Page 75 of Revolve
“Not whipped,” I correct.
“Okay, then why did you put four slices of bread in the toaster and take out two plates?”
I look back at the toaster and realize what I’ve done.
He tuts. “Making food for a girl that’s not here. Like I said, you’re whipped, Dill Pickle.”
“I’m making it for you.” My attempt to cover the slipup doesn’t work, and I know it when he laughs. Kian pulls out his phone to take a picture. No doubt sending it to the group chat.
He snickers to himself, then slips his phone in his hoodie. “Never asked you to make me one.”
“You don’t want it?”
“I want it,” he says shamelessly.
I slather one side with peanut butter and the other with jam. After a single diagonal cut, I slide the sandwich across the counter to Kian. He stares at me as he takes the first bite. That’s when Summer walks in, her eyes glued to the sticker-decorated e-reader that Aiden got her when Kian lost her old one. I think he has it and just pretended like he lost it at an away game so he can use it.
She startles when Kian clears his throat, and turns her screen off immediately. “Why are you guys still awake?”
“Late practice,” I reply.
Her brow furrows. “Sierra’s coach makes you practice this late?”
“Nah, it was just us. We got a few extra hours in since the competition is on Monday.”
A giddy smile takes over her face. Her eyes move to Kian, who matches her expression, and I roll my eyes.
“I think I need to download a dating app,” he says through a mouthful.
Summer scoffs. “You’re a D1 hockey player. College is your dating app.”
“If that was the case, I’d be dating right now, Sunny.”
I take a bite of my sandwich. “You’re too much of a hopeless romantic for casual relationships.”
“Yeah, thanks to her romance books.” He aims a pointed look at Summer. “I think I need to adopt a cat.”
“I thought you guys had a no-pets rule for the house,” Summer says.
“That’s only because Dylan and I adopted Marty the lizard in freshman year. We didn’t have time to take care of him, so Aiden made us rehome him in Dalton’s Nature Center.”
We bought Marty off some guy in a van because Kian said he needed to save him. We visit Marty sometimes, and he’s got a way better life than we could have given him.
The front door opens, and Aiden walks in. He drops his gym bagby the shoe rack and stalks over to the fridge to grab a water bottle. Aiden’s only here a few more days, since he has to head back so the team’s doctor can clear him to play again.
“Kilner just told me the good news,” he says to me. “You’re back for a third of the practices. Keep it up and you’ll be reinstated and let off the NHL hold.”
“You’re coming back? Thank God, I’m dying out there without you,” Kian says. “Coach has been acting super weird around me. More than usual.”
Kilner’s still avoiding telling Kian about the captaincy. “Is it confirmed that I’m back? Coach said it was in the works.” I try my hardest to sound enthused by this.I should be happy.And I can’t understand why I feel so detached from that part of me since skating with Sierra.
“Yeah, he’ll probably email you tonight,” Aiden says as he pulls out his phone. “And I had my manager check in with New York, and they’re watching. If you stick to the plan, they’ll lift the hold before graduation.”
After everything, I’ll still get to play with Kian on an NHL team just like we’ve always planned. What should be a dream come true suddenly feels a lot like a nightmare.
“That’s …” I pause, feeling unworthy. “More than I expected. I appreciate it, Cap.”
His heavy palm slams against my back when I pull him in for a hug. Just as we’re pulling away, Kian joins in and holds us still, our faces too close in an awkward three-way hug.
