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SIX

ARDEN

“You’re home late,” Jackson says over the back of the couch as I trudge through the door, my feet screaming at me from the longest practice I’ve ever endured. It wasn’t long time-wise, but Dahlia made the entire team run wind sprints for over thirty minutes. Then, when we were nice and exhausted, she had us do hitting lines against our defense. We’ve only been practicing as a team for two and a half weeks, so I’m still learning my passers’ techniques and my hitters’ strengths and weaknesses to set to them properly. Everyone is different and I have to memorize all of it, including the backup players, in case someone gets injured. It’s a lot of pressure, but I live and breathe for volleyball, and my spot on the Flare can be given to someone else at any time—so I need to give it my all.

“Sorry,” I reply, dropping my duffle bag and kicking my slides off before putting them in the closet. “I stayed after with one of my hitters to make sure we were on the same page.” Zara Ellis is fresh out of college and has surprised us all with her dedication these past couple of weeks, so I have a feeling she’ll be named starting right outside hitter before our first game. I hope she does, because she’s the only one who’s shown me grace while I’m learning what they all need from me. We work well together, and I’d hate to be on the receiving end of one of her hits. She’s an absolute powerhouse. I can’t wait to dominate the court with her, as well as the rest of the girls.

“Don’t be. We just wanted to eat dinner with you.”

“We?” I ask, entering the room to see Hawk sitting on the opposite end of the couch, breaking his connection from the action movie that’s playing on the TV to look at me. I’ve hardly seen him since the first night I got here, and even when I have, it’s only been while passing each other in the hallway or kitchen. I obviously said something wrong and upset him, and he hasn’t forgotten. It’s been uncomfortable, to say the least.

“Yeah,” Jacks says with a smile. “We were going to order from somewhere but wanted to see if maybe you were down to hang out. We have a couple of days off, and I know your practices are always in the afternoon, so how about some roommate bonding time?” I look between the two of them as they stare, shock obviously very evident in my expression because Jackson rolls his eyes, laughing. “I know it’s weird, but we realized today that we haven’t really given you much attention since you got here. And everybody knows how you need it to survive.”

My jaw drops, and I huff an incredulous laugh. “I do not need it to survive. I’m perfectly fine on my own, thank you very much. The two of you can take your pity attention and shove it up your asses. I don’t want it,” I reply, crossing my arms over my chest. I’m mostly joking. I know they’re busy, and when they’re home, which hasn’t been often, they’re tired. By the time they’re up and around on their days off, I’m already gone to practice or the gym. Our schedules haven’t really matched up, even if we did want to spend time together.

He laughs harder. “Princess, I’m injured, so if you don’t come over here willingly, I’m going to have to make my grumpy friend carry you to the couch. Make a choice.”

I scoff, rolling my eyes. “Yeah, okay.” Like Hawk is going to touch me when he’s barely even looked at me in the last three weeks. “Goodnight.” I turn, heading toward the stairs, but only get about five steps before a strong, thick arm wraps around my waist tightly. Electricity snakes its way throughout my body as a quiet voice speaks into my ear.

“He warned you, Hellcat,” Hawk says, his minty breath puffing against my cheek. The nickname sounds sinful coming from his mouth, and I have to actively stop myself from moaning out loud at the sound. I’m frozen in place, knowing I should pull away, but when he splays his hand over my lower stomach, I do the exact opposite and press myself into him. His muscular chest is warm against my back, and I let out a shaky exhale, closing my eyes and trying to stop the dizziness that’s threatening to pull me under just from being held by him, even though my brain is telling me he’s only doing it because Jacks told him to. But when he drags his nose from my neck to the sensitive spot under my ear, I’m light years away from any semblance of a rational thought.

My knees buckle just as he scoops me up from the ground. I instinctively wrap my arms around his neck, yet I’m unable to make a sound as he carries me bridal style across the room and deposits me next to Jackson on the couch before dropping down on my other side. The scent of their cologne, Hawk’s spicy and Jackson’s sweet, mix with the oxygen that slowly refills my lungs, and the fuzziness in my brain dissipates now that I’m no longer being held so tightly.

What the fuck was that? The last thing I need is to be affected by my stepbrother’s best friend and roommate. This is the second time his hands on me have made me feel something, and I really need to get it together before I embarrass myself. At this point, the simple thought of a friendship with this guy seems impossible. Other than this very moment, he’s been so quiet and closed off—even more so than I remember. So why am I wishing he’d wrap around me again?

