Chapter 8
EZRA
The next morning, I woke to pattering in the kitchen. After rubbing my eyes, I groaned, sat upright, and then peered into the kitchen.
Evan started a coffeemaker on the counter. Turning, he said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. Long night?” He bent down and came back up with a large frying pan.
“Yeah, a lot of weird dreams.” Had I dreamt Lucas sat with me last night? It was so vivid. No, He’d been here. He’d been so sweet. I rose and stretched my arm over my head.
“I’ll bet.” He turned on a stove and cracked eggs into the frying pan. “We have big breakfasts full of protein around here. Hope you like eggs and whole wheat avocado toast.”
With the corner of my lip quirking, I padded to a stool at the kitchen island. “Sounds wonderful. Thank you so much for taking me in.”
“No problem.” He grabbed a loaf of bread from the refrigerator. “I hope this ex of yours will leave you alone.” He stuffed bread into the toaster and sliced avocados on a cutting board.
I glanced at Lucas’s closed bedroom door. “I guess Lucas is still sleeping?” It might be a good time to question Evan.
“Must be. Which is weird. He’s usually a morning person.” He flipped the eggs into the pan. “But as soon as he smells food, he’ll be out.” He smirked.
“He does like to eat.” Lucas had inhaled the pizza last night. I rested my forearms on the counter. “How long have you two lived together?”
“Since development camp, which was the middle of June.” He nodded and after the toast popped up, he plated it and smashed avocado cubes onto it.
“He’s been pretty focused on hockey, hasn’t he?” Lucas never mentioned women in his life. I’d assumed there weren’t any. The closeness we had shared in the last day or so—
“Yep. Hockey all day, every day. If he isn’t at the rink, he’s in the gym.” He chuckled and peeked at me. “Until he met you.” He cocked a brow.
My eyes widened. Had Evan noticed how Lucas treated me, too? “So…” I ran my finger along the counter. “He doesn’t have a girlfriend.” Fuck, I shouldn’t have been so blunt.
“No.” He snorted and shook his head. “He’s had a few hookups since we’ve been here. You know, the few times we’ve been to a club.” He made more toast and plated the eggs.
Nodding, I chewed my lower lip. I wasn’t sure what to think. I’d gotten some definite queer vibes from Lucas, especially last night. Was he fighting it? He had a gay brother, though. “Have you met his brother, Mason?”
“Sure, we met in camp. Mason is one hell of a hockey player.” He added more eggs to the frying pan and crackling filled the air.
“Coffee’s ready if you want some.” He grabbed mugs from an upper cupboard and pulled out a bottle of creamer from the refrigerator.
“We only have this birthday cake flavored creamer right now. Lucas thought it would be good, but it’s a little over the top for me. ”
“Oh, I like just about anything.” I stood, stepped to the coffeemaker and poured coffee and then creamer into a mug. As I turned, I sipped it.
Lucas ambled from his bedroom, his hair tousled and eyes puffy. “I smell food.”
“See? I told ya.” Evan elbowed my side and thew a glance at Lucas. “Egg and avocado toast, my man.” He plated the toast. “Ezra, do you want your eggs on top or on the side?”
I peeked at the plates. He’d added the eggs on top of the toast for himself and Lucas. “On top.”
“Great.” Evan added the eggs, made himself a cup of coffee and brought it to the table. “Go ahead. Breakfast is served.”
“Can I get you a coffee?” I poured coffee into a new mug.
“Yes, thank you.” Lucas placed his hand on my lower back for a beat and then picked up two plates of food. “I’ll bring yours to the table, you get the coffees.”
Jesus, this felt like we were a couple. “Sure.” I walked with the coffee to their dinette and sat down between Evan and Lucas.
Lucas slid a plate my way and rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes. “I couldn’t sleep last night.”
“Why not?” Evan lifted his toast to his mouth and took a bite.
Peering at me, Lucas said, “I don’t know. Weird dreams.”
“About Tate?” I lifted my toast and ate a bite, the avocado creamy and toast crunchy. “This is delicious, Evan.”
“Thanks.” He ate more toast.
“No, not about Tate.” Lucas’s eyes popped open. “I-I don’t know who they were about.” He dipped his head, his cheeks reddening. “I need coffee.” He sipped his drink.
“So, whatcha doing today?” Evan slid his phone from his pajama bottoms. “I think I might have a hot date.” With a sly smile, he set the phone on the table and tapped the screen.
“With who?” Lucas set his coffee on the table and picked up his toast.
“A girl from the pool. Her name is Tabitha.” A full-on smile swept his face as he focused on his phone. “Yep, she agreed to have dinner with me.”
