Chapter 29
Olivia
When Connor and Valentine disappeared from the table, Olivia leaned into Daisy, bracing herself to do the rudest thing of her entire life: ask their guests to leave.
She would never consider doing it for anyone but Connor. But he was off. Everything—everyone—was overwhelming him. She hadn’t seen him so reserved since they were kids and he was playing on a new hockey team for the first time.
She took a deep breath, preparing herself to say the words when Daisy leaned her head on Olivia’s shoulder.
“We need to get going here soon,” she said.
Beanie wrapped the deck of cards in a rubber band and set them on the center of the table before standing. “Yeah, we have some errands to do tonight.”
“No, we don’t,” Dylan said. “We have time for like five more games.”
Olivia laughed at the twelve-year-old’s bluntness.
Beanie grimaced, and Daisy joined Olivia and Jake in their laughter.
“Out of the mouths of babes,” she said.
“Ugh, I’m not a little kid,” Dylan complained.
Olivia hugged Daisy, then invaded Beanie’s space. She forced a hug on him. He tentatively returned it.
“You don’t have to lie,” she said. “You can say this is awkward as fuck and you’re ready to leave now.”
Beanie chuckled. “Why is it so awkward? That was weird, right?”
“We’re all having an off day. We love having you. Connor is just tired and cranky. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him in days, so I don’t know what his issue is. But I can almost guarantee it’s not you.”
Daisy pulled her jacket from the back of her chair and slipped it on. “I think you answered the question, babe. You haven’t talked to him in days.”
“We sometimes go months without talking. He’s not that codependent.”
Beanie shrugged and said, “Relationships change.” He ushered his family toward the front door.
“Hell yeah, they do,” Roxie said, following close behind her friends.
“Are we going to your house then?” Toma asked Beanie, not caring about subtlety. It was still early. Olivia wasn’t surprised they wanted to keep game night alive.
“Yes!” Dylan said. Daisy confirmed.
When she closed the door behind their guests, she collapsed on the couch next to Jake. Connor and Valentine were still mysteriously absent.
“You’re going to drain Connor’s social battery as much as they were,” she told Jake.
“Oh, I’m counting on it,” Jake grinned. “Our plan is working.”
“We haven’t done anything.” Olivia sighed.
Jake raised his eyebrows. “I have done exactly what I planned. Monopolized your time. Been your friend.”
“You were going to do that regardless.”
“What about you and Lover? Is the fake dating working?”
Valentine rushed through the living room, interrupting their conversation.
He stopped to quickly give Jake and Olivia a grin and a thumbs-up.
He stood behind the couch and leaned down to whisper in Olivia’s ear.
“The plan is working! I have to go because he thinks I’m pissed at him.
Don’t baby him. Make him come to you. I’ll text you. ” He rushed out the door.
“Did you hear that?” she asked Jake.
Jake nodded. “I still want to know your thoughts, though. Do you feel like it’s working?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know.” Connor had been cranky as fuck, but that could also be because he wasn’t seeing Valentine as much. He hated feeling left out or like someone was mad at him. The guilt over purposely hurting his feelings ate at her gut.
“What do you guys do?”
“It’s been kind of the same as with you. We get out of the house together. Spend time away from Connor. Valentine sends me little presents that are way too much. Connor gets me all glammed up for a date, then Valentine and I spend entire evenings playing games and eating pizza. It’s fun.”
“Could you see yourself dating Lover for real?”
The more time she spent with Valentine, the more she adored him. But their relationship veered into platonic territory at lightning speed.
“I don’t think so.” She didn’t want to say no, because the seed of attraction was definitely there.
Jake gasped and clutched nonexistent pearls. “What did that sweet man do to give you the ick?”
“He didn’t give me the ick. I love him. Like I love you.”
“Oh, girl, that is definitely not going to work then.”
They laughed, and when Jake turned the TV on, Olivia said, “If it’s just us, I’m getting comfy.”
Olivia took some time to change. She slipped her dress over her head and replaced it with one of Connor’s hoodies she’d stolen. Then she washed her face in the bathroom sink and piled her hair into a messy bun.
Feeling more herself, she returned to the living room.
Jake flipped to a sitcom. Valentine texted the details of his altercation with Connor.
Olivia showed Jake so everyone knew what was going on.
It took everything Olivia had to stay in her seat instead of seeking out Connor to offer a hug and reassure him.
They waited for Connor to join them, taking Valentine’s advice to make him come to her, but he never did.
The next night, Jake and Valentine went to Connor’s house after their game.
They lost, and at first, tensions were high.
But Olivia and Jake left Valentine and Connor in the kitchen together, where they whispered back and forth.
Olivia could see them, but couldn’t hear them.
She assumed they had worked things out because as they talked, they each seemed to relax.
She knew they were good when Valentine slapped Connor on the back and returned to the living room with a goofy grin on his face. He didn’t offer any details.
Valentine sat on the opposite end of the couch from Jake. He pulled Olivia onto his lap. Connor sat on the floor, his back pressed against the corner of the sectional.
