Page 8 of Rebel Secrets
I didn’t bother to respond to that.The guys had learned quick that I didn’t like to talk.And most of them accepted it as just who I was.Ian, who also happened to be my roommate, liked to talk, but he reminded me of my oldest brother, Rowdy.Good-natured, easy-going and generally in a decent mood.
Rowdy had rounded out my rough edges.Ian…Well, sometimes, he did stupid shit like tell me my sister was hot.
“So who’s the other girl?She’s pretty, too.She’s not, like, a cousin or anything, right?Oh, wait?Is she your hometown sweetheart?”Ian’s goofy smile made me roll my eyes.“She’s not, right?You never talk about a girl.”
Sighing, I shook my head.“She’s my sister’s best friend.And trust me, she’s not anything to me.”
“So are you gonna introduce me?”
“Yeah, sure.Come on.”And then I had a brilliant idea.“You wanna come out with us?We’re just gonna get something to eat.Won’t be out late.”
Ian’s face lit up.“Sure!I can do that.”
Okay, so I wasn’t above using Ian as a buffer.If it was just gonna be me and Rainy, it’d be a different story.It’d just be me and her and a quiet dinner.Erin changed the equation.And though I’d never admit it, that pissed me off.We just didn’t mesh.
“Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
With Ian bounding along beside me, I headed down the hall, my lips cracking a smile as Rain’s face lit up when she saw me.She took a few skipping steps to meet me then threw her arms around my neck and hugged me tight.
“Hey, Reb.You played a great game tonight.”
“Good to see you, Rainy.”I gave her an extra squeeze.Despite the fact that I didn’t talk about it, I missed my family.“Thanks for coming.”
She pulled back to smile at me.“I’m just sorry I couldn’t get here sooner.You looked good out there.For a rookie.”
Her smile widened at the jab, which I took with the good nature I’m known for.
“Fuck you, Rainbow Brite.”
“Ah, Jedi, I miss you.”
At the mention of my Devils nickname, Ian’s gaze bopped between Rain and me.The guy didn’t miss a thing, which made him an amazing forward with the skill to be in the NHL.He just needed a little more seasoning to be truly great.And a break from the big club.Or to get traded to another team who needed a forward.That’d be a blow to the Redtails, though, who were having a pretty good season and were on track to be in the playoffs.
The team I still didn’t quite consider my own yet.
I shook off the thought.My keen-eyed sister would read my mind, and I didn’t want to have to deal with her empathetic anxiety.Plus, I knew she’d tell our parents and so far, I think I’d been able to keep them from realizing I was having regrets about leaving the Devils.
Yeah, it was stupid, but that’s just how my brain worked.
Still, I couldn’t resist hugging her tight again and feeling just a little closer to home.
Accidentally, my gaze slipped to Erin, who was watching us with eyes just as big as Ian’s and an expression that fought between goofy emotion and nose-wrinkling disdain.And since disdain probably wasn’t even a word in her vocabulary, it was the goofy emotion that won out.The smile on her lips softened and, when our eyes met, she actually looked happy to see me.
And I could honestly say, in that moment, I wasn’t unhappy to see her.My therapist was going to have a field day with this at our next session.
Amazingly, Erin managed to rein in her impulse to blabber all over everyone, but I knew it wouldn’t last.She just couldn’t help herself.So I offered up Ian as sacrifice.
“This is my roommate, Ian.”I put my hand on his shoulder and gave him a nudge forward, but he really didn’t need any help.“My sister, Rainbow.And her best friend, Erin.”
I managed not to grimace when I said her name, thought I sounded pretty normal as I introduced her.Maybe that’s why she gave me a second look?Usually all of our interactions involved snark.
I wanted to say, “See, I can be a polite human,” but I didn’t.That would’ve negated the no-snark thing, so…
“Hi.”Ian stuck his hand out to Rain first, who shook it with a smile, but when he turned to Erin, his expression just… Hell, I don’t know.The guy looked like he’d just scored the game-winning shot in the playoffs.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes and tell him he didn’t know what he was getting himself into.And when Erin smiled at him with that sunny look on her face, I wanted to tell him to run.
“Hi,” Erin said.And didn’t say another word.
