Page 104 of Actions and Reactions
“I want that too.” A tear slips out of the corner of my eye and down to the pillow under my head.
“Okay then, I feel I need to tell you that you’re better than your stats reflect this season. What the fuck?”
I burst out laughing then, loudly, joyously, incredulously.
“My boyfriend was away,” I cry out, the excuse coming out without any conscious thought. A burst of panic begins to grow, but it vanishes when Si rolls his eyes dramatically at me.
“You can’t blame everything on me, you know?”
“I know,” I breathe out with the smile firmly on my face. “It’s been so weird leading the team,” I confess, trying out this not-holding-back thing. “I know now that everyone expected it to happen eventually, but I just didn’t see it coming.”
“Well, that’s dumb,” he counters, deadpan.
I snort again and shake my head as much as I can, then I raise my hand to cover the one he’s cupping my cheek with and turn my head to kiss his palm.
“I’m a dumbass sometimes.”
“That’s fine. We can be dumbasses together.”
How isthatthe most romantic thing I’ve ever heard?
Ten Days Later
“Ex-fucking-cuseme?” Silas shouts at the screen of his tablet.
“Well, I guess it wouldn’t be a normal Christmas without a screaming match,” Mom sighs, mock disappointment on her face.
Elle hides her smirk behind her glass. I guess she knew about this.
“You can’t date Colin,” Silas continues shouting at Lottie over FaceTime.
“Look, Silas, you need to calm the fuck down, okay?” she snaps right back, as is her right.
I’ve heard great things about Colin from Silas in the last week, so I don’t know what has him so worked up. An ex-marine, won some medals for saving some people, good guy who’s gone to therapy, works in security, has a good sense of humor... what’s not to like?
“Lottie, I just don’t?—”
“I’m gonna stop you,” she interrupts him. “Colin is the only man I’ve ever met who has more balls than me, and that’s a nice change of pace. I like that in a guy.” My boyfriend only grumbles at that, he has no comeback. “We’re going to the team dinner together, and the guys love him.”
“They’ve alreadymethim?” Si demands, his voice pitched high enough to make me wince.
“Yes, last week. He was a big hit.”
I feel the need to interrupt, some stupid part of my brain demanding I side with Silas at least initially.
“I wouldn’t trust those assholes from the Deep.”
“Shut up, Ivan,” she snaps at me.
Well, I tried.
Si stares at her for a long moment then drops his head between his shoulders. When he looks up again he’s smiling.
“I’m so happy you’ve found someone you care about, Lottie.” The smile and tone aren’t super genuine, but I can see from her responding smile as well as Mom’s that it’s appreciated. “How’s Colin doing?”
With the crisis under control, I turn and go get my one measly beer.
I suddenly don’t care about that when I see Dad and Mich laughing by the bar. It’s been a long time since we’ve all been together for the holidays, and never this many people.
