Chapter 15 Lewis
Adam’s driving us back to Sycamore Heights, while I stretch out on the back seat, one arm flung behind my head.
We spent a week at his mom’s, and it felt good to be home.
What with practice, college, and the whole Dodge situation, I really needed that break—especially as the NBA scouts are going to start ramping up the pressure soon.
I need a clear head for this next semester.
“How was the hermit shack?” Adam asks.
I smile. The tree house cabin I’ve been working on for years is my safe space.
I never invite anyone to join me, not even Adam—and he’s like a brother to me.
One day, I’ll ask him to come up and see it, but for the time being, it’s my chance to get away from everything, out there in the forest by myself.
“The ramp on the deck is looking pretty good. I beefed up the holds on the main tree; switched up one of the braces.”
“How’s the inside looking?”
“Still kinda basic. I can build pretty much anything, but home furnishings aren’t really my thing.”
“That’s where a girlfriend comes in handy.”
I groan. “Not this again!”
Ever since he hooked up with Don’s sister, he’s been trying to get me into the idea of dating. Wasting your breath, man!
“I mean, let me talk you through the unicorn I’m looking for,” I start.
“I need the kind of woman who’s cool with spending her vacations up a tree in the middle of nowhere, while also having an amazing eye for interior design.
Oh, and she needs to have a great personality, too,” I add.
“Plus, she needs to be okay with me being on the road for away games, surrounded by fangirls. And there’s the pissy moods she’ll have to deal with whenever we lose a game… ”
He laughs. “Good luck with that!”
“Right?” I grin at him. “I’m good with a standard situationship, here and there.”
“That’s exactly what Lane and Don would’ve said last year—and now look at them!”
“Yeah, but I don’t have some homeless chick sleeping on my couch. Or a sister who makes me want to have a personality makeover. I’m a free man.”
“You have a trainee, though.”
I frown. “So?”
“So, I know you slept with her, man.” He shoots me a look. “I know you like the back of my hand. When Don asked you straight up, I knew what that look on your face meant.”
Damn.
Having a best friend is the most amazing feeling, but when you’ve got one who knows you as well as Adam knows me… it can suck. No big deal, though—I know my secret’s safe with him.
“Okay, you got me! But don’t freak out—it was just this one time, in some creepy motel. There was this couple next door banging like crazy.” I shrug. “I needed to work off some energy, and she did, too. That’s pretty much all there is to it.”
“Wow, this is better than one of Carrie’s romances!” He smirks at me. “If Don hears about this, he’s gonna mess you up.”
“Hey, she wasn’t a Campus Driver candidate back then!” I protest.
“True…”
“Plus, she hardly looked at me the next morning. It definitely won’t be happening again. Amy and I have the same vibe—you can tell she isn’t the kind of girl who wants to waste time on boyfriend shit.”
“If you say so.”
“I know so. I spent two days with her, and I still don’t know anything about her. I ask her a question, either she ignores me or she answers with something totally random.” I shrug. “Hey, maybe the training will help her loosen up a little.”
Adam smiles. “Makes a nice change from the ones who just won’t shut up, right? Amelia was pretty mysterious at the start, too. I just took it easy, and little by little, she started opening up.”
“It’s insane—you guys are still new, but it feels so right.”
Having spent this whole week with Adam, I’m starting to realize that I underestimated how much he cares about Amelia, and I’m pretty sure this will be the last Christmas they spend apart.
They’re both going all in on this one, and it feels really weird to see your childhood friend falling in love, becoming someone new.
He says he hasn’t changed, but I’d disagree.
He’s acting so lovey-dovey, it only strengthens my resolve to stay single.
“I have to try so hard not to come across as a weirdo,” he’s saying now.
“I think you need to try harder, buddy. This week with you has definitely got me worried about you. It almost made me miss the Wolinskis.” I snicker.
“I mean, those two are weird as hell—but you and Amelia?” I shake my head.
“Disgrace, dude! And it’s gonna be even worse once you’ve actually slept together. ”
I have no idea how they’re managing to hold off. I spent the whole week replaying my night at the motel with Amy.
“There’s more to life than sex,” Adam says.
“Oh, sure there is! Like bird-watching, right?” I sneak him a look. “I still can’t get over walking in on you guys and hearing you doing this random bird call. And it’s a bird I’ve never heard, man. I’m telling you. Like, ever. A fucking bird. Care to explain?” I snort.
I let out an exhausted sigh. He can’t see how hard I’m smiling as I erupt into little animal cries, and he just cranks up the stereo in response.
