He kisses my neck and takes off in the truck. I go inside the empty house. We sold off what furniture we didn’t need that was still in good condition and threw out the rest. The buyers are keeping the appliances. I’ve spent the last few days cleaning the whole place from top to bottom, not wanting to leave it a mess. Another walk-through of the house again, checking every closet, drawer, and cupboard, yields nothing. Everything is empty. I say a silent goodbye to the place with tears in my eyes and shut the door one last time.
The trip down the block to the Thorne’s house is a two-minute walk. Foster and Talon are unloading the truck while Mom and Stacy look on.
I raise my eyebrows at them, “Are you enjoying the eye candy?” Neither blush even a little, shameless in their perusal of the men.
“I appreciate their help with all of this,” Mom says and hugs me, “I’m so sorry.” Her voice wobbles.
“It’s not your fault. Life happens. Are you going to be okay here?”
She nods, “I’ll be fine, don’t you worry. Will you be good?”
“Yeah. Everything will be great.”
I join the two of them in watching the guys lifting and carrying the heavy stuff. I must admit it’s a breathtaking site. They’ve both ditched their shirts and have sweat dripping. Foster’s body is bulky and heavily muscled, but Talon’s toned chest and abs are no less impressive. I’m pretty sure I’m drooling now.
I look over to find the two women looking at me with amusement. I do blush at getting caught.
Do I have to lick them to make them mine?
I shake my head at myself.
I grab my mom’s wheelchair, “let’s go start getting your boxes unpacked.”
Both women laugh at me as I hurry inside.
Chapter 11
I’m hot and sweaty after a long day at the flower shop, and I’m looking forward to taking a shower and passing out. Mother’s Day, one of our busiest days, is Sunday, and I’ve been prepping for it all week. I’m sad I won’t get to spend it with my mom, but I have an off day tomorrow to hang out with her.
Pulling in front of the sprawling mansion I’ve lived in for the past two weeks, an unfamiliar black sedan is parked in my spot, so I park behind it. Living with the guys has gone surprisingly well. Talon is hunkered down in his studio most days and nights, so me and Foster have spent more time together when our schedules allow. We're all together when Talon drags himself out of his music cave. It’s easy, just being around each other and sharing a bit of our lives from our time apart.
Finding the front door unlocked, I walk into the foyer and start to slide my shoes off. All I want is to sneak up the stairs and close myself off in my room until I hear a familiar voice coming from the back of the house and freeze. With one shoe off and the other halfway there, I wonder if I can get them back on and get the hell out of here before someone notices me.
"Blake, is that you?" Foster calls from the kitchen.
Shit, I've been found out.
I reluctantly remove my other shoe as Foster comes into the room, "I thought that was you. We were getting ready to order dinner, you hungry?"
I go stiff as he puts his arm around me and leads me back to the enormous kitchen. "It'll be okay," he whispers as we walk in together. Cole sits on one of the stools at the island.
"Hi, Cole," I say stiffly. It hurts that our relationship has devolved to the point that I tried to avoid him.
"Hey," he replies, his voice carefully friendly.
"I didn't know you were going to be in town," I say as I walk past where he's sitting towards the fridge and grab a Coke.
"The Ice Dragons have asked me to come skate with them. I hope they’ll offer me a contract this summer before training camp. I’m surprised my mom hasn’t shouted it from the rooftops. She’s so excited.
"She mentioned something, but I haven't seen either of our moms much lately. Trying to come back home?"
He nods, "It's time. The Dragons are rebuilding to make an aggressive run for the cup next season. I can't turn down an opportunity to play for the team I've dreamed about since I was a kid."
I smile while he talks about hockey. His passion for the sport has always brought me joy. "I know that's what you've always wanted. I hope it happens for you."
"Thank you," he smiles, and for a moment, time stands still. I'm staring back at my childhood friend, not the stranger he’s become.
"You guys want pizza?" Foster asks, ending the moment and breaking the tension between us.
