The Not-Outcast Page 9

  Melanie’s eyes were hawk-like on Sasha. “Spill it, honey. We need to know.”

  Sasha flicked her eyes to the ceiling, but groaned, reaching up and rubbing at her forehead. “I don’t want to.” She slumped down in her chair. “It’s embarrassing and stupid.”

  Now my interest was really piqued. I leaned forward, a hand curved around her seat. “Whoa. What’s going on?” Wait. I frowned. “Is this about my brother?”

  “Bro—” Melanie did a double-take, her frown landing on both of us if that were even possible. “Brother?! What?”

  I answered at the same time as Sasha.

  “He’s not really my brother. His mom is my dad’s ex-wife.”

  “Fine. I slept with him in college, and again last Friday night.”

  Melanie’s eyebrows both skyrocketed. “What?!”

  And me again, “But Chad and I have a half-brother in common, so we’re kind of, but not really like, siblings. I don’t think it’s a thing. I’m not tight with anyone in my family, so it doesn’t bother me.”

  Sasha groaned again. “That’s why it’s a problem. I feel like a traitor to you.”

  Me?

  She looked up from her spot to me, tipping her head upward. “Do you hate me? I slept with him again last night. And maybe the night before.”

  My eyes bugged, but they really bugged out after the second time. “Two nights?” I whispered. “In a row?”

  Melanie’s mouth was clamped shut, but she squeaked out, “So this is serious?”

  We both shot her a look.

  “What?”

  “No—”

  “I hope not.”

  I twisted back to Sasha. “Really?” Because the way she said that, it was like it could be. And whoa. I was expecting a fly-by from my brother. He had demolished her in college. Sasha didn’t like talking about it, then or now, and I’d been quiet. I’d been waiting knowing what happened, but hearing they slept together twice… I was hoping I didn’t need to pick up the pieces again.

  Sasha clamped her mouth tight, but she mumbled, and that was so not a Sasha thing to do, “Ireallymightlikehimand…” She groaned again, swearing under her breath before sitting upright in her seat. “Fuck it.” She moved to face me. “Chad wants to keep seeing me. I want to keep seeing him, but you’re my girl. If you say no, the dude’s gone. I will never lose my friendship with you over some dick.”

  Well.

  Then.

  I loved my girl.

  I was almost crying here. “Date him. Love him,” I was gushing. “Marry him. Have his babies. But if he hurts you, I will let Melanie run him over with a car.”

  I gave her a look. I remembered how he hurt her in college.

  She saw the look and read it right, a resigned look coming over her as she nodded. “I gotcha.”

  Melanie laughed. “You okay, Shy?”

  Oh yes. I nodded. I was finding my Zen place tonight. I’d need it for Bresko’s. The place was hard on me, so I was reinforcing my Happy Walls.

  Sasha grinned, shooting her a look. “She’s in Happy Cheyenne-Land. Don’t you see it?”

  I was. I almost held up my hands and touched my fingers to my thumbs in a whole Zen-pose.

  Nothing was getting to me tonight. I wasn’t going to let it happen. These were our roles. If one was hurting, one of us was stern and took on the mama-bear role. The other brought out the happy and laughter. Melanie was dressed for stern mama, so I had no choice but to go this route.

  Honestly, though, I was usually this role.

  “Girl’s checked out.”

  I wasn’t checked out. I was so checked in, so much so that it looked like I was checked out. Both knew me. Both understood, and Melanie went back to asking, “How much do you need to talk about it?”

  “None now that I know our girl is fine that I’m boning her Not-Brother.”

  A cheeky grin and a thumbs up from me. Everyone deserved to be boned. Now, when I saw Chad—and I would see Chad whether he wanted to see me or not—he and I would have a different type of relationship.

  Melanie’s eyes were knowing as she murmured, “You really like him, huh?”

  Sasha sighed again, glancing out her window. “He’s grumpy. He can be a dick, but I want that dick so bad, and I have no clue why.” She looked at me. “I’ll toss him once I stop thirsting for his dick. I promise. But I’ve been thirsty since that night back in college, so…”

  Melanie didn’t know all the details about their history in college.

