by Aja Cole
I turn on my side to face her, and move closer until I can feel her breath on my lips. I kiss her with the intention to comfort. I don’t want her to think I’m annoyed. It’s just cuddling.
“Like I said; there’s no rush.” I press another small kiss to her lips, moving back to my pillow.
I’m starting to drift off when she speaks again.
“What should we tell Faith?”
Damn, I’d forgotten about Faith.
“What do you want to tell her? You’ve known her longer than I have,” I counter, voice groggy. I was really almost fully asleep.
“I think I’ll tell her soon. There’s a lot to explain.”
“Do you want to do it together?”
She pauses and I can feel her shake her head, “No, not at first.”
“Okay. Just let me know,” I yawn, closing my eyes again.
I was sure Faith wouldn’t have a problem with us.
“GREYSON!” the shriek so close to my ear jars me out of sleep and I nearly fly out of bed, falling to the floor. Blinking away my hazy vision, I look into furious eyes, the same as mine.
“YOU ASSHOLE!” Faith grabs a pillow from the bed, and starts whacking me with it. Even with my reflexes, I’m still too sleep-addled to respond before she gets me full in the face with a pillow. “You lied to Daya! And me! And oh my god, I’ve seen your goods!”
“Hey! Chill out, Faith!” I groan, putting up my arms to shield me as I get up from the floor. Luckily, she’s no match from me standing and I yank the pillow away, tossing it a safe distance.
She throws her hands on her hips and marches out of the room.
Where the hell is Daya? And what the fuck time is it?
I trudge from the room, spotting Daya sitting on the couch, biting her nails as Faith goes toward her.
“And you, missy! Don’t think I’m not pissed at you too. How could you wait to tell me?” She whirls back around to me and I back away, nervous she’s going to grab up something much harder to assault me with. “Really Greyson? You didn’t tell her you lived in New York? And you said nothing last night when I asked you to go after her! You acted like you were some innocent bystander! BOTH OF YOU ARE IN THE DOGHOUSE!” she yells and I hear pounding down the stairs. Ryan skids to a stop, hair standing on end and squinting at us.
“What the hell is going on down here?”
“A lot, apparently,” Faith smiles sarcastically. “These two,” she motions between us, “have been secretly fucking!”
“It was only twice,” Daya interjects helpfully, and I smother a laugh. I doubt Faith will care about the distinction. Looks like her eye has started twitching.
“Oh damn. Bravo, girl,” Ryan whistles, crossing his arms.
“No! Not bravo! My best friend didn’t tell me she was having sex with my brother, who she apparently has been talking to for two years – which she didn’t know.”
“Two years? Wait, is he the snapchat guy? I thought you said his name was Cole?” poor Ryan. His brow is furrowed in total confusion.
“Middle name,” we all chime, though Faith’s answer is more of a hiss. And Ryan nods, looking no less confused. Backing away to the stairs, he turns around.
“I think I’ll just get all the details after this little reveal.”
Probably a good idea. Faith’s looking like a blood vessel is in jeopardy.
“Listen, the other stuff isn’t really that important. All that’s important now is that we wanted to tell you since we’re trying things out.”
“You’re trying things out?” her voice is low and dangerous and I peer around her at Daya, who holds her hands up innocently.
“I was getting to that, but she kind of ran off,” she explains sheepishly.
“So you two aren’t just fucking for fun?”
‘’Unfortunately not,” Daya mumbles, and I send a mock glare her way.
“No, we’re actually going to see what happens.” I explain, glancing warily at Faith. She stares hard at me for a second, before her face softens a little.
Shit, I’d take what I could get.
“Okay. I guess that’s better…or worse. I don’t know, it’s better to think of you two dating than just having casual sex. How the hell did you get her to agree to that?” her look is speculative and I shrug.
“Hell if I know.” I let a smile break through finally.
This is good. We’re making progress here. I don’t think I’m in danger of getting a statue thrown at my head anymore.
