Page 14

I stayed up far too late, pretending I couldn’t hear Evie and Jake having sex, and stalking Alexander’s social media. So when I’m woken up the next morning to someone pounding on the front door, I stumble out of bed still half asleep. Making my way through the living room I note Evie is still in her room, so I switch on a few lights as I go, rubbing sleep from my eyes, as the door knocks again even louder. When I reach it, I hear a door open behind me, but I don’t turn around as I pull open the front door and find Ben waiting with a forced smile.

A smile that instantly drops when his eyes lift from me to whoever is over my shoulder. “Who’s that?” he demands, and I blink back a little, still struggling to find my senses after being woken up, and I turn to find Jake standing in nothing but his boxers a few paces behind me.

Oh holy hotness . He’s ripped from head to toe, almost as much as Alexander, and I’m sure the rest of the hockey team, and I stare a little before I force myself to snap out of it, just as Jake moves closer to me. “Bree, everything okay?” he asks, glaring at Ben as if he is a threat or something, and I’m guessing he forgot that my boyfriend was coming for a visit today. I open my mouth to reassure him, but Ben cuts me off.

“Yes, everything is okay! I’m her boyfriend, who the fuck are you?” Ben snaps, and my head whips toward him in mild shock.

Ben is never rude to anyone, and I barely ever hear him curse, and it takes me by complete surprise as I quickly stammer, “Ben, stop, this is Jake, he’s Evie’s boyfriend.” I take a step toward him, only to come face to face with my best friend, as she steps out of hiding. “Malorie?” I gasp, in confusion. “What are you doing here?” I ask, completely blindsided, as I stare between the two of them.

Ben never mentioned anything about bringing her, and yeah, I know they still talk and have been continuing our ritual of Saturday night dinner together in my absence, but I am still a little surprised to see them together. I love Malorie and I’ve missed her a lot, but I also really felt that Ben and I needed some time alone to reconnect. After witnessing all the fiery relationships around me these last few weeks, it’s obvious that we have been missing something, and I need to work out what.

“Surprise,” she says awkwardly, her smile not quite meeting her eyes, and all I can do is stare at her in shock. “Ben told me he was coming for a visit, so I thought I’d tag along, I hope that’s okay,” she adds, shuffling from foot to foot, and guilt slams into me.

“Of course it’s okay,” I reply, moving toward her and pulling her in for a hug, one that is stiff at first, but then she melts into it. “I’ve missed you,” I tell her truthfully, because even with getting to know Evie, Maddie, and Hallie, Malorie is still my best friend.

We’ve texted back and forth a couple of times since I left, but anytime I’ve tried to call her she has been too busy. We went from seeing each other every day, to talking only a few times a week, and it’s been hard to adjust. She didn’t leave my side after my mom and grandma passed away, and I guess I got used to having her there. Even if being here has allowed me to escape my grief a little, I still need her in my life.

“Yeah, missed you too,” she replies, pulling back from my embrace, and when I flick my eyes to Ben, he is watching us with a strange look.

“So we’re good?” Jake asks from behind me, and I turn to find him still ready to jump in, I smile gratefully as I drag Mal and Ben into the apartment.

“Yes, we’re all good,” I start with a laugh, gesturing between the two newcomers. “Jake, this is my boyfriend, Ben, and my best friend, Malorie,” I smile, glad to be bringing together some of my old life with my new life. “Guys, this is my roommate's boyfriend, Jake Harper, he plays on my dad’s team,” I add, and Jake also relaxes into a smile, holding out his hand that Malorie quickly rushes to shake.

Ben just glares at him in contempt before replying, “Maybe Jake should go and put on some clothes.”

I cringe a little at his tone, as Jake drops his hand with a smirk, and I swear he flexes a little, only making my boyfriend’s face redder as I focus on him. “Ben,” I scold his name, but the two men remain in a stare off, before Evie appears at her bedroom door.

“What’s all the commotion?” she groans, flicking her stare around as she stands in nothing but Jake’s jersey, her hair a sexed-up mess piled on top of her head. “Oh, Ben, you’re here,” she adds with a welcoming smile, as if she already knows him, before flicking her stare to my best friend and frowning a little as she looks from me to her. “And you’re Malorie, right?”

I sigh, still smiling through the tension, as I add, “This is my roommate, Evie.” My introduction is pointless since I’ve told both Ben and Malorie all about Evie, and when Ben still doesn’t drop his stare from Jake, I step in front of him and focus on my roommate.

“Evie, can you please start the coffee machine? I think we all need a cup,” I start with a shaky laugh, pleading at her with my eyes, and she looks between us all before she nods, making her way to the kitchen. “You come with me,” I grit beneath my breath at Ben, grabbing him and dragging him to my room. “Mal, we’ll be back in a minute,” I toss over my shoulder, only just capturing her frown before she turns it into a smile and nods gently at me.

“You two take your time,” Evie yells after us, clearly sensing the wrong kind of tension, and I offer her a neutral smile and wave of my hand.

