He turns with a plastic to-go container in one hand and tugs the coffee away from me with the other. “Whatever. Why are you home? Don’t you have lessons or some shit?”
“Oh, I’m so sorry I’m here. In my own home.” I pull myself up to sit on the counter and pour my own cup of coffee, then shove him back toward the fridge with the toe of my sneaker. “Where is everybody?”
“What’s with the kick?”
“Grab the Christmas-cookie creamer for me, please,” I push, and at least the little mooch gets it for me without being a pain in the ass.
He adds a ton to my coffee, grumbling about how I’m gonna be a diabetic one day. “Where’s everyone else?” I ask again before I look at the clock and realize just how late it actually is. Damn. I’ve got to get moving or I’ll be late for the lessons I teach at the rink.
“Brynlee just left. The rest of the girls were gone before I got here.” Something must catch Maddox’s eye because he stops and leans back to look up the stairs. “Got something to tell the class, trouble?”
“Nope,” I answer and sip my coffee, acting completely oblivious to the sound of Easton coming down the stairs.
Maddox looks between us when E walks into the kitchen and drops his bag on a stool. He reaches around me for the coffee with a handsome smirk on his face, and I feel my cheeks pink.
“Dude, stop. You two might as well have cartoon birds flying around your heads. What the hell?” Maddox groans, and Easton and I both laugh.
“You into cartoon birds, Mad?” I taunt. “I mean, your dad calls your mom Snow White. Is that like a kink for you now?”
Maddox’s face turns bright red before he points at me. “You’re fucking gross, trouble. My mom’s a saint. She doesn’t have a kink,” he argues, and I can’t stop the ridiculous laughter bubbling up.
“Oh my God. First, your mother, who happens to be my sister, is no saint,” I practically double over, unable to breathe because I’m laughing so hard. “But even better, I was talking about you, you stooge. Not Amelia. I said you had a kink. But I mean, if you want to think about what your parents do in bed, you do you, boo.”
I hop off the counter and pat his back. “See you later, madman.”
“I hate you, trouble,” he calls after me as I grab Easton and walk him to the door.
“He loves me,” I tell E before I run a hand down the front of his hoodie. “It’s December in Kroydon Hills, hockey boy. You may need to get a coat. Maybe even a hat,” I add dramatically.
“Want to go shopping with me when I get back? I’ll need all sorts of stuff for the condo too.” He cups my face with his hand, and goosebumps break out over my skin. “Maybe you’ll even let me take you to dinner.”
“I’d like that.”
He kisses my forehead as his thumb caresses my jaw. “See you soon, princess.”
“Try not to kill my brother while you’re gone, please,” I whisper, half serious.
“As you wish,” he tells me, and then he’s gone.
Wow. I wasn’t expecting the wave of sadness that washes over me.
A week ago, I was furious with him, and now, I kinda don’t want him to go.
“As you wish,” Maddox snickers as he tries to sneak by me, and I smack the back of his head before he gets through the door. “Smart people are scared of me,” he taunts.
“They don’t know you peed the bed until you were six.” I slam the door shut behind him and giggle.
One day, he’s going to run the Philadelphia Mafia.
But right now, he’s just a pain in my ass.
Easton
I’m sitting on the team plane with my earbuds in and my eyes closed when I feel someone sit down in the seat beside me, so I crack an eye open, half expecting it to be Jace. It’s not him, but it’s not much better. His co-captain, Boone Dornan, is staring at me, waiting. For what, I’m not sure.
I lift my chin. “Boone.”
“Hayes. You feeling good about going against Atlanta?” he asks as he adjusts the seat.
“I’ve shut them down before. I’ll do it again.”
“We do things as a team in Philly. You’re not out there alone, you know.” I’m not sure if this guy is serious or if he’s giving me shit for being cocky.
“I hear you. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ve got no problem being a team player.”
“About that . . .” he drags out. “What the hell is going on with you and Kingston’s little sister? Because I’ve known him for a really long time, and he’s never been this big of a dick before.”