Page 38 of Nix
Nix rubbed his stomach. “I’m starving.”
“I know.” Evan went back to scratching Nix’s scalp as he admired Kevin Bacon in some very tight jeans. Maybe this movie wouldn’t be so bad after all.
* * * * *
Nix
The kitchen smelled so good that Nix couldn’t help snacking along with his baking, even if it was almost time for lunch. It was pure heaven in his opinion. He’d already made a batch of pumpkin cream cheese cookies, a pumpkin and chocolate chip loaf, and now he’d just rolled his pumpkin donut bites and had them resting. Nix still needed to smother them in the cinnamon sugar he’d mixed. There was also a cookie sheet of pumpkin seeds drying on the counter, so he’d have plenty for his upcoming road trip.
Nix had woken up jittery and needed to put all his excess energy somewhere. Baking was the perfect solution. So much happened the previous evening. Nix had gotten into his first major fight, Evan had pampered and babied Nix all night long, even giving Nix a goodbye kiss on his forehead. As tired as he was, Nix couldn’t fall asleep. He just stared at his ceiling for hours once he’d been left alone.
Nix hated being alone.
He’d always had his brothers, teammates, his parents. Being in the PAHL was awesome but Nix couldn’t seem to find his place. It was just so damn lonely. Except when he was with Evan.Being with his teammates was okay but nothing compared to spending time with his goalie.
He was trying so hard to be good. Scaring Evan away would be the worst thing ever. Nix was attracted to his goalie, of course he was—Evan was hot as fuck. More importantly Nix liked Evan. Just being around Evan made Nix happy. Nix knew he could be a lot. He’d been told that his entire life. Being in a relationship with Nix wasn’t easy.
The one time he’d tried to have a relationship with a teammate, things had not ended well.
Believing he was in love, Nix had been all-in. Nix often took it upon himself to make sure that every one of his relationships was working. It didn’t matter if it was with a family member or lover, Nix had a habit of changing who he was, how he acted to please the other person. It had been the relationship with the teammate back in college when Nix realized he’d stopped being him.
Luckily, he had Gem and Aries as a support system.
They’d been trying to tell him for years that he needed to be with someone who accepted the true him. Nix just wasn’t sure who he was with a partner. He tried too hard. If his heart was involved, Nix needed it to last. And he ended up fucking up every single time.
Evan was different than anyone Nix had been in a relationship with previously. And they weren’t even romantically involved. At least Nix didn’t think they were. So the kiss confused him.
Lying in bed, all that Nix could do was picture everything that could go wrong between them. Evan was essential to theteam. Nix felt his position was more replaceable. Taking the chance on anything with Evan was a true risk with real-life consequences.
The phone ringing drew him into the living room where his cell was charging. Nix had forgotten to plug it in the night before since he had been more interested in Evan taking care of him. It hadn’t been until he’d dragged himself from bed that he’d noticed his cell was almost dead. With only eighteen percent, Nix had checked and responded to a dozen messages before he began his baking. He would listen to the numerous voicemails later. His mom had left most of those although Gem and Aries had each left one.
He wasn’t even surprised by the caller. “Hello, brother,” Nix greeted.
“About time you answered,” Gem grumbled.
“I was busy!” Nix defended. Not that his brother needed to know he’d lain in bed for hours thinking about his goalie before falling into a fitful sleep.
“Mules had time to message me,” Gem pointed out.
“Yes, but I was being pampered.” He was kind of proud of that. Nix knew his family wouldn’t be happy about his actions, meaning the fight of course. Nix wasn’t a fighter, but his teammates were pleased with him.
“Pampered,” Gem repeated. “For getting in a fight?”
“My team is very proud of me,” Nix shared. The text messages from his teammates were his favorite. They even promised him a pumpkin pie blizzard after they returned from the away games they were leaving for the next day. Score!
“You’re not a fighter,” Gem said. “Leave that to the men that get paid for it.”
Nix sighed. Gem wasn’t wrong. “I know.” His ribs still ached, plus he might have a black eye. Nix decided not to share those details. Gem was a bit of a worrywart after all.
“It was a good fight. You threw a nice punch.”
“Really?” Nix hadn’t expected the compliment. Oh! This was awesome! “You think so?”
“I was proud of you,” Gem responded. “But don’t do it again!”
“I won’t,” Nix promised. He actually meant the words too. Still, Nix had zero regrets. “It was a heat-of-the-moment thing.”
“Because it was Mules?”
