Page 9 of Cloudless
HOCKEY PLAYERS DESERVE CHEERLEADERS
KAM
Ellie pushes off the Tahoe’s driver door and slides her phone into the back pocket of her jeans as I approach.
I grimace. “Sorry, Ellie.” The car shakes as I toss my bag on the backseat and slam the door.
My feet move as quickly as they do on the ice as I get in the car. The slam of my own car door cuts off Ellie’s sigh. Her mouth works a mile a minute as she makes her way to the passenger door.
Her butt has barely settled in her seat before I’m pulling out of the parking spot. I feel her assessing gaze on the side of my face like the warmth from a bonfire as I drive the few lanes over to Lila’s car.
Her brows arch as I pull into the parking spot in front of the vacant car. My heart tries to thump a hole in my chest when I don’t see Lila or the twins right away.
The impact of my feet hitting the ground reverberates through my aching knees.
I can practically feel the curiosity rolling off my sister in waves as she wordlessly follows me to the back of the Tahoe.
The rising trunk door skims the tips of my hair since I can’t bother waiting for the damn thing to go all the way up.
Ellie’s eyes stay glued to the side of my face, despite the loud pop that rings between us as I open my storage bin. I’ll have to remember to thank Dax for always having a dead battery later.
I breathe a sigh of relief, and my heart rate returns to normal, when I spot Lila emerging from the shadow of Posey’s tree. The twins follow close behind her. Heat envelopes my face as a shy smile touches Lila’s lips.
Her smile falls and her eyes widen as they dart to my sister next to me. A blush starts on her cheeks and creeps down her neck to disappear beneath her red shirt.
In my peripherals, I see Ellie tilt her head to the side as her gaze bounces back and forth between Lila and I. Her signature smile brightens her face as she waves. “Hi, I’m Ellie.”
Lila’s wide eyes flash to mine for the briefest of moments before she gives a small wave back at my sister. “Uh, I’m Lila.”
Ellie’s smile grows at the same rate Lila’s blush deepens. I busy myself with the jumper cables as my sister throws her arm around a clearly uncomfortable Lila. “I’m glad my brother was here to help with your battery situation.”
My brows draw down in confusion at the emphasis Ellie puts on brother. Lila’s shoulders fall with a visible sense of relief at the mention of the word.
The jumper cables slip through my fingers like water and pool in a tangle at my feet as realization dawns.
Wait, was Lila jealous?
A deep sense of satisfaction rushes through my veins at the revelation.
Ellie ignores the relieved look on Lila’s face and my obvious fumbling as her attention falls to the twins peeking out from behind Lila. “And who do we have here?”
The redness of Lila’s cheeks deepens to scarlet as she tries to compose herself. She wipes her palms on her jeans and steps aside to reveal the twins' matching curious expressions. “Oh, uh, this is my brother and sister, Jasper and Posey.”
“It’s nice to meet you two.” Her full attention shifts to Posey. “I love the cheerleader outfit.”
A huge smile breaks out on Posey’s face. Her skirt billows in the air as she twirls for my sister. “Thank you! Hockey players deserve cheerleaders, too!”
“They sure do, Posey-Pop! It’s a good thing all those stinky boys have you cheering for them.” She whispers, “I bet you're the only reason they won today.” A wink from Ellie makes Posey smile wider.
Flames ignite on my cheeks from the residual heat of Lila’s eyes. I clear my throat to dispel the unwanted fire. “Um, let me get the cables all hooked up. It shouldn’t take too long.”
Jasper bounces on the balls of his feet, a huge smile set firmly on his face as he helps me gather the cables from the ground. “Oh! Can I help?”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way, Tank.”
It’s official. My sister is in love with Posey and Jasper. Their group hug lasts the duration of time to pack up the jumper cables. The stars in Posey’s eyes multiply as she gazes up at Ellie.
Satisfaction fills me as Lila’s car continues to rumble in the background. The cool night air is a relief on the back of my neck after contorting the slightly-too-short cables to restart the battery.
Note to self: Get longer jumper cables.
Our footfalls on the asphalt sync as Lila follows me to the back of my Tahoe.
Lila nervously wrings her hands as she comes to a stop next to me. “Thank you for this, Kam. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here.”
