Chapter 33
THIRTY-THREE
I walk out with the guys as they load up in Adam’s Jeep. My brother looks as hungover as he smells. He slides into the passenger seat, Rhett gets behind the wheel, and Maverick hops into the back.
I follow Heath to the other side.
“Let me know how he is?” I ask, motioning with my head to Adam.
“We’ll keep an eye on him,” he promises. “We’ve got practice this afternoon. Hopefully that’ll help.”
“If he doesn’t throw up all over the ice.”
He makes a disgusted face and shifts from one foot to the other. I lean into him and close my eyes, and his arms wrap around me. Despite all the awful things that happened this weekend, I enjoyed being with Heath.
The Jeep starts up, and I know the guys need to get going.
“Later.” He kisses my forehead and I step away.
The rest of the weekend is uneventful, a welcome change. Mom and I watch movies, I see a few of my friends from high school, I text with Heath between his practices, and I even have lunch with Mom and Dad together on Sunday before I head back.
After dropping my things at my dorm, I go to Reagan and Dakota’s apartment.
“And all I did was eat turkey and watch college football,” Reagan says when I’ve finished giving them the rundown of my crazy weekend.
“I saw Adam earlier,” Dakota says from the kitchen where she’s putting away groceries while Reagan and I sit in the living room. “He and Taryn looked like they were having a serious and depressing talk outside of the apartment. Trouble in paradise?”
“Oh no. I should probably check on him. I hope he didn’t do anything stupid.”
“Well, it has been what… three or four months? He’s about due for a new girlfriend.” Dakota smirks.
Maybe I’m turning into the new romantic of the family, but I really thought he and Taryn were a cute couple.
Reagan nudges my foot. “I want more details on you and Heath. So, he met the whole family?”
“Technically, yes. But it wasn’t really like that. He was there as Adam’s guest, not mine. Plus, with everything else going on, I don’t think my parents even realized he snuck into my room at night.”
“Ooooh. A sleepover! Fun.” Dakota’s eyes lit up from across the room. “Did you two finally…” She waggles her eyebrows.
A slow blush creeps up my face and I glance from friend to friend.
“Awww,” Reagan says and tilts her head with a dreamy look on her face. Okay, maybe she’s the romantic.
Dakota joins us in the living room. “You’re totally gone for him.”
There’s little point in denying it. “Totally.” I bury my head in my hands. “He’s just so… perfect.”
Dakota’s eyebrows jump.
“Okay fine, not perfect, but the way I feel when we’re together—that’s perfect. Don’t worry. Adam’s already given me the ‘Heath doesn’t do relationships’ talk.”
“That was before you,” Reagan insists.
I look to Dakota. I know she won’t bullshit me. She shrugs. “If you’d asked me before you, I would have laughed in your face. Now, I’m not sure. Only one way to find out.”
“You think I should tell him?” I squeak.
“Why is that so crazy?” Reagan laughs.
“I don’t want to ruin what we have. What if it’s too soon?”
“You’d be okay continuing to hook up even if you knew that’s all it was to him? That he didn’t feel the same way?”
A heavy pit settles in my stomach. “No, probably not, but things are great. I don’t want to ruin it.”
Dakota snorts. “Isn’t love supposed to make everything better?”
“Yeah, yeah.” I lean back and wave a hand of indifference.
“Well, I think you should tell him and soon.” Reagan stands. “Do I look okay?”
I nod. Even if I couldn’t see her, I’d know she does. Reagan always looks beautiful. “Date?”
“Yeah, a guy from my speech class. We’re going to dinner.” Her dimples pop out.
“You look gorgeous, as usual, babe,” Dakota tells her. “Condoms in the purse? Phone charged in case you need to make a getaway?”
Reagan rolls her eyes. “I’m all set.” Her phone buzzes. “He’s here. Bye!”
Dakota and I watch her go and then I let out a sigh and lay my head on her shoulder.
“Wanna watch a movie or are you heading over to Heath’s?” she asks.
“Nope, he has team stuff this evening. They’re working out or watching film or something. I’m all yours.”
The next day I corner Adam outside of his last morning class. He gives me a half-hearted smile that tells me everything I need to know about how he’s doing.
“What are you doing here?” he asks as he wraps me into a one-armed hug.
“You didn’t respond to my texts.” I extend both arms around his middle and squeeze tightly.
“Sorry.” He doesn’t bother offering an excuse.
“It’s okay.” We walk down the sidewalk slowly. “Have you talked to Mom or Dad since you got back?”
“Not yet. Mom called while I was in class.”
It’s a weird switch of roles for us with me worrying about him, but I want to be there for him the same way he’s always been for me. I nudge him. “It’s going to be okay. I know it won’t be the same, but they’ll still be here for us. Plus, you’ve got me.”
He grins.
“Anyway, the real reason I came to find you was to see what you were doing tonight. We need a night out. A fun night with all our friends to let loose and forget about parent drama.”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Let me see what’s going on tonight. It is a Monday night after all.”
“Monday is a perfectly good day to drink. Live a little, bro.”
“Bro?” He hitches the backpack higher on his shoulder. “You sound like Heath.”
We get to his car and he quirks a brow as I open the passenger side door.
“I mean, since you’re going home anyway, can you give me a ride?”
He shakes his head. “Get in.”
At the apartment, I walk back toward Heath’s room. He’s sitting at his desk in front of his laptop.
“Hey,” I say cheerily as I enter.
One side of his mouth pulls up. “Hey. Did I forget we were hanging out?”
“Nope, thought I’d surprise you. I didn’t hear back from you last night after your hockey stuff.”
“Yeah, sorry, I crashed.”
I go to him and he swivels to make room for me on his lap. “Let’s go out tonight.”
“It’s Monday.”
“Why does everyone keep using that as an excuse?”
He chuckles softly.
I take a deep breath. The girls are right. I need to make sure we’re on the same page. “Also, I have something I want to talk to you about later.”
He stiffens under me. Okay, that was probably not the smoothest. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing too crazy. A proposition if you will.”
God, now he probably thinks I want to chain him to the bed and peg him.
His phone pings on his desk, Maverick’s name flashes on the screen with a text. “All right, sure. I’ll text you later. I’ve gotta check on Maverick. He didn’t make conditioning this morning. He’s got the flu or something. He hasn’t been by all day.”
I stand to let him up. “Well, then he really must be sick.”
He takes a step toward the door and then backtracks and brushes his lips against mine before hurrying out to go check on Maverick.