Chapter 16 Alex
SIXTEEN
ALEX
Lainey and Theo’s dad greets me when I arrive at their house early in the morning with coffee and donuts from Clocktower Brew House.
“Morning, Alex. Are you looking for Theo?” he asks.
It almost feels as though I’m living two lives, my past self who befriended Theo colliding with my present self who fell for his sister.
“I’m here for Lainey.”
“Lainey?” His brow furrows.
My chest grows tight and my stomach twists with nerves. “She’s—we’ve started—” I’ve never had a meet the parents moment since Lainey’s my first real girlfriend. It’s weirdly intimidating and I’m not sure what to say. “I’m her boyfriend.”
“Oh. I didn’t know she was dating.”
He sizes me up, making the nerves worse. I’ve known him for years, yet I’ve never questioned what he thinks of me more than I am right now. My palms grow hot and clammy.
“Hockey keeps you pretty busy, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, but she’s important to me.” The truth pierces my drumming heart. “Really important. I only want to make her happy.”
Finally, Mr. Boucher nods. “I’m glad to hear that. You’re a good kid, Alex.”
Tension bleeds from my shoulders. “Thanks, sir. Is she home?”
He shakes his head. “You missed her by about twenty minutes. She left.”
“Oh, uh. Right. Okay.” I gesture with the bag of donuts in place of a wave, planning to check her dorm next.
It’s not a long trip to campus, but my impatience to see her makes every minute drag. A group of chatty girls heading out of her building with yoga mats block the way when I get there. The last one holds the door for me and I rush inside.
The elevator takes forever, so I find the stairs instead. Relief hits me when I finally reach her room. I juggle the coffee and donuts to knock. When there isn’t an answer, I rap my knuckles against the door harder.
Her neighbor across the hall comes out, eyeing me up and down. I clear my throat.
“Sorry if I woke you up.”
“You didn’t, but you are knocking loudly.”
“Have you seen Lainey?”
“Is that her name? She always keeps to herself.” She shrugs. “I haven’t seen her since yesterday.”
Damn it. “Okay, thanks.”
If she’s not home or in her dorm, she has to be over at the banquet hall getting things ready for tonight. I try calling her again on my way over, still getting her voicemail.
The banquet hall crawls with people. A student sets up DJ equipment while a woman unloads books from a rolling wagon cart on the tables dotted around the room. I don’t spot Lainey anywhere.
I go to the guy moving speakers into place at the DJ booth.
“Hey, hand me that cable—yeah, the extension,” he says. “Thanks.”
“Sure. Is Lainey around?”
“She was.” He scans the room. “She’s been pretty busy coming and going to direct the other vendors for deliveries.”
My shoulders slump. “Thanks.”
I wander around without any luck. Before I leave, I give a hand by setting up more tables and help the woman who introduces herself as Mr. Derby’s daughter pick up more books from the back room of their store. In all the time I hang around hoping to see her, she’s not there.
The text notification on my phone makes me suck in a sharp breath on my way out of the building. Frustration bubbles back to life when it’s the wrong Boucher.
Theo
Are you coming to practice? You’re cutting it close. None of the guys want to skate suicides because you’re late.
Alex
No. I’m looking for Lainey.
Theo
Coach will be pissed if you blow it off.
Alex
Cover for me.
It’s a first for me. I’ve never missed a game or practice. Injured or sick, I’ve always wanted to be on the ice.
I’ll make up for skipping it later.
It’s late in the day by the time I’ve run all over campus trying to catch her. The coffee I picked up this morning went cold hours ago and I ended up eating both donuts, too busy to stop for anything more substantial while I trying to track her down.
I know eventually I’ll be able to find her at the dance, but I didn’t plan on waiting that long. At this point, that might be my only choice because I keep missing her and she still won’t answer my calls.
Theo might be my best friend and one of the teammates I trust the most, but he was wrong about his sister. I think I messed up by listening to him instead of following what my gut wanted me to do.
If I had gone after her like I wanted last night, I wouldn’t have this growing sense of dread that she could slip through my fingers.
Two weeks ago I had no idea what truly caring for someone else felt like. Now that I have it with her, I don’t want to let it go or lose it.
Sighing, I scrub a hand over my face. I have to fix this.
The kind of guys she reads about in her romance books wouldn’t have fucked up like I have. My brows furrow when I think about what I respected about the cowboy in the book we both read. He knew what he wanted and he didn’t let anything get in the way of that.
I’m going to do right by her like he would. Do the right things. Say the right things. Pay attention to her and understand how to keep her happy. Because that’s what makes me happy.
Actually, no. Fuck that.
I’m going to be better than anyone made up for a story because Lainey is my girl, and I’ll be damned if I don’t show her that when I should’ve been there for her.
First plan of action: buy her flowers. Then I need to stop back at the house for my suit.
I’m going to get my girl.