Page 4
Chapter four
Mandy
I wake up with the distinct feeling of being kissed.
Not a dream.
Not a fantasy.
A memory.
And it’s not just any memory. It’s Nate’s lips, warm and solid against mine, the soft heat of his hand brushing my hip as our friends collectively held their breath like we were the finale of some teenage drama series.
I groan into my pillow.
It was just a game. Just spin the bottle.
Okay… maybe not just a game.
And fine. The kiss wasn’t just a kiss.
It was… unexpected.
It was steady and real and slow enough to burn through me like an exposed wire.
But it was also public. Silly. And something that absolutely cannot mean anything.
Except for the part where I haven’t stopped replaying it in my head since it happened.
I roll over and squint at the ceiling. Morning light filters through the curtains in soft golden streaks.
Somewhere in the living room, the tail end of a party playlist is still playing at low volume.
Probably Kira’s doing. That girl could sleep through a hurricane and leave a speaker on at volume six like it’s white noise.
I sit up and stretch. I’ve got flashcards, outlines, and a criminal law brief waiting for me. The bar exam doesn’t care about my flustered hormones or my very confusing neighbor.
But before I can even reach for my textbook, Kira groans from her room.
A door creaks open. “Mandy?”
I sigh. “In here.”
She shuffles in with last night’s eyeliner smudged into smoky chaos and a fuzzy blanket wrapped around her like a bathrobe cape. “I feel like I got hit by a tequila truck.”
“Serves you right,” I mutter. “Who decided spin the bottle was a good idea?”
She flops onto my bed. “Me. You’re welcome.”
“I was being sarcastic.”
“You still got kissed by the hottest guy in the building.”
I stiffen. “It was a game.”
“That kiss had main character energy,” she says, pulling the blanket up to her nose. “Like, I’m sorry, but even my hangover paused to be impressed.”
I roll my eyes, but my cheeks heat anyway. “It was nothing.”
“Sure. That’s why you’re staring at the ceiling like it has answers.”
I throw a pillow at her.
“And don’t think I didn’t notice the real reason you wanted to play spin the bottle,” I tease. “Trying to guarantee a kiss with one of Detroit’s finest?”
Kira grins without shame. “Please. It was a public service. I gave the people what they wanted.”
“And by people, you mean yourself?”
“Exactly. And FYI, Ethan tastes like spearmint and sin. I have zero regrets. I kissed a Detroit Acer, Mandy. What are the chances of that? I peaked.”
She nudges me. “So? How’d it feel kissing Nate and James? You got the deluxe package.”
I scoff. “James was dramatic, Nate was… Nate.”
Kira grins like a cat with a secret. “But Nate’s the one that got to you, huh?”
I roll my eyes. “It was a kiss. One kiss. For a game.”
“You keep saying that like your face didn’t go all ‘soft smile emoji’ every time he looked your way.”
I pause. “You realize my sister’s gonna go full FBI if she finds out, right?”
“Oh yeah. She’ll pop up like a soap opera villain. ‘How dare you make out with my ex!’”
I laugh despite myself. “I wasn’t making out. It was a simple kiss. Spin the bottle.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Little Fields.”
“Don’t you start calling me that.”
“Too late.”
I finally get her out of my room and drag myself into leggings, sneakers, and a hoodie. If I can’t shake this hangover with caffeine, I’m going to sweat it out instead.
***
The apartment gym is quiet when I walk in.
And of course… Nate’s there.
Shirtless. Sweaty. Headphones in. Muscles doing entirely too much while he works a punching bag like it personally offended him.
I try to backtrack quietly.
Too late.
He sees me, pulls out one headphone, and grins. “Didn’t expect to see you voluntarily sweating this morning.”
“Didn’t expect to be awake, period,” I shoot back.
“It’s the weekend. You could have slept in.”
“Speak for yourself. You don’t have bar prep hell to face.”
He tosses me a towel from the bench. I catch it instinctively. It smells like laundry and cedar… and trouble.
“Use that,” he says. “Before you short-circuit the treadmill.”
