Page 38

The diner is small, but it’s got charm. Old-school booths, that faint smell of syrup and fried chicken, and a neon sign that flickers like it’s working overtime.

Caleb slides into the booth first, stretching his legs under the table like he owns the place.

I drop in next to him, shifting a little because, yeah, I’m still sore.

Eli sits across from us, looking like he’s barely holding it together.

A waitress, older, with a no-nonsense attitude, stops by with menus. “Y’all know what you want, or you need a minute?”

Caleb barely glances at the menu. “Chicken and waffles. Extra syrup.”

I skim the options, my stomach rumbling. “Same, but with vanilla ice cream and strawberries on top.”

Eli exhales, rubs a hand down his face. “Just coffee.”

While we wait, I pull the little white pill from my pocket and set it on the table to put the container away. It’s tiny, almost insignificant, but it carries weight. Caleb’s eyes flick to it, then to me.

He gestures toward the pill. “Bottoms up.”

I grab my water and take it, swallowing quickly.

“Now we celebrate,” Caleb says, grinning. “With waffles.”

I laugh, but Eli’s barely paying attention. He keeps glancing at his phone, jaw tight, knee bouncing under the table. When it rings, he stiffens like he’s expecting the worst.

“I need to take this,” he mutters, already sliding out of the booth.

Caleb watches him walk off, then turns back to me. “What’s that about?”

“Not my story to tell,” I say.

Caleb nods. “Fair enough.” He taps his fingers on the table, then tilts his head at me. “You okay?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“Good.” He leans back, stretches an arm along the back of the booth. “Can I ask you something?”

I shrug. “Go for it.”

He smirks. “How the hell are you not dating anyone?”

I snort. “What kind of question is that?”

He raises a brow. “A fair one.”

“I could ask you the same question, puck boy .”

“ Ha!” he scoffs.

“I am being serious. I was at the last game. You saw the crowd. I’d bet half of Blackridge is ready to bend over for you if you so much as look their way.”

That earns me a laugh. “And dicks would be falling in your hands, bunny.”

I roll my eyes. “Please.”

“I’m serious.”

I toy with the straw in my water. “Tell me about you. You’re, like, beloved.”

His smirk fades. He looks away, then exhales through his nose. “Had a girlfriend.” A beat. Then, quieter, “Ex, now.”

I wait, but he doesn’t say anything else. “What happened?”

His jaw works for a second before he mutters, “She moved. Out of the country. Family stuff.”

I frown. “Long distance?”

Caleb scoffs, shaking his head. “Wouldn’t have worked. Trust me, I tried.”

That… surprises me. Real shocking. He’s such an asshole, and he actually had a girlfriend? I’m trying to process that when he cuts in.

“What about you?” he asks, glancing over. “You got an ex?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

His brows lift. “Oh?”

“We broke up when I moved back.”

Caleb studies me for a second, like he’s waiting for more. “Long distance is a fucking joke.”

He takes a bite of my ice cream when Eli walks back in. One look at him, and my stomach knots. His face is pale, jaw locked tight, shoulders rigid.

“I need to fly out,” he says, voice flat.

Caleb and I both straighten.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

Eli shakes his head. “Judge is issuing a verdict tomorrow.”

My chest tightens. “Eli—”

“I need to go.”

Caleb doesn’t hesitate. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out his wallet, and tosses some cash onto the table. Then he stands, snatching the keys from Eli’s hand. “I’m driving.”

Eli doesn’t argue.

I slide out of the booth and reach for Eli’s hand. It’s shaking. He doesn’t even try to hide it. I grip it, squeezing just enough to let him know I’m here.

Caleb watches us, clearly holding back a thousand questions, but he doesn’t ask.

Right now, the only thing that matters is getting Eli home, so he can catch a flight.

Eli moves around his bedroom like a man possessed, grabbing shirts, shoving them into a suitcase, zipping, unzipping, throwing things back out like he suddenly doesn’t need them. Caleb’s sitting on the edge of the bed, phone in hand, fingers moving fast as he books a flight.

“You got a preference for airlines, or you just need to get there?” Caleb asks without looking up.

“Don’t care. Just get me there fast.”

I lean against the doorway, arms crossed, watching Eli mutter something under his breath as he paces. His phone rings. He glances at the screen, exhales, and answers.

“Maria?” His voice shifts, softer, respectful. “Yeah, I know. I—yeah, I saw. It’s all over the news.” A pause. “No, I’m okay. I’ll be there soon. Don’t worry about me.” He listens, jaw tensing. “Alright. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He pulls the phone away and rubs a hand down his face.

“That was my nanny,” he says, tossing the phone onto the bed. “She heard the news and wanted to check in.”

Caleb lifts his gaze from his phone. “Didn’t know you had a nanny.”

Eli shrugs, stuffing another shirt into his bag. “Yeah, well. She raised me, basically.”

Caleb’s phone dings. “Alright, got you a first-class ticket. You leave in an hour.”

Eli nods. “Thanks, man.”

Caleb says, “Since I’m the one who’s going to have to explain why a player’s missing in two days, you wanna tell me what’s going on?”

Eli stops packing. Looks at me. Then back at Caleb.

“My dad’s being investigated,” he says, voice flat. “Some shady business shit. It was on hold, but now the judge is ruling.”

Caleb blinks. “Shit.”

Eli runs a hand through his hair.

I step forward, reaching for him. “It’s gonna be okay.”

He nods, but his face says he’s not convinced.

Caleb exhales. “Alright. We’ll grab an Uber, get you to the airport.”

Eli zips up his suitcase, grabs his jacket, and turns to me. His expression shifts, something heavy settling between us. Then, before I can overthink it, he leans in, pressing his mouth to mine. Quick. A little desperate.

“Thank you,” he murmurs against my lips.

Then he’s dragging his bags out the door, and I’m left standing there, watching him go, wondering how the hell sex turned into this dysfunctional, messy friendship.

Caleb lingers. When the front door shuts behind Eli, he turns to me, his expression unreadable.

“I know it’s kinda late, but I’ve got pizza and video games at my place. If you don’t wanna be alone.”

I exhale. “I’d like that.”

Caleb’s neighborhood is the kind where the houses don’t just look expensive — they look untouchable. The kind with perfectly manicured lawns, security gates, and driveways big enough to park an entire team bus.

“Jesus,” I mutter as we step out of the Uber. “Didn’t know you lived in a mansion.”

He huffs a laugh. “It’s just a house.”

“A big-ass house.”

He doesn’t argue. Just unlocks the door and pushes it open. The inside is just as insane with its high ceilings, open floor plan, everything sleek and modern like it belongs in a real estate magazine.

“Do you live with your dad?” I ask, following him inside.

“He’s on a business trip,” he says, tossing his keys onto the kitchen island. “So, drinks? Beer? Whiskey?”

I raise a brow. “Whiskey?”

He grins. “What? I’m fancy.”

I snort. “Beer’s fine.”

He grabs two from the fridge and hands me one before heading for the living room. I follow, dropping onto the couch beside him. He flips the TV on, scrolling through a list of games.

“You any good?” he asks, glancing at me.

I pop the cap off my beer. “At what?”

“Video games.”

I take a sip. “Better than you.”

He laughs. “Alright, then. Prove it.”

I grab a controller. “Oh, I will.”

He smirks. “We’ll see about that.”