  I’d be filling her in on that later because that was the real gauge of how much she was in love right now.

  Melanie was grinning, watching me. “So, who’s at the Cum Palace tomorrow?”

  I’d stopped snorting at Melanie’s own title for our kitchen long ago. “The second half of the Mustangs’ hockey team.”

  Sasha whirled around in her seat, her eyes big and now fully knowing at me. She knew.

  “Is their PT girl going to be there?”

  Sasha was distracted at that, looking back at Melanie. Her eyebrows twitched, morphing into a pinch, but they cleared when she turned back to me. Yeah, Sasha was all good now.

  “Was he there today?”

  I coughed.

  Melanie didn’t know about him.

  Melanie asked, “He?”

  See.

  She turned to me. “Who is he?”

  Sasha answered, and apparently she had no problem throwing me under the bus. Fine with me. I was going to do the same with her about Chad from college, too. She said, “Cut Ryder.”

  “The dude you slept with Friday night?” She shared that frown with both of us. “You both got fucking lucky that night. Where the hell was I? We were all at the same damn party. I got a number, and we’ve hung out a bit, but not what you two did. I want more.”

  And immediately, both Sasha and I raised our hands in the air, palms and fingers spread out in cheer-mode. The ‘fuck’ word had entered the night. It’d be in every third sentence from Melanie after this.

  She scowled. “Fuck’s sake.”

  See again.

  Sasha and I started laughing.

  “You two are fucking annoying.”

  Full-out laughter now.

  Melanie growled, but the pager lit up, and she grabbed for it. “About time, when you both start cheering me on with my fucking language after I have to about rail you both to get one fucking word about your sex lives. You both got boned and left me high and fucking dry, literally.” She was getting out of the vehicle, muttering to herself.

  Sasha and I got out on the other side, and we heard her grumbling as the doors were shut, locked, and she met us around the back. She pointed the flashing pager at us. “And don’t you two fucks think I don’t know that there’s more to both your stories. I’m not stupid, you morons.” After that, she marched to Bresko’s entrance.

  Sasha walked with me, and after her third sigh for the night, she linked our elbows and drew next to me. Her hip bumped mine, but she held me tight. She inclined her head. “Are you sure you’re sure?”

  I patted her hand holding my arm and whispered, leaning my own head to touch her forehead, “I’m sure I’m sure.”

  Her hand tightened.

  I patted again.

  We shared a smile and walked the rest of the way.

  I was totally fine with her and Chad.

  And we didn’t talk about Chad or Cut the rest of the night.

  From: Koala Boy

  To: Cheychey

  Subject: Did you find out anything?

  From: Cheychey

  To: Koala Boy

  Subject: That you’re awesome! Not kidding. She likes you.

  From: Koala Boy

  To: Cheychey

  Subject: Why do we only use the subject line?

  From: Cheychey

  To: Koala Boy

  Subject: BECAUSE YOU’RE AWESOME!

  12

  Cut

  Having a messed up elbow sucked, but it sucked more th
at I was missing Come Our Way.

  I got called in for extra physical therapy and Cassie had me going through a whole rotation today.

  PT was amazing. PT was magical, but some days, PT sucked ass. Today it was sucking ass in the way that for once I didn’t want to be here today.

  But, my elbow needed it.

  Cassie stepped back from me, nodding to my elbow. “It’s still sore, but you should be fine. I think they were smart to pull you in yesterday and today. Just do a lot of soaks today, or as much as you think is needed. You know your limit.”

  She was our physical therapy worker. To some, she was the younger sister, and to others, the big sister. She was more a friend to me, and I nodded. “Sounds good. Thanks.”

  “So…” She grabbed a towel, pausing before heading back to her office. We were in the back PT room, and a few of the other guys had come in early as well.

  I waited. She had something to say.

  “You know that girl from Friday night?”

