi is either oblivious to the rest of us listening in or doesn’t care.
“Hines?” Finn questions them. “Don’t go out with that guy.”
“I’m not.” Willa eyes all of us, lingering on me before looking down at her food. “I deleted his number.”
“I’m not telling you to go out with him, but you need a good one-night stand to get that jerk out of your system.” Kandi purses her lips and takes a sip out of her martini.
“I don’t…” Willa laughs uncomfortably and drinks her half empty beer. “I’m not good at one-night stands. I need to trust the person, and I’m good. I don’t need to have sex.” She straightens in her chair and takes a small bite of her chip.
She’s acting weird. Besides being uncomfortable with talking about sex, she isn’t acting like herself. The Willa I know would’ve stuffed that entire chip in her mouth and asked Kandi more about that custom dildo.
I don’t like this side of her.
“I’ll be right back,” I announce and take a break from the tension filled fake table.
I need air, but I left my coat and a bathroom break will have to do.