“So my brother’s your first real boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
I feel a scowl twisting my mouth as I walk closer to Daya, crossing my arms. “No?”
“Well we haven't really talked about a label,” she hedges, standing and pacing away from me.
“You planning on talking to anyone else? Keeping your options open?” I ask. Is she serious? The rollercoaster I’ve been on for the past few days with her definitely isn’t ending with not being exclusive. Fuck that noise.
I was fine giving her time to get used to being with someone, but I’d be damned if we weren’t going to be only seeing each other while she did it.
“You didn’t even ask me to be your girlfriend!”
“I didn’t think I had to.” I’m honestly confused. I hadn’t asked a girl to be my girlfriend since 9th grade. Everything after that, we just understood each other. Was I being the crazy one?
“Well…yeah. You have to.”
Damn.
“Right now?” I glance at Faith. I mean, if I’m going to ask, I’d prefer privacy.
“No.”
“Yes.” We both turn to stare at Faith as she answers. She shrugs, going to the kitchen.
“Alright, I’ll butt out.”
“So, you do want to be exclusive, right? Because I don't want to date anyone else.” I admit, moving until I can reach for her. If it were up to me, I’d have my hands on her every time we talked. I settle my hands on her hips, fitting her front against mine.
“I think so,” she looks away then sighs heavy. “Yes.”
“Is that a bad thing? Wanting only me?” I tease, stroking her sides then caressing low on her back.
“I’m not sure yet,” she looks up at me, all big brown eyes and full lips. I can’t resist stealing a kiss, my hands creeping down to squeeze her ass.
“Can you two not?” Faith interrupts, sitting down on the couch with a bag of Pita chips. Daya rolls her eyes, moving away from me to sit next to her.
Damn. There goes my fun.
20
Daya
“Can you two not?” Just as I was about to melt against Greyson’s hard body, Faith decided to make her presence known.
Damn.
I go to sit next to her, wanting to make sure the air is completely clear. I’m all out of nerves for anything else complicated.
“Is this okay with you? Give me the real answer.”
She nods, popping a chip in her mouth.
“Yeah. Honestly, I think it’s good. I’m a little worried, because I still think you keep guys at arms length but this is a big step. You’ve never done this before and,” she leans back to make sure Greyson isn’t near enough to hear as she lowers her voice, “The Greyson I’ve gotten to know seems like a wonderful guy. I’m hoping the two of you work out because I don’t want to choose sides if everything goes to shit.”
“I wouldn't ask you to choose, you haven’t had an older brother for long. It’d be shitty of me to make it awkward. Somehow, I can’t imagine things ending with him in a bad way, unless it’s my fault.” I remark, watching him move around the kitchen. I want him so badly, even now. And damn if I didn’t wake up wrapped around his body.
So much for not liking cuddling.
I don’t know if he realized it, since I was up before him.
But we needed some distance, didn’t we?
I didn’t want to get too used to him.
Although…I guess he would be going ba
ck to his apartment in the next few days. Maybe I could just...let myself enjoy his presence fully until then.
“Don’t freak out about it too much, Daya,” Faith urged, raising a blonde eyebrow at me. “Have fun. Let yourself have feelings for someone.”
“That’s the problem, I’ve been feeling too much and I don’t like it,” I complain. It’s fucking odd. When I’m with him intimately, I think things I never thought would cross my mind. It’s like I’m a completely different person and I’m not really sure how to deal with it.
But at the same time…I like it.
It reaffirms that maybe I’m…dateable. I don’t understand completely why he wants me, but he does. And if I don’t accept that, then I’ll be getting in my own way.
It’s tiring being a bit cynical and thinking about everything that could go wrong. Maybe I could start thinking about what could go right.
“Well get over it. You’re my best friend, but I’ve come to care for Greyson too. If either of you hurt each other, I won’t know who to kill first.” She warns, making her voice louder so he hears her.