“Anyway,” Jackson says, snapping me back to reality. I swallow loudly, looking straight at the TV because if I look at either of them, they’ll know what I’m thinking. So, I stay quiet as he continues. “I need comfort food. Pizza sound okay? There’s a place right down the street that has the best sauce, and they do low-carb crust.”

I nod my head way too fast to look sane, but whatever. It’s better than the alternative, which is sitting there like a rock while he asks me a question. “Mhmm,” I force out.

“You okay?” I snap my head in his direction, and suddenly I can breathe again. I don’t know why, but since I’ve known him, Jackson has always made me feel calm when my anxiety starts to pull me under. Even now, when the most confusing thoughts about Hawk are running rampant in my mind, his presence slows them so I can recenter myself.

“Yes,” I reply, smiling warmly. “It’s been a long day. My brain and body both hurt.”

His expression softens. “Let me order our food, then we can relax. Mushrooms and sausage for you, and supreme for us, right?” he says, pulling up the app to order on his phone. I nod, biting the inside of my cheek to hide my smile, because he still remembers my pizza order. Memories from the past resurface, and I realize exactly how much I miss his friendship. Things got a little weird after our parents got married, but it was probably a culmination of Jackson and Gina moving into a space they had to share with other people, and nerves for the upcoming MLB draft. He spent so much time perfecting his craft that year, that he was hardly around. I had already been offered a partial athletic scholarship from Penn State by the time the wedding rolled around, so I was all about having fun and going out during our senior year. But he spent his free time at the batting cages and updating his highlight reels so scouts would notice him. It paid off in a big way, because now he’s in the big leagues, but I definitely missed him. I still do. I hope that, eventually, we can get back to what we used to be.

He taps the screen a few times before setting the device on the large ottoman in front of the couch and pressing a button on the remote controller next to it. The lights in the room dim to almost nothing and the TV switches to the opening credits of a movie. I relax into the cushions, but before I can get comfortable, Jacks nudges my shoulder.

“Turn,” he orders softly. I look at him, confused, before he puts a finger in the air and motions in a circle, as if to mimic the word. Slowly, I angle myself so my back is to him, but immediately regret it when I realize that it puts me directly facing Hawk. My whole body heats, and I’m sure that if I weren’t wearing a cropped t-shirt, he’d see the visible flush across my chest as he looks at me while I pretend not to notice.

I jump when Jackson’s strong hands slide over my shoulders and he begins massaging the tight muscles. It’s a nice gesture—one that wouldn’t have phased me when we were seventeen. But being touched by him after all this time, paired with the way Hawk hasn’t taken his eyes off me since I turned toward him, is making me squirm in my seat.

“Is this okay?” Jacks asks. “You seem even more tense now. Should I stop?”

I shake my head, blowing out a forced exhale. This is ridiculous—he’s just being his normal self, trying to help because he knows I need it. So what if it happens to put me in Hawk’s line of sight? We all live here, and we should be comfortable like this, right?

“No, don’t stop,” I reply. “My shoulders and neck are really tight.” I turn more, giving him better access to work. The angle causes me to slide my knee onto the couch, brushing it along Hawk’s thigh. I watch the pinky finger of his hand resting on top twitch, grazing the fabric of my leggings before he quickly pulls it away and stands up.

“I’ll go wait for the food,” he mutters, hauling ass toward the door and disappearing from the condo fast enough to make my head spin.

“I don’t think he likes me. Just when I think maybe he does, he shows me the exact opposite. It makes me dizzy,” I say as Jacks smooths his thumbs over the muscles in my shoulders. It feels amazing, and I drop my head forward, enjoying the relief.

“He likes you. He just doesn’t really do emotions well. And it takes him a while to warm up to people.”

I huff an incredulous laugh. “I’ve known him for years and he’s barely spoken to me. I think I just need to keep my distance until I can get out of your hair and into a place of my own. I don’t want to disturb your routine or make him feel like his privacy isn’t respected.”