Halfway through our drive, I end up falling asleep, and I dream of Firebird, naked and squawking on my tree house roof.
“WHAT THE HELL?”
As we walk through the door, the first thing I notice are all the cheesy decorations, but that’s not what’s stopped me in my tracks.
It looks like life as I knew it is over—somehow, I’ve ended up trapped in some shitty Christmas rom-com starring all my best friends, while I just have some walk-on part.
There around the coffee table are Don, Carrie, Lane, and Lois—cozied up, sipping on hot chocolate, laughing together as they chat. I blink. The mugs are decorated with candy canes, for Christ’s sake. All that’s missing is a little Mariah Carey blaring in the background.
“Who are you, and what did you do with my friends?” I pause. “Okay, wait—more importantly, who the fuck is responsible for the glittery tablecloth?”
“Me and Carrie!” Don raises a mug to toast me. “We had this whole place to ourselves the past two days, remember? She thought it’d be cute to add a few festive touches for tonight.”
I shoot her a look. “I didn’t know you did glitter.”
“I have a very feminine soul, you know, Lewis,” Carrie says sweetly, blowing on her hot chocolate.
“Incorrect. Everybody knows you have no soul.”
“Damn. That’s me busted.” She smirks at me, and I suppress a shiver.
“Seriously, guys. This is supposed to be, like, our collective man cave.”
“You want a hot chocolate, sweetie?”
I flinch. “Don’t you dare try and corrupt me!”
“But we have mini marshmallows!” she squeals.
“I tried to hold strong, buddy.” Lane shakes his head. “I lasted ten minutes.”
“Laney, you were a lost cause the minute you agreed to that ugly-ass purple footstool that appeared in the middle of your living room.”
“I’d be down for something hot… It’s freezing out there.” Adam pats my shoulder before glancing around the room. “How come Amelia isn’t with you guys, Don?”
“She had lunch with our dad. She’ll be here soon.”
“Jesus.” I shake my head. “I need to take a long, hot shower and look for something on my desk.”
“What’s that code for, again?” Lois asks.
I SPEND A GOOD LONG while trying to relax in the bathroom, and then blow off some more steam in bed, watching reels of classic car renos, my mind floating back to Amy.
I was expecting to hear from her over the vacation—nothing major, just a quick line about the gift I gave her the last time we met, or something.
But nope. Nada. Considering how stubborn she is, I’m guessing there’s a good chance that pass is still right there in the envelope where I left it, and the worst part is that instead of pissing me off, the idea actually makes me smile.
She’s a weird one, and I like that. It keeps me curious; it speaks to my competitive streak.
It reminds me of the first time I met Lane—the way he used to hold everyone at arm’s length.
At the time, I had no idea his brother had died just the year before, so I spent weeks working on him, trying to coax him out of his shell.
As it turned out, it paid off. Maybe I see people as challenges sometimes, and maybe Amy Hitman is next on my to-do list. I guess you could say I’m a natural risk-taker, and because I like to live dangerously, I decide to message her.
Nothing heavy—just a quick reminder that we have New Year’s Eve plans.
LEWIS: Firebird! Don’t forget the party tonight.
I add a location pin, just to make sure she can’t pretend to screw this up.
Crazy to think I was actively trying to avoid her, way back when. Now it’s like I’ll do anything to get her on board.
In just a few hours, she’ll be meeting the next batch of Campus Drivers, and I’m curious to see how they’ll all get along.
It’s a whole different vibe to how things are with Don, Lane, Adam, and me—we were car friends first, and we set up the app together.
I just hope our new recruits manage to bond the way we did.
That’s just as important to me as anything else.
An hour slips by, and when she still hasn’t messaged back, I’m starting to think my apprentice is planning to leave me on unread.
LEWIS: If you ghost me, I’m gonna swing by and pick you up. Even if it kills me.
I’m only half exaggerating. I’ve seen her in action—my balls are definitely on the line.
When I see she’s typing, I sit up. It’s taking her forever, and either she’s drafting the world’s longest, bullshittiest excuse, or she’s struggling to find the words. I have to actually remind myself to breathe.
FIREBIRD: OK.
I stare at the screen, but nothing happens.
That it? “OK”? That all I’m getting? “OK” what?
LEWIS: Come on, Hitman. You can do better than that. That reminds me, though… I need to add “messaging etiquette” to our checklist—we get a lot of them, I’m gonna have to show you what a solid reply looks like.