I focus on meticulously placing the jumper cables into their bin instead of Lila’s proximity. “It’s no problem. I’m glad I was here to help.” In the empty parking lot, the plastic lid snapping shut echoes like a gunshot.
The rhythmic beeping of the hatch closing in the quiet space mimics my racing heart.
Left with no further distractions, my eyes lift and fuse with hers. The unforgiving overhead lights of the parking lot cast harsh shadows across her face. Her breathtaking beauty shines despite the unflattering light.
To avoid breaking the spell cast between us, I whisper, “Would you like to go to The Penalty Box with us for dinner tonight, Sunshine?”
Her shoulders slump as her gaze falls to the ground. “Oh, um, thank you for the offer, but we’ve gotta get home.” She shrugs as her eyes come back to mine. “We’ve still got homework to get through before school tomorrow.”
I nod as I shift on my feet. “Can I take you out to dinner later this week, then?”
Her hopeful eyes shift to steel determination before they fill with anguish. She lowers her chin and whispers, “This isn’t a good idea, Kam.”
She looks back up at me, and the force of her gaze nearly knocks the breath from my lungs. My voice is quiet in the darkness. “Why not?”
She shakes her head as a deep crease takes root between her brows.
“It’s not fair to you. I can’t open myself up to a relationship right now.
” Her eyes plead with me to understand. She glances back to where our siblings still stand near the back of Lila’s car.
Posey’s hands wave around her head as she tells a story too far away for us to hear.
“They need me right now, Kam. And I barely have enough headspace to get through the day. Relationships add a layer of complexity I’m not capable of handling right now.
” She turns her face to hide her unshed tears. “And you deserve better than that.”
I know their dad isn’t in the picture. I’ve gathered that much from my conversations with her and everything Jasper said during camp. Does that mean her mom isn’t in the picture, either? Are we at a place in our newfound friendship where I can ask?
I tilt my head to the side as I study her. Frustration like I’ve never known before surfaces at the realization that too few puzzle pieces are at my disposal to piece together her story.
With unwavering resolve, I arrive at my conclusion. I can feel my usual smirk bloom as the gears spin in my head. “I guess I’ll just see you around, then.”
She blinks away tears as a forced smile pulls at her lips. “Yeah, I’ll see you in class, Kam.”
My eyes never stray from her back as she stiffly makes her way over to her car and ushers the twins into their seats.
My feet move with a mind of their own as I walk toward my driver's side door. A blanket of quietness and calm settles over me as I close myself in my car.
Ellie’s eyes are as loud as any words she could say as the Tahoe sways with the closing of her door. Our bubble of silence stays firmly intact as the red car vanishes into the night.
The roar of the engine vibrates through my seat as I start my car. I force hunger back to the forefront of my mind as I carefully pull through Lila’s parking spot. “So, did Wyatt say when your car will be done?”
Flashes of the passing overhead lights illuminate Ellie’s face as she fully turns in her seat to face me. “Are we really not going to talk about what just happened?”
"Nope." I pop the "p" so she knows just how serious I am.
She lets out a deep sigh as she rights herself in her seat. “Alrighty, then.” I feel her gaze on the side of my face. “Just know, I like her.”
Me too, Ellie. Me too.
The dark buildings and empty sidewalks blur by as we drive the few blocks to The Penalty Box. She pulls her phone out of her back pocket and scrolls for the rest of the drive.
That’s something I’ve always loved about our relationship. If one of us isn’t ready to talk, there’s no pressure from the other. Just support. Always support.
Our usual table is already overflowing with everyone's drinks and appetizers when we arrive.
Dax balances on the back two legs of his chair as he smiles at us. “We thought you two ditched us!”
Ellie claims the empty seat next to my usual place with a smile. “Nah. You guys know how long it takes for this guy to shower.” Deep laughs rumble around the table as conversations resume.
I’ll have to bring Ellie a tub of Ben & Jerry’s later as a thank you for not outing me to my teammates.
I glance up to catch Wyatt’s piercing gaze. His eyes narrow, obviously not buying Ellie’s cover story.
I’ll get grilled by the guys when I get home, but for now, I’m left to my own devices to put my plan in place.
Operation Become Lila’s Friend is a go.