“Oh, well, we’re uh, we’re going to stop by Ezra’s and take it from there.” Lucas’s gaze darted to mine. “Right?”
“Yes. But I have to edit the photos from the shoot this week.” I took another bite of toast. I could lock the studio while I worked in case Tate tried to find me there.
“Let’s work out logistics after we get you home.” Lucas gave me a pointed look.
Was he expecting Tate to be there, waiting for me? “Yeah, sure.” I wouldn’t argue the point now.
After breakfast, Lucas drove me to my apartment. I scanned the parking lot for any sign of Tate’s Mercedes sedan. Nothing suspicious stood out.
Lucas parked. “Okay, I’ll follow you to the door.”
“Do you really think it’s necessary? His car isn’t here.” I climbed out of the Jeep, threw my backpack over my shoulder and took another look around, the bright sunlight warming my head. I wanted to spend more time with Lucas, but I had work to do.
“Yes, it’s necessary.” He rounded the Jeep and met me on the walkway. “I’m not comfortable with you being at your studio by yourself, either.” He huffed.
“I have to work, Lucas.” Did he think he was going to sit there with me all afternoon? Strolling with him through the apartment complex, we passed the pool. I wouldn’t mind the company, but it would be boring as hell for him.
“What’s that?” He pointed at my door.
I narrowed my eyes. A vase of red roses and a card rested in front of the door. “Shit.” Tate had indeed been here. I crouched down, grabbed the card, and opened it. Inside, his handwriting scrawled across it.
Baby,
I’m sorry about last night. Things got out of hand. I’m not sure what ideas this hockey player put in your head, but it’s not true. You do know he’s straight, right? He even has a girl back home. Look at his IG account. Call me. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.
All My Love,
Tate
My heart pinched. Lucas had a girl back home? Where, Connecticut? Why hadn’t Evan mentioned it? And more importantly, why hadn’t he spoken about it? “Um…” I held the card to my chest. It didn’t matter if Lucas had a girlfriend. He was only helping me as a friend.
“What? What does it say?” Lucas held his hand out and wiggled his fingers.
“It’s from Tate. He’s apologizing for last night, as usual.” Should I mention the girlfriend? But then it might signal that I liked him. I hung my head. Fuck, I did like him. I was an idiot. “He thinks you’re putting ideas in my head, and he wants me to call him.”
Lucas lowered his brows. “You know that’s not true.” He held my forearm. “You won’t call him, right?”
“No, I won’t call him.” I sighed and opened the door. “Let’s put these flowers inside.” I’d throw them in the garbage, but I couldn’t bring myself to waste a beautiful bouquet.
Picking up the flowers, Lucas set them on the dinette. “I don’t like this.” He glared at the flowers and rubbed his chin. “He thinks he can treat you like shit and you’ll go back to him over a vase of fucking roses.”
“He does.” I set my backpack on the kitchen island counter and threw the card into the garbage bin. I still needed a shower. “But it won’t happen.”
“I’m not leaving you by yourself today.” He pressed his lips together and stepped to me, his hardened gaze finding mine. “Ezra, I’d like for you to stay the weekend at my place. You can even stay there while I’m on the road next week.”
“Why?” I studied his face. He was over the top.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this. In fact, I have a terrible feeling.” He relaxed his shoulders. “I worry about you.”
“I see that.” I gazed deeply into his blue eyes. Was there only worry or more in them? “Let me think about it while I shower.”
“Okay, I’ll be here waiting.” He freed me, crossed his arms over his chest, and fell onto my couch.
With a nod, I strolled into my bathroom, flicked on the light and shut the door. I was itching to check Lucas’s IG account. Fishing my phone from my pocket, I tapped my Instagram app open and searched for Lucas. “There.”
A promo picture of him in hockey gear came up, and I tapped it. Scrolling through the image tiles, I tapped my lips with a finger. No women showed on his profile. In fact, it was mostly hockey photos. What the hell had Tate seen?
I tapped the tagged photos icon and multiple images popped up of a pretty blonde woman with fake lashes and ruby lips. I perused the captions. One read, missing you and can’t wait to see you. Then I tapped another, and it referred to him as a boyfriend. “What the fuck?”
Shaking it off, I set my phone on the bathroom counter and started the shower. It was none of my business and if he had a girlfriend, he’d tell me about her soon enough. Fucking Tate. Of course, he’d point this out to me.
After my shower, I strolled into the main room, all dressed in a sheer white shirt and black jeans. I should print the special photos I’d taken of Lucas today.
“Hey.” Lucas, still seated on my couch, looked up from his phone, his gaze trailing over me. “You look nice.”