Almost Perfect

by Doyle, Dawn

  “I know, but if you come with me, you can get it fresh from the bakery.’

  I laughed at the wink emoji at the end, and heat rose to my face. “Smartass,” I said out loud, giggling.

  I bit my lip as I typed my reply. ‘Sure, but only if you’re prepared to help me burn off the calories.’

  The second I pressed send, I panicked. “Oh, no, no…” I covered my face with my hands, and as soon as I heard the ping, I wanted to sink under my covers and hide. I lifted my phone in hesitation.

  ‘???’

  My thumbs flew over the keys. ‘Hiking, Maddoc. I hope you have some walking boots.’

  ‘Damn, you got me all excited.’

  ‘What!’

  ‘I thought we could go running, cupcake. What did you think I meant?’

  Hilarious. I knew what he meant, even joking, and the surprising thing was, my physical reaction to that idea, the warmth pooling in my core, the tightness of the skin on my breasts, and the clenching of muscles between my legs, found that more appealing than any other form of exercise.

  This was new to me. I was the one who waited until the right amount of time had passed before I thought about anything so physical, and even then, it mostly didn’t happen because it didn’t feel right. But, with Maddoc, the need was stronger than I’d ever felt before, and the more time I spent with him, the worse it got.

  “Breathe, Kaia,” I urged myself, then took a steadying breath through my slightly pursed lips.

  ‘That’s not what you meant, and you know it. However, you disrupted my hike last week, so if I’m to indulge, then exercise is necessary.’

  ‘It’s good to get the heart pumping, cupcake.’

  It certainly was, and the way he’d kissed me, held me, gripped me, had taken my breath away, my heart was ready for more.

  More. So. Much. More.

  I started my text with an eye-roll emoji, then typed, ‘You better pack for the weather.’

  “Kai, come on!” Daria yelled and banged on my door. “It’s almost seven. Cash is training this morning, and you said you’d give me a ride.”

  “Shit,” I hissed, and jumped out of bed and ran to my bathroom to shower. “Be right there!”

  ***

  “Is something going on with you and Maddoc?” Daria asked as I drove toward Westchester Arena situated at the rear of Campus. “You haven’t mentioned anything for a few days, and especially since Sally’s announcement. Cash said Maddoc’s been quiet as well. He’s just been walking around, staring at his phone and texting—even in class. He’s been distracted during practice, too, but he insists he’s fine.”

  I swallowed hard as I gripped the wheel with my trembling hands. How would my best friend react to this?

  Should I even tell her? This is Daria, you should tell her.

  “We kissed,” I blurted out, and Daria spun to face me, her shocked expression almost comical.

  “Again?” she shrieked. “When, and why didn’t you tell me?” She leaned toward me, resting her bent leg on the seat, her thick, woolen tights stretching. She adjusted her denim skirt, and pointed at me. “Spill, Kaia.”

  So I did, but left out the more intimate details. “And I haven’t seen him since yesterday in the hallway.”

  “Holy shit, you lured him there to seduce him?” She threw her head back and laughed. “And now you’re going on a date.”

  “No, it wasn’t like that,” I said in defense. “I just…” I blew out a breath. “I wanted privacy, and that seemed like the best place to go. And I don’t know what you’re talking about. A date? We’re going hiking because I missed it.”

  “Sure,” she said, still giggling. “You mauled each other in the library, kissed again in the hall, and are going away this weekend. Mhm, there’s date in there somewhere, I assure you.”

  “Do you think so?” My insides tensed at the thought. My last dates were diners, a trip to a silent movie, and an evening playing video games. Yeah, so romantic I could barely contain my excitement. Oh wait, I could.

  “Babe,” Daria said, her expression flat. “If there’s not one single romantic thing about this weekend, then I’ll admit I was wrong, but I know in my gut that you’ll be having at least one date, even if neither of you say it is.” Before I could reply, Daria sighed. “Just be careful, okay?”

  “Of course.” I pulled into the lot, and found a clear spot to park.

  “Where are you going?” Daria asked when I unbuckled.

