But what if I never get the chance to show someone who I am beyond my last name? What if nobody bothers to look? That’s…that’s what hurts the most.
Instead, I lay my cheek on Garrett’s warm chest and nod.
We choose Brooklyn 99, laughing quietly together as he tickles my back, any lingering tension melting away.
“Hey, uh, listen.” His fingertip dips around my shoulder blade, then loops down my spine, and I’m pretty sure he’s writing his name. He clears his throat. “I can’t come to your recital next week.”
“Oh.” Without thinking, I start rolling toward the edge of the bed, putting distance between us. Garrett pulls me right back.
“Hey, stop it. You’re not going anywhere.” He drops his lips to the spot below my ear. “I’m flying home on the twenty-third for Christmas, but I checked out the program online, and there’s gonna be a livestream.”
“You’re gonna watch still?”
“Fuck yeah. I don’t wanna miss you kick ass up there.”
My face warms, nose wrinkling. I grin at him. “I’m gonna be the best.”
“I know you are.” His fingers land on my ribs, tickling, and I all but shove a knee into his crotch as I roll around like a feral animal trying to escape. He shoves me to my back and climbs aboard. “Your grand finale should be you nailing Simon Syphilis in the balls. Your standing ovation would never end. You’d hear me all the way from Nova Scotia. Woohoo,” he whisper-cheers. “Fuck yeah, Jennie!”
I giggle, struggling against him.
He trails the tip of his nose across mine and touches a kiss to my lips. “Gonna kinda suck not seeing you for a few days.”
There’s that damn gallop again, no rhyme or reason. “I’m irresistible. One can’t help but miss me when I’m not around.”
Garrett turns me back over so he can go back to trailing his fingertips over my back, and my eyelids flutter closed.
“It’s true,” he says as the motion of his hand on my back lulls me to sleep. “You are very missable.”
When I wake in the morning, it’s to a package of Banana Crème Pie Pop-Tarts on my pillow and three text messages from Garrett.
Bear: U snore like a trucker. Had to get the fuck outta there before I smothered you with a pillow.
Bear: Just kidding. U looked cute as fuck. Didn’t wanna wake u.
Bear: *kiss emoji* Have a good day at school, sunshine.
I can’t remember the last time my smile felt this genuine.
CHAPTER 17
ARE GIRLS REALLY THAT GRUMPY ON THEIR PERIODS?
GARRETT
Jennie’s annoying me.
It’s been three days since I’ve seen her, and she’s thwarting all my attempts. She ignored every FaceTime request, didn’t come to our home game yesterday with the girls, but sent me multiple lewd messages while she was in her classes. I’m super confused. I hate being confused.
Plus, I leave tomorrow for three nights on the road, then fly home to the east coast for the holidays. I wouldn’t mind seeing her first.
I shoot off a quick text and knock on Adam’s door.
Me: U done being a brat?
Sunshine: Literally never.
Me: Let’s bang tonight.
Me: Oops, autocorrect got me again. **hang
Sunshine: No thanks.
The door opens, and Bear leaps up on my chest, tongue in my mouth the second I open it.
“Sorry ’bout him.” Oddly enough, Adam doesn’t sound the least bit apologetic. “You know he likes his kisses.”
“I prefer a woman’s tongue, Bear, but yours will do.” I carry him into the house, setting him down when my face is good and wet. Adam looks tired, so I bet I already know the answer to the question I’m about to ask. “How was your date last night? What was she, number six?”
“Eight.” He sighs, tugging at his hair, which leads me to believe it was as underwhelming as the previous seven.
“What was it this time?” I follow him into the kitchen, where he hands me a plate stacked with sandwiches made of toasted rye bread, salami, prosciutto, the works, and this is exactly why the dating stuff isn’t working out for him. He’s too good for most of this world. Nobody deserves Adam’s sandwiches. Except me, obviously.
“Vacation property. She wanted to know if I had any.”
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, and Adam looks the same. There are plenty of girls out there that money and fame mean nothing to—we’ve already got three of them—so why is it so difficult for a guy like Adam to find one?
“I need to meet someone who’s never watched hockey,” he grumbles. “Knows nothing about the sport and doesn’t have a single clue who I am. Maybe then I’ll know if they actually like me for me.”
This version of Adam, ready to call it a day, is sad. It’s not the Adam I know. I want him to find the good he’s looking for; I know she’s out there.
“I’m sorry, buddy. Give it some more time. I bet she comes around when you’re least expecting.”
“Hope so.” He checks his Apple Watch. “Jaxon should be here any minute, then we can take off.”
“Jaxon? What? No. He’s coming? C’mon. That guy?”
Adam’s doorbell rings, and he chuckles. “He’s a good guy.”
“He’s annoying,” I counter, following him down the hall as I stuff the rest of my sandwich into my mouth. I’m not sharing.
“Carter’s annoying, and you’re friends with him.” He levels me with a look that tells me to play nice. “I think you’ll like Jaxon if you give him a chance. C’mon. He’s uprooted his whole life and moved to a new country. He doesn’t have anyone here.”
“Fine, but he’s sitting in the back.”
Adam opens the door, and Jaxon grins at us from the porch.
“I call shotgun!” he yells, then promptly dashes to Adam’s truck, and I fucking hate him.
“Did you have to get the biggest one?” Adam grunts as we shove my Christmas tree into the back of his pickup.
“I got the biggest,” Jaxon argues.
I shove him through the pine needles. “Like fuck you did.”
“Biggest tree to match the biggest cock.”
“You’re the biggest dick, that’s for fucking sure.”
Adam sighs. “I should’ve gone with the couples. Then I wouldn’t be feeling like a single dad right now, and I would’ve had my Christmas tree two weeks ago.”
“Yeah, and you’d be missing all the fun,” I say, then clap Jaxon’s hand in a high five.
Okay, so he hasn’t been the worst today, but he hasn’t been the best either. Tolerable. A couple funny jokes here and there. He’s okay. Plus, I know what it’s like to come out here on your own and hope someone will take you into their crew.
Still, by the time we’re wrapping up at lunch, Jaxon doesn’t seem that lonely. He’s managed to get both the hostess and the waitress’s phone numbers without them knowing about each other. He’s taking one for dinner tonight, Adam’s heading to Second Chance to volunteer, and I’m arguing with Jennie via text.
“I could probably get both girls out tonight and you can join us, Andersen,” Jaxon says when we climb into Adam’s truck. “If you need help getting a date.”