“Noted,” he calls back, running the blender. Faith uses the opportunity.
“This is so unfair, I can’t even ask about the sex or get any of the details. You’ve put me in such an impossible situation.”
“I mean…” I trail off, giving her a look. She laughs.
“Okay...no specifics. And I guess it’s not as bad since we didn’t grow up together. Just tell me,” she puts one thumb up and one thumb down. “Which one? If I pretend you’re talking about Cole, I won’t gag.”
“You need more thumbs up to describe it than you have available to you,” I smirk.
“Biiiitttttcchhhhhh,” she exclaims, shaking her head and laughing. “Well, good for you. I really hope it works out since I want you both happy. If it’s with each other, even better. The Moms enjoyed meeting you too. My mom told me Genie had nothing but good things to say about you. And your grits.”
“Yeah, Greyson told me. It’s different with me dating her son though! What if she doesn’t think I’m good enough for him? She might like me as your roommate, but not as his girlfriend.”
“Ooohh look at you, referring to yourself as his girlfriend. I thought he hadn’t asked you yet,” she mocks and I roll my eyes, blushing.
Caught.
“Whatever,” I rise from the couch, leaving her giggling behind me.
“What are your plans for today?” I stop by the kitchen, watching him scramble those boring egg whites.
“Meeting with my dad to talk about the season, maybe do a few drills.”
“I can’t believe you can even stand to look at him.”
He shrugs, but I see his shoulders tense.
Good going, Daya.
“He’s my dad, you know? And unfortunately, I’ve only got one.”
I walk up behind him, laying against his back and wrapping my arms around his front.
“Sorry for saying that,” I mumble, resting my cheek against him. He puts the spatula down and turns to me, so I rest my chin on his chest so I can see his face.
“You’re sweet for a self-described ice queen. I’m fine,” he squeezes me tight and I can’t believe he’s looking at me with that warm look in his eyes.
“I think you’re the only person who would call me sweet.” I clarify. “Maybe I can make you dinner?”
“Do I get dinner too?” Faith yells, and we ignore her. Her hearing is far too good.
“Or I could take you out to dinner. Our first outside the house date.”
Immediately, my first instinct is to say no. Why go out when I could be comfortable in my own home? Why pay for food when I could just make it? There was no need to go sit in a crowded place and be surrounded by people…
But he looked excited. Excited to go out with me. I could get out of my little bubble for a night out with one of the sexiest men I’d ever laid my eyes on. One that I was interested in as much as he was interested in me.
“Okay,” I nod, nodding more to get myself into a positive mindset. “Okay. We can do that.”
He mocks me, nodding his head repeatedly too. “You sure?”
I shoot him a dirty look. “Careful kid, before I change my mind.”
“I’m older than you, koala bear.”
“Stop with that nickname. It’s…terrible.”
“Get over it,” he kisses the tip of my nose, and then nudges me out of the kitchen. “I’ll let you know when I’ll be back. I’ll make the reservations.”
“Reservations?” I echo, feeling the slight rise of discomfort at the thought of going to a place that needs reservations. Jesus. A nice little quiet, mom and pop place would be just as good.
“Yes. Don’t worry; you’ll love it okay? Trust me.”
“Was that a command or a request?”
“Whichever one you need it to be, baby,” he winks, a slow smile spreading on his face.
I feel a small shiver roll through me.
The man is lethal.
21
Greyson
Edge work.
Crossovers, backwards and forwards.
Explosive drills, coasting around the outside of the rink then exploding blue line to blue line.
Stick handling around obstacles.
Puck drills. Quick stops.
They were some of the same drills I grew up doing, and I did them now to remind myself that every skill is important, no matter how far you’ve come.
It was when players got too comfortable, when they stopped honing the skills they built their entire foundation on, that they started missing shit.
I skate to the bench, dropping down next to my dad. I’m dripping sweat, and take off my helmet and gloves. Almost immediately, Daya’s words cross my mind.
