Page 72 of One Touch

CHAPTER26

LATHAN

I zippedup my suitcase and lowered it to the floor. If I timed it correctly, I should be able to sneak out of the house without seeing my mother. The past two days had been hell, and I was past ready to get out of here. The only solace was my mother had been too busy entertaining to interrogate me. If I wanted that trend to continue, I needed to escape before she had time to get her claws into me today.

Knowing Miller would return to the same state as me today was also an incentive to get out of here.

Opening the door, I peeked out into the hallway. No one was lurking around, so I slipped out into the hallway. My feet were silent on the plush carpet as I padded down the stairs. The house was quiet. Too quiet. Living with Miller, I’d become accustomed to a lot of noises: the sound of the espresso maker, Miller tapping on any surface he could, and Alaska’s claws as they clicked on the floor.

The only sound here was the clock ticking on the wall. It was so empty. There was no life in this house. Something I never would have noticed before Miller. He’d changed my life in ways I hadn’t expected.

“Leaving so soon?”

“Fuck!” I spun around and barely kept my suitcase from sailing through the air. I clutched my chest and fought to slow my breathing. “Jesus! Mother.”

“Language, Lathan. Silvers don’t use such foul words.”

“Then don’t sneak up on me.” I lowered my hand and tried to regain my composure.

“I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t trying to sneak out like a dirty secret.”

“I wasn’t.”

Evangeline Silver raised her perfectly sculpted brow and sipped her coffee. I squirmed under the look. I was a six-foot hockey player, but my mother could still make me wither with one look.

“When are you going to introduce me to your boyfriend?”

I sputtered. If I’d been drinking something, it would be all over the floor. “What? Boyfriend? I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Lathan, these games are tiresome. Why didn’t you tell me you were gay? I don’t care what your sexuality is. In fact?—”

I held up a hand to stop her. “I’m not gay, and I know precisely what you would’ve done with the knowledge.”

“So this is just a phase? This teammate of yours?”

Fuck. I thought I’d been so careful. I knew using the private jet was a risk, but I hadn’t expected her to learn so much so quickly. That had been foolish.

“It’s nothing.” The words soured my stomach. It was a lie, but I couldn’t let her know that.

“I see.” She stepped forward and leaned toward me so I could kiss her cheek. I sighed in relief when she didn’t say anything else.

“Bye, Mother.”

I was almost out the door when she shot her parting words. “I’ll be in Austin next week for a gala. Your attendance is required, Lathan.”

“It’s during the season,” I protested.

“It’s not a game night; I already checked. You’ll want to be there, son. I’ve let you entertain this career of yours, so you will show up as a Silver when needed. I’ll have my assistant send you the details. Wear your navy suit.”

She didn’t wait for a response before she left. There wasn’t one needed. We both knew I’d be there. It was what a Silver did.

* * *

I spent the first hour at home deep cleaning until the smell of lemons and the silence overwhelmed me, and then I donned workout gear. I went for a run, but when that still didn’t quell the anxiety pumping through my veins, I headed to the rink. Dripping with sweat and my muscles sore, I prayed it had been long enough.

I used to love my alone time. The quiet was my haven. But now I missed the space a curly brown-haired man with the prettiest eyes took up. The quiet was now suffocating, and if I had to spend another second alone with myself, I would adopt a million more cats. Alaska might have accepted Miller into his domain, but he wouldn’t tolerate another feline friend. It was better that I convinced Miller to never leave than to go down that road.

The locker room was dark, but the message lighting up my phone was enough to propel me forward.

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