  Jesus. Did everyone know?

  She kept on, “I saw her again last night. She and her friends. They were at Bresko’s.” Another pause. She was eyeing me, her head cocking downwards at a tilt. “I think one of her friends was the one you took home that night, too.”

  It took a second, then—Cheyenne.

  And she wasn’t talking about my girl at first. Her girl.

  “Wait. What? You saw Cheyenne last night?”

  “Yeah. She’s nice, too.”

  Fucking fuck. I was jealous of my PT friend.

  That was a nice kick to the dick.

  “Yeah?”

  She was still eyeing me, and at that, they went flat. “You don’t want to talk about her?”

  I did.

  But I wanted to be able to participate in the conversation, and I couldn’t, and my PT friend could, and that was making my balls clench up.

  “No. I’m good. So, you had fun last night?” Wait. “You said Bresko’s?”

  She nodded, giving me a duh look. “You don’t think anyone knows, but we all know.”

  Goddamn.

  This team gossiped worse than high schoolers.

  “You have a new girl in rotation.”

  I frowned. “What?”

  Her head inclined toward me, her hands going to her hips. “You don’t do the randoms, but you don’t have a girlfriend, and we know you have a few girls you keep in rotation. I might’ve saw an engagement post by one of them, and then…” She lifted up a shoulder. “You took that new girl home with you, so you have a new girl in rotation?” Her voice rose, becoming clearer, a bit more professional. “I’m just letting you know because I might be hanging out with her friend, and I know you’re big on privacy. Now you know.”

  Goddamn again. I had no clue how to process any of that shit.

  “You’re hanging out with the friend? What does hanging out mean?”

  Cassie blushed, her head dipping down again. “It’s just, I don’t know.” She lifted once more, her cheeks all pink. “I go slow, if you didn’t know that by now.”

  “So you’re not actually hanging out. You’re like, dating, but slow dating?”

  “Uh…” She began edging backwards, grabbing another towel and flicking it over her shoulder. “Consider you have been given the heads-up and I’m off to my next client. Good luck tonight if I don’t see you before you pad up.”

  “Thanks, Cassie.”

  She gave me a small smile before heading out, disappearing into the hallway.

  Hendrix was coming in as she left. They both said their hellos, then he turned my way.

  “Hey.” He came over, hopping up on the seat next to me. “They checked you over?”

  I stretched my arm out. She was right. My elbow was still tight, but it’d be fine. I knew that already this morning when they called, said I should head in here instead of the community outreach project with Come Our Way. I’d been hoping to see Cheyenne, see her in her element, but no go, and I glanced at Hendrix.

  He’d been there yesterday.

  He also knew what else went down, and I hadn’t been in the mood to talk about her.

  He’d get a fucking kick out of it, but fuck it. “How was the thing yesterday?”

  Hendrix had been stretching his arm over his chest, and I didn’t miss the quick, shit-eating grin before he looked over. “Curious, eh?”

  “Shut up.” I scowled. “Just tell me how it was.”

  “How it was or how she was?” He switched arms. “Frank texted. She’s not there today.”

  I was supposed to be there today.

  Maybe I should walk? She didn’t show the day I was supposed to. She ran from my place, then this? The girl was trying to tell me something, and yeah…fucking battery acid was what I was eating right now.

  “What’s that look about?”

  “What?”

  Hendrix lifted his chin toward me. “You look like you saw your grandma’s saggy tits just now. You gone on this girl or something?”

  Was I? I thought I was.

  I wanted to fuck her again. I knew that much.

  I rolled a shoulder. “Not sure.”

  His grin was too knowing, but he said, “She’s cool if you are. Whole place was cool. Their chef had lots of personality, but he doted on her. He’s probably fifty, and his wife showed up. She kept snarking on him, had all of us laughing so much we didn’t notice the time was done.”

  “What about the suit?”

  “Nah. He’s nothing. Fanboy, most likely. He kept trying to ask your girl questions, and she kept dodging him. That was fun to watch, too.” He got serious. “I kinda wanted to go again. I might do my own thing after this. You didn’t go at all?”

