12. Declan #2
Except Nora, who points her fork at him with narrowed eyes and says, “Get the hell out of here, Carson.”
Okay, for sweet, I-love-everyone, here-have-some-more-confetti Nora to tell someone to leave and to use the word hell, I know this guy is a prick.
Not to mention the way Alex straightens on his stool and shifts toward the man.
He’s not the only one, though. The attention of all six hockey players now focuses on Carson and Andi. No one in the group seems happy to see Carson, and all appear ready to jump to Andi’s defense physically.
Carson chuckles. “I’m just saying, the all-black, tough girl look is a little…much, isn’t it?”
Andi turns on her stool and gives him a cool look. “Wait, are you saying that my outfit bothers you? You have no idea how upset that makes me.” Her tone is dry, and her expression is very fuck off.
Carson gives her a sleazy smile. “Oh, I see, maybe you’re not in mourning for your marriage. Then you must’ve heard the news about Stephanie being pregnant.”
Nora sucks in a quick breath, and I see Andi flinch slightly.
Carson's smile turns even creepier. “Oh, did you not know?”
“Know that Stephen McFucker, who was stupid enough to cheat on this goddess, doesn't even know how to use a condom?” Beckett asks. “It’s not exactly a shocking revelation that he’s a dipshit, Carson.”
Carson glares at Beckett. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
Beckett stands from his stool, the three inches and several pounds of muscle he has on Carson very evident. “How did I know that? You’re saying shit really loud in public. And I didn’t know about Susie. Maybe you were informing me.”
“Stephanie,” Carson corrects.
“Whatever.”
“Not everything has to do with you, Moore,” Carson says.
Beckett shrugs, unfazed. “My ego would beg to differ.”
Carson, seemingly frustrated with the fact that he can’t get an answer or rise out of Andi because Beckett keeps butting in, finally scoffs. “You’re a dick.”
“Wow. Thank you,” Beckett says.
Carson scowls. “What?”
“You said I have a big dick, right? And, I mean, thanks. It’s a little bit weird for you to say that, but I guess if that’s what’s on your mind…”
“Fuck off,” Carson says.
“Ditto,” Beckett tells him calmly.
Carson turns and leaves, and Beckett just shakes his head.
“Well done,” Wes Franklin, the Revelers goalie, tells him.
“Yeah, good job not swinging on that asshole,” Lawson Landry, one of the defensemen, mutters.
Beckett only looks at Andi. “I’m just saying, if you want a kid…”
I feel the entire table brace for Beckett to say something about helping Andi get pregnant.
“You can definitely adopt me. Cheap,” he says. “I love cartoons, don’t really clean up after myself—”
“Seriously,” Sutton offers.
“And can eat my weight in PB & J.”
Sutton nods. “Also…seriously.”
People let out breaths, and Andi actually smiles.
“I have a feeling you would spend a lot of time grounded,” she tells Beckett as she slides off her stool and stands.
I’m watching Beckett closely. There’s something that tells me there’s more underlying his playful nonchalance.
“Oh no, forced to spend all my time at home with you?” he says, never entirely losing that charming, hey-it’s-all-good smile. “That would be so horrible.”
Andi's smile gets a little bigger, and she reaches over and pats his cheek. “It’s sweet, and so misguided, that you think so.”
He covers her hand on his cheek with his. “Also, you look really hot in black.” He pauses. “In all things, though.”
She rolls her eyes but is still smiling as she pulls her hand away and says, “I’m gonna get going,” to the table at large.
She heads for the door, and Sutton, Nora, and Astrid all exchange a look.
“Milkshakes, right?” Sutton asks.
Nora nods. “Definitely.”
They both slide off their stools, and Astrid starts to as well.
“No, you should stay,” Nora tells her. “We’ve got this.”
Astrid glances toward the door after Andi. “You sure?”
Nora nods, giving me a pointed look. “Definitely.”
I hear Astrid sigh and know that she does not think I’m more important than Andi.
Just then, Bruce appears at the table and sets down three milkshakes.
Sutton looks at him, surprised. “How did you know?”
The big man lifts a shoulder. “I heard the news about the baby earlier, and Carson’s been here for a bit. When Andi walked in, I knew he wasn’t gonna be able to keep his big fucking mouth shut.”
Nora stretches up on tiptoe and kisses her grandfather’s cheek. “Thanks.”
Nora and Sutton gather the milkshakes and head for the door.
Astrid watches them go.
“Do you need to go with them?” I ask her. “I’m fine.”
She turns back to the table. “No, I’m sure they’re okay without me.”
I still like the fact that she has a friendship like that here and that she wants to be there for Andi.
“I still think you need to tell Carson why he gets hit so hard in practice,” Hudson Duval, the Otters’ goalie, says to Beckett.
“He’s such a dumbass that he doesn’t already know,” Beckett mutters.
“Wait, he’s on the team?” I ask.
Astrid sighs. “Yes. He’s…” She grimaces as she glances at Beckett.
“Good,” Beckett fills in. “Not as good as us.” He looks around the table. “But he’s good.”
“You’ll be able to hit him good at least twice next practice, right?” Wes asks.
“Three times,” Beckett says.
Wes frowns. “He said the thing about her wearing black and then about the baby. That’s two times. I know you want to hit him more, but you gotta have a reason.”
“He checked out her ass in those jeans too,” Beckett says.
I lean closer to Astrid and ask, “Who is Carson exactly?”
“Stephen’s best friend. Stephen is her ex-husband. Cheated on her with Stephanie.”
I grimace. “Stephen and Stephanie?”
She rolls her eyes. “Horrible, right?”
“And that fucker Carson rubs it into her?”