Chapter 20
Hazy
“Hazy!” Lover waved a hand in front of his face.
With Livy out on her third first date of the week, Beanie and Lover took the opportunity to declare a boys’ night.
They ordered dinner and watched the cheesy reality show Daisy had introduced the Connors to years earlier.
Hazy, Daisy, and Livy had already watched the newest episode without them.
That’s what they got for going on a trip without him.
He pulled his attention away from his phone, locked the screen and placed it face down on the couch next to him. He shouldn’t be doing what he had been intent on anyway.
“What?” he asked.
“I asked you a question. Were you listening?”
He hadn’t been. He stayed silent, hoping his friend would repeat himself.
Lover relaxed in his seat and sighed. “It wasn’t important.”
“No, I’m interested. I swear. What were you saying?”
“I asked if you told your mom you would be home for Christmas yet.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Nice,” Beanie said. “I bet she’s excited to see you. You’re lucky you can take a couple of extra days to travel.”
“Not too many extra days. Robbie needs me home by the 28th for conditioning.”
“Still two more days than we get,” Beanie said.
“Livy’s going with you?” Lover asked.
“Mom’s been trying to convince her. But going home is hard for her.”
Lover nodded, spaced out for a few beats, then lunged at Hazy. He came out of nowhere, flinging himself across Hazy’s lap. He didn’t have time to react before Lover sat up, the prize he’d been after in his hand.
“Christ, man. Watch the leg!” Hazy said.
Lover scrambled to the other side of the couch and held the phone out of Hazy’s reach. “I was perfectly gentle.”
Hazy tried to grab his phone out of Lover’s hand, but failed. Lover punched in his passcode while pulling his own blond hair out of his mouth. Fucking hell, Hazy should just ditch the passcode. Everyone and their brother knew it.
His face got hot before Lover even had a chance to see his shopping cart.
“I have to know what had you so engrossed that you let me ramble for five minutes without listening,” Lover said.
He scrolled through the website and raised an eyebrow at him.
Hazy ran a hand down his face. “It’s nothing.”
“Dude, this seems real pervy,” Lover said.
He held the phone out to Beanie, who took it and scrolled through the powder-pink webpage.
“What are you buying?” he asked.
Lover poked him in the ribs. “You’re blushing right now. Teeellll uuusss,” he said.
Hazy laughed and slapped his best friend’s hands away. “Fine! If you stop poking me.”
He straightened, nodding eagerly.
“I’m getting some dresses for Livy. She used to wear colorful little sundresses all the time, and now everything she owns is depressing as fuck.”
Beanie shrugged. “Maybe her tastes changed.”
“No,” Hazy shook his head. “She hates her clothes. Needs some new options.”
“Ugh, she probably dressed how her dirtbag ex wanted. He sounds like he has such a stick up his ass,” Lover said.
They all grimaced. “How much has she told you about him?”
Lover smirked. “Enough to make me happy I got to punch him in the face.”
Hazy had so much to say about that. He still hadn’t figured out the best way to ask Lover about his relationship with Livy. Every time he tried to find the words, his inner monologue ended up sounding like a jealous asshole, so he kept his mouth shut.
Beanie returned Hazy’s phone.
“Can I help pick?” Lover asked.
Hazy didn’t want Lover’s help. He wanted to choose for himself.
To go through the boutique on his phone and pick out the colors and patterns Livy would like.
The dresses she would feel prettiest in.
Because he knew her best. But if he said that, he’d sound like a prick.
He put his arm across the back of the couch, inviting Lover to scoot closer so he could see the screen while they shopped.
“Ooh,” Lover pointed to a pretty, pale blue dress that would look incredible on Livy, but that she probably wouldn’t wear often.
He scrolled by. “She won’t reach for a backless dress.”
“What’s wrong with backless?” Beanie asked, leaning over the couch to snoop over Hazy’s shoulder. “That could be sexy.”
“Nothing is wrong with it. But Livy hates going braless. She used to complain about it all the time.”
“It’s weird you know that,” Lover said.
“I know everything about Livy.” The words were out of his mouth before he had a chance to think them.
They were met with utter silence, and Hazy’s cheeks flamed again.
He mentally slapped himself. Why the fuck was he blushing over knowing his best friend?
It was normal to know your friends inside and out.
Lover wouldn’t wear a shirt if it had a tag and hated anything clinging to his chest.
Beanie rubbed at the stubble on his jaw. “Are you sure you’re okay with her going out on dates?”
Hazy’s voice came out far too high when he said, “Why wouldn’t I be?” The room went from a comfortable temperature to stifling in the blink of an eye. He sniffed. “She wants to get married and have babies. Can’t do that without dating.”
He returned his attention to his phone and navigated to the dress that’d drawn him to this boutique. He added it to his cart.
Lover wrinkled his nose.
“That one? Are you sure?”
“Well, I’m going to order more than one. But yes. I like that one. It’s very Livy.”
“The colors are boring, though. Does she even like flowers? Some girls don’t like flowers on their clothes.” Beanie provided his two cents.
“It’s orange. How is orange boring? And yes, she likes florals,” Hazy said, defensive.
“Hmm,” Lover mused. “Orange is a Calgary color.”
“Using that logic, she couldn’t wear anything other than blue. Leave me alone. I know what I’m doing.”
Lover aggressively patted Hazy’s good leg. “You don’t know what you’re doing at all.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Hazy asked.
“It means maybe you should think about why Olivia is out on a date tonight and you’re at home with us, sulking and buying her presents like a sap,” Lover said.
“Fuck you. You didn’t call me a sap when I sent you gifts on your road trip.”
“Ordering dessert to our hotel room is far from the same thing,” Beanie said.
“You lost a bet and were supposed to do that every away game this season anyway,” Lover said.
Hazy gave them both the finger. He added his five favorite dresses to his online cart, plus the blue one Lover liked—because even if she only wore it once she would look gorgeous—and submitted his order.