Chapter 49
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
ariana
“So, what’s going to happen?” I ask, biting into my croissant.
Penny sighs, ripping into her cinnamon roll. She looks exceptionally pretty today. Her honey-blonde hair is loose and wavy, falling down her chest. She’s in this cream knit with a black midi skirt, and if I was taller, I’d beg to raid her closet.
“The ice-out happens,” she answers. “We have that preseason event this weekend. That’s where we’ll make it clear that she is either going to rent out a box or sit elsewhere for the rest of the season. She isn’t one of us anymore.”
Arden tears open another sugar packet and pours it into her tiny latte. That’s packet number five. I truly worry about her sometimes.
“Until then, they’re going to be as normal as possible with Tom,” Arden says, stirring her coffee. “Protect Callum from having to interact with him and keep Tom’s wife as far away from him as humanly possible.”
“Is it going down at the event?”
Penny’s dark blue eyes snap upward as she brings her latte to her lips. “You bet.”
“That sounded menacing.”
“It was,” she confirms, taking a sip.
Arden lets out a little laugh, reaching for another packet of sugar. I say nothing, but I’m judging her. Hard. “How’s Wyatt been?”
“He’s refusing to go to any games or events until this is sorted, which I can’t blame him for,” Penny says with a long breath. “He’s too angry. One comment out of either of their mouths and heads would roll.”
“I’d be more scared of you than Wyatt,” I say.
Penny’s brows skyrocket. “Then you haven’t seen Wyatt when he’s mad.”
“How’s class going, anyway?” Arden asks, abruptly changing the subject as she leans back in her seat, finally satisfied by her cup of sugar. “It’s been…what? Three weeks of them?”
“Around that,” I say. “They’re good. Interesting. I love school, so it’s always fun to learn something new, especially knowing that it might be the foundation for the job of my dreams.”
She smiles, but it doesn’t hit her eyes.
Penny’s does. “That’s great! I’ll hire the shit out of you at any point, new firm or on the side. I want to redo the interior of the lakehouse.”
My eyes nearly bug out of my head. “I was in heaven taking that space in! I would love to do that for you.”
She nods. “Great. I’ll talk to Dec. We’ll be there the majority of the summer so maybe you can come visit. You and Carter can tag along too, obviously.”
She glances at Arden and winks, but Arden’s eyes are still burning into my face.
“Sounds fun,” she says. “If you can juggle it. Your business program is, what, two years long?”
I bite into my croissant and swallow, but it doesn’t go down easily. “Yeah.”
“You’re hardly ever at home now, being buried in school work and all that. Maybe don’t commit to the job until you know what your workload will be like.”
I stare at her, feeling uneasy. There is no smile, no sense of gentle joking. Even Penny seems to pick up on the tension. She glances between us, her jaw slowing as she chews her cinnamon roll.
I have a yucky feeling in my stomach.
“Yeah,” I say, forcing a smile. “You’re right. Hopefully, it'll be less crazy by then.”
Penny’s eyes slowly slide from Arden to me. “It’s no rush. It’s not like it isn’t liveable. It’s just not our style. I’ll wait for you.”
I smile tightly, trying not to fidget with how uncomfortable I suddenly feel. “Thanks.”
“Any word on if she’s been running her mouth elsewhere?” Arden asks Penny, tearing her eyes from me as she forces the conversation back to Morgan. “I can’t see her keeping quiet.”
“As far as Lemmy knows, it’s been radio silent,” Penny says. “But Lem told the owner of that media company to spook Morgan. Let her know that lawyers have been sniffing around, asking for names. Just until Wyatt and Callum can sort this out the way they want to.”
“This weekend should be a blast.” Arden scoffs, sarcasm drifting from every syllable.
“Trust me,” Penny grumbles into her cup. “It’s going to be the best night of my life.”
Neither of them comments on how quiet I get. How uncomfortable I suddenly am. Arden has never scolded me like that, dictated what I do or don’t do. She’s never looked at me like she doesn’t trust me before, like I wouldn’t follow through on that job for our friend.
What have I done to add her to the list of people disappointed in me?