I wait until Ben and I are in my room with the door closed behind us, before I stare at him in question. “What the hell was that?” I ask, annoyed at him for being so rude to Jake, but he looks at me in exasperation.

“Don’t curse, Bree, it’s beneath us,” Ben snaps, his eyes flying around my room in nothing but distaste, before he adds, “You’ve certainly settled in with your new friends.” His tone suggests his approval of their suitability to be my friends is less than stellar, and his words are paired with a slow appraisal of my body, and I suddenly feel insecure in my pajama set. “Isn’t that a little revealing to be walking around in,” he continues, and I swear I feel the hot flush of embarrassment all the way down to my toes.

“I couldn’t sleep last night so I didn’t wake up until I heard you knocking, I didn’t have time to get dressed,” I reply sheepishly, moving to grab an oversized sweater off the back of my chair and pulling it over my head. Only once I’m covered up do I continue. “And why did you bring Malorie? I mean, I’m really glad to see her, but I could have come to visit her anytime, this weekend was supposed to be about us.”

Ben looks as if he doesn’t hear any one of my words as his eyes zero in on something behind me, and it’s only when I follow his stare that I see what he is looking at. Alexander’s jersey is on my desk with his last name showing clearly, and before I can stop him, Ben is storming towards it and snatching it up.

“Who does this belong to?” he questions instantly, and I wish I didn’t have to lie to him, especially when I have done nothing wrong, but Ben would flip if he knew how relentless Alexander was in flirting with me, even if he is just a friend.

“One of the guys from the team lent it to me in case I wanted to wear a jersey to last night's game. Evie, Maddie, and Hallie were all wearing them so he gave it to me so I wasn’t left out, but I didn’t wear it,” I tell him, praying he doesn’t hear the dishonesty in my tone, but it appears he is too angry to withstand reason anyway.

“And why the fuck would he do that? Doesn’t he know you have a boyfriend?” he yells, and I know the guys in the other room will be able to hear him right now.

“Yes, he knows, Alexander is a friend and he plays on my dad’s team,” I reply gently, not rising to his petty argument, pulling the jersey from his hands and tossing it to the floor without giving it a second look. “Now will you please calm down and actually act like you are happy to see me,” I plead, and only then do his eyes soften.

“I am happy to see you, pretty girl, of course I am. I’m sorry, it’s just been so hard to be away from you,” he sighs, pulling me into his arms, and I relax instantly in his familiar embrace.

“I’m sorry too,” I start, not even sure what I am apologizing for, but feeling like I need to, before pulling away and adding, “Now why don’t we have some coffee and catch up over breakfast, I think we need it,” I say with a deep exhale and he nods.

“Yes, why don’t you make yourself presentable and I’ll meet you out there,” he replies, dragging his stare over me again before dropping a kiss to my head, walking out leaving me speechless.

I take my time getting ready, taming my hair and putting on a little makeup, exactly like Ben expects, and once I reappear in the kitchen, I find that Jake and Evie have both put on some clothes too, and the latter is sitting on the counter while Jake rests between her thighs. Ben and Malorie are both sitting at the small breakfast bar, and when I enter I pick up on a weird atmosphere that I can’t quite place.

“Sorry about that,” I say by way of greeting, trying to cut some of the tension, and Jake moves to pour me a cup of coffee, and I take it in silent thanks. We’ve spent many mornings together the last few weeks since I got here, and he’s always the first up given his early workouts, which means he’s always pouring coffee for Evie and me on his way out the door. “So, what are we talking about?” I ask, looking between them all, and Malorie quickly looks to Ben before lowering her eyes to her own coffee.

“We were just talking about sleeping arrangements,” Ben snaps, looking annoyed, and I’m slightly confused until I remember that Ben didn’t come alone, which means we didn’t factor in anywhere for Mal to sleep.

“Oh, right, of course,” I say, looking between him and Malorie, and my best friend looks at me with a bright smile.

“I can just sleep with you, B, Ben doesn’t mind taking the sofa, right Ben?” she asks, turning her head to glare at him, but before he can answer, Evie cuts in.

“I have a queen bed, why doesn’t Malorie stay with me, so you and Ben can have some time alone?” Evie suggests, and I’m about to agree when my best friend protests.

“No!” she snaps quickly, and I blink back a little, as she smiles. “I mean no offense,” she starts again looking at Evie. “It’s just I don’t really know you and wouldn’t feel comfortable, and plus B and I have slept together a million times, it just makes sense, right B?” she asks, looking at me brightly, and I feel myself slowly giving in.

“Of course, it will be fun,” I smile, still feeling a little deflated, but she’s right, we haven’t hung out in so long, and Ben and I can still spend time together, it will just be shared with my best friend.

Evie looks as if she wants to say something else, but Jake jumps in and changes the subject. “Babe, I’ve gotta get to practice, Nova will kill me if I’m late again,” he starts, pushing off the counter and moving to rinse out his cup before putting it on the side. “Call me later and we can grab some dinner or something?” he suggests, and Evie nods still looking at Malorie, and for some reason I get a sense that it isn’t in a completely friendly way.

