Chapter 18 Lois
Yesterday afternoon, before heading home to spend Thanksgiving with her parents and little sister, Becca dropped by to lend me one of her dresses.
I never asked for the help, but she’s definitely taking her job as my personal style guru seriously, shoving the bag into my arms and promising to disown me if I dare wear it with leggings—or worse still, if I forget to do my brows.
I swore I wouldn’t, but I must not have sounded very convincing, because this morning when I checked the mailbox, I found her favorite lip gloss tucked away among the letters.
Guilt-ridden, I ran out to buy a nice pair of boots to pull the look together.
Just as I’m struggling to put them on, a message pops up on my phone.
MOM: Happy Thanksgiving, honey!
The message is followed by a photo of my dad struggling with a jar of pickles, while my baby brother is bent over laughing in the background. It makes me sad not to be home, and I can’t help but wonder whether staying here was a mistake.
My phone beeps again. This time it’s Lane. He’s been with the others since noon.
LANE: Don’s finishing up a ride. He’ll come by for you. 15 min. Hope you’re starving, Adam is on fire!
Another photo follows—this time a selfie.
Lane laughing into the camera and Adam with his back turned, cooking up a storm, totally unaware that Lewis is right behind him, miming something gross.
I start to laugh, and my stress levels drop a notch.
Tonight will be fun. I’m pretty sure I’ll end up having a bunch of stories to share with my family when I see them over Christmas.
LOIS: Ready when you are.
LANE: He’s gonna honk three times when he’s outside.
LOIS: Classy.
LANE: Campus Drivers, baby!
I tap out a reply to my mom.
LOIS: I miss you guys, I love you soooo much!
Can’t wait to see you next month.
MOM: We love you too, sweetie. Have fun with your friends.
No mention of Kirk, thank God.
When I hear the three honks, I race down to meet my driver.
“It’s so cold.” I shiver as I slide into the car. I’m a Florida girl through and through.
I bury my chin in my coat collar and rub my hands together.
“Need a hug to warm you up?” Donovan wiggles his eyebrows.
“Just drive, Donovan.”
“Okay,” he sighs, turning up the heat.
We pull over outside his dorm, and I follow him up to their room, gasping as the door swings open.
“Holy crap! And you call this a ‘dorm room’?!”
I can’t believe what I’m seeing. I knew the college has “superior” rooms as well as the standard ones, but this thing here is an actual apartment.
“How did you guys get the presidential suite?”
“My dad is a Cardinals coach.” Donovan grins. “It has its upsides. Plus, Lewis’s dad is a VIP, too. Winning combo, right there.”
I take in the sweeping living room. “Jeez, I’m actually jealous. And look how nice and tidy it is, too.”
“Hey, Loiiiis!”
Lewis bounds over for a hug, squeezing me way too tight.
“Let her go, you’re suffocating her!” Lane shoves him back and grabs the zip on my coat, sliding it down and slipping it off.
Am I imagining things, or do his eyes widen when they land on my dress?
He kisses me on the temple like it’s the most natural thing in the world before striding away with my jacket under his arm, and I’m officially weirded out.
I greet Carter, who shoots me a look I don’t quite understand, and head over to where Adam and Lewis are huddled over the stove.
“That smells so good. Need help?” I stand on my tiptoes to peer into the pan.
Don yanks me back. “Forgive her, she knows not what she says!” He wags a finger at me. “Nobody in the kitchen except these two pros. Too many cooks, you know?”
Adam winks at me. “Thanks, Lois, but we’re almost done here.”
Lane waves me over to the table.
“You look really pretty tonight.” He grabs my hand and spins me around, and I feel myself blush. What the hell is going on?
“Thank you.” I look closer. “And check you out! Is that an actual shirt? Worn denim, sure—but a shirt all the same.”
“Lane!” Adam calls out. “Come and carve the turkey.”
“Duty calls.” Lane salutes me. “I grabbed you a beer—it’s on the table.”
I collect my bottle and take a sip as I trail Donovan with my eyes. He’s walking weirdly.
“Did you hurt yourself or something?”
“Last game was brutal. We played against our biggest rivals—complete assholes.” He limps over to the couch and sits with a groan. “Their forward nearly broke my leg.”
I perch on the armrest. “Want me to take a look?”
He nods, and it takes him less than a second to whip off his pants, proudly showing off in his boxers. I roll my eyes.
“You’re so dumb. Got any balm anywhere?”
“That drawer right there.”
I grab the tube and head back over to him, settling down on the edge of the couch and warming the gel in my hands as he points out where it hurts.
“Jeez, that’s some bruise. Did you ice it?”