  I shook my head. “They wanted me in here today.”

  He nodded, rubbing over his jaw before yawning and leaning back to start raising his leg up. “Makes sense. You got worked over the last game. You good for tonight?”

  I flashed him a look.

  And he grinned. “That’s what I figure. These guys are aggressive.”

  I grunted, knowing that, too. But they didn’t have the speedster the last team did. I’d be able to keep to only my line. “We’ll get ’em.”

  “I know.”

  But his grin wasn’t cocky, because no matter what, all these teams were good. All had solid guys on them, and it seemed they just kept getting sharper and sharper each season.

  “We’re gonna kick their ass tonight.”

  He nodded back, and I slid off my table to go and soak.

  13

  Cheyenne

  Cut: You still coming tonight?

  My phone buzzed and I tried to quench the entire heart-jump in my chest. It didn’t work. I reached for my phone on the coffee table next to me.

  Melanie was sitting across from me, lounging back on one of Sasha’s couches. Her leg was hanging over the side and she raised her head up, frowning at me, or more specifically frowning at my reaction. A little overkill here, but yeah. I’d been waiting, my stomach in knots the whole day, and when I swiped over and read his text, my tongue tangled around itself. I had one doozy of a knot.

  “Who the fuck is texting you to get that reaction?”

  I flushed and slid down in my own couch, trying to hide my head behind a pillow.

  She was off her couch in a second, and my pillow was ripped from me. Her mouth was hanging open as she took me in, me holding my phone, me almost dropping my phone because I was shaking, before she retreated back to her couch. She felt behind her, not looking, and lowered herself to safety. “W.T.F., Shy. W.T.F.”

  Sasha came out of her bedroom, heading down the hallway. She paused at the opening to the living room and kitchen area, taking us both in. “Did I hear a phone go off? Was that mine?”

  A squawk from me.

  I didn’t like this.

  I was all blushing, and nervous, and rattled. Me rattled wasn’t good. Ever.

  But I focused back on responding because I knew Melanie would dema
nd the 411 from Sasha, which she did when she pointed at me. “I’ve never seen Cheyenne act like this, ever. Who is this guy? He’s not just a one-nighter. There’s no way, and Cheyenne doesn’t do one-nighters, so there’s more to this story.”

  I looked up, feeling Sasha’s eyes on me, and I read the unspoken question.

  I nodded.

  She sighed, coming over to perch on my couch’s arm. “Put it simply, he was a daydream since before I knew her. Not at all her reality—” She looked at me because she knew I’d been about to protest. “—he wasn’t. You didn’t know him. You never talked to him. You were in a shitty situation, and he was an idea you clung onto to get you through it. He didn’t even know you until,” I closed my mouth and she focused back on Melanie. “Friday night. Our hockey stud got one good look at Cheyenne, and you know what happened. He felt the sex sparks from across the room, and the hockey beast came out claiming and swinging. He wants in her pants again, bad.”

  Melanie snorted. “Who doesn’t?”

  I caught her teasing grin, but she coughed. “I’m getting a feeling there’s more to it than just that.”

  Sasha stood back up, and we shared a look. I so got that she kept the other guy out of the equation, and her mouth twitched. “Imagine thinking you’re all in love with someone, then you get a night with them, but the idea of them had been what held you together for so long? What happens when you finally got ’em, or worse? If they didn’t want you in the morning?”

  Damn.

  Damn.

  Damn!

  She hit it right on the mark. She was right.

  Was she? I didn’t know anymore, but I had walls up and issues to deal with, and we’d not even touched on the amount of therapy it would take to blow them down.

  But I’d been through harder shit in my life, so I could do this.

  I managed a text back.

  Me: Planning on it, yes.

  I put the phone back. Sasha was still eyeing me. Melanie just looked like she was bugging out, absorbing all the drama, before her face cleared and she snapped her head toward Sasha. “You have work?”