“Sure, sounds good,” she replies distractedly, as he gives her a kiss on the cheek, before he turns to Ben and Malorie, and I almost think he is about to say something to them, but he bites his tongue and focuses on me.

“Catch you later, Bree,” he nods, while still glaring at my boyfriend.

“Yeah, have a good practice, I hope Nova and my dad aren’t too hard on you,” I tease with a laugh, which makes him smile, as he tosses a wave at me over his shoulder, but Ben’s stare on me hardens once more.

We all watch Jake leave, and for some reason the tension in the room seems to rise even more, until Malorie croaks, “He seems nice.” I know it’s just her attempt at conversation in the awkward silence, but I take it.

“Yeah he is, I keep telling Evie not to let him go,” I laugh, sipping more of my coffee as I move to stand next to my roommate. “But all the guys on the team are surprisingly great,” I add, thinking the conversation will lead us into safer territories, but then Ben is jumping in again.

“So you’ve been spending a lot of time with the players from your dad’s team?” he asks, his accusatory tone not lost on any of us, and I swallow deeply before I answer.

“No, not a lot, but I’ve met most of them at parties and classes and stuff, and plus I’m friends with a few of their girlfriends,” I explain, trying to talk him away from whatever imaginary ledge he is trying to jump off.

“Yeah, apart from Reign she’s barely even talked to any of them,” Evie cuts in, no doubt trying to help, but from the way Ben’s jaw ticks, I know she’s only made it worse.

“The jersey owner?” he girts in question, looking between me and Evie, but her stare comes up blank since she doesn’t even know I have it.

“Yes, he’s in my business class. My professor assigned him as my tutor, so I met with him last week.” I don’t offer any more details than I need to, knowing he will be pissed off either way, and for the first time in months I feel the urge to pray. Please God, don’t let him make more of this than what it is.

“I see,” is all he replies, but I don’t think two words could ever bring me less comfort, because this is not how I imagined our weekend together, and I spin the ring on my finger nervously.

“Well, B, are you giving us a tour of your new town?” Malorie cuts in, coming to my rescue, and when Ben drops my stare, I smile at her in silent thanks.

“Sure, I’ll show you guys around and we can find somewhere nice to have lunch, does that sound good?” I look between the two of them and while Malorie seems happy, it takes Ben a few seconds to reluctantly nod.

With plans made and agreed upon, Evie and I excuse ourselves to finish getting dressed for the day, and Malorie follows me into my room, closing the door behind her. “It’s okay that I’m here, right?” she asks, but I’m already nodding my head.

“Of course it is, Mal, I’m sorry if you don’t feel that way, I was just surprised that’s all, but it really is good to see you,” I tell her genuinely with a smile, as she takes a seat on my bed, and I see her eyes dart to the jersey on the floor.

“So, you’ve been spending time with your dad and his team?” she asks, probing a little gentler than what Ben did, and I nod.

“Yeah, I’ve had dinner with my dad a few times, and despite the reason I’m here, it really has been nice getting to see him regularly again.”

My dad and I have always found it hard to connect given the distance that was usually between us, but after losing my mom, we both have found connection in our shared grief.

“Is he still hot?” she dares to ask, her first real smile staining her lips, and I take the sweater I was pulling off and toss it at her.

“Don’t even go there, Mal,” I laugh, and she shrugs, getting comfy on my bed as I pick out something to wear.

“And his team? What are they like?” she pushes, and I know her question is a loaded one, and for some reason I want to give her the same clipped response I gave Ben.

“Like I said, they’re really nice. Jake is here quite a lot spending time with Evie, and a couple of my other new friends are dating guys on the team, so I have mingled with them at parties and stuff,” I say nonchalantly, not meeting her stare as I pull on some tights and boots to go with the black dress I just picked out.

“You seem different, happier,” she replies softly, and this time when I meet her stare, I can’t place the look in hers.

“I’m trying,” I whisper, swallowing the emotion now thick in my throat, knowing she understands it more than anyone else. “I miss home, I miss you and Ben, and I really miss my mom, but I think being here is what’s best for me right now,” I admit, having not even allowed myself to think that, let alone say it out loud, and my best friend nods in understanding.

“For what it’s worth, I think you’re exactly where you need to be,” she replies, jumping off my bed and moving to pull me in for another hug. I’m surprised by her outburst of emotion, but accept the hug willingly. “Now let’s go, I want to see your new home.”

We pull apart, and I once again notice her stare trailing to the discarded jersey on the floor, and when I move to pick up my sweater, I grab the jersey too, throwing both of them in the basket in the corner, before smiling brightly. “Let’s go.”

Then we head off to check out the town of Fairfield.

This time when I pray, it’s to make sure we don’t see any of the Flyers. The last thing I need right now is more drama, but for some reason I have a feeling it’s only just beginning.