“Yeah.”
“If it gets too painful, just holler.” I place my hands on his thigh.
“Now you’re talking, Mistress Lois! We need a safe word.”
“Don’t start.”
“How about ‘kryptonite’?”
“If you want me to help you, Don, you are going to have to pipe down.”
Donovan falls quiet, and I focus on the tension I can feel beneath my fingers. It’s wild to think how jealous some of my classmates would be if they could see me now…
He slides an arm under his head. “You’re good at this.”
“Thanks. You need a muscle relaxant, though.” I smooth a little more ointment over his skin.
“How come you’ve never been to any of our games? Because of Kirk?”
“Yeah. I’ve always watched him play, so it hurt when that stopped. But now with everything that’s happened…”
“I can ask my dad to kick him off the team, if you want.”
“No!”
“I’m just kidding, Lois.” He smiles. “But it would be cool to see you around sometime. You could get your pom-poms out for me. Shake a little confetti around.”
“Not in a million years.”
“Donny! Donny!” he squeals.
“Don’t you think you have enough fangirls for one ego to handle?”
He pretends to think, before shrugging. “I like you.”
I glance up at him, surprised.
“I’m serious,” he adds. “You’re cool.”
“You’re pretty cool yourself.”
“I’ll take that!”
I keep it to myself, but I like that he likes me. I’m starting to build something for myself in the space Kirk left behind, and instead of feeling anxious, my confidence is blooming. Maybe Kirk was right, after all. Maybe I made him too much of a focus.
“Okay, I’m also done.”
He stretches his leg. “You’re a magician.”
“My classes are actually super interesting—I’m really getting into them now.”
“You sound surprised.”
“Okay, so don’t judge me—but I chose my major based on Kirk. It was a way to get to the same college as him. The plan was to study something that would be useful for him one day.” I sigh, mortified.
Don eyeballs me. “You really did love him, didn’t you?”
“You sound surprised,” I say back. “Haven’t you ever been in love?”
“I don’t think so. I’ve liked some girls more than others, but now that I think about it, I mainly liked getting it on with them.”
“A real Prince Charming.”
“I have my whole life to settle down.”
Now that I’m done massaging his thigh, he shifts in his seat, gazing over my shoulder. I can’t see what he’s seeing, but he’s suddenly acting suspicious.
“Oh, wow, that feels so so good.” He starts moaning.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Shit, Lois! Yes, baby!”
“Stop it!”
He groans loudly.
I whip my hands back, grimacing, just as Lane appears.
“What’s going on?” he asks, voice rough.
Donovan carries on moaning and groaning, until I dig my forefinger right into the spot where I know it hurts most.
“Kryptonite!” he yells, curling up into a ball and tumbling off the couch.
Lewis yells over at us from the table. “Did she do her ninja thing?”
“What the hell was that?” Donovan is still on the floor, whimpering. “I can’t feel my leg!”
“What a crybaby.” I stand over him, pointing straight down at his knee.
“Consider that a taste of what’s to come, Wolinski. Next time, I’ll be aiming a little higher.”
He widens his eyes, cupping both hands between his legs, ramping up the mock sobs.
“I said I liked you! I thought we were friends…”
“Hey! No stealing my super buddy.” Lane slings an arm around my shoulders and leads me over to the dining table, where I pull up a chair between him and Carter. Adam is still sweating over the stove with Lewis, the pair of them working in perfect unison, like they’ve been doing this for years.
“They’ve known each other a while now, haven’t they?” I ask Lane.
“Since they were babies. They grew up together—they’re basically inseparable.”
“Like brothers.”
“Exactly. Actually, they were born the same day, too.”
“No way!”
I watch on in silence, my mind drifting back to my own brothers. This is my first Thanksgiving without them, and I miss them so much. Winter break’s long enough for a full ten days back home, though, I remind myself.
“I’m hungry!” Don calls out.
Adam walks in with the first dish. I stand up to help bring the rest. By the time the table’s overflowing with food, I have no idea where to start—everything looks amazing.
“Hand me your plate?” Lane smiles.
I pass it over, smiling back at him. Ever since my birthday showdown, he’s been back to the Lane I know and have come to love hanging out with. In fact, he’s even nicer now—he hasn’t called me Heartbreak again. Not once.
“I think Adam set aside some greens for you. They should be somewhere…”
Is he kidding me? I quit the diet a while ago now, and though I still walk everywhere and never miss Ethan’s class, I never want to see a raw vegetable again.
I sweep the table with my hand. “Load it up, stack it high.”
“Looooois!” Lewis shakes his corn bread at me.
“What?”
