Page 17 of Just Friends
Ah, athletes. Their idea of being “in shape” is very different than ours. Even in the off-season—Jax’s time to live a little and let loose—hestillworks out twice a day and skates almost every other. But that’s not quite NHL game-shape, nor the impossibly high standard he holds himself to.
“YousureI didn’t wake you, though?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” I smiled. “Granted, you twomight’vewoken me if I weren’t already up. But it’s just been one of those nights for me. I haven’t slept a wink.”
“Damn.” He gave me a sympathetic frown. “Sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, it’s okay. I got some bad news from back home today, so that didn’t help, either.”
“Is everyone okay?” he asked, suddenly worried.
“Yeah, everyone’s okay.” I let out a sigh. “But my parents had their crops wiped out again.”
“Oh, fuck. Same deal as last year?”
I nodded. “Yup.”
He leaned against the door frame, his head resting against his thick forearm. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
I tutted. “They don’t even wantmyhelp, Jax.”
“Tell them I want to help. Seriously, Pipes.”
I smiled. “I don’t think it’ll make a difference, but I’ll let them know. Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
A slender figure with long, raven black hair appeared behind Jax. She slithered against his muscular side. “Thereyou are, Big Rig,” she said in a raspy voice. She wore nothing but one of Jax’s t-shirts, the hem reaching almost to her knee.
His spine straightened. “Oh, uh, hey,” he said. “What’s up?”
“Looking for you. Obviously,” she said, wrapping herself up in his burly arm. “You left me all alone in there.”
Gently, he guided her away. With his wide back kept to me, he blockaded my door as if he were protecting Vaughnsy’s goal crease.
“I told you I’d be back in a minute,” he said, trying to keep quiet so I wouldn’t overhear.
“I know.” Her lips made a softsmackagainst his chiseled, and probably salty, chest. “But I got bored.”
Seeing those two together, a weird feeling gripped me by the throat. Something unpleasant stirred in my tummy. It wasn’t jealousyper se, but something like it. Andnotbecause I want Jax—god no, we’re best friends and that’d be weird—but because I miss theexcitement.I miss all the things I used to be able to do: going out late at night and having fun, having a few drinks, meeting new people. Maybe even going home with a guy? (Or at the very least,hopingto meet a hot and charming guy who knew all the right things to say to tempt me into doing something crazy like that, anyway. Let’s just say that’s not really my style, though the fantasy can be nice.)
But all that’s in the past for me. Now, all I want to do is help otherpeople find that kind of excitement for themselves. And hey, maybe it’s for the best. Once this dating app is out, just think of all the love I’ll be spreading in the world.
Jax’s hookup stood on her tip-toes and reached for his ear. She whispered, but loud enough that I could still hear every word, “Come back to bed. I’m not done with you yet.”
He leaned away from her. “Gimme a minute, okay?”
Jax turned his attention back to me.
But with his guard lowered, Jax’s hookup jumped around his body and burst into my room.“You must be the roommate,” she said, appraising me with judgmental eyes.
“That’s me,” I said warily.
And why are you in my bedroom?
“You’re prettier than I expected,” she said, sounding almost disappointed.
“Excuse me?”
