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TASHA

I hated packing. There was just something about it that was the absolute worst. I loved going on the trip, but having to somehow fit outfits, shoes, and makeup in a suitcase was the bane of my existence. And don’t get me started on having to repack to come home or how you somehow had even less space and nothing seemed to fit right in your suitcase.

I was currently sitting on the floor of my bedroom with my suitcase on my bed, overflowing with clothes. I was taking a break, drinking a glass of wine, before I tackled folding it all and trying to make it fit. I was more than tempted to push it off and deal with it tomorrow, but I knew I was just putting off the inevitable.

Tomorrow was going to be a busy day making sure everything at work was settled while I was gone. I had a few patients that I still had to call and inform I’d be gone for a week. So packing tonight would be the smarter option for sure, especially since I didn’t do it last night after work like I said I would .

I was in the middle of telling myself one more minute when a knock sounded on my door. Confused about who would be there, I padded over and peeked through the peephole. A grin stretched across my face at the sight on the other side of the door.

“Guys!” I yanked the door open to find three of my best friends. Josie Scott, Lydia Ellis, and Mila Jones standing there grinning with Josie holding a bottle of wine. “Did I forget girl’s night?”

I stepped aside, letting the three in, and shut the door behind me.

“The guys wanted to do a last minute poker night, so I thought why not come and hang out?” Josie moved toward my kitchen in search of glasses.

“And to see if you’ve packed yet,” Lydia whispered as she passed by. I snorted, not at all surprised. Josie knew I’d put off packing until the last minute. I followed the girls into my kitchen, glad that they dropped by—and if I was being honest, that they were giving me a distraction.

“Are you girls ready to go on vacation?” Mila asked as I helped pour four glasses of wine and handed them out.

“Yes. I need to be sitting on the beach drinking a margarita.” Lydia let out a groan-like moan. “Haven’t taken a vacation in so long.”

“That’s cause you are a workaholic.” Josie shot Lydia a motherly look. Lydia may have been the oldest at twenty-nine and Josie’s boss, but Josie was definitely the mom of our group.

“I won’t deny that.” Lydia just shrugged. Hard for her not to be a workaholic when she owned one of the fastest-growing magazines in Toronto. Fusion Weekly started off as a small magazine with few employees, but was now a magazine where people got to see everything that went on in the city. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lydia’s next move was getting it into all stores across the province.

“This will be the perfect trip for all of us to unwind.” Josie said over her shoulder, headed for my living room. Mila flashed me a wide grin before schooling her expression. This trip had a lot more in store than Josie knew.

“Can’t wait to show off some of the bikinis I bought. I've been hiding them from Bryton so he would be surprised.”

“I did the same thing.” Josie flung her legs onto mine as I settled on the couch. From the look on both Josie and Mila’s faces, their boyfriends had no clue what was about to hit them. Mila’s boyfriend, Bryton Young, star left winger to the Toronto Knights, was in for a big surprise.

When I met Mila a year ago, I instantly knew we’d be close friends. She had the same spontaneity about her that I had. The two of us were definitely the troublemakers of our girl group. Where Josie typically settled my crazy ideas, Mila encouraged them. Like the time we went to karaoke night downtown and got kicked out for dancing on the tables. Of course Josie nor Lydia participated, but Mila and I had a blast.

“Maybe I can find a hot Australian man while we’re there,” Lydia mused, sipping her drink on the other side of Josie.

“What about Landon?” Mila asked.

“What about him? He could fall into the ocean for all I care.” Lydia shrugged. The relationship between her and Wyatt’s older brother, Landon, was an interesting one. The two claimed to hate each other, but there was clearly something there. The sexual tension between the two was almost stifling.

“Uh-huh.” I smirked over the lip of my wine glass. “Did you pack any skimpy bikinis?” I asked. When she went silent, all three of us howled in laughter. She could deny it all she wanted, but there was definitely something between the two of them.

As the conversation shifted and the girls kept talking, I found myself sitting there silently sipping my wine, replaying the conversation I had with my mother the day before. Her words still echoed in my head, as well as the feelings that stirred up every time I talked to my parents. In only a few words, she managed to make me feel like a child. A child who would do anything for their love, even though I knew I wouldn’t get it. I was a grown woman, and yet here I was, still striving for my parent's approval and affection.

“Hey, you okay?” Josie sat up, nudging me with her knee. “You’ve been a bit quiet.”

“Yeah, I’m good.” I sent her a fake smile, one she clearly saw through. The look she sent me had me nodding. We’d known each other for so long. Just one glance and we knew what was going on in the other’s head. The look in my eye was probably enough for her to know it was my parents.

Every time they called or forced me to attend some event for them, Josie had been by my side. There to cheer me up and make me feel better. Without her, I was pretty sure I would have gone crazy. After all these years, she was more of a sister than a best friend.

With a small sigh, she untangled her legs from her lap and moved to sit next to me, leaning into my side. Josie really was my ride-or-die. The moment I met her freshman year, the two of us bonded like no other. She was the yin to my yang. Where Josie was more relaxed and a rule follower, I was the opposite.

Part of why I liked to push the boundaries sometimes was to get a reaction out of my parents. To see if they paid enough attention to notice the things I did. One of the only times they noticed was when I dyed my hair bright pink before a big event they wanted me to go to. All I got was a look before they walked out the door, leaving me home without another word.

Josie and I evened each other out. I pulled her out of her shell a bit, and she kept me in line. She did a good job curbing my irrational ideas…usually.

Not wanting to focus on my parents anymore, I forced them to the back of my mind. They didn’t deserve to take up space in my head. Not when I was surrounded by people who actually did care about me.

