Page 99 of Iced Out

“This,” he says, lifting his hand and brushing his thumb over my lips. “The fake, plastic smile you use when you’re pissed or uncomfortable or lying.”

My mouth drops slightly, floored he’s picked up on something…I didn’t even realize I did.

His lips form a tight line and he pulls his phone from his back pocket. “We’re gonna cancel and order in pizza instead.”

Pizza and the night with Oakley in my room sounds fucking heavenly, actually, but cancelling last minute on people rarely leaves a good first impression. The very thing I desperately want.

“Absolutely not.” I grab his phone before he can finish whatever text he was typing, pocketing it in my jeans. “We’re going tonight, come hell or high water.”

Oakley’s lips quirk in an amused smirk. “Okay, well then you need to just relax. They’re just people; my dad included.”

“You say that, but…”

“But nothing, Quinn. They’re gonna love you.” He wraps his fingers around my wrist and tugs me into him before placing a kiss on my temple. “Now, c’mon. We’re already running late.”

My jaw locks with another round of nerves.

Fantastic.

Dinner isn’t at a restaurant like I thought it would be. It’s at his parent’s house.

Oakley’schildhood home,which happens to be the exact opposite of mine. It’s a nice, large home out in the suburbs, about forty-five minutes from campus. It’s basically the American dream home, complete with a two-car garage, big backyard for barbecues, and a covered front porch with rocking chairs on it.

Fuckingrocking chairs.

They’ve got the two kids, and when I pointed out the only thing they were missing was a dog, Oakley corrected me, saying they had a dog at one point, but it turned out his brother is severely allergic, so they couldn’t keep it.

“Oh no, an imperfection in your perfect little life,” I mutter, rolling my eyes. Which only made Oakley laugh more.

And to make matters more domesticated, some fancy caterer or a housekeeper didn’t make dinner for the five of us. Oakley’s mom did it herself.

“I feel like I’ve been shot into an alternate reality,” I murmur to Oakley as we sit down at the kitchen table beside one another. My gaze connects with his. “Am I inThe Matrixright now or something?”

His lips twitch in a smile. “You’re ridiculous.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to saybut I’m yours,except…I’m not actually his. Not really, anyway. Not in the way this whole coming home for dinner and meeting the parents thing makes it seem.

Or the way he places his hand on my thigh beneath the table makes it feel.

Which he promptly removes the second his parents enter the dining room.

Having never been the type of guy to go home and meet anyone’s family—save for Hayes’s, because he’s my best friend—I expect this entire thing to go poorly.Verypoorly. To the point where I assume I’ll never be able to speak to Oakley again afterward.

Which is why I’m pleasantly surprised the three of them make me feel like I’ve belonged at this table my whole life.

Oakley’s mom, Janet, asks me about school and where I grew up, and the weirdest part is, the questions don’t seem hollow. Like the small talk you’re supposed to make with dinner guests, knowing full well you won’t remember a thing they said once they leave. She genuinely wants to know more about who I am, where I came from, and where I hope to go next. Things…I don’t even think my own mother knows about me.

Even Logan engages in some of the conversation, chatting with me about anime, my motorcycle, and some other things us black sheep have in common. And Oakley’s right, we get along pretty well.

And then there’s Oakley’s dad.

He’s got the same penetrating stare both Oakley and Coach have, but with him, it’s almost magnified. Like he can see right through my skull, finding each and every mistake or terrible thought I’ve ever had, only to flip through them like a goddamn magazine.

It’s unnerving.

Which is why my stomach rolls when Janet leaves for the kitchen to put away the leftovers, leaving the four of us at the kitchen table to chat about hockey. And seeing as it’s Logan’s least favorite topic, he goes silent and pulls out his phone, leaving Oakley, his father, and I to talk about the one thing in the world he can’t stand.

“The two of you are working together well on the ice this season. Considering the history you two carry, I was surprised when Travis mentioned putting you together on one line.”

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