“As the newest member of the A-team, you get to say grace.”
I can see Lane covering his laugh with a napkin, and I shoot him a confused look.
“Umm, I don’t know how to—”
“Just thank the Lord for what we’re about to receive.” Lewis grins. “It’s easy, repeat after me: Thank you, Lord Lewis, for the amazing personality and hotness you bestow on the world. Now you try!”
The others are laughing. Adam nods at me encouragingly.
“Thank you—”
“Great start! Carry on.”
“Th-thank you for inviting me,” I stammer, feeling my cheeks flush.
“Not what I said.”
“Shut up, Lewis!” Carter whacks him with his corncob. “You’re making her feel awkward. And anyway, if anyone here is getting thanked, it’s Adam, you dumbass.”
“Hey! FYI, I peeled the apples for the pie.”
They keep bickering, which gets me off the hook for my awkward speech.
At long—long—last, it’s time to tuck in. The conversation ebbs and flows, and soon enough I’m settling into the swing of it all. The food is incredible, and the jokes bouncing back and forth between Don and Lewis have me in stitches. It turns out Adam is more of an extrovert than I’d guessed.
“So, Lois.” Don wipes his mouth. “Who has the best car: me or Lane?”
Considering the look on his face, I’m guessing this question is super important—but sadly for him, I’m clueless when it comes to anything with wheels.
“Pass,” I offer.
“Forget it, dude,” Lewis mumbles through a mouthful. “Lane’s got that big block engine—that’s some serious horsepower, I’m telling you. You’re not even in the race with your cute little Plymouth.”
None of what he just said makes sense, though it sounds kind of kinky. Don sighs and pours himself another drink as the others laugh.
I’m having such a good time that when the evening winds down, I’m genuinely bummed. I’m in the most amazing mood, hugging the guys one by one, breathing out a “Thank you” as I go. And I really am so very grateful.
“So? How was your Thanksgiving?” Lane asks, opening the car door for me.
“It was honestly amazing. You’re all completely chaotic, but I’m kind of jealous of how great of a team you all are.”
“You’re pretty wild yourself. Definitely one of us.”
One of us. Maybe it’s lame of me, but those words fill me with a warm, fuzzy glow.
“We were missing a girl or two, though.” I turn to him. “Why do none of you have girlfriends?”
“Because relationships suck.”
I snort. “They suck? That’s such bullshit. It’s like having a really good friend you get to sleep with.”
“I prefer having girls I sleep with, and a solid female friend I can tell to take a hike whenever she gets too annoying.” He winks at me.
“Wait—do you mean me?”
“You’re my only female friend.” He shrugs. “So yeah.”
“Laney! That means the world to me.” I mock-gasp. “Friends,” I croak E.T.-style, offering him a finger.
He slaps me away, and I keep teasing him all the way back home—and even once I’m in the shower.
“Hey, Lane! Your friend here is just borrowing some of your body wash!” I yell so he can hear me from the living room. “She forgot to buy some at the store!”
I laugh to myself as I lather up.
“Your friend thinks you seem to be shedding a lot of hair!” I holler louder.
I wrap myself in a towel, plugging in the hair dryer. Before I turn it on, I shout out one last time to Lane.
“Your friend thinks—”
The door swings open, and Lane barges in.
“Can you keep it down? The whole town can hear you!” He narrows his eyes. “If I’d known the ‘friend’ word was gonna trigger you, I would’ve kept my mouth shut.”
“Get the hell out of here! I could have been naked!” I shriek.
He looks me up and down, a smile creeping over his face.
“What’s a little nakedness between friends?” he murmurs, stepping toward me.
“Stop this!”
“Your friend thinks you’re being annoying,” he says, taking another step closer.
“Freeze, bitch—or I’m going nuclear on your ass.” I aim the hair dryer between his legs.
“Ever noticed how you always go for the dick, Lois? What’s the story there? Need a little action?”
Instead of trying to fight back, I decide to turn around and start drying my hair without so much as a glance his way. His lips might be moving, but the sound of the hair dryer is drowning him out.
“I can’t hear you!” I singsong, tossing my head back and forth, my bob swaying as I move.
I catch his eyes in the mirror—he’s laughing.
Just when I think he’s finally about to leave, he spins around to the toilet and starts fumbling with his fly, a smug grin on his face.
I shoot him a scandalized look. He glances back with a smug grin.
“I give up.” I groan, dropping the hair dryer onto the counter. Shielding my eyes with one hand, I blindly make my way to the door. “I feel sorry for whoever decides it would be a good idea to date you!” I yell out from the corridor.
The toilet flushes in response.