CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
LEVI
A soft buzzing pulls me out of sleep, and I feel something warm pressed against my side. Groaning, I turn to the bedside table to grab my phone, and answer without checking the caller ID. Rolling onto my back again, I pull Scarlett closer on instinct.
“Hello?”
“Carter. How’s it going?” Coach’s gruff voice comes through the speaker. My eyes widen as I register the last twenty-four hours, and Coach’s warnings before I left. Although, it’s not enough to make me let go of Scar.
“Coach, it’s going well.” I nod subconsciously, knowing he can’t see me. My heart is pounding as I wait for his response.
“I’m assuming the boys made it to you safely?”
A rumble of laughter makes its way through my chest. “You knew about that?”
Coach scoffs. “Of course I did. How do you think they got the address?”
I sigh dramatically. “I should have guessed.”
“Now, the reason for my call.” I feel Scarlett start to wake beside me. I pull her in tighter. “How’s your recovery going?”
“Good.” I look down at Scarlett, watching as her eyes open before she squints at the light. “Great actually.” I don’t tell him that my shoulder is still fucked, but that I’m also feeling lighter than I ever have - almost like a weight’s been lifted.
Coach hums. “And your shoulder?”
Scarlett rests her chin on my chest and looks up at me with those green eyes I’ve come to love. “Who is it?” She mouths.
I pull the phone away from my ear as I lean down to meet Scarlett, giving her a quick kiss. “Coach.” I whisper as I pull away.
Her eyes widen in either realisation or shock, which one I’m not sure, as I lean back and respond to Coach. “It’s… better. Not perfect yet, just making progress.”
I can feel him nodding. “I emailed Scarlett a few days ago for a chat, but I just wanted to check in with you personally and see how you’re going.”
I narrow my eyes at her and her eyes furrow. Coach emailed her about me, and she didn’t even think to tell me about it? What were they saying about me?
“Well, I’m good, Coach. I’ll be back on the ice before you know it.”
“Good, I’m happy to hear it, Carter.” I hear faint rustling and muffled voices on the other end of the line. “Look, I have to go but I’ll check in soon. Just… make sure you behave, okay? Don’t forget what’s on the line here.”
He hangs up before I have the chance to respond.
I sigh, his words bouncing around in my head. With my hand still tangled in Scarlett’s hair, I tilt her head back further to look up at me. “When were you going to tell me Coach messaged you?
She scoffs, rolling her eyes at me. “It was none of your business, Carter.”
“It is because it’s about me.”
Wordlessly, she slaps my chest before rolling out of bed, my body instantly missing her warmth. The realisation makes me freeze. My attachment to Scarlett is out of control, I need to create distance. This is driving me insane.
I watch her from behind as she walks into the bathroom, closing the door behind her with a soft click. Jumping out of bed, I pull on some gym shorts and a tee as I text the boys.
Frost and Furious
Me
Anyone up for a hike?
I put my phone in my pocket as I jog downstairs, needing to take some space to breathe away from Scarlett.
…
SCARLETT
I make my way down to the kitchen, the house eerily quiet.
When I came back from the bathroom, Levi was gone, and I sigh, not quite knowing how we managed to backslide overnight.
Coming to the bottom of the stairs, I take note of Gigi, drinking coffee on the sofa, still half asleep.
“Long night?” I ask. Gigi startles, head snapping to the side to look at me over her shoulder.
She relaxes once she spots me, settling back into her seat again. “Always.” She sighs before taking a sip from her drink. I pour a mug for myself as well.
I sit in the armchair, glancing around, the quiet now unusual with six rowdy guys around. “Where’d everyone go?”
“The boys went off for a hike, and they took Wren with them, so it’ll be the two of us for a while.”
Silence cloaks the room, slightly uncomfortable as Gigi stares at me, almost contemplating.
My eyes flit around the room, suddenly aware of how exposed I feel. “So,” She finally says, her tone casual, though her body language is anything but. “What’s the deal with you and my brother?”
I shrug lightly. “Oh, nothing. I’m just his trainer.” I pause, before adding, “But I’ve grown to enjoy his company now.”
Her gaze sharpens as she tilts her head to study me. “So, you just so happened to disappear at the same time last night? Is that a coincidence?”
I chuckle as I lean forward to mirror her, meeting her stare head on. “So,” I counter smoothly, “What’s the deal with you and Bennett?”
She jerks back and I know that I’ve caught her off guard. Her mouth opens and closes as she searches for words that don’t come. That’s what I thought. Without giving her a chance to recover, I keep going. “You guys aren’t as slick as you think. You’re just lucky Levi's naive.”
“You can’t tell him!” She blurts out frantically, panic taking over her features. “Please. I’m just… curious about what’s happening with Levi, I promise.”
I study her for a moment before I nod slowly. “I won’t, as long as my secret will be safe with you.”
I raise an eyebrow as Gigi nods.
“Good.” I say taking a sip of my coffee before continuing, “So why are you so curious about what’s going on with Levi?”
She weighs her words before giving me an honest response. “I’ve just… never seen him this relaxed.” She admits. “I think that’s the best way to put it. Levi’s always on edge but since we’ve been here, he’s changed. In a good way.”
