Page 55 of Solitude

“Nothing,” he finally says. “The guys are waiting for us.”

I’m not sure what I was expecting when Beck said he’d pick me up from the airport, but him leading me to a big, jacked up truck with four other guys hanging out of the windows and stomping around in the bed wasn’t exactly it.

I recognize Ben and Gus immediately, and their faces light up when they see me. Gus stands in the bed of the truck with a man I don’t know, but they’re both singing along to a Taylor Swift song playing through the truck speakers as we walk up. Beck sighs, but when I catch his gaze, his eyes are twinkling with amusement.

Like he’s happy to blend these parts of his life.

Gus has cut his hair since I last saw him at Christmas. His usually shaggy blonde hair is trimmed short on the sides with a little more length on top. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen him with his hair this short, but it looks good on him. He has dark circles under his eyes and a grin on his face that’s infectious.

He hops out of the truck bed and scoops me up in a tight hug, still singing. He grabs Beck’s chin and serenadeshim until Ben walks up and slaps his hand away. Gus redirects his attention to Ben, and even though he’s rolling his eyes, I can tell he doesn’t mind the way Gus hangs all over him.

Ben hasn’t changed since I saw him last, but he also hasn’t changed much over the years, period. Short, straight hair the same shade as Beck’s and a deeper shade of blue eyes are all that set him apart in a lot of ways from Beck. Beck is taller and thicker, built like a hockey player who trains constantly, while Ben has always favored a leaner build.

I think it’s because hockey is a hobby for him while it’s a passion for Beck.

The two strangers make their way out of the truck and over towards where we’re standing at the edge of the parking spot.

“This is the infamous Winnie?” The brunette points at me, smiling, then upnods at me like I’m just one of the boys. “Nice to meet you, baby. Name’s Ty.”

Trouble. I can feel it in my bones the same way I’ve always felt it about Gus. It’s a different kind where Ty is concerned though. For Gus, it’s the kind of issue where girls fall at his feet, and mommy and daddy clean up all of his messes. Ty’s issues look like the kind that comes with no money and overcompensating. He’s not Gus Taylor by any means, but he’s trouble regardless.

His dark hair is covered in a maroon beanie that shows his ears, and I realize it’s for fashion, not functionality. He has a grey UT Hockey hoodie on and athletic shorts sotiny they might show his junk if he makes one wrong move. Cracked, chipped black polish coats his nails and colorful, beaded bracelets poke out of his sleeve as he reaches a fist out.

Awkwardly, I bump my knuckles to his, ignoring the way his are scuffed and busted.

Beck slaps Ty’s hand away with a growl. “She’s not your baby.”

Ty grins, holding his hands up by his ears innocently.

The other guy rolls his eyes and reaches over Ty to wave at me. That’s right. I said over. He’s huge. Like a bear.

“He’s an idiot. Just ignore him,” he says, and I stare in fascination as his thick, dark mustache moves with his wide smile. His black hair is tucked beneath a backwards cap that looks similar to Beck’s, and I dumbly reach my hand out and shake his hands.

“I think Knox broke her,” Ty whispers in awe. “Look how tiny her hand is in his!”

Knox looks embarrassed as he steps back, arms crossing over his chest, and I blink a couple times.

“I’m sorry,” I mumble. “You are so tall and…” I trail off as my hands measure the width of his shoulders. “How tall are you?”

Knox rubs the back of his neck, eyes flicking to Beck then back to me. “Six-foot-eight.”

Looking at Beck, I squeeze his arm. “I feel like I’m breaking my neck to look at his face. This is insane.”

“You should see how intimidating he is on the ice.”

“I can’t wait,” I confess, still in awe of this gigantic man that’s supposed to be in college. “How old are you?”

Gus and Ty chuckle. Knox shoots them the middle finger. “I’m twenty-three.”

“Twenty-three?!”

“Yes.”

“Are your parents giants?”

He winces. “Uh… I don’t know.”

My brow furrows. “You…don’t know?”

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