20. Drew
TWENTY
DREW
**The HoBros**
Destiny (Holden)
I’m running late. I’ll try to be there before the kids arrive
Sassy (Drew)
Don’t worry about it. Ford is already here.
Crystal (Reese)
Drew, I’ve heard through the grapevine you’ve got a new roommate
Sassy (Drew)
The grapevine is literally Jules herself. And yes, she’s staying with me.
Kandi (Kai)
Why’s she staying with you?
Sassy (Drew)
Her parents are renovating the apartment and she needed a place to stay
Tirixie (Ford)
What’s it like having a roommate you don’t like?
Sassy (Drew)
She’s not that bad
Angel (Roman)
…what? Since when?
Destiny (Holden)
I’ve never been more shocked in my life
Sassy (Drew)
I’m leaving.
Crystal (Reese)
Do you have a crush on your new roommate, Drew?
**Sassy (Drew) has left the chat**
**Crystal (Reese) has added Sassy (Drew) to the chat**
Sassy (Drew)
Why can’t I have peace?
Crystal (Reese)
Peace? We don’t know her.
“So, Jules is living with you now?” Ford asks, walking into the back office.
It’s the first day of camp and I’m in the office getting everything organized while the camp manager makes sure all the kids who are supposed to be here are here.
I hand him the extra sticks I’m holding.
“Yeah, temporarily.”
No one except the family knows Jules was kicked out of the apartment by her parents.
She told Sage and Elena her parents are renovating the apartment and that’s the story we’re sticking with.
I get why she’d lie. It’s hard to explain why your parents kicked you out of the apartment without explaining your relationship with them.
“How’d that happen?” Ford asks as we walk down the corridor to the rink.
“I offered to let her stay.” I shrug.
He glances at me curiously. “You offered to let her stay? The woman you allegedly can’t stand to be around?”
“She’s Lavinia’s best friend,” I say. “What the hell was I supposed to do?”
I don’t look at him. Ford snorts a laugh, shaking his head as he looks away. “I see how it is.”
I glance at him sharply. “What the hell are you talking about?”
He doesn’t reply because we’re in the rink and twenty kids of varying ages are looking up at us excitedly.
“Everyone excited to get started?” I ask.
“Yeah, Coach!” They all shout.
“Did everyone watch the finals?” I ask.
My question is followed by a chorus of “noooo’s” and “yeahhh’s”.
“We’ll start with introductions,” I say. “Most of you know Ford Everett, he’s the left defensemen for the Titans. I’m Drew Callahan, the Captain and center. We’re going to be joined by Holden Archer, the right defensemen.”
“Will Kai Young be here?” A girl asks. She’s about ten and she looks up at me wide-eyed.
“Kai is at home with his grandmother,” I say.
“Who’s going to teach us how to be a goalie? He’s the best!”
“I agree, Kai’s the best. But I have someone coming you’ll like just as much,” I say.
The door to the rink slams open and a woman comes running in, her dark hair flying behind her. “I’m here! I’m here!” She stops behind the boards, slightly out of breath, her eyes moving from me, to Ford, and then to the kids.
“This,” I say, waving a hand toward her, “is Sutton Fox, the new goalie for the New York Valkyries. While at Mercer U, her team won the Frozen Four championship three times.”
When I called up the coach for my sister’s old team, she was more than happy to have Sutton join us.
“I can’t wait to get started,” Sutton says, dancing in excitement.
Ford looks at me, silently asking if I’m serious about this. I grew up with Jules, randomly dancing doesn’t phase me. It’s for the kids, anyway.
A boy in the front, about ten years old, raises his hand. I think his name is Jayden. It’ll take a day or two before I’ve properly memorized everyone’s names.
“Go ahead.” I nod.
“Why are your nails different colors?” He tilts his head curiously. All the kids look at my nails and the girls ooh over them. Ford raises his eyebrows when he notices my hands.
I remember the pleased look in Jules’s eyes yesterday when I told the nail tech to give me the same nails as her. She’s been going about every day like nothing has happened, but I can see the hollowness in her eyes. I’d done it to make her feel better.
“My friend was having a bad day and I did it to help her feel better,” I say.
Ford’s eyebrows shoot up even higher.
“Let’s get started!” I clap my hands once, drawing everyone’s attention. “I want everyone to give me two laps of the rink.”
While the kids run their laps, I skate over to Sutton. She gives me the widest smile, hazel eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Sutton, thanks again for doing this.”
“Are you kidding? I love kids! And this is a good thing you’re doing.”
“Why don’t you put on your skates and get on the ice? I think some of the kids are really excited to learn from a goalie.”
“You got it.” She gives me a salute and spins around, dropping into a chair. I leave her to it while I skate back to Ford, who’s watching the kids run laps.
“I miss Kai,” he says. Sutton Fox is nothing like our goalie. Kai is shy, quiet, and introspective. From what I’ve seen of Sutton, she’s nothing like him.
I pat him on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine.”
If I can put up with Jules in my house, he can put up with Sutton Fox for a few hours each day.
Beasty
I have a teensy weensy tiny winy question
I stare down at the text, unsure if I’m reading it correctly. I should be used to getting strange texts by now since I’ve been receiving messages from Reese for years. Who else would ask me if I’d still love them if they were a worm?
Drew
What is it?
Beasty
Are you okay?
Drew
…Yeah…? You saw me this morning before I left.
Beasty
No. I mean, are you OKAY.
Drew
Yes, Jules. Why are you being weird?
Beasty
I just want to make sure I’m not going to be murdered in my sleep.
Drew
I think we’re past that now.
Beasty
I thought we were, too. Until I walked into your pantry.