  “I thought I’d join you,” I replied, getting out of my Mini. I grabbed my backpack from the back seat and slung it over my shoulder before closing and locking the door. “I can read through this assignment while I’m there.”

  Daria’s eyes narrowed, and her jaw set off to the side as though contemplating. “Uh huh.”

  As per usual, my face flamed. “What?” I asked, holding my palm up. “Can’t I change my mind once in a while?”

  She snorted a laugh, then shook her head, her blonde ponytail swishing about down her back. “It sure smells like a farm around here.” When my brows dipped, she chuckled. “Because there seems to be some serious bullshit.”

  I hid my smile, my lips pursing hard as I fought to contain it. “Oh, shut up and let’s go inside.”

  The arena was desolate except for us while we sat near the opening to the ice. Rows upon rows of red plastic chairs filled the space around the rink, the twelve thousand capacity seeming so much bigger with nobody in it.

  I took in the vast emptiness, flashes coming back to me, the time when I was a little girl, and I’d happily watch my brothers train with my dad, or revel in my mom’s joy as she put on her favorite music to skate to. Watching her was so relaxing, the way she’d glide, twist and turn, spinning in the air as though no effort was needed. Her grace and poise was spectacular, and I’d envied how beautiful it was, how beautiful she was, in her element. My dad would sit in silence, a strange smile on his face while we watched her, his eyes not leaving her the whole time.

  My brothers were another thing. Their movements were harsh, sudden, and so changeable that the exhilaration from watching my mom was quickly replaced by excited fear as they hit the puck with enough force, it flew over the ice so fast it seemed to disappear. Their crazy footwork, the speed, the violent determination on their faces as they strived to be better… A force to be reckoned with, double trouble on the rink, and they were only in middle school at the time.

  It didn’t take long for them to bask in the limelight that our parents’ status brought, and with that, my need to stay the hell away from it was born.

  “Come on, ladies, get your asses out there!” the booming sound of a man’s voice said, echoing around the arena. “And don’t even think you’re pulling some crazy-ass shit today, Dass, I’m watching you.”

  My heart leaped into my throat at his name, followed by the sounds of his laughter growing near. The second the guys appeared from the tunnel, Daria beamed, no doubt waiting for Cash to come through.

  The teams’ coach slid down the side, and through the opening to the benches while more and more players skated onto the ice in full gear.

  “Hey, Dar!” Channing yelled, and made his way over to us.

  “Hey, Chan. Looking forward to your game? It must feel good to be able to play again.”

  “Ban is up, so yeah. I can’t wait until next week.” His eyes slid to me, and he smiled. “Wow, twice in one month, Kaia? Watch out, or you might become obsessed.” His mouth turned up into a half-grin.

  Three if you count my brothers’ game.

  “I had nothing else to do, so…,” I lied with a shrug.

  He looked pointedly to the backpack at my feet. “Yeah, I can see that.”

  I narrowed my eyes. Channing had never apologized to me for what he’d said all those years ago, choosing to stay out of my way instead. Now, it was like nothing had ever happened. “I never leave home without them.”

  He faced Daria again. “See you later, cuz,” he said, then pushed off the
boards, skating backward to his friends.

  “There’s my other half,” she sighed, and waved, her face lighting up as Cash zoomed over, his expression mirroring hers. When he reached us, Daria stood and opened the door inwards. She threw her arms around his neck and he pressed his lips to hers.

  “Hey, baby,” he purred.

  “Hey yourself,” she replied in the same tone. “Have a good practice. I’ll be right here, watching.”

  “As usual,” he replied, kissing her again. He glanced to me, his brows dipping in question. “Hey, Kaia.”

  I lifted my hand in greeting. “Hi.” I wasn’t about to answer why I was there; it wasn’t the time or the place for that discussion.

  Daria kissed him once more, then shut the door as Cash joined the rest of the team.

  My phone beeped, so I took it out of my pocket and saw Maddoc had sent a message. I glanced back to the ice and saw him lurking in the tunnel near the opening, looking down at his phone.

  ‘Still heading home with me later?’