“Arden, look at me,” he says, dropping his hands. I twist myself so I’m sitting forward on the couch, turning my head to face him. “I’m telling you, we like having you here. Hawk has a lot going on in his head all the time, and he gets nervous letting people in. It’s not you—shit, it’s not even him . He wasn’t given a very good start, and he’s lost a lot, which is why he doesn’t let anyone get too close.” His eyes soften and his lips press together. “Just keep trying with him, okay? He deserves that.”

My heart squeezes in my chest. Not only for Jackson and how much of a gift his friendship is to both of us, but also for Hawk and whatever happened that makes him feel like he can’t open up to anyone. I’m glad he has Jacks, but that shouldn’t be where his support system ends.

“Okay,” I reply with an understanding nod. He nudges my shoulder with his and I return the gesture, barely able to move his six-foot-one, bulky frame. He smirks, the dimple on his cheek sinking in and making him look even more boyishly adorable. My mind floats back to the days when our friendship was easy and fun, and all I can think about is how I want that again. Being here is the perfect opportunity to close the distance that was created when we graduated and went our separate ways to achieve our dreams—which, coincidentally, are the same things that brought us back together here in Florida. It feels like a full-circle moment. Now that we’re older and know where our lives are headed, we can focus on us.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he says, putting an arm around my shoulder and hugging me to his side. I bring my knees up, curling into a ball before leaning into him. The comfort is nice, especially after such a rough day at practice and the mini roller coaster ride my anxiety just took me on with Hawk.

“Me too,” I reply with a yawn just as the door clicks shut and the sound of Hawk’s footsteps trail from the entryway to the kitchen behind us. My stomach clenches in hunger, and all I can think about is eating and falling asleep while I pretend to watch the movies they picked out. As much as I want to have roommate bonding time, I’m beat and can’t imagine I’ll make it very long before I pass out on the couch.

“Come on,” Jackson says, standing and turning to extend his hand for me to take. I notice that he’s babying his right leg just slightly, and I remember what he said earlier about being injured.

I grasp his hand, pushing myself off the cushions so he isn’t bearing any of my weight. “You alright?”

He waves a dismissive hand. “I pulled my hamstring a little bit. I’ll be fine. I’ll rest it for a couple days, and I’ll be good to go. But I bet it would make me feel better faster if you did all my laundry.”

I scrunch my face in faux disgust, slapping his shoulder. “Not a fucking chance. I know how bad your gym clothes smelled in high school. I can only imagine how awful they are now that you’re a grown-up.”

His jaw drops before a devious grin stretches across his face, and he darts a hand out, wrapping it around my wrist and yanking me toward him before putting me in a headlock. I scream playfully as he laughs, trying my best to wiggle away, but it’s futile. It’s not so tight that I can’t breathe, but I’m definitely not going anywhere on my own, instead moving beside him as he leads me to the kitchen.

“Still a smart ass,” he says, ruffling my hair before he loosens his hold and lets me go. Standing, I slap him again, and turn to see Hawk staring at us like he’s utterly confused by what he’s witnessing. I smile softly, and he shocks me by returning the gesture, reaching for a plate and setting a slice of mushroom and sausage pizza on it before handing it to me.

“Thank you,” I say quietly, admiring his gorgeous features as I take it from his hand. His chiseled jawline ticks slightly under my gaze, but he keeps his blue eyes on me until I’m able to look away. Just like the last time we were in this kitchen together, I’m left wishing for more, but I know he has to give it willingly. And I’ll be so grateful if he ever does.

“You’re welcome,” he replies, turning and getting his own food ready next to where Jacks is standing with a mountain of pizza on his plate. I roll my eyes playfully, because apparently some things never change. He may be built and have an eight-pack of abs, but the man eats like shit. He always has, and it’s obviously never going to catch up with him.

“Don’t judge me, Princess,” he says, pointing an accusing finger in my direction. “I’m injured and need greasy food to get better—and some cuddles probably wouldn’t hurt. You two are just going to have to fight over who gets to do that.”

“Your best friend or your stepsister,” Hawk says, raising an eyebrow. “Either way, it’s weird. You’re on your own this time, right Hellcat?”

I suck a breath through my teeth. “Yeah, I’m all set on the brother cuddles. Thanks for the pizza, though.”

“Fuck the both of you,” he says sarcastically, limping out of the room with his plate in hand. I look over to Hawk, who I swear shoots me a wink before following suit, leaving me to wonder if maybe I can fit in with them after all.