Drew
What’s wrong with my pantry?
Beasty
It’s color coded, alphabetized, and arranged by height order. Please tell me I’m not going to find a serial killer lair if I walk into the basement.
Drew
I just like things organized. But I wouldn’t go into the basement if I were you.
Beasty
Why? What’s down there?
Drew?
Hello? Why aren’t you answering?
WHAT’S IN THE BASEMENT??
With a laugh, I throw my phone onto the passenger seat. She’s crazy and I don’t know how my sister has put up with her for close to three decades.
“And now he’s laughing.” I look up at Ford, who’s leaning against his car as he watches me. He shakes his head like he can’t believe I’m real.
“I didn’t realize there was a law against laughing,” I say, frowning at him.
“There is when it’s you. When was the last time you laughed when you got a text from the HoBros?”
“I’m sorry if I don’t find it funny when Reese asks us what kind of poison we would pick to inject ourselves with if we could pick to die by poison.”
Ford rolls his eyes. “Yeah, okay, that’s not funny. But you can’t deny that you don’t laugh.”
“I laugh when something is funny.”
“Alright, then share it with me. I also want to laugh.”
I walk around to the driver’s side. “I asked Sage to come in tomorrow.” I glance at him. “Laugh away.”
“Fuck you, Callahan.”
“Not today, sweetheart. I’m running late.” I give him the finger as I get in my car and he smirks at me.
I pull out of my pot at the same time he does and we both go in our separate directions.
The first day of camp is always stressful and exhausting. The kids are just getting into the rhythm of things and we have to get used to playing with kids as opposed to our opponents. On the bright side, the kids seemed to love Sutton. Her effusive energy was exactly what they needed.
I should probably bring Jules one of these days. I stop by the grocery store to get stuff for dinner and when I get home, both Bailey and Jules are waiting for me at the front door.
Bailey comes rushing toward me and I set the grocery bag down before she jumps on me. I pick her up into my arms.
“Hi, Bailey girl. Did you have a good day with Jules? She didn’t bother you with questions, did she?”
Bailey whines, tucking her head under my chin.
“How dare you? Bailey and I love each other and we got along wonderfully.” Jules rubs Bailey’s back. “Unlike you, who won’t tell me what’s in the basement.”
“There are some secrets you’re just better off not knowing,” I say. I kick off my shoes and walk into the living room, falling onto the couch, still holding Bailey.
“Should I take you with me tomorrow?” I ask Bailey. “The kids will love you.”
“She’ll love them,” Jules says, settling into a chair. “We went back to the park today and she made a lot of new friends.”
“Thanks for watching her,” I say.
Jules rolls her eyes, waving off my gratitude. “You’re letting me stay in your house when you don’t have to. Besides, watching Bailey is the best part of this whole thing.”
There’s a sadness in her eyes whenever this topic comes up. As much as she pretends it doesn’t affect her, I can see that it does. I don’t know how I’d react if I came home one day and someone told me I had to leave in two weeks or I would be sued.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
Jules offers me a small smile. “I’d be a lot better if you told me what’s in the basement.”
I drop my head back onto the couch. An ice truck passes by on a nearby street and hearing the music, Bailey jumps off my lap and runs to the windows to peer outside.
“Apparently, the house has quite a sordid history,” I say.
“This house is new, but there was a house here once that was torn down. Apparently, back in the fifties, the couple who used to live in that old house died by murder suicide. The husband buried his wife in the basement before taking his own life.”
I straighten out my legs while Jules watches me with wide eyes, leaning over the arm of the chair.
“Well, according to rumors, the couple were swingers and the wife fell in love with the husband of the couple with whom they were swinging. One night the husband comes home, finds the wife with the other man, kills them both, buries them in the basement, then kills himself out of guilt because he also loved the other husband. Previous owners have said they’re confident they hear sounds of a threesome and a woman moaning in ecstasy sometimes. ”
Jules blinks at me, twisting her mouth to the side in disapproval before a pillow comes flying at my face. I grab it before it hits and set it aside with a dry chuckle.
“I hate you, Andrew Callahan,” she says, getting up and walking away.
“Remind me to get that on your headstone when you die,” I call after her. “Here lies Juliet Love. She hated Andrew Callahan.”
Jules comes stomping back. “You will not be in charge of my headstone.”
“You’ll be dead, you won’t know.”
An evil glint enters her blue eyes as she leans in closer. Her scent is intoxicating.
“Oh, yes I will. I’m the only one who knows a witch, remember?” She arches her brow. “I’m going to come back and haunt your stupid, serial killer pantry. Whenever you put something in there, I’ll move it to a different spot. Your pantry will never be organized again.”
I sit up until we’re almost face to face, so close that it’s probably a bad idea.
“Then I’ll move,” I say softly.
Jules scoffs lightly, her eyes shining brightly. “Please, do you take me for a rookie ghost who’s going to haunt a room. Nah, I’m going to haunt you. Personally. No matter where you go, I’ll be there.”
“Be careful, Beasty. People will start to think you’re obsessed with me.”
Her eyes narrow on me. “Me? Obsessed with you? Not a chance in hell.” She straightens. “And don’t call me that.”
She turns around and walks away.
“Sorry, you’re going to have to die and come back for me to stop calling you by your true, given name,” I say.
“Better watch what you say to me or I’m going to put arsenic in your food,” she shouts from the kitchen.
I chuckle drily, patting the spot next to me on the couch. “Come here, Bailey.”
Bailey jumps up onto the couch and puts her head on my lap, watching me with her big brown eyes. At least there’s someone in this house who doesn’t want to kill me.