Page 6 of Your Biggest Downfall (Ravens Hockey #3)

nova

After I had dropped off the coffee to Iris, I told her I was going to make some content and got the hell out of there.

I had no desire to do any work after the shit show of the day I’d had.

Instead, I commented on a few influencer posts, tagged a couple people in others, and called it a day. My mom came first.

I pulled up to my mom’s house on the other side of Chicago.

Technically, she lived in the city because she used to be a city employee, but it was the outskirts by the suburbs.

She lived in a small brick house that I grew up in.

It was always just her and me. My dad had run out when I was a kid.

Now, I shared an apartment downtown with Luna to be closer to work, but I promised I’d come visit her and Aunt Mae.

“Mami,” I called out.

My mom was half Puerto Rican, half German, and when she was healthy, she was absolutely stunning. Because of her stomach cancer, she looked a little more frail than usual.

I found her in the living room watching another episode of Jeopardy as she yelled at the TV.

My Aunt Mae was in the kitchen setting up her IV bag.

Aunt Mae was technically my mom’s half sister, but the two of them were like twins.

Mae was a nurse at a hospital, but since my mom got sick, she was her full-time caregiver.

“Hi, Mami,” I crooned as I scanned her to make sure she looked okay.

Her dark hair was cut to the same length as mine, right below her neck, and was as straight as mine. Her tanned skin had weathered with age, but her eyes were still bright green, which made me happy.

“Hi, mija,” my mom whispered as I dropped down on the old fabric couch next to her and gave her a hug.

“She looks good today, Mae,” I called out to the kitchen.

The house was small and outdated, yet it exuded a cozy charm that made it feel like home.

The walls were adorned with faded floral wallpaper, and the furniture was a mismatched collection of vintage pieces that had clearly seen better days.

The creaky wooden floors and the scent of freshly baked cookies lingering in the air added to the warm atmosphere.

Mae, my mom’s sister from her dad’s German side, emerged from the kitchen. Her long blonde hair, a striking contrast to our dark locks, cascaded down her back. We all shared the same vibrant green eyes, a familial trait that often drew comments on our resemblance despite our different backgrounds.

“Hey,” she said, flashing a warm smile as she wiped her hands on a towel. “I was finishing up in the kitchen. Do you want some tea?”

“Sure,” I replied, appreciating her efforts to maintain a sense of normalcy despite the changes in our family dynamics.

As Mae busied herself in the kitchen, I took a moment to soak in the familiar surroundings. The old wooden shelves were lined with an eclectic mix of books and knickknacks, each telling a story of its own.

“She does look good,” Mae commented from the other room.

“I’m right here,” my mother said, and I wrapped her in a hug. “Tell me about work.”

Mae returned with a tray of tea and cookies. “Yes, we’re looking forward to hearing about your big social media job. Your mom keeps making me refresh the Tiky Toky page to see if you posted again.”

I laughed, not bothering to correct her. “I?—”

“I’m so proud of you.” My mom gave me a little side hug.

I had lied to my mom. I’d lied to Mae. I told them I had actually gotten hired to do social media full-time for the Ravens. I didn’t tell them, or rather didn’t have the heart to tell them, that they didn’t want me.

“Thanks, Mami. Work is good. I actually was invited to a party with some of the team tonight.”

“Oh my god,” Aunt Mae squealed and jumped off the couch. She danced around the room. “Did you hear that Cecilia? Our little girl is going to a party.”

Mae never had children and never had a serious relationship. She said it was because she never wanted to, but I felt bad for her. She lived for my mom and her friends when she went to Bunco once a week. But she seemed content and always viewed me as one of her own.

“Will there be boys there?” my mom asked as she coughed.

I immediately jumped off the couch and checked on the IV to make sure she wasn’t getting the fluids too fast. It looked okay.

“Sit down. I’m fine, just old.”

“You’re not that old,” I quipped.

“Tell me about the party.”

“My friend Austin invited me today.”

“It is a boy,” Aunt Mae squealed and did her little dance again. “She’s dating.”

“No.” I held up a hand as I flopped back down next to Mami, picking up a cookie from the table. “I am not dating. Austin and I were friends last year, and we drifted apart, but I think we’re rekindling our friendship.”

At least, that’s what I concluded on my way here. After all this time, that was the only logical thing I could come up with.

My mom tsk ed. “I bet he’s very stressed about the Stanley Cup. They’re so close to winning.”

“Yeah . . .”

“Just an observation.” She winked.

I was almost positive it wasn’t that, but if that was easier for her to believe, then I’d let her.

That was the thing with Mami and her sickness.

I let a lot of stuff slide, like lying about my job, because I wanted her to be proud of me.

The moments I shared felt so precious and fleeting.

Why burden her with all the shit I was actually going through in my life?

