Chapter 4
Four
Liam
Bristol tries to video call me, but I can’t take it. Not while the house is filled with chaos. After the body is shoved into an oversized suitcase and Dante and his colleague head out, I finally have a few minutes of solitude.
There’s a blanket covering the blood in the hallway.
Dante offered for all of us to stay at their home until our place gets cleaned up, but I’ve got school tomorrow. We all do, and a hockey game in the evening. At least it’s a home game, but I need my sleep, and driving an extra hour doesn’t sound worth it.
The blanket hides the crimson on the carpet, but there’s still a splatter of blood on the walls. Dante told us not to bother cleaning it up tonight. His men would come tomorrow while we’re in class and make the necessary repairs.
Fine with me.
I brush my teeth and get ready for bed.
Harper and Luca have been in their bedroom with Zeke for the past hour. He’s crashing with them tonight.
Every so often, I hear him startle awake, screaming, and then he’s lulled back to sleep.
I climb under the covers and text Bristol.
You awake?
She immediately video calls me, and I answer right away.
“Hey, trouble. How’s the storm by you?” Bristol asks in a flirty tone.
I smile, not hating her new little nickname for me. It doesn’t come anywhere close to the one that I gave her, firebreather, but it’s cute that she’s trying.
“Still going strong.” Thunder rumbles in the distance.
For a few minutes, the storm slowed down long enough for Moreno to lug the suitcase to their SUV. I wasn’t sure it would ever stop raining tonight or that they’d leave.
It’s nearly midnight, but I’m not that tired; considering what happened tonight, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise.
Every night, before bed, Bristol and I have been talking, catching one another up on our days and saying goodnight.
It’s a definite change of pace from the cruel banter that I’m accustomed to with her.
“How was your day?” I ask, settling down on my pillow, making myself comfortable. I fight back a yawn.
“Boring. Nothing overly interesting here. What about you? How was hockey practice?”
“Practice was good, but you know how much I prefer the real thing.”
Bristol snorts with laughter. “Are you talking about hockey or sex?”
The two of us still haven’t hooked up yet. The last time I saw her was a couple of days ago, when she spent the weekend with me on campus.
It’s beginning to feel like a lifetime ago.
Dare I say I actually miss her.
Fuck, I’m falling fast.
“Am I going to see you this weekend?” Bristol quips before I even have time to answer her previous question.
“I would like that. I’ve been thinking about our first date.”
“You mean when you forced me to go to the emergency room? Can we not do that again, Liam?”
A smile plays on my lips while I stare at her through the phone.
Her annoyance is sexy as hell, but I agree, I don’t like seeing her sick. “That wasn’t a real date, Bristol. That was me taking care of you because you wouldn’t take care of yourself.”
Her bottom lip juts out in a pout, and she glares at me. “I’m hanging up now—”
“Wait.” I stop her from ending the call on a bad note.
Bristol glares at me, one eyebrow raised higher as she waits for me to say something.
“Sushi, Italian, Thai—what kind of food do you like?”
Her eyes light up. “Sushi. Especially if they have crab.”
I make a mental note to check the menu items, but there’s not that many sushi houses around.
“I really wish you guys were playing the Predators in Great Falls.”
A smile spreads across my face. I wish that, too, then I could sneak out after and see her. “We can’t play them every week. You could come to my game. It’s Friday night, no school Saturday.”
She purses her lips together. “I’ll think about it.”
“You’ll think about coming to your boyfriend’s hockey game?” I playfully joke with her. “Wow, have someplace better to be?”
“Friday night, Dad flies in and wants to discuss something. He’s been rather cryptic lately.”
I don’t want to keep her from her family. I play hockey every week. “Okay, well, if you get bored, you know where to find me.”
“Maybe I can convince Dad to change it to Saturday night and we can have dinner at their new place.”
“We?” I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but is Bristol inviting me to have dinner with her parents?
Bristol scrunches her nose. “You’re right. It’s too soon, we just started dating. I mean, we haven’t even gone out on a date.”
