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Chapter 8
"There's my favourite killjoy!" Oakley shouts, jumping up from where he sits beside Ava when I walk inside Adam's front door a week later.
"If it isn't my favourite hockey dud. I was expecting better from you this season, ya know? I might have to tell the team that our new captain is a flop," I tease, a genuine smile on my lips for the first time in a while. One that only this group can bring out.
"Soon to be captain," he corrects me with a wink. "And if you wanna play dirty then I'll have to make sure you don't see a minute of ice time all of next season."
As we shake hands, I look over his shoulder and catch sight of Gracie trying to sneak a glance at her brother and I from behind the kitchen door frame.
"And miss out on reliving our glory days? Yeah, right," I scoff, my attention still fixed on Gracie's wide blue eyes as they meet mine from across the room, making my stomach dip.
When Ava comes barrelling into the room, the curious blonde whips her head back around in a feeble attempt to avoid getting caught gawking at me by her future sister-in-law.
"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Ava asks, hand on her hip. "Finally decided to join us, eh?"
Chuckling at her light tease, I shake my head and accept the hug that is quickly offered to me. "Trust me, I would have rather been with you guys," I mumble, quiet enough for only her to hear.
She squeezes my arm in response before pulling away, her eyebrow raised. Her green eyes are clouded with judgment but the last thing I feel is judged. Funny how that works.
"Well, are you going to come say hello to the fat pregnant lady or not?" Morgan quips, her sass level at an all-time high. I still don't know how Matt has handled her this long. God knows I wouldn't be able to. I can barely handle an hour alone with her on a good day.
"Not with that attitude I'm not," I scoff, and walk towards her regardless. My eyes widen as I round the couch and see her protruding bump. "Holy shit."
"I know! I'm fucking huge!" she cries, her eyes swelling with unshed tears.
"Sorry . . ." I trail off, not sure how to pull my foot out of my mouth as I lock my wide eyes with Matt's tired ones. "What is happening?" He shrugs his shoulders in response and places a comforting hand on Morgan's back.
A hand slapping against my ass sends a shock through my system. I quickly spin around and throw daggers at Adam.
He looks back at me with a shit-eating grin. "Hey, buddy. Ready to get this show on the road?"
Excitement rolls through my bones. "Always."
Adam moves to sit down on the couch, and as I turn to follow his lead, I see the only open spot is beside Gracie.
The hurt etched deeply in her features is undeniable as I reluctantly sit down beside her. Our thighs brush together, and the urge for me to lean as far away from her as possible rolls away with the immediate need to let more than just our thighs touch. Thankfully Oakley stands before I can do something I'm sure I'll regret.
"Ava, baby," Oakley chokes suddenly, and pulls Ava up to the front of the room with him. "You know I love you, right?"
This is the moment every one of us has been waiting for. It's why I helped Adam order a congratulatory cake from the most extra cake shop in Vancouver. Oakley's finally going to do it. It only took him three years. Ava's eyebrows tug inwards, and she gives a slight nod of her head.
"So you know that I would be an even bigger idiot than I already am if I waited any longer to lock you down? To finally give you my last name? Forever?" His tone has changed from nervous to unmistakably confident on the turn of a dime.
As Ava catches on to what's happening, surprise takes over her features. Wide, shiny, emerald green eyes stare back at Oakley as he slowly gets down on one knee. Gasps break through the room as the other two girls watch the heartwarming sight in front of us and my own proud smile grows.
When a small hand wraps around my much larger one, my breath catches in my throat. I fight to keep my eyes trained in front of me and silently pray that this dangerously stupid move remains unseen.
A soft sniffle breaks my concentrated gaze and my eyes dart to the girl sitting beside me. A sudden pang shoots through my chest, causing my brows to scrunch in confusion. Gracie's bottom lip is caught between her teeth and quivering furiously as she tries to hold back her happy cries from tearing through the room and interrupting her brother's special moment. My eyes focus on the lone tear cascading down her cheek, and my thumb is swiping it away before my brain registers what I'm doing.
The second the pad of my thumb makes contact with her skin, an unnatural heat flares through my body while she seems to freeze in response. My mouth dries up like a wet sponge in the sun and I stare at the small beauty mark on the right side of her mouth.
The sound of clapping and booming voices pull my attention away from Gracie and towards the happy couple who I’m assuming deserve congratulations.
I’m getting up off the couch to do just that when a sharp pain shoots through my foot. I turn to the side and hiss, "What the fuck was that for?"
Gracie clenches her fists and ignores my irritation as she leans in and whispers the words “follow me” in my ear. She's walking away from me before I get the chance to argue. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I look over at the group one last time and follow her. When I reach the room at the very end of the hallway, Gracie pulls me further into the room and carefully closes the door behind us.
"What the hell was that back there?" she spits, an uncontrolled fire burning brightly in her eyes.
