Spiral (Off the Ice, #2) (43)

But then he pulls away, as always. And my chest deflates, as always.

“We’re here!” a deep voice shouts.

Two huge guys, just about as tall as Aiden and Elias, stand in the foyer with suitcases. In between them, Summer beams brightly at me. Her gaze settles on Elias and me, like she’s interpreting our proximity to mean something.

“Miss me?” she asks, pulling me into a hug.

I’ve never had the kind of friendships that feel like family. But I’ve never really had a family to compare them to anyway. But with Summer, I have the overwhelming need to tell her everything and expel my inner thoughts without judgment. To let her in. To not be lonely.

When she pulls back, I can still feel the warmth of her hug. I peek at the two guys who could easily be Hollister models standing behind her. Summer must see the curiosity in my gaze because she waves them over.

“That’s Kian and Dylan. Eli’s probably told you all about them.”

“I’ve heard some stories,” I say.

“Dirty ones, I hope,” Dylan interjects with a wink that I’m sure only a guy who looks like him can pull off.

“This is Sage. My girlfriend,” Elias says as he comes to stand next to me.

The words sound like a threat, but his friends know about our ruse. Summer holds back a laugh at my expression before she slips away to help Aiden with the luggage. He doesn’t let her, so she just follows him down the hall.

“Right, the fake girlfriend,” Dylan emphasizes.

Kian is grinning, staring at me with a sort of bright-eyed wonder. He’s wearing a T-shirt and shorts that expose his tattoos. Black and red ink designs cover his thighs and arms.

Then the guys move in for a hug, and they smell so good, I get a head rush when they’re surrounding me. It’s like drowning in a sea of beautiful men.

“Why are you here?” Elias’s abrupt question makes them pull back.

“For the playoffs kickoff party. We’ve been texting about it for weeks,” says Dylan.

“I even asked for your opinion on my outfits, but you never replied,” adds Kian, looking miffed by his friend’s lack of response.

Elias grows more confused. “How did you get invited?”

As far as I know, the pre-playoffs dinner is for the team and some of the retired veterans, so plus-ones are limited. Especially because it’s more of a superstition than a party. Elias told me the one time they didn’t have one, the Toronto Thunder were sacked in the first round.

“Summer’s dad. Lukas Preston? He loves me, man. Where have you been?” Kian says.

“Clearly, on another fucking planet.” Elias turns to me. “Lukas Preston likes nobody but his wife and daughters.”

“And now Kian,” I add. I’ve heard about the rough time Aiden has had trying to get Summer’s hockey Hall of Fame father to like him. So this is an unexpected development.

“Anyway, he said I could come, and I brought Dylan as my plus-one.”

“Translation: He annoyed Summer’s dad enough to score two guest passes,” says Dylan.

I chuckle as Kian just shrugs, beaming with pride for securing the invites.

When we move to sit in the living room, Elias hands Dylan a water bottle. Dylan frowns. “No beer?”

“You think you should be drinking this early?”

There’s something in the air that grows awkward with the question. I feel like I shouldn’t be here. Though it doesn’t seem like either of them care.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to be on my case about this too,” Dylan mutters.

“Yeah, I am. You can’t let yourself go during the offseason.”

“What part of letting myself go does this count as?” Dylan lifts up his shirt to show off his abs. Washboard abs. I try not to gawk and instead stare at my hands like a scandalized nun.

The universe must finally be doing me a favor, because Summer walks in with Aiden, cutting the tension in the room. Kian moves to the spot between Dylan and me.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Sage. Eli cannot stop talking about you,” he says with a mischievous smirk.

“I find that hard to believe.” My words draw curiosity from the guys. But I’m saved from any questions when Aiden cuts in.

“How did you guys get the time off from your classes?” he asks.

Kian looks over at Dylan, who doesn’t appear to want to enlighten anyone with a response, so Kian answers. “The semester is almost over and we only took one class. Fall semester is going to be rough, though.”

When the guys start talking about hockey, I kind of zone out, but this comforting chaos isn’t something I’ve ever had. Where no one is fighting, and it’s just a group of friends having an easy conversation. Elias looks happy when he’s with them. It’s the most carefree that I’ve seen him. Even the way he laughs is open and unrestricted.

When Kian starts to complain that he’s starving and Aiden asks what everyone wants to eat, we settle on pizza. I’m the first to head to the door when it arrives, letting everyone catch up. But when I’m carrying it into the kitchen to get plates, Elias is already behind me. The soft brush of his torso against my back as he opens the cupboard lights an awareness on my skin. He grabs the plates even though they’re in reach now that everything is moved down one shelf.