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A shih tzu mutt. A fucking shih tzu mutt in my house!
Well, my uncle’s house, which only makes it worse. Casey hasn’t even given me a chance to ask for permission, and I have no idea if Uncle Hayes and Aunt Carla are good with pets in their rental properties. I hope to God they are, because Casey ain’t giving that puppy up without a fight, and as much as that inconsiderate fuck pisses me off, I don’t want to lose him from Hockey House.
And we can’t lose Hockey House. Not that my aunt and uncle would kick us out, but still. This place is sweet. The fact that we get to live here for free is insanely nice of them, and I don’t want to do anything to fracture the awesome deal we’ve got going here.
Stalking into my office, I flick the door shut behind me with a growl. Caroline and Casey are probably in their room by now, settling the puppy into his new bed and no doubt getting it on. Casey was giddy last night because Caroline can finally do it again.
I roll my eyes, shaking my head at my sex-obsessed friend. I never thought he’d get serious with anyone, but she caught him hook, line, and sinker. And now they have a puppy together.
What the fuck is the world coming to?
Flopping onto the couch, I stare at my shelves of comic books, all neatly packaged in case I ever want to sell or trade them one day. Everything about this space is neat. It’s the only place in the house that is. Oh, and my bedroom, of course. They’re the two rooms I have full control over, and I guard that shit with my life. I love my hockey bros, but they can be total slobs. At least in this space, I’m safe, you know?
My eyes land on the cardboard coaster on the coffee table, and suddenly that safe feeling goes away, replaced with an intense gnawing that I don’t know what to do with. Snatching it, I rub my thumb over the beer stain along the edge, wondering why the hell I even kept this.
You know why.
“Fuck,” I mutter, dipping my head and trying not to think about last weekend.
Trying and failing.
* * *
Last weekend…
“Please, man. Please.” Casey gripped my shirt, glancing over his shoulder to eye up his girlfriend. “She’s having such a good time, and I want to give her one more night. You’ve seen how happy she’s been.” His desperate expression made my resolve crumble, and I hated myself in that moment.
“I can’t believe you’re asking me to do this,” I groused.
“You’re taking one for the team, and we all love you for it.”
I glared at him, then tried to turn my expression to neutral as Leilani walked out of Mr. Galloway’s house with her brown leather tote. She spotted me waiting by the car, and her expression turned instantly icy. I gave her a pointed eye bulge, and she looked about ready to snarl at me.
Stalking over to Caroline, she started up a snippy-looking conversation. It looked like the female version of what Casey and I were doing, and I gritted my teeth, about ready to punch Casey if he opened his mouth and tried to say anything else to me.
Like I hadn’t been having a good time in Denver too?
Like I wanted to leave early?
But Leilani was determined to get back to Nolan U, and when everyone refused her a ride and she said she’d take the bus, I just couldn’t let that happen. The look on her face… the way her lip wobbled… my stupid mouth opened before I could stop it. “I’ll take you back.”
I’m such a fucking idiot.
She basically refused on the spot, until Caroline and Rachel went to bat for me. Even Mikayla told me I was sweet for helping her out. She also went on her tiptoes and whispered in my ear, “You’re doing us all a favor.”
And maybe that was another reason I stepped up, because I wanted my friends to enjoy the rest of their time away. Caroline had dragged Leilani along, and the Hawaiian beauty had done nothing but bitch and moan or sit there with a sulky frown. I mean, yeah, she smiled a little during poker, and I guess she laughed once or twice throughout the weekend, but it was so fucking rare, you can barely count it. I seriously have no idea how she can be best friends with such an effervescent person like Caroline. They don’t fit at all… although I did hear Caroline telling Casey that something was really wrong with Leilani, and she wished she could figure it out.
“She’s changed, Case, and I’m really worried about her. I’ve tried to get her to open up, but it seems to be driving her further into her shell. I don’t know what to do. I thought this weekend might lighten her up a bit, but she seems worse than ever.”
The introvert in me understood how being around a bunch of people could drive Leilani a little loopy, and I wondered if she was like that too… and maybe even more extra than me.
Which is possibly another reason why I agreed to drive her home a day early.
And after a heated debate that insulted me on myriad levels, she finally gave in with a huff. “Okay, fine! He can drive me!” And she stormed out of the room to get her stuff.
Stopping by my car, she looked up at me with a pointed glare and zero appreciation. Then her eyes darted to my hand on the car door, and she suddenly looked nervous as hell.
I rolled my eyes. What did she think I was going to do? Kidnap her? Drive her off to some undisclosed location to have my way with her?
