Page 50 of Friendzone Hockey
The weather’s taken a turn, swathing us in a heatwave. It’s usually cold at night, but lately, it’s been hard to fall asleep because of the damn heat.
“I don’t care.”
He sighs. “Yeah, fine. I’ll sweat my ass off in the dark.”
That has my attention. “I thought you slept with the lights on?”
“Yeah, but I’m trying something.”
I squint, the cogs of my brain turning. “You don’t think the two are related?”
“Maybe…? Probably…? But I’ve got to do something, Stace. I can’t sleep with the lights on for the rest of my life. Humans aren’t supposed to sleep in the light and the bags under my eyes show it. I’m sure whatever this is, it’s just a phase.” He tilts his head, analyzing me. “I know that look. Don’t tell my dad.Please.He’ll go Defcon five on my ass. He’ll make me live with him again. He’ll never let me leave the apartment.”
“Would you be willing to try a nightlight?”
“The things they invented for five-year-olds?”
“They’re not just for five-year-olds. C’mon, we’ll go to the store right now.” I can’t stop seeing the marks. Thinking about him doing that to himself ties knots of tension up my spine.
“Do I have a choice?”
“Nope.”
He smiles. It’s opposite to what I expected. I expected to get punched in the teeth.
“Is it weird that I like it when you’re kinda overprotective and maybe a tad overbearing?”
“I’m like that with everyone,” I say, and yeah, I’m being defensive. I don’t want him to get any ideas that I’m still crushing on him. I’m not. I’ve managed to shovethosefeelings away.
“I know you are, okay? Just saying I like it. Let’s get me a nightlight. You think they have one shaped like Shrek?”
We don’t find one shaped like Shrek, but I find a pink unicorn nightlight and, when I show it to him, he smiles.That’s the one.
It’s battery powered and there’s a good home for it atop his dresser. We set it up together.
That night, I’m overly cognizant when he says he’s hitting the hay. My head twists away from the TV and our gaze meets. I didn’t mention his problem to Travis or Dirk. His expression begs me not to say anything with Casey, Dirk, and Jack—who’s staying over—in the room.
As far as I know, it’s only happened once and there’s probably not much that can be done about it anyway. Except maybe one thing. One of my large sweatshirts hangs over the arm of the couch.
“Remember when you said you were cold last night? Take my sweatshirt.” It’s a lie. He wasn’t cold. It’s a sauna in here around the clock because of the hot days.
I know he wants to roll his eyes at me. Instead, they smile. He takes the shirt.
On my way to bed, I check on him. He’s out cold, wrapped in my black sweatshirt. Buddy the unicorn’s watching over him from the dresser. My room’s the one next to his. If I listen carefully, I could probably hear his distress. I didn’t hear him the last time, but I must have been asleep.
I force my eyes open until I can’t keep them open, until sleep takes me away. But the next day, I go straight to his room. It’s ten am, he’s just waking up. “So? How was it?”
He pulls the sleeves back to show me his arms. “Nothing new. Buddy the unicorn did his job.”
“It’s only been one night.”
“Okay, Negative Nelly.”
Maybe I don’t have a lot of optimism when it has to do with protecting him. Sue me. “Keep the sweatshirt.”
He gives me the navy salute Captain Leslie—one of Jack’s dads—showed him. “Aye, Captain.”
“Don’t be a fucking brat.”
