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1
Josh
Three years ago:
* * *
With exhaustion pulling at me after a long flight from Detroit, where I play college baseball for Michigan State, I step into my best friend’s dorm room, glance around and drop my duffle bag onto the floor.
Liam doesn’t know I’m back in Nova Scotia, which is why he’s not here to greet me. But we’ve been best friends since we were kids, growing up in the same fishing village in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. He stayed here in Nova Scotia to play high-level college hockey, and was drafted by Miami. I left to play ball in the States, with the MLB on my mind.
Yawning, I check the time, and it’s nearly ten PM. Since I have no idea what time he’ll be back to the dorm, I kick off my shoes, strip down to my boxers and climb into his bed. If he’s not back in an hour, I’ll text him and let him know I’m here. Or maybe he’s out with his girl, and I’ll simply get a good night’s sleep and we’ll hang out for the rest of the weekend. That does sound like a better plan.
I close my eyes and roll over, letting sleep pull at me. The next thing I know, the bed dips, and I work to pull myself awake. I’m about to jump up and let Liam know I’m here, but stop when a soft sobbing sound fills the room.
What the hell?
I go perfectly still. Whoever is beside me is crying, and from the soft whimpering sounds, I know it’s not Liam. Okay, Josh, get your ass out of his bed and out of this room before the girl beside you—a girl possibly crying over Liam—knows you’re here.
I hold my breath, quietly slide out from the covers and put my feet on the floor. Only problem is the old wood floor creaks, and the girl beside me goes completely still. I wait. She waits. A second passes, and her voice finally breaks the quiet.
“Liam?”
The second I hear her soft sweet voice, one that’s teased and tormented me over the years, I know it’s Ember, Liam’s younger sister. A girl I’ve always had a thing for and could never do anything about. She’s completely off limits and no way would I ever break bro-code. I’m not that guy. I take a few deep breaths. How do I handle this? As my brain races—if Liam ever walked In and saw us in bed together, he’d lose his shit—I debate my next move. Except that move is made for me.
The lamp on the nightstand turns on and I cringe as the room brightens. A little gasp of surprise escapes Ember’s lips as I sit on the edge of the bed, my bare back to her. I don’t want to turn and look. If I catch a glimpse of her between the sheets, possibly naked, everything I’ve pushed down over the years might come barreling to the surface and demand to be noticed.
“Yeah, it’s me,” I say quietly.
“What…what are you doing here?”
Don’t turn. Don’t look.
“I had the weekend off and I was going to surprise Liam.”
“He’s not here.”
“Way to state the obvious.” She goes quiet and I grip the bedding and fist it. I don’t mean to be an asshole. I really don’t. This whole situation is messing with me. “I…should go.” I make a move to stand and a hissing sound seeps through my clenched teeth as her small, soft hand lands on mine.
“No, you should stay. I’ll go.”
Ember is crying.
Unable to help myself I turn in the bed, and my heart clenches as I take in her big, red swollen eyes.
“Hey,” I say, and shift, sitting cross legged to face her. “Are you okay?” Of course, she’s not okay, dumbass. I glance around Liam’s room. She’s obviously upset and probably needing comfort from her brother. “What are you doing here?”
She sniffs. “I needed to get out of the sorority.” She shakes her head. “I didn’t think my first year at Scotia Academy would go down like this.”
“First year is always hard.” I know for a fact it is. Moving away and finding myself surrounded by strangers is never easy. “Second year will be better.” She plucks at the blankets, hurt and…is that shame?…all over her face.
I touch her hand, rubbing my thumb on her wrist, and she takes a fast breath. Her eyes lift, and I’m not exactly sure what’s going on, but everything in the way she’s looking at me drags my need for her from my darkest corners straight to the tip of my cock.
Run, Josh. Get the fuck out of Liam’s room. Now.
She sniffs again, and there is no way in hell I can make a single muscle in my body move. This is my best friend’s sister. I care about her, and if she needs someone to talk to, I need to be that guy. I will be that guy.
“Did someone hurt you?” I ask. Yeah, I can be the person to go beat the crap out of some guy if he hurt her. I can deal with anger more than I can deal with the strange heat arcing between us. Then again, maybe I’m the only one feeling it.