  My thumbs worked quickly as he stared down.

  “Get out here, Dass!” their coach yelled. “Just cos you’re benched, doesn’t mean you can fuck around back there.”

  “Just a sec,” Maddoc fired back, no doubt watching the three dots as I sent my message.

  ‘Of course, but you should really listen to coach. I think he’s about to have an aneurysm.’

  I was pretty sure he was, too, with his bright red anger-filled face, and his gloved hands clenched by his sides.

  Maddoc’s head snapped up, his gaze darting right to where Cash was standing. He grinned, showing his teeth, his smile perfect as it spread across his handsome face.

  My heart raced as he pocketed his phone and shot out onto the ice. He masked his expression, but there was no hiding the sparkle lingering in his eyes. He circled the rink, zooming past with the other guys as they warmed up. They continued around and around, changing directions when coach blew his whistle. He made eye contact every time he passed, throwing a wink my way, warming me inside even though it was barely sixty degrees where we sat.

  They went through drills, practiced hitting the puck past their goalie, and darted around the face-off areas, keeping themselves tight to the red circles, then around the center circle.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off of Maddoc. Sure, I’d seen him play, but this was different. He was relaxed, almost smiling, as he took coach’s instructions and delivered them flawlessly, using his stick like it was an extension of him, just like my dad had explained it many times over to my brothers when they were kids.

  “Are you tired?” Daria asked Cash after dragging me through to the locker rooms.

  “A little,” he replied, grinning at her. “But not too tired for…” he pulled her toward him and whispered in her ear.

  Daria’s mouth curled up before she looked at him with hungry eyes. “Good, because that’s what I was thinking, too.”

  “Should you be in here, Kaia?” Jonah asked as he walked past me. “This whole place, not just the locker rooms.”

  “I’m just here with Dar, I’ll be gone soon,” I assured him as he began removing his jersey. I looked away, and glared pointedly to Daria, hoping she’d get the message that Jonah was right; we shouldn’t have been in there.

  Bobby walked over toward us, holding his skates in his hands. “Oh, Kaia, hey,” he said, warily, checking around the busy room where the guys were putting away various bits of equipment. “You’re making this a frequent thing now, huh?” He scratched his growing beard, the short hairs sticking out as he raked his fingers over his skin.

  I thumbed toward my friend who hadn’t gotten the memo that it was time to go. “Just waiting on Dar,” I replied awkwardly. I didn’t know where to look. The guys were standing around, watching us, then started to take off their gear.

  I focused on the area Bobby had come from, and my shoulders sagged with relief when Maddoc walked through. Their coach had kept him back for a talk, and the wait seemed to take longer than the entire session.

  He beamed when he saw me. “Hey, still here,” he stated, and headed over to his numbered locker, a huge red 19 printed on it. I followed him over, ignoring the stares from the other players. “I never thought you’d show up.” He flicked his gaze around, then back to me. “But I’m glad you did.” He winked.

  “Me too.” I pushed my hair behind my ear as I flushed. When Maddoc sat down on the bench, I copied the move. “You’re an incredible skater,” I said, and I swear I saw him blush… again.

  The corner of his mouth tilted up. “Thanks, cupcake, and you said it while sober.” He tipped his head to the side and smiled. “I’m proud of you.”

  I shoved his arm, making him laugh. “Don’t be an ass.”

  “Sorry,” he said, chuckling. “I can’t help it.” I groaned and hung my head, closing my eyes. A warm hand rubbed my shoulder, lightly shaking me, and every hair on my arms stood on end, even under my warm jacket. “I’ll try to control myself, I promise.” He stood before I could reply, and in one swift movement, whipped off his jersey, revealing his glistening abs directly in front of my face.

  I stared at the vision before me, my jaw slowly falling open, and saliva gathering in my mouth. A throat cleared, and I shot up off the bench.

  Daria stood in front of me, her eyes wide. “We should go now, Kai.”

  “Yes!” I blurted out. I chanced a glance up at Maddoc and saw his lop-sided grin. “Bye, Maddoc.”

  “Bye, cupcake,” he whispered. “See you soon.”