“There is one thing I, for sure, want to do while we’re on vacation,” Mila said a few minutes later. “I looked up a dance club a few blocks away from our hotel that we have to go to.”

“Oh, a dance club.” Lydia perked up.

“We can make it a girl's night or drag the boys, but it looks really fun.”

“I’m in.” Josie grinned next to me before gently nudging my shoulder.

“Me too.” I nodded. “Let me propose a toast.” I sat up and lifted my wine glass. “To an amazing vacation we won’t forget.”

“I second that.” Josie clinked glasses with mine.

“To an awesome vacation.” Mila and Lydia tapped their glasses against ours with the biggest grins in the world.

“And possibly getting dick!” Lydia cheered. Laughing loudly, we all clinked our wine glasses together and cheered.

A couple of hours later, we were still sitting on my couch, drinking wine and laughing about some story Mila was telling us. We were all a tiny bit tipsy, thanks to the two bottles of alcohol.

“We were in the middle of doing it when Bryton slipped and ended up smashing his forehead into the table. Cut his face and everything.” Mila giggled as she continued her story. “But it didn’t stop him, he just went right back to it.”

“No, he didn’t!” Josie gasped.

“Was still amazing.”

All of us girls cackled at the image.

“I’ll never see Bryton in the same light.” I shook my head.

We were all busy laughing when a knock sounded at the front door. Stumbling past the girl's legs, I headed for it and flung it open. It took me a second to register who was just beyond the threshold.

“Hey,” the deep voice said as I blinked up at the hulking body blocking the hallway.

“What are you doing here?” The words slipped out as I stared at Trevor Hall, star right winger to the Toronto Knights. Beside him was Wyatt, his best friend, who my eyes flicked to for a beat.

“Lovely to see you too.” With a hand on my shoulder, Trevor gently moved me to the side so he could slip inside.

“Hey, Tasha.” Wyatt, who was also Josie’s boyfriend, smiled at me in greeting as he stepped into my apartment. Bryton followed behind him with a nod.

While my apartment wasn’t that small, having three huge hockey players made it feel tiny. Stepping back into the living room, I scrunched my nose at the sight of both Josie and Mila kissing their boyfriends. On the far side of the couch, Lydia threw back the rest of her drink.

“What are you guys doing here?” Josie asked once she stopped sucking face with Wyatt.

“Knew you would be drinking so figured why not come and pick you up,” Wyatt said with a shrug .

“Then what is he doing here?” I pointed to Trevor, who stood off to the side, hands in his pockets, as he looked around my apartment.

“Aw, did you miss me, Tasha?” The way he said it had me rolling my eyes, but it didn’t stop the small flutter in my chest. Damn him for being so attractive. The scruff, the semi-crooked nose from playing hockey. There was even a small scar near his eyebrow that somehow made him look ten times hotter.

It had been a little bit since I last saw him. I was busy with work, and he was focused on practices with the team. With the season just around the corner, Coach Barnum had been working the team nonstop. The Toronto Knights may have won the Cup Championship last year, but that didn’t mean they could go easy this next season.

I glanced away, trying my best not to flush under Trevor’s gaze. I wasn’t typically someone who got flustered, but for some reason, Trevor Hall made me blush like a teenage girl.

“Ready to go home?” Wyatt asked, holding Josie close. Again, I looked away at the way they both looked at each other. Sometimes, it was too much seeing how in love the two were.

“Yeah, but first,” Josie stepped back so she could see all of us, “in two days everyone needs to be at the airport at seven a.m. sharp. That way, if any of you are late, we still have plenty of time.”

“Jo, our flight doesn’t even leave until nine thirty,” Trevor said with a pout. I already knew he was giving Josie a look for having to be up so early. Not that I blamed him. To be at the airport at seven meant waking up at five to shower and ensure everything was ready to go.

“Trev, we all know you’re going to sleep through your alarm. This way, you can still make it to the airport and not be late,” Josie said, almost scolding him like a mother would. Out of everyone, Trevor was definitely going to be the one late to the airport.

I was glad we had someone taking the lead with the vacation itinerary and making sure everyone was set to go. Knowing how our group was, we’d have someone oversleep and miss our flight or do something stupid. Josie was the perfect person to keep us all in line. Plus, no one was going to ruin this trip for her. They weren’t allowed to.

“And don’t forget your passports,” Josie added, looking at each of us. I ducked my head at the way Trevor put his hand up to salute her. Mila giggled before smothering it in Bryton’s shoulder.

“Kay, I’m out of here,” Lydia said, standing up.

“We’ll give you a ride,” Wyatt offered.

In a matter of minutes, the girls had their belongings and filed out the door with the promise to talk in the morning. Josie gave me a quick hug before pulling Wyatt out the door, leaving Trevor and me.

I could feel his gaze on me as I moved around the living room, grabbing wine glasses to discard in the kitchen. This was the first time the two of us had been completely alone in the last five months. I'd done all I could to avoid it, especially since the awkward night we shared months ago during one of Josie’s parties.

After what happened, I kept my distance. Partly because of my pride but also due to embarrassment. Keeping my gaze down, I finally spoke.

“Anything else you need?” My skin tingled under his gaze. Trevor was quiet for a moment before I saw him step toward the door out the corner of my eye.

“All good. Have a good night, Tasha.” The way he said my name made my breath hitch in my chest. I glanced up and met his eyes right as he paused in the doorway. His green eyes were all I could see and focus on. The corner of his lip quirked into a smirk that made my stomach clench before he disappeared out the door.

I stared at the empty spot for a good minute before shaking my head. Going on vacation with Trevor was going to be interesting, especially since I was still trying to figure out how to fight the spark that lingered between us.