“Anyway, tell us what you’re going to wear to the party?”

I shrugged. “I figured maybe I’d borrow something from Luna’s closet.”

“Are you going to show off all your tattoos?” Mom asked.

I laughed. “I know you hate them,” I added.

“Eh. They’re rubbing off on me.”

I had a patchwork sleeve on one arm and then the start of something floral on the other. It was supposed to be a full sleeve, but I’d given up when my bank account told me I was only an intern and not a full-time employee.

“I’ll probably wear one of those flowy tops she has and maybe a pair of jeans.”

It was still pretty cold at night here in the city, but we didn’t have to travel far for the party, so I could wear something sleeveless and get away with it.

“Maybe something with glitter?” Mae added, and I chuckled.

“I love you both. What would I do without you?”

“We love you, mija.”

“I think I have time for one episode before I have to go. Mae, you in? We’re on the same team. Let’s try to beat Mami.”

Mae sat down next to us, throwing her feet up on the table. I looked between the two women who raised me, and my heart swelled with love. After the shitty day I’d had, this was exactly what I needed. It was exactly who I needed to be surrounded by.

“I cannot believe that snack has finally convinced you to go to one of his parties.” Luna, my best friend, squealed when I got home.

We lived in a second-story walk-up, and she’d cornered me the moment I got in. Technically, our apartment was only one bedroom, so I slept in the living room and Luna slept in the bedroom.

Luna was the total opposite of me, which made our friendship even more laughable. She had long blonde hair that cascaded down her back. She was curvy, where I was flat chested. She was loud, fun, and always down to party, and I was far more naive than her.

But she was my ride or die. We’d been friends, each other’s only friends, for so long that she became my sister.

“Listen, I felt bad that I had a good cry on this guy’s shoulder?—”

“Which is so unlike you,” Luna added.

“Exactly. So when he invited me, I figured why the hell not.”

Luna knew that Austin and I were friendly at work since he appeared on most of the team’s social media posts, but outside of that, I never told a soul about what happened that night.

“Good. You should go out. Get drunk. Forget about all the shit with your job, your mom, and your continued singleness.”

“Ugh,” I laughed and went to her room, where I opened her closet. I needed sunglasses if I was going to be in here. Everything was bright, loud, and glittered. “I want to borrow that gold crop top.” I swiped through her clothes to try and find it.

“The one held up in the back by only a gold chain?” she asked.

“That’s the one,” I said, and when I found it, I pulled it out.

It was sexy while still being subtle. It was perfect to add to a pair of jeans and my black Docs.

“Thank you!” I held it up against my body and laughed when Luna slapped me on the butt.

“Should I call you Mommy tonight?” she asked.

I rolled my eyes as I threw off my shirt and bra. I clipped the gold chain on the back and adjusted the top so it was as comfortable as it was going to get.

Luna looked me up and down from her doorframe before whistling. “I told you, Nov, you ever decide you want to have a threesome, I would be so down.”

“Shut up,” I laughed.

Luna had always told me that was one of her kinks. We were the same in that we individually liked to explore our sexuality—well, her more than me, considering I was still a virgin. She’d been joking about having a threesome with me for years, but there was no way I’d jump right into the kink pool.

“What’s with this new attitude? Normally you’d be complaining about wanting to go to a party. Is it because the hot hockey guy wants you to come?”

“No,” I huffed, taking off my work pants and putting on my loose jeans that hung low on my hips. “I’m tired of all this, Luna. I’m tired of Mami being sick, and I feel like I’m not doing enough there. I hate that my job still keeps me as an intern?—”

“I told you that you need to have a bigger voice to that annoying-ass boss you have.”

“Ugh, I know, but I want to work with a sports team in social media.” I went to the bathroom as Luna put on a bright, highlighter-yellow minidress and white stilettos. “I want to let loose for a night.”

I grabbed her makeup and swiped on some mascara before plugging the straightener in.

“You’ll get there,” Luna shouted.

I looked in the mirror as I put red gloss on my lips.

I loved that my tattoos were on display.

I loved the way my skin was showing. I didn’t look anything like the Nova the guys knew me as at work, but I felt like myself.

I was the creative genius behind the entire marketing team.

I knew for a fact that some of my videos were responsible for the number of women now coming to the games.

But tonight, the guys were going to see a different side of me, and truthfully, I was ready to be someone else. I was ready to escape, and this party was going to be the best place to do that.

“Thanks for coming,” I said when I walked out of the bathroom. “Hottie,” I added, sizing Luna up as she finished curling her hair.

“I know. Thanks. Maybe you’ll even get your kitty wet tonight.”

I grumbled and rolled my eyes, walking away from her. The problem wasn’t getting my “kitty” wet, because it was constantly horny. It was finding the right person to satisfy me.