Page 111 of Campus Crush
“It definitely makes the most sense without her having to find a new apartment, and yeah, I don’t mind living with the guys for the rest of the year,” she said when I finished. “I can find my own place once the lease is up, and they can have another hockey player take that room again, so it firmly remains the hockey house.”
“That would be phenomenal, and like I said, you’d have your own bathroom and?—”
She cut me off with a wave of her hand. “I’m not worried about that. Abby’s my best friend, and she’s always looking out for other people. She deserves a break, and I’m glad she has you looking out for her.”
Her approval meant more to me than I expected. Sam had been there for Abby during her darkest days over the past couple of years, and I knew how protective she was of her friend.
“You really care about her, don’t you?” Sam asked, studying me with a thoughtful expression.
“I love her,” I said simply. There was no point in dancing around it.
A slow smile spread across Sam’s face. “Good. Because if you hurt her, I’ll have to destroy you, and I’d rather not. I’m starting to like you, Kane.”
I laughed, though I didn’t doubt for a second that she meant it. “Noted.”
“So when are you going to tell Abby about this master plan of yours?” she asked, sipping her latte.
“Tonight, if possible. I want to give her some good news for once.”
“Are the guys free tonight?”
“I think so. Why?”
She set her coffee down. “Because if I know Abby at all, she’s going to think she’s putting people out with this move. It might be better to run the idea by her with us all there to reassure her that it’s not an imposition.”
I wasn’t so sure about that. “What if she feels ganged up on?”
Sam was already shaking her head. “Trust me. Abby can say no—and totally will if she doesn’t want to do this. She doesn’t have issues setting boundaries. But I definitely think this might go over better and she might be more receptive to considering the idea if she talks to everyone who will be impacted by it.”
She made a good point. “I’ll text the guys now and call a house meeting. Think you can get Abby there before her tutoring session?”
She smiled. “Yep. She’s at our apartment now between classes and tutoring, so I’ll head home and pick her up. We’ll meet you at the hockey house in half an hour.”
“That would be great,” I said, feeling a surge of nervous anticipation. “Thanks, Sam.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” She stood up, gathering her things. “She might think you’re crazy for suggesting this.”
I grimaced. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“For what it’s worth,” Sam said, pausing before she left, “I think it’s a good plan. And I think she’ll see that too, once she gets past the initial shock.”
Now I just needed to get Abby on board with the plan. As I headed back to the hockey house, I rehearsed what I wanted to say, trying to find the right words to convince herthat this wasn’t just a rash decision but a practical solution to her current problems. But more than that, I wanted to live with her—to wake up and go to sleep with her and be there when she needed me. I only hoped she wouldn’t think I was pushing too hard or moving too fast.
The truth was, I’d move mountains for Abby if I could. Moving apartments seemed like the least I could do.
FIFTY-SIX
Sam had been a little stingy with the details about why we had to go over to the hockey house, but I needed a mental break, so I went along with it.
“You’ll see when we get there,” was all Sam would say when I pressed her for the third time as we walked up the path to the guys’ front door. The late fall air had a bite to it, and I pulled my coat tighter around me.
When we showed up, all the guys were already in the living room. They were arranged in a semi-circle—Drew and Liam sprawled on one couch, Gordy perched on the arm of the other, and Foster standing by the TV with his hands in his pockets looking uncharacteristically nervous.
I slowed my steps and glanced around the room, taking in their serious expressions. “Is this an intervention?” I asked, only half-joking. The setup certainly looked like those scenes from TV shows where friends confront someone about their problems.
Sam squeezed my arm reassuringly before she made her way to the couch and sat next to Gordy.
Foster closed the distance between us, his blue eyes softwith concern as he reached for my hand. “Not quite, but I wanted to run something by you that might make things a little easier on you.”
