AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"And it wasn't just the sex, even though it was really, really good. Amazing. Ozzy is fun and funny, and he gives me the vajayjay tingles. This is fucking terrible!"
I laugh. "So, how many laugh lines does Ozzy have?" I tease, and Riley glares at me, pursing her lips shut like she's trying to hold her breath.
Silence.
"Seven!" she screams, making me jump. "Three on the left and four on the right. And when he's sleeping soundly, he takes exactly thirteen breaths before twitching his nose. He has a little scar that looks like an anchor under his chin and a patch of skin behind his right ear that has no pigment. And, if we ever have kids, we'd probably have twins because twins run in his family. Two little boys with his sandy blond hair and my light blue eyes. And then we'd need to have a little girl too, with crazy curly red hair because everyone knows you can't have an even number of kids."
Silence.
Riley's eyes are wide and wild. She claps a hand over her mouth like the insane amount of verbal diarrhea pouring out of her mouth wasn't intentional. Poor Riley. For years, she tried to dodge love. She's been too independent, rational and cool to need anyone beyond friends or a hookup. I'm trying to digest everything she's spewed out while reconciling this new Riley with the old one I know and love.
"Since when do you want kids?" I ask because she's always been a big proponent of the single, childless life.
"I don't!" she cries out, dropping her head into her hands. "I hate kids with their sticky hands and snot-covered faces. That's why I teach. I get to play with them for a few hours of the day and then send them home to scream and cry at their parents. But every now and then, my brain wonders what twenty-three of my chromosomes would look like smooshed together with twenty-three of Ozzy's. What the fuck is wrong with me?"
"Oh, Riley," I say and scoot over to her side of the couch, giving her a hug. She squeezes me back and then slides down my torso, placing her head in my lap to use me as a pillow. I pat her head consolingly, combing my fingers through her hair. "There's nothing wrong with you. You're allowed to change your mind and alter your plans. You're allowed to fall in love."
She huffs out a long sigh, and I mimic the sound right along with her. We sit in sisterly solidarity, hearts twisted up, happy, miserable, hopeful, and confused all at the same time, and watch as the Northmen trounce New York.
16
Trust Fall
Chase
We slaughter New York but tank in Carolina, and Coach is pissed. The Storm is a bottom-dweller team, and we played like sloppy assholes. Our new backup goalie, Maxime Beauchamp, was between the pipes tonight, which is no excuse because we laid him out to dry. We'd have lost eight to one if it weren't for him. We were lucky to only be beaten by three.
Coach is going to ride us hard when we're back in Toronto. We leave bright and early, but all I can think about is Lily. She's been texting me the entire road trip, and I can't wait to see her again. Her date with Samuel was tonight. Even though she told me she unofficially broke things off with him and that they're just acting for the camera, it doesn't sit well with me. I don't trust that guy. He's too suave for my liking, and I wouldn't put it past him to try and sway Lily. I trust her and have no interest in watching any of the BWB segments.
My phone starts buzzing.
"Hey, hot stuff," Lily smiles as I answer her FaceTime. "Nice goal tonight. Too bad the rest of the team shit the bed."
"Thanks for not sugar coating it." I chuckle.
"You know that's not my style."
"How was your date with Sam?" I ask, even though I don't really want to know.
"Meh," she shrugs. "We went to Ripley Aquarium and saw some fish. The dolphins were cool, and he made a big show of holding my hand and pulling me close when our picture was taken in front of the green screen. It was a little too gimmicky if you ask me."
"And if I asked your thousands of devoted followers?"
"They'd say Sam is hot as balls and has a sexy voice." Talk about not sugar coating it.
"Did he try to kiss you?" I pry, gritting my teeth.
"Jealous much?"
"Yes, I'm jealous! I don't like other men touching my stuff."
Her cheery, overly happy laugh makes my chest squeeze.
"Yes, we kissed. But before you get all territorial, it was closed-mouthed and more on the side of my lips than on them. Sam did this fancy trick he learned in university drama class, where he basically kissed my cheek and dipped me at the same time. It was all veryGone with the Wind."
"I still don't like it," I grumble, grimacing into the phone.
"Would it make you feel better if I told you I was thinking about you the entire time?"
