Page 29 of The Puck Decoy

“Ahhh it’s the newlyweds,” Alexander cheers, holding up his coffee in the air to us like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“We were too hungover to leave before coffee,” Archer confirms, flicking his stare over the both of us before he adds, “Nice legs, Mrs. Peters.”

Josh pushes past me and smacks him across the back of the head on his way to the coffee machine. “Keep your eyes off my wife, and her legs, you little man whore.” And all I can do is pull on the hem of his jersey as I remember I am in fact, sans pants.

I skirt around the edge of the kitchen until my lower half is covered by the island, as Josh serves me a cup of coffee. When my eyes flick down to it, I can’t contain my smile when I realize the mug he has served it in is the one I got him last Christmas. When I look back to him, he is busy making his own cup, but of course Daemon is watching me carefully.

“Morning, Daemon,” I say brightly, still on a mission to become one of his friends, but all he does is offer me a nod.

Archer watches our interaction closely before focusing back on Josh. “Peters, we are heading to the rink later for a game ifyou want, nothing major, just us and a few of the guys off the team.”

Josh is already shaking his head. “I can’t, I’ve got family dinner at my parents’ house, where I have to tell my father I ignored his wedding plans and went ahead with my own.”

“Well that sounds fun,” Alexander drawls sarcastically, his half british accent thicker than usual for a change.

“Oh yeah, it will be the perfect family catch up,” Josh grumbles, turning around and moving so he is next to me.

“No worries, man,” Archer tells him genuinely, as if they have been friends all along, and I watch as Josh studies both him and Alexander climb to their feet and move to leave, in total confusion. “I guess we'll just see you at practice tomorrow, and Hals, I’ll see you and your nice legs in class,” he adds with another wink, before Alexander pushes him out of the room muttering something about a death wish.

“I’m gonna kill that fucker one of these days, he’s a pain in the ass,” Josh snaps, and I use the opportunity to slip from his side and climb onto one of the stools at the island, tucking his jersey tightly under my thighs.

I wave my hand in the direction they just left. “Ignore Arch, he’s like that with everyone, I swear it’s just a defense mechanism. He’s not as bright and happy as he seems,” I muse out loud, sipping my coffee as I think about the faraway look he gets in his eyes sometimes.

“Then what’s he like?” The question comes from Daemon, and it has my new husband's head snapping towards his friend in both surprise and intrigue.

I think about his question, and about what I have observed in the little time I have spent with his teammate, and I answer honestly. “I think he’s lonely. I think he just needs someone to want him, to need him, and I mean truly need him so he can liveup to his full potential. He has a big heart, I’m just not sure he knows how to use it yet.”

Daemon takes in every one of my words, absorbing them whole, and I swear I can see him turning each of them over in his mind, like a puzzle with a piece he can’t quite get to fit. Then when he notices that Josh and I are still staring at him, he dumps his coffee into the sink and stalks from the room without another word.

“Okay was it just me, or was that weird?” Josh asks, turning towards me totally bemused, but my mind is still on his friend, on my friend, on the way they act around each other, and something in my mind clicks.

“Are they always like that around one another?” I ask, wondering if Josh has seen it too.

“Who, Daemon and Archer?” he replies and I nod, sipping some more of my coffee which of course he made exactly how I like. “Yeah pretty much, they have hated each other since first year, but no one knows why.”

Oh, I think I know why.

“How interesting,” I muse out loud, looking at them in a whole new light now, especially after how Daemon reacted on Halloween during truth or dare, and last night when Archer brought it up again. Yes, very interesting indeed.

“What’s interesting?” My new husband questions, and I can’t help but smile at how clueless he is. Boys can be so dumb sometimes.

“Oh nothing,” I tell him, focusing back on him and my coffee. “Now are you making your wife some breakfast, or do I have to starve and beg first?”

Josh's eyes meet mine instantly, his mouth taking on a wicked smirk as he leans across the island from me and purrs, “I could definitely get down with some begging.”

The breath clears from my lungs and it takes every ounce of respect and self control to not react to his flirty remarks, especially when I know he doesn’t really mean it. Especially when I also now know what his lips taste like, what his body feels like against mine. It would be so easy to give in, to taunt and tease him in return, and rip up that list of rules and forget all about them. Yet if I let myself do that I won’t just fall, I’ll break. I’ll smash into a million pieces at his feet and he won’t have the map to put me together.

So instead I smile and say, “Just because I have your ring on my finger, doesn’t mean I wont dick punch you again when you act like a douche.”

His smile turns to a laugh, one so carefree and familiar that it almost knocks me off balance. “I forgot how fun you are to hang out with, Tink, I’ve missed you,” he tosses back without a care, as he turns to the fridge and starts rummaging through some ingredients, not realizing the hope his words flutter into my heart.

“Yeah, I’ve missed you too.”More than you’ll ever know.

The rest of the morning is spent with us having breakfast together, him breaking our wedding news to his very hungover and confused housemates, Levi and Landon, when they walk through the door, and then Josh getting ready for the dinner at his parents, before we drive over to my house so I can do the same.

By the time we arrive at his childhood home with Maddie in tow, all of us are feeling the tension this place represents. So when Josh slips his hand into mine to play our part, I can’t help but silently squeeze it three times.Are you okay?He only squeezes it back once.No.

When we walk through the door I see the same thing as always, an immaculate and beautiful house that somehow still feels cold and uninviting. And when Hugo Peters appears, Iremember the reason why. His stare is on us in an instant, taking in our proximity to one another, my hand in his son’s, before flicking it over to Maddie and giving her a once over before dismissing her completely. Same as always, except now I am in the lion's den with them, and not just watching from the sides.

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