33. Maddox #2
“How would you know that?” Rhys hisses. His cheeks flare, and I think he’s avoiding Isaac’s curious stare.
“You and Nick are with the NHL—which, good for you two, couldn’t be prouder—but I don’t think I’ll be back in shape for the AHL camp I’m invited to.
They’re not going to want me to play for them. ”
“Not with that attitude, they won’t.”
“Caleb,” I call. “Nick’s falling off the couch.”
That distracts Caleb enough to get off Rhys’s case. Blinking, he circles around the kitchen bar and makes his way toward Nick, who’s indeed about to fall off with how he’s now sleeping on the arm.
And with Caleb gone, I grab Killian’s wrist until he turns to me. “Talk to Rhys,” I mouth.
I can be a bit bossy, but Killian’s never cared. In fact, he likes it when I ask him for things. And even if I’m asking him to talk to his friend, I can see that he already had the same idea, judging by the grim look on his face as he looks back at Rhys.
Isaac beats him to it though, putting up a hand to stop both of us. He smiles at us and shakes his head, then approaches Rhys himself. I try not to stare as he takes the stool beside him. I also try not to feel bad for Rhys, whose posture only stiffens further .
This is one of those moments where I wish our place was a little bigger, just so we could retreat somewhere else and give them more privacy. I grab Killian’s hand and pull him toward the couch where Caleb and Nick are. Caleb watches us as we approach as Nick dozes off on his shoulder.
“Best party ever,” Killian says in a whisper, snickering. “We’re killing it.”
I huff a laugh. Killian sits in the armchair opposite Caleb and Nick, and he pulls me onto his lap. He takes his phone out to play music like Isaac suggested, and when I tell him that Nick might wake up, both he and Caleb burst out laughing. Apparently, Nick can sleep through anything.
Killian leans back and pulls me with him, and we end up cuddling. I’ve never been one for being affectionate in public, but Killian changed that. He broke down all my walls.
He and Caleb discuss hockey, because of course they do, and it doesn’t matter to me that I can’t keep up. Their voices and the music that Killian’s put on lulls me, and I blink slowly as they talk.
Amazing, really.
The last “party” I went to was a mess—it was noisy, crowded, and my high school bully threatened me. I ended up breaking down in Killian’s lap, and even if the night had ended better than I thought, the party itself had been a nightmare.
Now… look at us. We’re a small group in an apartment I share with my boyfriend, and despite these guys being the rowdiest people I know, this is one of the calmest evenings I’ve ever had.
In a moment of clarity, I realize that I’m surrounded by jocks—and that only a few months ago, I’d have balked at the idea.
But Killian proved to me that my past was just that—my past. He broke down every unreasonable bias I had, and I can’t thank him enough for it.
There’s some noise behind us. I look over my shoulder and see that Rhys and Isaac are done talking, though Rhys still has a pinched expression as they walk over to us.
The free empty space on Nick’s other side is only big enough for one person, and as amusing as it is, I know neither Rhys nor Isaac would sit on each other’s lap.
I try not to smirk at the way they both have an awkward little dance of who will take it, and Isaac convinces Rhys to sit down as he drags over a stool from the kitchen.
Isaac then takes it upon himself to hand beers out.
“You good, Morgan?” Killian asks, grinning at Rhys.
“Yeah. Sorry,” Rhys mumbles, staring at the carpet. “Been in my head lately. Too many things have been weighing me down.”
“Because of the camp you think you won’t be able to be cleared for…?”
“Not just that.” Pressing his lips tightly together, Rhys raises his gaze and fixes it on Killian.
I cock my head to the side, curious, because it seems as if he’s working himself up to say something.
“We didn’t make it to the championships because I was careless.
I let the team down on the most important game ever.
Fuck, Schultz, there were scouts there for most of us—and I messed up your chances to get a spot on a roster.
It’s been killing me that I fucked it up for you. ”
Killian stiffens at the same time that Caleb’s brows rise. Where he’s sitting from across Rhys, Isaac does a bad job at pretending he’s not listening.
