Page 47 of Finding the Forward: Part One
Chapter Fifteen
AJ
Dean sent me a video of him stuffing a roll in his mouth at the function he, Jonas, and Grif were at. I sat in my office working. A few people were still here–mostly those who dealt with foreign markets. Darkness had fallen, and I should head home.
Sometimes I’d rather stay and work than be in an empty house. Though Grif being with us was such a relief. I could only plan so many business trips to visit him without my work getting suspicious. Still, during the season they had such busy schedules that if I didn’t live with them, I’d never see them.
Me
Feel like ditching so we can put together a puzzle and eat noodles?
I was mostly joking. Grifhatedthe social aspects of being a hockey player–like going out with the team, things for the press, parties, and sponsor functions.
Grif
Not at the thing. I’ll get us a new puzzle if you get empanadas? Not feeling noodly.
Me
Done.
I’d had noodles for lunch anyway. Closing my laptop, I shoved it in my bag, elation shooting through me. Puzzle night with Grif? Sold. Usually, I only got those in the off-season. We’d started them back when we were broke players on the Tsunamis, the Hurricanes’ farm team. We’d continued it when we’d moved up to the Hurricanes.
Then I spent one summer with the three of them and realized what I had been missing all my life. Even though I had zero romantic interest in Dean and Jonas, weclicked.They were my pack. End of story. Jonas made a good sparring and video game partner. He’d also watch fútbol games with me. Dean and I discussed art and sailing.
With the four of us, puzzle night turned into game night. When my dad sent my ass to business school after the Hurricanes cut me because of my injuries, I’d ended up in the same city as Dean. The persuasive omega moved me into his place and wouldn’t let me leave, citing he felt safe with me there. At Dean’s, game night became movie night.
After graduation, I’d only been in New York for a few months when Jonas got traded to the Knights from the Lightning Bugs. Not long after, that asshole outed Dean. That disaster ended in Jonas mating Dean and Dean becoming a Knight. So, I’d opened my home to them until they figured things out.
They never left, and the game nights restarted.
But I missed those puzzle nights with only Grif.
I got empanadas and headed home. I’d rather eat good food from some hole-in-the-wall place than be seen at a top place. That didn’t mean I didn’t appreciate fine things and good food–I’d just rather do it for myself rather than because others expected it of me. Something my parents didn’t understand.
The living room, dining room, and kitchen of our penthouse had an open floor plan. I’d gotten this the hard way–a graduation gift from my parents when I’d finished business school. They’d hoped now that I hadthat hockey nonsenseout of my system, an advanced degree, and a good job, that I’d find a pack andsettle down.
Now, here we were, so very close to being able to file the forms to become a pack. While I didn’t want to push Grif, I yearned for an actual relationship with him.
But I waited patiently for him to be ready. Because I loved him.
“Hey.” I took off my coat and suit jacket, and hung them in the closet, putting my shoes on the rack by the door.
“Hey.” A bottle of vodka sat on the table next to the puzzle box. Grif, who wore workout pants and a T-shirt, was spreading all the pieces out on one side of the glass dining room table.
I put the food on the counter. A white pharmacy bag sat there, too.
“Go change, and we’ll get started?” He looked up and smiled at me.
That smile could make the worst day better.
“Absolutely.” I went to my room and quickly hung up my suit and changed. In public, I always looked polished–anything less would be unacceptable to my family. Personally, I’d rather be comfortable than stylish. Something I gladly did here at home.
I came back out in sweats and a Hurricanes T-shirt. A frown tugged at my lips. Something about Grif’s smell and posture wasn’t right.
“What’s wrong?” I hugged him from behind. Would it be wrong to hope that Airplane Girl dumped him? He was playing fine now and didn’t need her anymore.
“I went to the doctor this afternoon.” Grif drank directly out of the bottle of vodka.
