I glanced over to where Maverick sat, and he waved happily at me. I noticed that Saint had joined him and Leo. I let out a breath that I wasn’t even aware that I was holding.
“It’s not that I’m ashamed. I just...I really like him, and I want to see where this is going between us. We had a thing between us before, when we were in high school, and when we lost touch, I was kind of devastated. I don’t want to scare Reed away again.”
We both glanced over at the sound of voices. All the guys had come out of the locker room, laughing and gently shoving one another. I wanted that. To be part of a team that could relax and have a good time on and off the ice. Although Asher was retired, he had played with both Jax and Wyatt for years. He seemed to get along great with everyone, too. I liked my college teammates, but there was something about being a professional player. You worked for months in hopes of winning that cup. And I wanted my chance to prove I was just as good as they were. That I could play with the big dogs
“I think if you really want this to work, you should talk with Reed. Let him know what your intentions are. Miscommunication can be a huge problem in a relationship.” Jax grinned, then skated off toward where Tom was waving to him.
“Jackson,” I called out to my uncle as he skated over to his brother. “Thanks for the pep talk. And for the help for the date tonight.”
He gave me a quick nod. “Any time. That’s what family is for.”
Chapter Eight
Reed
Imust have changed my outfit ten times. Trying to decide if I should go with something casual or sexy. I mean, Cole had said this was a date, after all. Hazel finally told me that blue jeans and the white New York Ballet shirt I had first put on were perfect, and I decided to go with that. I stared at myself in the mirror, trying to see if Cole would like what he saw. Did my ass look good in these pants? Did these sleeves make my shoulders look broad enough? Was Cole even attracted to me anymore? God, this was all so confusing. I wasn’t used to having to second guess myself. Guys usually told me they were interested, and that was that. I had never really dated after high school. There was one boy in senior year of high school who I went out with for a little while at the end of the year. He’d taken me to prom. But that was only a handful of dates, and I think that was only because he wanted me to sleep with him after the dance.
A text came in right before six o’clock, and I was pretty sure that my stomach nearly dropped into my feet. It happened as I was pacing through the house, chewing nervously on my lip, convinced that Cole was going to change his mind and cancel. Or not show up at all. So, this, of course, felt like the nail in my coffin.
“What does it say?” Hazel asked as she looked up from her kindle. When I didn’t answer, she gently placed it down on the coffee table and stood up. “Reedy?”
My chin trembled slightly. “Cole said he’s going to be late. He asked me for the address so he could meet me there.”
It was innocent enough. But why did it feel like he was using this as an excuse to blow me off? To tell me he was too busy to hang out with me tonight. Maybe I should break things off now.
Hazel grabbed my hands. “Don’t hate me, but you could be overacting just a little bit. He didn’t break your date. He’s just running behind. What I think you need to do is go change into something a little sluttier, send Cole a selfie along with the address of this party, and then go. Make sure he knows what he’s missing if he doesn’t show up.”
“Sluttier?” My eyes widened. “Haz, you know I don’t dress like that.”
She shook her head. “You do tonight. Just some pants that show off your thighs a little better. Maybe shorts. And a shirt that just happens to give a little sneak peek of that toned tummy when you move just the right way.” Hazel wiggled her brows. “Come on, just trust me for once. I’m not telling you to let your ass hang out.”
“I mean, I would if that meant Cole would touch it,” I muttered.
My sister slapped my shoulder playfully, then marched me into my bedroom, ripped through my closet until she found what she decided was “slutty enough”, and then demanded I get dressed. She dragged me into her room and sat me down in front of her mirror, where she proceed to do my hair. But when she came out with eyeliner, I stopped her.
“I don’t... No.” I shook my head. I had to wear a ton of makeup when I was on stage for performances. It was always caked up. It clogged my pores. It left my skin feeling heavy and gross. And I didn’t like it at all.
She pouted. “Just a little. Your eyes are beautiful, Reed, but this will really make them really pop.”
“Fine.” I sighed, even though I knew I was going to regret this. “But not too much. I don’t want people to notice or think I’m trying to be like Leo.”
Andy’s boyfriend had never been afraid to be who he was. The makeup, the clothes. Maybe I was a teeny bit jealous of that. I knew I was gay at a young age, but I wasn’t brazenly loud about it. Makeup had never been my thing either. It felt strange against my skin no matter how often I wore it.
Hazel giggled. “Leo wishes he was like you.”
“Doubtful.” I might be a little sour that he had a boyfriend while I was still alone and probably would be for the rest of my life at this rate.
My sister sighed. “You listen to me, Reed Kelly. You’re going to let me do this for you, you’re going to text Cole back, and then you’re going to go to this party and wait. But not like pining and waiting. You’re going to have a drink and hang with your friends, and when Cole shows up, you’re going to give him a kiss on the cheek, introduce him to everyone, mingle for a bit, and then ask him to take a walk. And then? Then you’re going to kiss him on the lips with a little tongue. Understand?”
When I started to protest, Hazel narrowed her eyes. “Fine, fine, I understand.”
“Good, now let me finish this so you can go get your man.” She lifted my head and got to work.
I’D HAD MORE THAN ONEdrink. I think I had four. Or maybe it was five. Either way, I was feeling good. Really good. Happy that my sister had convinced me to wear this tight green shirt that showed off my flat, taut stomach and the shorts that let everyone know that I had legs that went on for days. But I couldn’t help but worry about Cole. He hadn’t texted me after I gave him the address of the party. Only that he would be here.And that was hours ago. Forever, really. Was he okay? Had he changed his mind about me? I was having fun with my friends, but I just wanted to spend time with Cole.
And so, I was laughing, dancing, and trying to get lost in the party while I worried that Cole wasn’t going to show up. I found myself pressed against a guy I had gone to school with. Arlo something. We weren’t close at all. In fact, he had been on the football team, so we were completely opposite. But that hadn’t stopped me from watching him from time to time. And he could really dance, too.
“You’re good at this, Reed,” Arlo commented. He placed his hand on my hip. “I haven’t seen you around much since we graduated.”