I sit up and almost fall off Killian’s lap. He grips my hip tighter, keeping me in place. I say, carefully, “Rhys, it’s been forever since that game.”
“And I did get an opportunity to go pro,” Killian adds quickly. “You’ve been stewing over that all this time…? A sports agency wanted to represent me, but I didn’t take their offer because it’s not what I wanted.”
Rhys frowns. “You chose not to go pro?”
“Yes. I didn’t want to be on the road all the time, or be terrified of being traded to a city on the other side of the country and suddenly having to leave everything behind.
I didn’t want to push myself so that one day I’d be good enough to be sent to the major league.
” Killian squeezes me as if to make a point, and I let out a surprised squeak.
He laughs and nuzzles his face against my hair before giving me a huge, wet kiss on the cheek.
“I’m exactly where I want to be, and if you had just told me you had all this on your mind, I would have told you from the start. ”
“You’re exactly where you want to be,” Rhys repeats, as if mulling it over.
“Uh-huh. I’m starting a job I know I’ll like, and waking up to the smartest, funniest, most thoughtful, prettiest—”
Caleb pretends to gag. “Enough! We get it!”
A soft laugh escapes Nick. I’m not sure when he woke up and how much he caught, but he lifts his head from Caleb’s shoulder and shifts so that he’s leaning against Rhys instead.
Nick doesn’t speak, but I don’t think he needs to, because Rhys lets out a sigh and nods at him.
Like they have their own secret language.
“Okay. Sorry,” Rhys mumbles.
“You’re fine.” Killian presses another kiss against my cheek. “I promise you, I couldn’t be happier.”
***
The guys leave a little after midnight, and we watch everyone drive away from the curb of our apartment building.
Since we insisted we could clean up ourselves, Killian goes right to putting pizza boxes and cans away as soon as we get back. He stifles a yawn with a hand and waves me off when I make a move to help him.
“We can clean up tomorrow,” I tell him.
“Nah. I don’t want you getting up earlier than me and doing it all yourself.”
I snort. Seriously, he refuses to let me do a single thing around here.
Now that I no longer have to tutor him for his classes, I’m not sure what I can do for him in return for everything he does for me—but it does something to my heart that this is never a problem for him.
Killian spoils me, and he seems thrilled to do it.
Standing behind the couch, I watch him fold a pizza box in half.
“Hey, Killian?” I whisper .
“Yeah?”
I wait for him to look up and meet my eyes. When he does, Killian gives me a smile, and he pauses in his cleanup. God, he’s so cute. His cheeks are flushed from the beer he drank, and he’s rolled up his sleeves for whatever reason. Probably to tempt me with those muscular arms and thick veins.
“What, babe?” He must take my silence for hesitation because he adds, “Something you can’t tell me?”
I can almost hear the words he doesn’t say—the words he’d used all the time to taunt me. What, scared?
Laughing, I shake my head. It’s the exact opposite, actually, because nothing scares me with Killian. The corner of my mouth curls upwards. “I love you,” I say simply, with no preamble. “I’m glad we ended up here.”
I didn’t know it was even possible, but his smile widens even more. Killian drops the box he’s holding, letting it fall to the floor. Before I know it, he’s circling around the couch to get to me and cupping the back of my neck. When he leans down to kiss me, I open up for him.
Then, without warning, he grabs me by the back of my thighs and hauls me up. No matter the numerous times he’s done this, my heart falls to my stomach from the shock.
“Killian!” I shout, grabbing on to him for dear life. He laughs as I wrap my legs around him. Grumbling, I nuzzle my face against his neck. “You said you wanted to clean up!”
“Eh.” He shrugs, and before I can say more, he kisses me again.
It’s mind-numbing. His kisses—his touches, and everything else about him—rearrange my universe every time.
And while it was Killian who said he couldn’t be happier, that he’s exactly where he wants to be, it might as well have been me who said it because I feel exactly the same way.