Page 24

24

Caleb

W hen we meet up with the rest of the team at a nearby bar, nobody asks us what took us too long.

“A round of drinks for eight, please!” Schultz tells me.

“Only eight?” I look around—there’s definitely more of us. Most of the team is here, though the younger guys are already nursing sodas.

“The rest can’t drink yet,” Rhys says. He’s glaring at our underaged teammates, probably making sure they don’t order alcohol. Snorting, I know that works for me—the bill won’t be too painful on my already pathetic wallet.

Nick gives me a wary stare, and I ignore it. I think he’s noticed that I’ve worn myself thin with extra shifts recently, which I’ve picked up because I wanted to get Penny something nice for Christmas. I’m glad Nick doesn’t offer to help me with buying the guys drinks, though his creased eyebrows say it bothers him.

After getting our order, I head back to our table and realize that the guys are talking about the upcoming holiday break.

Rhys eyes me as he says, “Nick, are you heading home for the holidays? And your birthday?”

I blink. “Nick’s birthday is coming up?”

“It’s on December 31st,” Rhys answers for Nick, who frowns at him.

Vega laughs. “Cool. You get fireworks on your birthday.”

My eyebrows clash together. Leave it to Nick to keep this all from me—and I’m pretty sure Rhys is bringing it up like this, so I’d find out. The way he stares at me makes it obvious.

Though, I get it. These are things I should probably know about the dude I’m seeing.

Wait, what the fuck?

Are we dating?

And is this Rhys acknowledging that?

Nick mumbles, “Don’t worry about me.”

A loud sigh escapes Rhys. “You usually spend holidays with my family, so of course I’m worrying. Especially since it’s your birthday. You could still come with us, you know?”

“Rhys, I won’t crash your family vacation to Maldives.”

“Maldives?” Schultz echoes. “How fancy. Wait, Sandoval, why can’t you spend the holidays with your parents?”

“I am. We’re not going somewhere fancy like Rhys, but Dad said he’d be working from home, so it’s not like I’ll be alone for the holidays.”

Rhys rolls his eyes. “You said the same thing about Thanksgiving, and he left the state last minute and you were going to spend it alone in the dorm if I didn’t catch on.”

I frown. “Wait, what?”

Seriously? I had assumed he had been with his dad, since that was what he said right before I drove home. I didn’t even know that Rhys ended up dragging him along to his house.

“You can’t spend the break alone,” Rhys reiterates, and his stare flickers to me again when he says this. Scowling, I narrow my eyes at him. Guys who beat around the bush piss me off. If he wants me to bring Nick with me, he should outright say it instead of all these mind games.

Still—I see what Rhys is so obviously hinting at, and I agree.

That’s why afterwards, when we’re walking back to the dorm, and I still can’t let the topic rest, I grasp Nick’s arm to get his attention.

“Nicky,” I say. “One second.”

He stops walking and turns to me. The rest of the guys are walking ahead of us. There’s a thin sheet of snow on the ground and Schultz and Vega are horsing around, play-wrestling, and Rhys shouts at them to be careful.

Nick’s cheeks are red from the few drinks he had, and he gives me a lazy smile that makes me pause for a moment. It makes me want to grab him by the sides of his face and kiss him stupid.

Caleb. Focus.

I clear my throat. “Do you want to spend the break with me and my family?”

He huffs a laugh, his eyes twinkling. “Of course not.”

“The hell?”

My chest twists and I glower at him, but before I can get angrier, he says, “Your sister wouldn’t want me there. I don’t want to take her time away from you. I really appreciate the offer, though, but I’ll be fine. Besides, Dad says he’s mostly sure we can spend it together.”

“Mostly sure,” I say dryly. “Fine. Whatever. But if he’s not around, you need to tell me. I don’t want you to spend the holidays all alone in the dorm. And why didn’t you tell me your birthday was coming up?”

“I didn’t think it was important.”

“Fucking tell me these things.”

Nick’s smile widens, and he blinks at me slowly, his stare flickering to my lips for a moment. “You’re sweet.”

“Shut your mouth. I’m not.”

“You are.” Nick lifts a hand as if to brush my hair away from my eyes, then drops it to his side at the last minute. He probably remembered we were with company. “I really, really like this side of you.”

My veins buzz. “Are you drunk again? You barely had anything.”

He shakes his head. “No. Not drunk. I’m serious, though. You’re amazingly sweet even if you try to hide it behind a tough exterior. I like it every time you let me see a part of you that you don’t show anyone else.”

“Jesus, Nicky.” My face heats and I scowl again. “Knock it off or I’ll punch you.”

Nick throws his head back and laughs, and then we’re interrupted by Schultz who calls us over to settle an argument he’s started with Rhys—it’s about something stupid I don’t even want to comprehend. Nick gives me another split-second smile before jogging over to our teammates.

***

Christmas morning at our house looks like Santa’s elves themselves decorated it, but Mom always went all out during the holidays for Penny’s sake. It’s always been Penny’s favorite holiday, which is why we’re up way too early and giving each other presents.

“Thank youuu!” Penny squeals, ripping open my gifts to her the second I hand them over. Her face lights up when she sees the limited edition books I was somehow able to find on eBay, though I think my little sister would have been happy with literally anything. “This must have cost you a lot!”

