Page 62 of Wicked Serve

“It sounds like both German and French could be useful, where you’re going,” Isabelle says, gesturing to Sebastian and Mia with her wineglass. I don’t know whether she’s changing the conversation on purpose, but either way, I appreciate it. “Did you find housing yet?”

Chapter 30

Izzy

I shuffle downstairs without bothering to cover my yawn. Tangerine’s sitting on the back of the couch, her head tilted to the side imperiously.

“Did Cooper not make it home?” I ask quietly as I give her a scratch between the ears. “How rude.”

“He stayed over at Evan’s,” Sebastian says.

I look up, blinking at the sight of him dressed for work. Black slacks, white shirt; he must have a serving shift this afternoon. He leans against the mantel, sipping from a mug shaped like Snoopy.

“What time is it?”

“Just past nine.” He checks his watch, nodding to himself. “Want some coffee?”

I scoop Tangerine into my arms and give her a cuddle. “Yes, please.”

As we sit at the kitchen table, I shake my head, trying to banish the fog swirling around my brain. I didn’t drink that much at the restaurant, just a glass of wine, but after, I hung out with Victoria and the rest of the team, and Brooklyn busted out the margarita mix. I take a sip of coffee, nearly gag from the bitter taste, and dump in another spoonful of sugar.

Last night was fun, but however much I love my teammates, I wish I could’ve spent it with Nik. After dinner—a raucous event that left me breathless, half from laughter and half from Nik’s hand on my knee where no one could see—Mom and Dad dropped him and Cooper at Lark’s so they could celebrate their win with the rest of the team. I almost asked to tag along, but Victoria was already calling me, and anyway, I didn’t trust myself not to do something stupid while drunk. It was hard enough to restrain myself after the hockey game. I only managed it because we were around my family. If we’d been alone, I’d have congratulated Nik on the win with a lot more tongue and a lot less clothing.

I can’t stop my smile, but mask it with another, much better sip of coffee. Maybe, if his hangover doesn’t hurt worse than mine, we can get brunch somewhere. I wish I could just invite him over, but even with Sebastian at work, there’s the risk of Cooper walking in the door.

“Hit it pretty hard last night, huh?”

I look at Sebastian over my mug. “Why do you sound like Dad?”

“I’m not judging.” He takes another sip of coffee. “Just observing.”

“It’s weird,” I grumble.

“Is there anything you want to share?”

“No.” I narrow my eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“What’s going on with you and Nikolai?”

I nearly choke. “What?”

“I saw you together, at laser tag.” He sets his mug on the table with a too-loud thump. “I didn’t say anything then because I figured it was just a hookup. But then last night, the way you were looking at him...”

I glance at Tangerine, curled neatly on the windowsill. Her tail twitches back and forth, as if she’s waiting for an answer, too. Just looking outside makes me shiver. It might be sunny, but there’s no mistaking the fact it’s almost Thanksgiving.

“I wasn’t looking at him like anything.”

“If that’s how you want to play it.”

“I’m not trying to play anything.” I run my fingers through my tangled hair. I hate lying to my brother’s face, but truthfully, I’ve been lying for months now, so what’s one more on top of the pile? “He’s just Cooper’s teammate.”

“And Mia’s just some chick from the physics department.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then what’s it like?”

“Fine. God.” I bite my thumbnail, huffing out a breath. “We’ve just... we’ve hooked up a few times. We spent some time together over the summer, and then he transferred here... but it’s just casual and—ugh, why am I telling you this? It’s so not your business.”

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