AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I grab two more bottles from the refrigerator and set one in front of Charlie on my way back to my spot. I’m not expecting it when the burly goalie grabs me and pulls me onto his lap playfully, so I land on top of his thighs with little resistance.
My eyes flit to Ollie automatically when Charlie pushes my hair aside and nuzzles the side of my neck, growling against my skin. Ollie grinds his molars, and his expression looks steely as he watches. His gaze is locked on the spot where Charlie’s mouth is brushing my pulse point.
Charlie doesn’t mean anything by it. He’s a natural flirt. And by the looks of things, Ollie’s former teammates have no idea that anything has happened between me and their former captain. It’s not that I expected Ollie to broadcast it. I mean, at the end of the day, it was just a kiss. And it’s like pulling teeth to get Ollie to talk about his feelings on a normal day. But it’s also frustrating when he sits there, saying nothing, like he doesn’t want anyone to know that he might care about me. These are two of his best friends.
Having a secret with Ollie felt thrilling when I first walked through the door of the apartment tonight. But now, it just feels bad. I don’t want to sneak around, not with him. I don’t want to hide my interest in the hockey star. It isn’t like we did anything wrong. I’m only a couple of years younger than him. Sure, it’s more complicated since we’ve been friends for years and when you factor in Oakley. But we’re all adults.
Unless it was just a kiss to him. Something to forget. Ollie isn’t known for dating women. There have only been whispers of past hookups or brief nights with girls that never seemed to be repeated.
Is that what last night was to him?
It hurts to think I could be grouped in with other women in Ollie’s mind. Someone who doesn’t matter beyond a brief touch on a lonely night.
I’m quiet for the rest of the card game, though I try to smile and laugh when it’s expected of me. I must fake it fine because Charlie and Ben don’t seem to notice any difference, and if Ollie does, then he doesn’t seem to care.
It’s late by the time Charlie and Ben leave. They take a rideshare back to their place since there isn’t space for them to crash at Ollie’s. There’s barely room for me here, and it’s feeling less and less like I’m a welcome guest. When the door closes behind them and Ollie flips the lock, I’m standing at the sink with a glass of water in my hands.
“That was fun,” I say, but I’m on guard now, wondering which version of the hockey stud I’m going to get—the hot or the cold one. It seems to change at any given moment.
“Yeah,” he says while still not meeting my eyes. He flips the overhead light off, so the only illumination is coming from a small lamp in the corner of the room.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. I’m not anything if not direct.
“Nothing,” he murmurs, running a hand through his thick hair. “I’m just tired. I think I’m still hungover from last night.”
“I didn’t realize you were drunk last night.”
He didn’t seem intoxicated when we were in the alleyway. Is that the only reason he kissed me—because alcohol was involved?
“I wasn’t until I went back to McMann’s house and we pounded a bottle of whiskey.”
“Oh.” I pause for a moment, assimilating the new information. “Why did you do that?”
Ollie typically limits his alcohol intake to one or two drinks. He’s usually too focused on the hockey season or training to indulge in any more than that. He’s never been much of a drinker, even in the off-season. He’s far too regimented to lose control.
He finally meets my eyes. “I guess I was trying to forget.”
After the words leave his mouth, I wish he weren’t looking at me because I know he sees me flinch.
He was trying to forget me.
“I didn’t mean …” he starts, but never finishes his thought.
It doesn’t matter though because my guard is already up. I transform the ache inside my chest into a dagger, ready to strike him with the sharp tip. Kill or be killed.
“It’s okay,” I retort. “That kiss wasn’t all that memorable to me either. I mean, it was a mistake … right?” I’m goading him, but I can’t seem to stop myself.
His jaw tics, and his gaze hardens. “Right.”
Disappointment surrounds me, threatening to pull me under. I wanted Ollie to argue with me, to tell me that I was wrong.
“I’m tired,” I suddenly announce, moving out of the kitchen. I don’t look at him as I pass his frozen form. “Did you want the bed tonight? I can take the couch. I don’t have to work tomorrow.”
“No, I’m good. Just let me grab some clothes for my morning workout.”
I follow him inside the bedroom and put all my focus on organizing my things on the floor. I hear him open and close his chest of drawers, but I don’t look. He grabs a pair of sneakers from the closet and pauses in the doorway. I glance up as he silently stands there, but as soon as our eyes meet, he looks away, his expression unreadable.
You’re giving me whiplash. The words are on the tip of my tongue, and I want to shout them at him, but I swallow them down.