“Nah, not at all.”

No need to tell her about the extra shifts at the café so I could get her these. I cover my slight smile with the mug of hot chocolate Mom gave me.

“You look happy.” Mom leans her head against my shoulder. “Are you seeing someone?”

“Mom,” I groan, because why immediately jump to that conclusion?

“I’m only saying, Caleb,” Mom says. “You look really good. Happy good.”

“And your assumption is that I’m seeing someone?”

“Am I wrong?”

I glance at Penny. She’s lying on her belly on the carpet, flipping through her new books, seemingly oblivious to our conversation.

“Not wrong, I guess,” I mumble at Mom.

“Tell me about him.”

Mom doesn’t look the least bit bothered by the way I glare at her. Horrifyingly, I realize my cheeks warm up—I’ve never been a blusher, but apparently, Nicholas Sandoval’s able to bring that out in me. Ugh.

“We’re on the same team,” I tell her. “We’re both wingers and he’s the school’s star player—well, until I came along, I mean.”

“Ahh, Nicholas Sandoval?” Mom asks, just as I take a sip of hot chocolate.

I almost spit out my drink, because of course Mom would know exactly who I’m talking about. She watches all my games like clockwork.

Penny suddenly turns to us, face all screwed up. “Nick? He’s annoying.”

Startled, Mom asks, “You’ve met him?”

“I met him at the hospital… and Caleb forces me to say hi to him when he video calls me and Nick’s in his bed.”

“In his bed ?”

“She literally means his bed. We’re roommates,” I explain quickly, before Mom gets any ideas. I probably should have mentioned my roommate before, but it’s not like I’ve ever been close to any of them, which is likely why Mom didn’t bother asking either. “When he’s in the room with me—in his bed—I make Pen say hi to him. And they met at the hospital by chance because he was there with his family. His Dad built a clinic there.”

Mom stares at me way too long, taking that in—and I get it. I think that’s the most words I’ve ever told her about any guy ever.

“He’s your roommate,” she repeats with a slight laugh, apparently focusing on that slight detail.

“Yes. Also, to be clear… we’re not seeing each other. Not exactly. I don’t know. We’ve never actually talked about it.”

“Well, you seem to like him a lot.” Mom ruffles my hair like I’m a kid and I grumble at her. Chuckling, she gets up and starts tidying up the discarded wrappers on the floor. I take that moment to duck out of the room, heading to the kitchen and whipping out my phone.

I should probably check on Nick.

The guy’s taken up every corner of my brain. How that realization doesn’t bother me as much as it should makes me grin as I type out a message to him.

Me: Merry Christmas, Golden Boy.

Nicky: Merry Christmas. Please don’t call me that.

Me: You exchange gifts with your parents already?

The typing bubble appears then disappears, and I stare at my screen as Nick struggles to reply. I should have checked in on him before today, but I didn’t want to seem like a clingy motherfucker since I’m not entirely sure where we’re at.

After a minute of Nicky not sending a damn thing, I roll my eyes and put two and two together.

Me: You’re at the dorm, aren’t you? Didn’t head home?

Nicky: No. Dad had some urgent meetings to go to in NYC. But it’s cool.

Me: So when are you seeing them? New Year’s at least? Which, by the way, is your fucking birthday?

Nicky: Maybe. Why are you angry?

Me: Because I specifically told you to tell me if this was going to happen.

Nicky: Sorry.

I close my eyes and scrub my face, telling myself to calm down. This is so typical of Nick that I should have expected it. His dad and stepmom seemed cool when I met them, and I know his dad tries to be as present as he can despite his busy schedule—but I also know that Nick spends a lot of his holidays alone, if going by Rhys’s not-so-subtle hints.

I almost ask Nick why he couldn’t have gone to NYC with his dad, then stop myself. It’s no secret that Nick has this weird thing about not wanting to be a burden and not wanting to ask for things.

Nicky: Don’t be angry.

I don’t respond right away, mostly because I am angry. And partly because I’m trying to figure this all out in my head.

“What’s wrong?” Penny asks, and I almost jump. I didn’t even notice her approaching. She leans against the kitchen counter and her long sleeves slip down her too-thin wrist. I frown, wishing it’d be easier for her to put on weight.

“Nick didn’t tell me he was spending the holidays alone at the dorm, and his birthday’s on New Year’s.”

Her face twists in that way it does any time Nick’s mentioned. “Why didn’t you bring him here?”

I blink, stunned for a moment and not expecting that from her. “I asked. He has this weird thing about not wanting to bother anyone.”

Penny makes a gagging sound and turns away, heading to the fridge. She’s quiet as she rummages around it and then emerges with a carton of milk. “You are a bad boyfriend.”

He’s not my boyfriend.

She adds, “You should surprise him, like in that movie we watched yesterday.”

I stare at my little sister for way too long. For someone who doesn’t hide her dislike for Nick, she seems to genuinely care about Nick not being alone.

“You’re all right with me not being around on New Year’s?” I ask.

Penny shrugs. “You can annoy Nick instead.”

I burst out laughing and grab her, ignoring her protests as I hug her as tight as I can. She shrieks and tries to break free, probably thinking that she’s too old to be getting hugs from her big brother—tough luck though, I’m not stopping any time soon.