“You’re rambling, and it’s really cute. If you’re nervous about me meeting your parents, we can wait. We don’t have to rush anything, Bristol.”
She exhales a heavy breath and sits up in bed. “I know that. I hardly think us having dinner with my parents constitutes rushing anything. I’m a little worried you and Dad might have too much in common and he’ll steal you away.”
“I promise, Bristol, I won’t start catching feelings for your old man.”
Her laughter is contagious, and I can’t hide the smile on my face from her.
“Glad I can make you laugh,” I say.
She rubs the tears away, her face bright red from her fit of giggles. The more I study Bristol and get to know her, the more I keep falling for her.
“So, does that mean I’ll see you at tomorrow night’s game?” I know I’m pushing my luck, but I like knowing someone is in the stands, cheering me on. I don’t get that very often.
I certainly never had that with Iris.
Our friendship didn’t extend beyond the bedroom.
She drags out the first syllable. “Maybe,” she says and smirks. “I’ll have to check my calendar.”
“I know, you’re such a busy bee.” I tease, knowing that most of her time is spent in her dorm. She’s a homebody through and through. “Well, if it makes any difference, I’m sure Harper, Zeke, Nova, everyone you’ve already met will be there.”
“Well then, that makes all the difference. I’m definitely staying home.”
I can’t tell if she’s joking.
“Okay.” I try not to feel offended, but if she doesn’t like my friends, then we’re going to have a serious problem dating.
“You wear your heart on your sleeve, Liam,” Bristol chirps up and blows a kiss at me. “I’ll be at your silly game tomorrow. I wanted to surprise you, but I don’t want you to hang up and think I’m mad at you, or that we’re fighting.”
“You’re going to be there?” My voice catches for a second, and I smile, genuinely thrilled. After today, I really want to see her.
Shit.
My eyes widen, realizing that I can’t bring her back to the house to spend the night.
Not with the blood-soaked carpet and crimson-stained walls.
While Dante is supposed to have his men begin repairs on the place tomorrow, who knows how long it may take to finish.
I stare at her, stunned into silence.
I did not think the invitation through, and Bristol will want to spend the night if she comes all the way to Evergreen for my game.
“What’s wrong?” Bristol asks, noticing my silence.
I don’t have the best poker face.
“Liam Moretti,” Bristol growls at me, growing impatient.
“Fine, you can’t stay over here tomorrow.”
“Why not?” She’s waiting for me to tell her, but there isn’t a good reason that isn’t the truth.
I actually don’t think she’d even believe the truth if I did tell it to her.
“Liam? Why can’t I stay over? Are you having a party there after the game?
I swear if you bring another girl in your bedroom and shack up, I’ll murder you! ”
There’s the Bristol I’m accustomed to.
“Get in line, firebreather. There was a murder here tonight, and someone has to clean up all the blood tomorrow. You know, mafia problems.”
She laughs and rolls her eyes. “You’re a tad dramatic. Is this because I said your dad is mafia in that ridiculous game we played? You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
I’m rather relieved she doesn’t believe me, but she can’t say that I ever lied to her. Not that she should ever find out the truth. “The ridiculous game was your idea.”
“Fine, don’t tell me. I’ll just stay at one of your friend’s houses who play hockey. Are any of them single?”
I want to wipe that smirk right off her face.
“The only hockey player’s bed you’re keeping warm is mine,” I growl.
She puckers her lips together, staring at me. “I like it when you’re possessive.” The smile edged at the corner of her lips. “That’s hot.” Her cheeks redden and I can’t help but wonder if she’s turned on right now.
That was not my intention. It’s not necessarily bad; I like that I can make her pussy flutter with just words whispered to her. “My threats aren’t meant to be hot. They’re a warning.”
She smiles and blows me a kiss. “Goodnight, Liam. I’ll see you tomorrow at your game.”
Grumbling under my breath, I relax against my pillow. “Sweet dreams, Firebreather.”