  Maddoc

  “Hike when we get there, or hike later?” I asked Kaia when I took her case from her. I put it in the bed of my truck, then turned to see her gazing up at me. “Either way, I’m ready to burn off some calories with you.”

  Her lids widened, her brows shooting toward her hairline. “The trail’s long, so we’re probably better going in the morning.” A shy smile graced her lips, capturing all of my attention. “So, consuming the right amount of calories first for the expedition is necessary.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Is that so?”

  Kaia nodded, her smile widening and reaching her eyes. “Yeah, therefore, I’ll need more than one of Willow’s cakes for fuel.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “How long is this expedition exactly?”

  She shrugged, and looked away, then tucked loose hair from her braid behind her ear. “A few miles, I guess, but it’s mostly uphill.”

  A light breeze caught her strands, freeing them again. I reached up and smoothed them back into place. “We could take the dessert to go, and we could hit the trail tonight. “

  “In the dark?” She saw my lips quirk, and blushed, her own pursing as she fought a smile. “Okay, in the dark it is.”

  “Only, give me a head’s up if you’re gonna jump on me, okay? I wouldn’t wanna fall down and get an injury.”

  Kaia’s face whipped to mine, and she scowled, looking cute as fuck. “Oh, you’ll get an injury all right,” she threatened. “But it won’t be from falling down.”

  I laughed, then opened the door for her to get in. “Climb in, cupcake.” As she moved in front of me to stand on the small step, I placed one hand on her hip, over her black leggings, to steady her, and she glanced over her shoulder at me. I feigned innocence, batting my eyes and beaming at her. “What? I’m helping.”

  “Mhm, sure you are, donut.”

  Donut?

  I pressed my hand to my chest and gasped, faking my shock. “Cupcake, this is so sudden. I-I don’t know what to say.”

  “Just get in the damn truck,” she groaned.

  The truth was, I was shocked, and my heart was racing at the simple nickname. The crazy speech she’d told Daria, the realization she was talking about me… Kaia had just confirmed it herself, yet I couldn’t tell her how that one small gesture made me feel, but I could show her.

  I got in the truck and started the engine. “Ready for the weekend?” I reached for Kaia’s hand and
laced our fingers together, my hand swamping hers.

  Kaia’s eyes lifted from our joined hands, to my face, with a gentle crinkle in the corners. “Definitely.”

  An entire Backstreet Boys album and half of Thirty Seconds to Mars later, I pulled up outside the house. I didn’t bother parking in the garage; my mom’s pride and joy would be in there, her brand new Bentley, along with my dad’s Rolls. They never took their cars when they were away on business.

  “Your house is beautiful,” Kaia said as she unbuckled. “Have you always lived here?”

  I shook my head. “About a year,” I replied and got out of the truck. I walked around to help her down from the passenger side, her warm hand gripping my bicep as she went, the simple touch making me want to pull her into me. “Uh, we used to live about an hour away, near Channing’s house in Barona City. ”

  “Wow, so you’re slumming it here now, huh?” she joked, making me chuckle.

  “I like it here better,” I replied. “Closer to college, which makes it easier to see Willow, it’s quieter, no parents…” I eyed her as I added that last part, wondering if that’d make a difference.

  Her brows dipped. “What do you mean?” she asked with no trace of nervousness.

  I gestured to the house. “They’re hardly ever here.” I rounded the back of the truck and took out my case. “Because we’re hitting the trail later, we’ll probably be late getting back,” I said, then gestured toward her case. “If you want, you can stay here tonight,” I suggested, ready to grab hers too. When her jaw dropped, I added, “You could take my room in the pool-house, and I could use a guest bedroom in the main house. That is, if you want to.” Fuck, I was like a nervous kid asking a girl to prom, even though I never went, and I’d never asked anybody out before. The butterflies in my stomach were unsettling. I was never unsettled. I was Mad-dog Dass, damn it, and nothing fazed me.

  Except for Kaia. And the way she was staring, her jaw slack, and her wide eyes fixed, I felt like I was going to throw up.