I raise a brow. “That your way of saying I look like crap?”
“No,” he says. “That’s my way of saying you look flushed. Could be from the kiss. Could be from the hoodie. Could be from the company.”
I narrow my eyes. “You done?”
He shrugs. “For now.”
We both head toward the free weights. I do a half-hearted round of light reps just to seem normal.
“Hey,” he says after a beat. “That spin-the-bottle thing…”
I keep my eyes on the dumbbell in my hand. “You mean besides the fact that you kissed me in front of your teammates?”
He smirks. “I’m pretty sure you kissed me back.”
I don’t dignify that with a response. Mostly because he’s not wrong.
“So what does that mean?” I ask before I can stop myself. “That’s how spin-the-bottle works. Two people kiss.”
He shrugs again, wipes sweat from his chest with the towel. “Means maybe it wasn't just me. You seemed… pretty into it, too.”
I raise an eyebrow and tilt my head. “Doesn’t mean I wrote your name in my diary.”
He smirks. “If my name’s going in the diary, I just hope it’s in pen...and underlined.”
I shake my head, unable to hide the grin forming at my lips. Thankfully the treadmill is on the other side of the room and I head over to walk for the next thirty minutes.
***
As we head for the exit, he holds the door open.
“Hey Mandy, if you and Kira ever want to come to a game, let me know. I can get tickets anytime.”
I pause. “Is this a neighborly gesture, or are you trying to recruit fans?”
He smirks. “Both. I like a loud cheering section.”
“Good to know. And yes, we'd love tickets. You know Kira is a big hockey fan.”
***
Back in my apartment, I toss my hoodie on the couch and sit down with my flashcards.
Except I don’t study.
I stare at the table.
And think about him.
His voice. His smirk. The way his arms flexed while he hit that punching bag. That kiss.
What is happening?
He’s off-limits. He’s Allison’s ex.
But now I kind of want to see him in full gear, crashing someone into the boards.
Kira walks in with a glass of juice and a knowing look.
“You gonna stare at that textbook or call your sister and warn her you’re about to steal her ex?”
I throw a flashcard at her.
She ducks and grins. “I’ll take that as a maybe.”
I smirk. “By the way, I just saw Nate at the gym. He said he can get us tickets to any Acers game we want.”
Kira freezes mid-sip. “Shut up.”
“I’m serious.”
She lets out a high-pitched squeal and throws her hands in the air. “Mandy! You should’ve led with that! This is officially the best day of my life.”
“I figured you'd react like that.”
She bounces on her toes. “We’re going. I don’t care what night of the week it is! If I have to work, I’ll find coverage, call in sick, fake the flu, whatever. I’m going to an Acers game.”
I laugh. “He said we could go whenever. Just let him know.”
Kira clutches her juice like it’s champagne. “I’m bringing my dad. My whole family. We’re a hockey household. My dad still wears his old Acers jersey to mow the lawn. This is going to blow his mind.”
“Should I tell Nate to add six tickets to the list?”
“Make it eight. We’ll bring snacks.”
I laugh. “Let’s just start with two for now, just you and me. Maybe after that, I’ll ask for more.”
Kira’s eyes sparkle. “Oh, it’s happening. Maybe I’ll bring my dad next time. My mom would freak out too. Our whole house is basically decorated in Acers memorabilia.”
She winks at me and continues. “And speaking of game invites, how did it feel watching your sister’s ex offer you premium tickets while shirtless?”
I groan. “You’re insufferable.”
“Admit it, Little Fields. He may actually like you like you.”
I wrinkle my nose. “That’s ridiculous. Why would you say that?”
Kira grins like she’s just been handed gossip gold. “Because he gave you the look. You know, that look. The one guys give in rom-coms right before they confess their undying love or ruin your life. You’re practically halfway to stealing your sister’s boyfriend. You just need a matching jersey now.”
I shake my head, heart pounding.
I’m not about to steal anything.
I’m just curious.
And mildly distracted.
And maybe, possibly, in a little bit of trouble.