Page 27 of Any Second Now (Fort Collins Blizzard Hockey #2)
I also realize I really need to start talking to people more so I don’t morph completely into a chicken lady.
I open the group text chain with Lucy and January.
Me
Hey
Lucy
SIS WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?? I almost sent a search party after you. Atticus left me unread as well
Her response is immediate. I can’t lie to these women about what I was doing last night.
And for the past few weeks.
Me
I have something to tell you, Lulu
I hope you’re not going to be mad
They know all about New Year’s Eve. I didn’t tell my friends right away, but could only hold it in for a few days into the new year before I confessed. They squealed.
January
I bet I can guess
Lucy
Waiting patiently
January
Hold on—I’m gonna go make popcorn
Me
It’s about Atticus
January
YOU HOOKED UP WITH HIM, BABES. ADMIT IT
Me
…
Lucy
We knew it!
The phone immediately lights up with a video call from Lucy, and when I press accept, she and January pop up in the screen together.
“I can’t believe you guys are still hanging out together without me.” I moan.
“Yeah, well, I would say I wish you’d have come, but then you wouldn’t have done whatever the fuck you’ve done with my brother.” Lucy’s mouth is cracked into a huge grin.
“Did you sleep with him?” January leans into the camera, her big dark eyes comically large on my screen.
“I mean, yes?”
The both absolutely freak out. Lucy gasps and covers her face. January jumps up and spins around with the phone, doing a funny little dance before collapsing back on the couch next to Lucy.
“Was it good?” January asks with a wide grin.
“Do NOT answer that!” Lucy shakes her head violently and makes a retching sound.
I press my lips together and don’t say a word.
“But sis, I feel like this was inevitable.” Lucy cocks her head. “Don’t you?”
“No?” This was the least inevitable thing I could imagine when I left for my road trip in the Pink Palace. I was just trying to get away from my ex-husband and my mother and my job.
Speaking of, I need to call my mom.
“Babes, you drove an RV cross-country to Fort Collins when Lucy wasn’t even there. What did you plan to do while you were in Colorado? Because you’re not hiking all the mountains or taking advantage of the great outdoors.”
“Hey, we went kayaking the other day.”
“You went kayaking? With Atticus?” Lucy mutters something to January. “You, terrified of water ever since your doomed sailing experience?”
“Hmm, yeah. And we ended up in the lake.” I can’t keep the grin from my face.
“You are smiling.” January narrows her eyes at me. “About capsizing off a boat.”
“I mean, it was a kayak, not a sailboat or a cruise ship.”
“So was this a one-night thing?” January probes. Lucy is quiet next to her, lips pressed together and brow furrowed like she’s deeply contemplating something.
I think about her question. I’ve already wondered this myself.
It could’ve been a one-night stand. Until he came back to the campsite with me in the middle of the night and cuddled in my crappy RV bed, then made me coffee, recorded a cross-stitch video, and took me from behind after slapping my ass.
My god, who am I?
I think it’s safe to say this is not a one-night stand.
“I don’t know.” I sigh. I do know, but I can’t vocalize it. “He recorded a cross-stitch video with me.” I offer that detail instead. “I’ll send it to you guys. I posted it on my socials.”
“Hang on, my brother cross-stitched?”
“Yeah. I taught him a simple stitch. It’s a beginner how-to video.”
“That sounds very not one-night stand like.” January laughs. “So is it friends with benefits?”
“I have no label to share with you.” I shrug, and there’s a few beats of silence.
“Lucy?” I ask. “You okay with all this?”
“Raleigh Durham,” Lucy says, using my old college nickname. “I’ve never been more okay with something in my life.”
I let out a huge sigh of relief.
“I don’t even know what it is. I don’t even know if it is a thing. I don’t know if it’ll happen again.” To me, I sound desperate. For what? Approval? A repeat?
January laughs and shakes her head. She’s got her phone in her hand.
“Oh, it’s a thing. You see how he’s looking at her in the video?” January shows her phone to Lucy.
Was he looking at me in a certain way? He was definitely charming, and smiley. I need to watch it again.
“Wow.” Lucy smiles at me. “Do you know I’ve never met a girl that Atticus has dated?
I realize he and I haven’t lived in the same place for over a decade, but still.
Never once has he introduced me to someone.
” She taps her chin with her pointer finger.
“Or even mentioned anyone. It’s been ridiculous. ”
“We are not dating,” I say firmly.
I think about how sensitive Atticus is about his father. About his terrible relationship with him. About how he desperately doesn’t want to be like him.
“Alternatively, he’s just been having fun banging a lot of girls.” January throws up her hands.
“That could also be true.” Lucy shrugs.
“You already got a few comments on the video,” January says, looking back down at her phone.
“I do? I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a single comment on a post or video.”
“You’ve also never featured a Blizzard player in one.” January squints her eyes. “You have ten comments. ”
“What?” My phone buzzes and a text preview shows up over the video.
Atticus
I just shared your video on my socials
I huff out a laugh, but there’s also a weird pit of dread in my stomach. I have a feeling things are spiraling out of control. This thing with Atticus—whatever it is—needs time to settle. And putting us in the public eye is the last thing I need.
Who knows, maybe no one will watch it.