How can you stand to look at him?
Honestly, it’s a question I ask myself all the time.
I meant what I’d said. You only have one dad, unless you have two dads and no mom? Or some shit like that. Either way, most of us only had one.
That was the only thing keeping me from just saying fuck him for all the pain he’d caused my mom. And Faith’s mom. I could cut him out of my life, but I’d have that lingering pain at him suddenly not being there. I’d be remembering that pain whenever I thought of him or played the game I loved.
I didn’t want to live my life that way.
That didn’t mean I didn’t occasionally get pissed off at him. I did. But anger doesn’t help anyone and at the end of the day, it’s just a distraction from my game.
“Looking good out there, Grey. Better than I’ve ever seen you.” His face has a few more lines to it, a little more stress. My mom used to call us twins. She always said it was like he gave birth to me alone and without her. They’d bet that I’d at least have her red hair, but I got his dark brown. His blue eyes, the same as Faith. Deep dimple on the same right cheek.
I looked like him but I never wanted to be him.
And that was tough since I’d grown up my entire life wanting to be as good as my dad. Thinking he was the type of man that I should strive to be. The type of player. Everyone said so. Back then, it was a compliment.
Now…I like to think I’ve made my own way so it’s not the first thing people think about.
“Thanks, Dad.”
“How are things?”
I waver, wondering if I should tell him about Daya. It’s great and it’s new…but somehow, it feels like sharing about her to my dad before my mom is tainting things somehow. It’s stupid, but I decide to keep it to myself for now if I can. I don’t know if I’m ready to share stuff like that with him again. Is it better to have him in my life and hold things back than to cut him out completely? I didn’t know. But I figured something was better than nothing.
“Things are good,” I hedge, “Ready for the season to start. Ready to get back into the regular routine. You know what that’s like.”
He dips his head in acknowledgement, looking out over the rin
k.
“You always were completely focused on the game. I thought it’d mellow out some as you got older, but you’re as determined as ever to be better than your old man.”
“Just want to do my part to keep my team at the top.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that, son.” He stops, looking down at his hands before turning to me. “Listen…”
I know what’s coming and I’d rather not talk about it.
I’d avoided it this long because he’d been coaching in Canada and filling his schedule wherever he could since Mom divorced him.
“We can skip the heart to heart today, Dad. Maybe another time.” I grab up my gloves and helmet, intent on going to the locker room.
“If you don’t believe anything else, Grey, believe that it killed me to hurt Genie like that. For her to find out the way she did. I didn’t mean for any of it to happen.”
I feel a grimace twisting on my face. Yeah. Sure he didn’t.
“You accidentally picked up a girlfriend and child? That’s a new one.” I don’t want to be in a bad mood when I see Daya later. Nothing good could come from hashing this out today with him. “Listen, do whatever you want. Just own it. I have to go.”
I leave him sitting there; going through the motions in the shower and making myself let every extra emotion I have drain with the water.
It’s our first date. I won’t let anything taint it, and definitely not my attitude.
If there was one thing I took from my dad, it was leaving your shit at the rink when things didn’t go your way. A loss, a fight, a bad run – taking it home with you wouldn’t do anything but let it live on longer and hurt the people around you.
Thinking about the past few days as I run shampoo through my hair, I can’t even fight the smile.
Daya was giving us a real chance.
I’d known it for sure when I’d watched her hesitate about going out to dinner instead of staying home. But she’d said yes anyway, even though it clearly worried her.
She was trying.
And for that, I’d make sure I did my best to not betray her trust. I’d made reservations at a quiet little Italian place. It filled up quickly because the food was amazing, but it wasn’t somewhere that got really crowded. They just had limited availability. I didn’t know how deep Daya’s anti-social tendencies ran yet. Whether she got anxiety around so many people or if it was just her preference. Either way, I wanted her focus to be on us and on the date.