My heart stutters. I knew he’d changed since I met him - but I’d also just chalked it up to circumstance with him being pissed at the situation he’s in. I had no idea that his sister would pick up on it too.
“I think the sessions have helped him.” I offer. “He’s been gaining confidence again. Recovery’s been difficult for him to accept.”
Gigi blinks at me unimpressed. “Uh, no. Scar, the sessions have nothing to do with it.” She holds my gaze. “It’s you. He likes you.”
I suck in a breath at the admission as the words settle between us. I laugh uncomfortably. “That’s… not really how it works.”
I stand to put my mug in the dishwasher, and Gigi follows me silently, just watching me. I turn leaning against the counter. “Seriously, Gigi.” I raise my eyebrows. “I’m his trainer. That’s it.”
Noticing I’m not getting one past her, I tip my head back as I let out a dramatic sigh. “You know he just left this morning?” I drop my gaze back to hers. “He said nothing.”
Gigi shrugs casually as she places her mug in the dishwasher as well. “Levi just tends to shut down sometimes. He’s probably freaking out because you’ve made him feel emotions, he’s never felt in the twenty-nine years he’s been alive.”
My eyes widen slightly. “Never?”
Gigi shakes her head softly. “Levi just had it rough with our dad. He learned early on that if you don’t let anyone in, you can’t get hurt so he’s built some walls. But he feels safe with you. His guards have come down, I can tell.”
I look away, the feelings overwhelming, knowing that in the short time I’ve known him, I’ve made him feel safer than he ever has before. Not knowing what to respond to in the moment, I deflect.
“So,” I meet Gigi’s eyes again, pumping my eyebrows once. “What’s the deal with you and Bennett?”
Gigi is the one to look away now, trying to avoid the confrontation. “We’re… friends.” She settles on, though, her tone isn’t convincing.
“Come on, I know something is going on between the two of you. Do the other guys know?”
She nods and mumbles something under her breath.
“What was that?” I ask, wanting her to spell it out for me.
“Reid and Hudson know.” My eyebrows shoot up. I was not expecting that. Hudson gives me the vibe that he’s not all that good at keeping secrets.
“How long has this been going on for?”
She grimaces, and immediately I know I shouldn’t have asked that. “Actually, you know what? Don’t tell me. I don’t need to know.”
Her expression turns pleading now. “Levi can’t find out yet we need to tell him at the right time.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I tilt my head to contemplate.
I refuse to lie to Levi. My loyalties must lie with him first. “If he doesn’t ask, I won’t tell him.
But if he asks, I’m not going to lie to him.
I’m not cool with keeping secrets from Levi, so don’t tell me anything you don’t want him to know. ”
She nods, looking down and scuffing the toe of her shoe, almost as though she feels guilty.
I clap my hands together, startling Gigi as I give her a wide grin. “Mat Pilates on the deck?”
A smile lights up her face at the change in topic and nods. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll meet you there.”
She runs upstairs, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I learnt so much about Levi during my short conversation with Gigi, and I think I know how to get through to him – about Pilates and about relationships. Though, only time will tell.
…
I lay the mats side by side just as Gigi comes out onto the deck. She’s dressed in a matching black sports bra and shorts, her dirty blonde hair tied up in a ponytail.
I clap my hands together. “Alright, let’s start with a pelvic curl to warm up.”
I lie down on my back, my knees bent, and my feet are flat on the mat. I wave Gigi to mimic the position, and she does.
“Okay, Gige. Make sure the spine is in a neutral position. Belly button to spine, switch on your core.” I watch as her pelvis tilts into position.
At least there’s one Carter around here that I don’t need to baby.
“Inhale to prepare.” We inhale. “As we exhale, tuck through the pelvis, we want to draw our lower abdominals in and up so we can lift our tailbone from the mat, peeling our spine one vertebra at a time.” We come up into a bridge position.
“Good. Now hold for a few and be mindful not to let your ribs flare or knees splay.” After holding for about five seconds, I start to cue us back down.
“Inhale to prepare.” We breathe in. “Now, exhale and we slowly articulate our spine back down onto the mat, rolling down vertebra by vertebra returning all the way down into our neutral position, how we started.”
We do a few more reps before moving on.
“Let’s go into side-lying leg raises now. We turn onto our right side, keep everything stacked right now – our ribs, our hips, and our feet. Prop up onto your elbow and cradle your head for support, our other hand can rest.” After settling into position, I begin to cue through the exercise.
We continue our rhythm for a couple of minutes before we move to our other side.
We’re a couple of reps in when I hear the door fly open and three hockey players – Levi Carter, Bennett Steele and Hudson Moore - stumble out onto the deck.
I catch Levi’s eye as he flushes red, and I know that I’ll have to get him alone soon. I leave him be for the time being. “How was your hike, boys?” I ask as I sit up on my mat and reach for my water bottle. Levi’s eyes follow my movements, but I pay no mind.
Hudson is the one to respond. “Good. Really nice, actually. It’s incredible out there.”
I nod, my eyes flitting to Gigi to see her making eyes at Bennett. So obvious.
I stand, moving toward the door, waving them along. “Let’s get some food into you guys. Come on.”