Chapter 36
Connor
“I know, Mam, I’ve sent flowers to Cait’s house for her birthday,” I said, pacing around my place, which was technically all the same.
Yet, it felt different somehow. Probably because the last few times I’d been here over the last month, and not at Teddy’s place, she was with me.
Granted, we mostly spent time together in her bed, shower, couch…
but still, I swear I could smell her here.
“Good, love, I’m glad. What ones did you pick for her?”
Oh god, I had no fucking idea. “They were white and pink?”
“Oh, that narrows it down,” Mam said dryly. “White and pink could be anything. Roses? Lilies? Gerberas?”
I winced, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Mam. I clicked the one that said Birthday Bunch.”
There was a beat of silence. I could practically hear her blinking at the phone. “Well, I’m sure they’re lovely.”
Only those words spoken by my mother could assure me that she knew my sister would expect more effort from me. “I’ll make it up to her,” I said. “I’ll babysit and give her my credit card to go for dinner with Trent.”
“That’ll do nicely,” she said with a chuckle, pleased. “How are you feeling about the next game?”
I knew she was asking because we’d lost the game against the Razors last week.
But this weekend, we were playing the Boston Snakes, one of our biggest rival teams. We were squared up on winning historically, but our head coaches had a long-standing rivalry that bled into the team every time.
There was a hunger to win; the matches were almost always rough and no one was left clean.
I gnawed at my lip. Their team was strong this season, having taken on a couple of promising forwards, and ours was dealing with changes.
It might mean something, or it might not.
Either way, I wanted us to win, and I knew we could.
“I hope we beat their arses. Especially on their turf.” Our flight was the day after tomorrow, and I was eager.
There was a quiet hum on the line, the sound she made when she was thinking and pretending she wasn’t worrying.
“Just remember whose name is on your jersey,” she said gently.
“He’d be so proud of you.” A string was plucked inside my chest. Wearing my grandad’s name always made me proud.
Then she added, “We’re all so proud of you, for everything you do, son, you know that right? ”
A lump formed in my throat, but I cleared it. “Yeah, Mam, I know.”
“Well, love, I’ll leave you to whatever you’re doing. Come see us soon?”
“I will. Love you, Mam.”
“Love you too, my boy.”
The line went dead, and I stood there, phone still in my hand, thinking about what she’d said. There were still moments they wanted to see. For me, my career. But I still wasn’t sold on so many things. I was waiting for a phone call before I made promises I wasn’t sure I was qualified to keep.
I shoved my phone into my pocket and turned back to the half-finished task of tidying my place.
It was harder than it should’ve been. Things had gotten a bit chaotic since the season kicked off, and because I’d been staying at Teddy’s more often than not, my house felt like somewhere I passed through some days, not somewhere I lived.
Not that I was complaining at all, because things had been going good for us.
The sex was—fuck the sex, though it was mind-blowing.
The woman, the audacity of her being everything I’ve ever dreamed of… I was hooked.
I wasn’t left alone with my thoughts for long when my phone rang again, seeing Jake’s name flashing across the screen as I swiped.
“Dude, I’m coming over with Nate. We’re concerned for your well-being.”
I snorted. “The fuck are you on? My well-being?”
“You’re hardly ever with us anymore, too busy, too tired, too secretive, and I’m over it.” It sounded like he was pouting.
“You’re full of shit. I’m always with the team.”
“I’m talking about me, not the team. We’re driving over to your place right fucking now.” Nate’s voice cut in from the background, chastising him—something about needing to chill. Not sure Jake was capable of that, given the way he snapped back at Nate.
I started to sweat a little at them thinking I wasn’t spending time with them.
Nobody knew about Teddy and me, and no one would.
Well, maybe Micah, but I hadn’t asked. I wasn’t scared to tell anyone, the opposite in fact.
I just didn’t want Teddy to feel like we suddenly had all eyes on us.
The media were rabid, and I knew she hated their attention based on the first Buzz campaign we did together.
I didn’t want to push this either; we weren’t ready for a conversation to figure out where this was going.
I didn’t want to scare her off so soon. I wanted to enjoy her.
“We’ll be there in two minutes,” Jake said, then hung up. The man was more of a diva than he’d ever admit. And if missing him meant seeing him every day at the stadium while he complained I’d vanished, then sure. I’d missed him.
I stripped off my hoodie and swapped it for a clean one, ran a hand through my hair, then paused, letting out a breath.
This was ridiculous. I wasn’t a teenager sneaking someone past a curfew.
