Page 10 of The Puck Chase

“Oh my god, you promised you wouldn’t call me that anymore, Arch,” she complains, pulling back and fitting me with her fiercest stare, and all I can do is laugh and ruffle her perfectly curled blond hair, making her groan again. “And to think I missed you,” she scoffs, reaching down to pick up her bag, and I take it from her instantly.

“Aw, you missed your big brother?” I ask, fluttering my lashes at her, and she huffs at me in annoyance. “I mean we both know I’m way cooler than Everest, but surely he makes a good substitute.”

I signal for her to follow me inside, and I lead us both to the kitchen so I can get us a drink. “If by a good substitute you mean that you’re both assholes, then yes he does, but Ever is just more insufferable than you are, plus I see him everyday,” she trails off, as I hand her a bottle of water.

“So you missed me?” I ask with a knowing smirk, and the little brat rolls her eyes in a way that reminds me of our mother.

“Fine, yes I missed you,” she finally relents, and I can’t help but laugh, some of the tension inside of me finally being released.

“I missed you too, RoRo,” I tease, and just as she is about to call me out again, I hear the tell-tale sound of the front door.

“RoRo’s here?” Reign calls, just before he appears in the kitchen, and my little sister groans even louder.

“Don’t you start, you wanker,” she snaps back, using his favorite curse word, but gratefully accepting a hug from him anyway. “Where’s the other neanderthal?” she asks when she pulls back, referring to Nova.

“You know Nova, he’s still at the rink working on his game,” Alexander replies, grabbing his own bottle of water, looking as sick as I feel.

“That’s whyhemade the team captain, and you still get out of breath after going up the stairs,” Aurora replies, offering him a sweet smile, and Reign grabs his chest mockingly.

“Ouch, little Gray, I forgot what a little bitch you are,” he tells her with the shake of his head, but I know as an only child himself, that he secretly loves dealing with her shit.

Aurora has been a staple here many times since I moved in, and all the guys treat her like she is their own little sister. They are the same when Everest comes to visit, and it warms my heart to know my siblings are loved by my friends.

“Glad to serve you a reminder,” she tosses back, before returning her focus to me. “Now I’d love to stay and chat but my brother is going to take me on a tour of the town and then buy me a little sweet treat,” she preens, putting on her most angelic face.

“I am?” I ask, looking at her in confusion, before taking in her expression and nodding. “I mean, yeah of course I am, just let me go and get changed,” I tell her, gesturing to the workout clothes I am still wearing, and she nods.

“Fine, I suppose I could stay here and converse with Alexander some more,” she sighs, but her words have a devious edge, as she turns her focus back to him. “Tell me, Alexander,have you stopped fucking everything that moves yet?” she asks sweetly, as I leave the room, and before I can shout and stop him, he replies, “Well I had a foursome with your brother last night, so I’m gonna go with no.”

The last thing I hear her say before I disappear upstairs is, “For someone so charming you really are disgusting.”

An hour later I am showered, dressed, and on the other side of town, pointing out boutiques and galleries that I think my sister would enjoy. Apparently her guidance counselor has said it’s time to get serious about college, and Fairfield U is one of her top choices. And it doesn’t even have anything to do with me, since I’ll be long gone by the time she gets here, but I’m pretty sure it’s still one of Everest’s top choices. So at least if she does come here, there is a possibility they could be together.

“I see why you love it here, Arch, it’s so laid back compared to the city,” she exhales, practically swooning over every little shop we pass, and it’s nice to see her a little switched off for a change.

Both she and Everest go to an upscale private school in the city, one I attended myself, and I know how hard they push the students to be the best. It wasn’t until I got here that I actually enjoyed my education, and I know once given the creative freedom to pick what they learn, that my siblings will be exactly the same.

“Oh my god, let’s go in here,” she exclaims with excitement, when she spies a small little coffee shop type bakery on the corner of the street that I’ve never noticed before, and she is already pulling out her phone to take yet another picture for her social media. “It’s adorable,” she adds in a squeal, already rushing toward it, and I have no choice but to follow after her.

When we enter, a little bell over the door signals our arrival, only increasing her excitement, as she dashes right for the counter. By the time I join her she is already pointing out a giant piece of cake on display, and ordering some fancy coffee, beforethe servers look at me expectantly. I order my own coffee and cake, offering up my card to pay, and while we wait, I let my eyes survey the rest of the shop. It’s littered with cute little tables and chairs in the center that are only half-filled considering it’s a Saturday afternoon, but it’s the pink booths that line the back wall that snag my attention.

Not because of their bright color, but because one of them is occupied by one very familiar hockey player. Daemon is hunched over a black book on the table, completely oblivious to his surroundings, with his own half-eaten cake and coffee on the table. He is wearing the same Flyers hoodie he left practice in, and still has his huge hockey bag with him.

“Friend of yours?” Aurora asks, startling me a little with our tray of goods, and I take it from her carefully.

“Sort of, I mean we play on the same team,” I reply by way of explanation, not wanting to elaborate too much, as I gesture towards a table close to us, but my sister is now focused on Daemon Forbes.

“Great, let’s go and say hi,” she replies, and is already moving before I can stop her.

“Wait, no,” I whisper shout, but she is across the room and at his table before I can even say another word.

“Hi, I’m Aurora Gray,” she offers up sweetly, making Daemon’s gaze snap to hers instantly, as he slams closed the large black book in his hands. His eyes trail over my sister, before they move to me and then back to her. “Mind if we join you?” she asks, already sitting down. I love my sister, I really do, but right now I want to murder her. When Daemon continues to stare at her silently, she looks at me a little confused. “You guys do play hockey together, right? You’re friends?” she questions, and I have no option but to step in and create a ruse.

“Oh of course, we’re great friends, aren’t we, Forbes?” I push, as I take a seat beside my sister facing him. “We’realways watching out for each other, right?” I tease, and his stare hardens, but when he flicks his eyes to my sister, who is still watching him closely with that sweet smile on her face, his eyes soften a little.

“I’m Daemon,” he finally says. “And yes, I have the unfortunate privilege of sharing a team with your brother.” The last word gets caught in his throat a little, as if it was a struggle to get out, and I can’t help but frown, as I take a sip of my coffee just for something to do.

“So he’s a pain in your ass too?” Aurora asks, and I almost pass out from shock, when the corners of his mouth lift into a gentle smirk at her question.

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