At the end of Dirty Dancing, we’re a little tipsy and highly caffeinated. The three of us open the front door and look out. The snow is still coming down, but not as fast. The roads haven’t been plowed yet and it’s all so still and quiet out.
“Hey, I forgot to tell you. Your brother stopped by this morning to give you a ride,” I say to Everly as we close the front door and retreat back inside our warm house.
“I know. He told me. I wish I had still been here. My feet were so cold by the time I got to class and my jeans were basically soaked.”
“You have to dress for the Minnesota winter,” Grace tells her.
“I know. I know.” Ev smiles. “But my leather boots are so much cuter than the winter ones.”
“It’s your toes.”
As we settle back on the couch, Ev picks up her phone. “Speaking of Ty. He wants to know if we need anything? I swear he thinks I’m helpless without him.
“Pepperoni pizza, two bottles of wine, and a gallon of ice cream,” she says aloud as she types what I assume are those very words to her brother.
“We should watch The Holiday next,” Grace says.
Ev nods, still looking at her phone. “Yeah, I love that one. Bridget?”
“Sure,” I say and then ask, “Is he really going to bring you those things?”
“No.” She shakes her head. “I’m just messing with him.”
“He would if she was serious,” Grace clarifies. “Ty is the sweetest. Although not as sweet as Declan.”
“Declan?”
“One of my brother’s teammates.”
“Oh, did you used to date him or something?”
“No. He just used to look out for me a lot.” Everly looks to me. “I came to live with Tyler the second semester of my high school senior year after being expelled.” Her face feigns innocence over what I’m guessing is a very interesting story.
“They all looked out for you,” Grace says. “Still do, you just make it harder for them.”
“Like you’re any better with your dad.”
“My dad thinks I’m an angel who never has and never will date or kiss boys. He’s completely delusional about me growing up. At least Tyler and his teammates let you be you.”
“Let me be me?” Ev scoffs. “Do you remember the time they rolled up into theater practice and threatened Jacob Matthews that he’d better be nice to me and spread the word?”
I don’t cover my laugh in time. “Tyler did that?”
“All of them. Ty, Declan, Jack, and Ash.”
My heart flutters at his name. True to Everly’s word, she hasn’t mentioned Ash or tried to play matchmaker since I moved in. Not that I’ve given her a lot of opportunities.
“It was so great. Hands down the coolest moment of senior year.” Grace beams at the memory.
“I was mortified.” Ev looks at me as she speaks. “It was bad enough being the new kid, but once people found out Ty was my brother and I was living with Ash, it was mayhem.”
My brain snags on the last part of that sentence. “You lived with Ash?”
“Mhmm.” She smiles and nods. “When I came to live with Tyler, he had this tiny little one-bedroom apartment and Ash offered to let us move in with him.”
“That’s really nice.”
“It was. Ash is great.”
Grace’s phone starts ringing. “That’s Lane. Five minutes. Don’t start the movie without me.” She hurries down the hallway as she answers.
A comfortable silence falls between me and Everly.
I break the quiet first. “Thank you for inviting me to hang tonight.”
“Are you kidding? We’re so glad you finally said yes.”
“Really? I was afraid you were only asking because you felt like you should. It’s been a while since I had roommates, or friends for that matter. I was dating this guy and sort of lost touch with all my girlfriends.”
“Ah, yeah. Easy to do when you’re in love.”
I don’t like thinking about Gabe and love in the same thought. If that was love, I don’t ever want it again.
“What happened with the guy?”
“We broke up a couple of months ago. Right after I met Ash at the game.”
“Because of Ash?”
“No, no, no. Things hadn’t been that great for a while.” I clear my throat and avoid eye contact. “How’s his shoulder? Is he back to playing?”
Everly’s smile widens. “I’m not sure I can say.”
At my confusion, she adds, “When he asked me about you, I told him I wasn’t going to give him any details and that he should ask you himself.”
“He asked about me?”
“Yeah, I saw him last night after the game.” Her head bounces from side to side, the blonde locks catching on the light. “And since it’s public knowledge, I guess I can tell you that he hasn’t been cleared to play yet, but he is practicing with the team again.”
“That’s good. I’m glad.”
She studies me a little too long. “You should come to a game with us sometime. There’s one this weekend. Saturday night. I have good seats, and Tyler always hooks us up with drink and food tickets.”
“I’m back. Sorry.” Grace drops onto the chair. “What’d I miss?”
“I’m trying to convince Bridget that she should come with us to the game this weekend.”
“Oh yeah. The games are so fun.”
“I’m not sure,” I say, biting at the corner of my lip.
“Worried about running into Ash?”
“No,” I say too quickly, then amend my answer. “I guess a little.”
“He’ll probably be playing Saturday anyway, so the only way he’ll see you is if he looks up from the ice and spots you in the crowd.”
They both laugh, but Ash spotting me in a crowd is exactly how this all started.
12
LOST CAUSE
ASH
“Quit eyeing me like that, Kelly,” Declan says as he shifts his weight from skate to skate.
“I can’t help it. I want to rip off your clothes and skates, put them on, and go out there.” I’m standing in the tunnel with the guys as they get ready to head out for the game. I want to play so badly. This should be the last time I have to sit out, but it doesn’t make it any less painful.
“Whoa, buddy. You want to rip his clothes off?” Leo arches a brow. “That is, uhh…well, it’s something.”
Declan’s dark brows rise. “You’re looking at me like Jade looks at me when I—”
“Okay, yeah, no need to finish that sentence,” Tyler interrupts, then looks to me. “I thought you were going to ask Kennedy out?”
“I did, but then she had to travel for work and then when she got back, she was sick.” I shrug. To be honest, I’m not all that disappointed it hasn’t happened yet.
Not as disappointed as I am to be standing here in jeans and a T-shirt. I clench my fingers at my side. “I want to be out there more than I want to breathe. More than I want sex.”