Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Rina presses a quick kiss against Oliver’s cheek. “See you later.”
“Bye, babe,” he says, watching her walk away.
The satisfaction on his face is unmistakable. It’s an easy kind of contentment that settles in without effort, the sort I don’t think I’ve ever really known before. Not even when things were good with Sarah.
As soon as Rina disappears around the corner, his attention shifts to me.
“Everything okay, Lennox?”
“Yeah.” I hesitate, then add, “I just wanted a quick word with you.” I shift my weight, suddenly aware of how formal this sounds. “Kia stayed over last night. She’s going to move into the guest room while she helps take care of Elody.”
He blinks once, looking far less surprised than I expected. “Yeah. She texted last night and said she didn’t want me to worry.”
“Oh.” I clear my throat and force myself to keep going. “It’s a professional arrangement,” I add, the words stiff on my tongue. “I didn’t want you to think there was anything else going on.”
“Please.” He lets out a short laugh and claps a hand on my shoulder. “That never even entered my mind. You’re the last guy on this team I’d worry about with my sister.”
Relief flares before dying just as quickly.
“Well… that’s good.”
“I know she’s safe with you.”
“Yeah,” I say with a nod. “She is. I’m, uh, glad we got that settled.”
Oliver chuckles. “There wasn’t anything to settle.” Before I can respond, he continues. “Honestly? I think this is exactly what she needed.”
My brows draw together. “Why do you say that?”
“I don’t know. She’s been struggling lately. And at twenty-two…” He trails off. “That’s kind of the stage where you’re still figuring your shit out.”
Twenty-two.
The number lands like a gut punch.
She’s young. Too damn young to be sleeping across the hall from me, too young to be quietly unraveling my sense of balance without even trying.
“I still don’t understand why she left school,” Oliver adds. “She’s been pretty tight-lipped about the whole thing.”
I shift. “Well, I just wanted you to know she’s safe with me.”
“You’re one of the few guys I trust with her,” he says, his voice steady.
Trust.
I make a promise to myself right then and there that I won’t cross any lines or let this situation get complicated. Not when there’s already so much at stake.
Oliver jerks his chin toward the locker room. “We should probably get moving. Coach has been up my ass lately. No reason to make it worse.”
“Yeah,” I mutter.
As he walks away, a small kernel of guilt settles in my chest.
Even as everything I just said hangs in the air, I get the feeling that keeping my promise isn’t going to be nearly as easy as I assume.
15
Kia
My phone buzzes as I put away the last of my clothes, toiletries, and random odds and ends I picked up from Oliver’s place this morning.
Lilah:
Anyone up for meeting at the bakery? I need tea and a cookie to get me through the day.
Callie:
Is that even a question? Come on by!
Sloane:
I hope by tea, you mean some juicy gossip.
I stare at the screen a second longer than necessary, wondering if I’m included in the invitation or if they forgot I was added to the thread. Just when I think about slipping the phone back into my pocket and ignoring it, another text pops up.
Rina:
Kia, are you in?
That’s all it takes for my muscles to loosen.
These women don’t invite out of obligation or politeness. When they include you, it’s because they genuinely want you there. There’s no posturing, quiet competitions, or invisible scores being kept. They show up for one another in ways that are effortless and sincere.
The feeling tugs at an old memory, reminding me why I quit hockey in middle school. At that age, girls can be cruel. Doing something different was enough to make you stand out, and standing out made you a target. It was easier to step away than to keep bracing for the next comment, the next look, the next reminder that I didn’t quite fit in where I was expected.
This warmth and easy acceptance feels so foreign. Maybe that’s why it sinks in so deep, loosening parts of me I didn’t realize had been wound tight.
I text back before I can second-guess myself.
Me:
I’ll stop by, but I need to grab Elody from school at one.
Rina hearts the message and Sloane sends five cookie emojis.
A reluctant smile tugs at my lips as I grab my jacket and head for the elevator. Even though Laiken mentioned having full use of his vehicle, I still feel obligated to shoot him a text. I don’t want to assume anything.
Me:
Do you mind if I use your SUV to meet Rina at Lakeshore Sweets?
A reply pops up almost immediately.
Laiken:
No problem. And you don’t have to ask. That’s what it’s there for. Consider it a perk of the job.