They hit play on a replay of a hockey game Coach Bree asked them to watch. One of the teams they faced soon was on a tear. The Freeze held a wildcard spot and needed to start winning games if they wanted to clinch a playoff berth.
At first intermission, Olivia went to the bathroom. When she returned, Valentine held a hand out in invitation to her, and she moved to take the offer. Connor hopped to his feet before she could sit.
“No,” he whined. “It’s my turn. Somebody better snuggle me before I lose my mind. Do you know how long it’s been since someone cuddled me? People are supposed to have eight hugs a day. I’ve had none.”
“Dude, you had like twenty. Every teammate. You’re not touch-starved.” Valentine laughed and grabbed Olivia’s outstretched hand.
“Come here,” Jake said. “Leave the lovebirds alone. I’ll snuggle you.”
Connor shot Jake a murderous glare and snatched Olivia’s free hand.
“You don’t like being touched. I need actual loves. Not five minutes of comfiness and then you complaining about being too hot.”
“Let’s keep in mind that I am not a tug-of-war rope,” Olivia pointed out, laughing as Connor and Valentine pulled her arms in different directions.
Connor dropped her hand and climbed into Valentine’s lap. Valentine pushed him off.
“Next to me, not on me, you psycho.”
“Fine,” Connor said. “Livy will let me be on her.” He climbed out of Valentine’s lap and looped his arms around Olivia’s legs, trapping her. He stood, tossing her over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. She squealed and fisted her hands into his shirt, trying to get upright again.
“You’re going to hurt yourself,” she said.
“I’ve been cleared to lift way more than you. I’ll be okay.”
She forced herself upright and managed to wrap her legs around his waist. He lowered himself onto the floor in front of Valentine.
Jake smirked at her and gave a thumbs-up over Connor’s shoulder. She flipped him off.
“You’re kinda needy today,” she said.
Connor wiggled under her and man-handled her into a comfortable position with her head resting on his chest, her ass between his spread legs, both her legs splayed over one of his thighs. Olivia closed her eyes and let herself breathe him in. God, he smelled so fucking good.
“I’m needy every day,” he said.
He reached over his head and fished for Valentine’s hand.
When he found it, he rested it on the top of his head in a clear order for Valentine to play with his hair.
His friend obliged, mussing it with a noogie and then lovingly smoothing it into place.
Connor wrapped his arms around Olivia and squeezed hard enough to be uncomfortable.
She soaked in the moment for a few precious seconds before Jake had to be an asshole and ruin it.
“Damn, man, how long has it been since you got some?” he asked.
Connor stiffened beneath her, and she held her breath, annoyed by the question but wanting the answer.
Valentine thought Connor had been celibate for quite some time.
When she moved in, she expected to see Connor’s love life splayed out in front of her, regardless of his injury.
Apart from the one sloppy blow job she’d witnessed, she didn’t think Connor had been intimate with anyone in months.
Olivia wrapped a hand around Connor’s bicep and squeezed. He flexed a little under her hand, and her mouth went dry. That never got old.
Connor answered the question with one of his own. “Why are you all so interested in my sex life? It’s none of your business.”
“Quite a while then,” Jake said.
“Fuck you,” Connor replied.
“He always gets this way when he’s all pent up. Poor guy is getting a complex about his leg. Unless there’s some other reason you haven’t been getting any?” Valentine asked.
“I wouldn’t be talking if I were you,” Connor shot at Valentine.
Olivia decided not to comment on the chirp. “He can’t be that pent-up,” she said. “Someone’s sending him nudes, at least.” She pulled away to look into Connor’s annoyed eyes. “You have plenty of spank bank material.”
“Oh my God,” Jake slapped his hands over his ears. “Never say spank bank again. Lalalalala.”
“You’re the one who brought it up!” Olivia said.
Connor tickled her, and she squealed again. As she squirmed away, he said, “Nooo, don’t leave me. I’ll stop.”
She relaxed into his hold again, and he slid a palm up the outside of her thigh. It came to a rest slightly higher than innocent. She didn’t adjust her position.
Their friends let the conversation go and returned their attention to the game.
Olivia took the opportunity to enjoy being held by the person she loved the most in the world.
The biggest drawback of spending so much time with Valentine and Jake was that she missed Connor.
Provoking him was a stupid idea. At least when the month ended she could go back to spending all her free time with him.
Fuck, that’s messed up.
His thumb drew little circles on her thigh, and goosebumps formed all over. The soft touch lit her skin on fire. She muffled her gasp by burying her face in Connor’s chest.
If her friends were willing to chase this thing for her, she could put herself out there too.
A little bit. Maybe. If she were really dating Valentine, she would never.
But she wasn’t. Everyone in the room was in the know about their plotting.
She could test his limits a little. He certainly tested hers.
Olivia shifted in his lap, forcing his grip on her leg to slip a little higher and placing her head on his shoulder.
Every breath hit his neck. She tilted her head back and met Valentine’s eyes over Connor’s shoulder.
He winked, and she bit her lip to keep from grinning.
The little circles Connor drew never stopped, and his attention never strayed from the TV.
She almost missed the little goosebumps on his arms that matched her own.