I just… wanted this to stay mine for a minute longer.
Ours. Untouched by opinions and group chats and speculation.
The jingle of keys and a low murmur of voices reached my door, and then it swung open, reminding me exactly why giving them keys had been a terrible idea.
When I’d brought this house, it was meant to be a haven away from the stadium, and it was.
The beach wasn’t far, the back wall all glass doors to stare at the sun setting.
I loved it here, but my friends had zero boundaries and used my keys more often than not.
Sometimes it was like being back in college. I probably wouldn’t change it, though.
Jake barreled in first like he owned the place, arms spread wide. “Look at him. Upright. Breathing. Clearly thriving.”
Nate followed more calmly, giving me an apologetic look as he shut the door behind them. “I told him you were fine, just like you were fine when we saw you yesterday,” he said. “He doesn’t listen.”
“I listen,” Jake scoffed. “I just don’t trust.”
“I was on the phone with my mam,” I said, grabbing three bottles of water from the fridge. “If you must know.”
Jake’s eyes lit up immediately. “How is Siobhan? Still lusting after me?”
I didn’t even hesitate to launch the bottle at his chest. It smacked into him with a dull thud. He clutched his heart and the drink dramatically. “Violence. From a man raised by such a lovely woman.”
I passed the third to Nate. “Why did you bring him here?”
Nate twisted the cap with a resigned sigh. “Because if I didn’t come with him, he’d have shown up anyway.”
“You’re the buffer.”
He nodded. “Reluctantly. Not that I don’t love you, man. I just see your ugly face all the time. I was going to see my sister and my nephew today, but Jake bulldozed.”
“You have a sister?” Jake asked, an octave higher than usual. “How did I not know that? And you call yourself a best friend for life.”
“I don’t call myself that. You call me that,” Nate deadpanned, and I snorted, unable to help it.
“Is she hot?” Jake asked, and Nate’s body snapped taut.
“She’s off limits,” he growled, but Jake wasn’t deterred. “Hence why you didn’t know I had a sister.”
“So, she’s hot.”
“She’s off fucking limits,” he growled again, deeper this time.
“I wonder where she lives.” Jake tapped his chin.
“Jake,” he hissed. I’m pretty sure there was steam coming out of his ears. This was great for me. If they were arguing, there was no heat on me.
“I mean, I could just follow Nate around to find out,” Jake said, talking to himself.
“You’re not stalking his family,” I said flatly.
Jake looked offended. “Stalking is such a harsh word.”
Nate shot him a glare that could curdle milk. “Say another word, and I will put you in a head lock.”
All innocence, Jake held up his hands. “Okay, okay. Message received. Off limits. Loud and clear.”
A beat passed.
“…Does she have friends?”
“Jesus Christ,” Nate muttered, dragging a hand down his face. “This is why I don’t tell you things.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “You walked into that one, mate.”
Jake grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “I’ve learned two things today: one, Nate is terrifying when provoked about his hot sister. And two”—his eyes slid back to me, assessing—“you’re still deflecting.”
I should’ve known it wouldn’t take him long to circle back to the reason he was here. “I’m just a guy living his life, what do you want from me?”
Jake snorted. “I want the truth, O’Riley.”
Nate shot him a look. “Ease up.”
“I am eased,” Jake said, gesturing vaguely. “This is me relaxed.”
I pushed off the counter and took a drink, buying myself a second. “There’s nothing dramatic going on. No injuries. No existential crises. I’m training, I’m sleeping, I’m not actively spiraling. That’s a win.”
Jake hummed, unconvinced.
Nate glanced between us, then shrugged. “He does seem… settled.”
“And we’re about to play the Snakes this weekend. He’s usually strung out.” Jake wasn’t going to let this go, I knew that, but I wasn’t about to kiss and tell.
I scoffed. “You’re a feckin’ pain in my arse, Ledger.”
“And yet,” Jake said, pointing at me, “you haven’t told me to fuck off once.”
“I told you to feck off earlier.”
“He did,” Nate confirmed.
I shook my head, a smile tugging at my mouth. “Maybe I’m just in a good place.”
Jake studied me for another beat, then leaned back with a sigh. “Alright. Fine. I’ll drop it.”
I blinked. “Really?”
“For now,” he added. “But if this turns into a rom-com situation, and I’m the last to know, I will never forgive you.”
“Noted,” I said, chuckling, getting the urge to tell Teddy what he’d just said.
I quickly grabbed my phone and typed out a message.
Connor
Jake thinks I’m in a rom-com situation with someone.