Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
CHAPTER 10
DALLAS
“Your parents get in okay?” Ash asks as we walk the two blocks to Tristan’s condo. A bunch of us get together to work out in the offseason when we’re in the city. We rotate whose gym we use, so people can never pin down our routine. We could go to the arena, but the condo gyms are sweet and not highly utilized during the summer.
“Yeah, they’re settling in. We’re going for brunch after the workout if you want to join.”
“Do you want me to join?” Ash asks.
“Yeah. I could use the buffer.” My mom can’t stop talking about how excited she is to get to know Hemi better. I feel like a giant bag of shit, seeing as this whole thing is a lie from Willy’s perspective.
Even my dad, who is pretty low-key about most things, is pretty enthused about this development. He also made an offhand comment about making sure I don’t screw this up.
That comment stung, though it wasn’t unjustified. I have done a lot of stupid shit in my lifetime. It doesn’t help that both of my brothers and my younger sister have always been very focused on their goals and how they plan to reach them, with little in the way of distraction. Manning knew he wanted to be a doctor by the time he was five. And Ferris was set on being a firefighter by high school. Paris has loved every animal she ever met, so no one was shocked when she became a veterinarian. In similar fashion, hockey was it for me as soon as I picked up a stick. Unlike them, I was often more concerned with what was happening after hockey practice. I’d been so caught up in partying with the cool crowd.
“Are Hemi’s moms coming to the charity game?” Ash asks.
“They can’t make it.” I know this because my mom already talked to her moms and they have to work.
“So you only have to handle one set of parents. That’s good.” Ash echoes the thoughts in my head.
I text Tristan to let him know we’re standing outside his building. Hollis and Roman cross the street as he buzzes us in. They live in the building across from Tristan’s. Most of us live within walking distance of each other.
We all give each other back pats in greeting as the elevator doors slide open, and Rix and Dred step out.
“Perfect timing!” Rix puts her hand over the door sensor and motions for us to pile in. “Tristan and Flip are at the gym. I’ll get you up there before we head out so they don’t have to come down.”
“I just messaged Flip,” Dred says, pushing her glasses up her nose.
“Dallas, Hemi said your parents are coming to the charity game tomorrow. I can’t wait to meet them,” Rix says.
“Same.” Dred regards me curiously. “I still can’t believe you and Hemi are dating. I feel like she owns your ass.”
“That’s not inaccurate,” I concede.
She pats my arm. “It’s okay to be a beta off the ice.”
Rix looks up from her phone. “I think golden retriever is a more apt term for Dallas.”
“Thanks?”
We step into the elevator and wave goodbye to Rix and Dred as the doors slide shut.
“Are all the girls getting together?” I ask without thinking. I should know this already if Willy is with them.
Hollis gives me a strange look, and Ash surreptitiously kicks my ankle.
“They’re giving Hemi a hand at the arena this morning,” Roman says helpfully.
“Right. Of course. I don’t know where my head is.” I give mine a shake.
“You have a lot going on right now.” Ash claps me on the shoulder.
Roman rubs the stubble on his chin. “As much as I didn’t see this coming, I kind of saw this coming.”
I give him a quizzical look. “How do you mean?”
Hollis coughs into his hand.
The elevator doors open, and a couple steps inside. Their eyes flare in recognition. They side-eye each other, and their faces go red, but they don’t say anything about the Terror.
Roman talks about the weather.
They stammer out an awe-filled response.
My phone dings with another notification from Dr. Sheep’s Ass and Brooklyn, which mentions something about all the poor single folks missing out on a love like theirs. Gag me. I swear, if they didn’t think Wills was my girlfriend, they’d find a way to ruin her weekend. That’s one positive to come out of this mess.
Thankfully, we reach our floor before it can get awkward, and the couple doesn’t follow us off. Tristan meets us at the door to the gym and ushers us in. We’re the only people here now, as the commuters and diehard morning-workout people are long gone. Everyone fans out to their location of choice.
“Okay, back to the comment you made, Roman. What do you mean you saw this coming? What are you, the Love Detective?” I scoff. He’s solving all the mysteries of the heart except when his best friend is in love with his daughter, apparently. In my fantasy world, Willy’s hatred is a mask for her complete infatuation with me.