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Micha gives me a look. I busy myself with opening a beer.
“If I remember correctly, you’re working on a degree in public relations, right? What’s your plan when you graduate?” Micha asks.
“There’s an assistant posting to work with the Terror’s public relations liaison that I’d like to apply for.”
Micha nods. “Oh wow, you don’t see enough of these guys as it is? You want to work with them, too?”
Aurora shrugs and blushes, eyes sliding my way for a moment. “I completed my internship with the head of team PR last semester, and it was a great fit.”
“That’s right. Hollis mentioned that in the fall. Did you travel with the team?”
“Some of the time, yes.”
Micha’s eyes light up. “That must have been fun. Private jets and famous hockey players. How’s Roman feel about that?”
“He loved it. The team’s like a big, extended family, for the most part.” Aurora sips her wine to hide her nervous swallow.
Micha hmms. “Wasn’t there some drama earlier in the season with one of the players’ family members dating another player? Tristan Stiles? That wasn’t you, was it?”
“Uh, no. That’s my roommate, Rix. Her brother is Flip Madden,” Aurora explains, shifting uncomfortably.
“Right! Yes! That must have been scandalous.”
“It’s all smoothed over now,” I interject. Micha has no idea that she’s poking at raw wounds. “I’ll put this stuff away and we can go hang out in the living room,” I suggest. “I should have some coloring stuff for Elsa in the spare room.”
“I think it’s in the closet. Want me to check?” Aurora offers, probably happy to escape this conversation.
“That’d be great. Thanks, Princess.”
Micha waits until she disappears down the hall. “What the hell is going on?”
“What are you talking about?” Fuck, fuck, fuck.
She motions toward the hall. “There’s a vibe between you two.”
I look at her like she has two heads, but my stomach knots. I can’t afford to have Micha digging now. Not when Aurora is already on edge.
Micha crosses her arms. “Why does she know you have coloring stuff for Elsa in the closet in the spare bedroom?”
“Because she watches Postie and Malone while I’m away, and sometimes she runs the towels and cat blankets through the wash for me, which go in the spare bedroom closet.” I glance toward the hall, needing Micha to drop it.
“You called her Princess,” she says pointedly.
“I’ve always called her Princess, because she’s the team princess.” I don’t realize I’m doing it in front of other people, though, and that’s a problem.
“Why do you have her favorite wine in your fridge?” my sister presses.
“Because in addition to feeding my cats, she sometimes watches the game with them while I’m away.” Footsteps come from down the hall. “I need you to drop it. And don’t grill Aurora. She’s got a lot going on.”
“Dropping it.” She raises both her hands. “For now.”
I make a big deal about Elsa peeing in the potty when she comes bumbling back into the living room with Mike in tow. Aurora returns with an entire bin of coloring books, crafts, and stickers. Elsa entices her into coloring with her. She takes a seat on the floor with my niece and keeps her occupied for a good half hour.
I try my best not to watch them. But every once in a while, she glances up at me, and all I want to do is wrap my arms around her and tell her everything will be okay. Hiding my feelings is becoming impossible. I just need her to believe we can do this.
CHAPTER 37
HAMMER
