“I am, too.”
“They won, did I tell you? I texted the boys earlier. Booker put two in the net, and they won 4-2.”
“That’s great. He’s really good, right? I mean, like, play-professional-hockey-good. At least, that’s what people used to say.”
I sigh. “Yeah, he’s that good. But he won’t go pro. He made a deal with his parents to play hockey all through college and then hang up his skates after graduation so he can spend the rest of his life working for his dad’s real estate empire.”
“Seriously? That sucks.”
“Right?”
“But, I mean, some guys don’t get drafted until their senior year, right? Can’t he change his mind?”
“Nah,” I shake my head. “You’re thinking of baseball or football. Hockey doesn’t work that way. He’s too old for the draft now. I mean, he could still play. He could become a free agent, and honestly, he’d have a damn good chance of getting picked up. But that would mean defying his father’s wishes, and…yeah. I don’t see that happening.”
Lucy’s quiet for a minute. “That has to be really hard for him.”
“Yeah. Like you said, it sucks. But for now, we’re all just enjoying college, you know? We’ve got a year and a half before life changes again, so we’re just trying to soak it up while we can. And I’m trying to talk my boys into grad school, just to keep the dream alive.” In a way, my time with my boys is like my time with Lucy. There’s a clock counting down. The difference is that after graduation, some of us might move to other states, or hell, just live in our own houses. But we’ll still be brothers. That won’t ever change. But Lucy? She never really was mine, and she never will be.
I take the exit on the right and mentally shake myself. Our conversation took a turn for the depressing and that is not how I want tonight to end. I spare a glance at Lucy and see the same expression on her face. “Subject change?” I offer, pulling into the lot and finding a space to park. .
“Definitely.”
“Ok, you pick the next topic of conversation. Option A is how hot you look tonight, Option B is how fucking incredible sex on a chaise is and how I need to find out if they make man-sized ones, and Option C is pressing our luck to see if we have enough time before your flight for you to come on my tongue. Your choice, Lucy Elaine.”
Lucy leans forward for a kiss. It takes mere seconds before things get hot and heavy. A minute later, I’ve got my seat leaned back and Lucy’s sprawled on top of me, her breast in my mouth when a jingly sound fills the air.
“The fuck?” I mumble, my mouth still full of her perfect breast.
She pulls back. “Shit. I set a timer. Right now, I’m supposed to be at security.”
“And yet, here you are, half naked and on top of me in my car.” The words aren’t fully formed before she’s back in her seat putting herself back together.
“I can’t afford to miss this flight,” she tells me, her words heavy with meaning. I get it.
“Let me walk you in,” I say, righting my own seat.
“No, I’m fine. Listen, Whit--”
I can’t bear to hear the words she’s about to say, so I stop her with some of my own. “Please, just let me walk you in, ok? That way I can text my mom that you got here ok.”
“Fine,” she tells me, exiting my car.
My legs are a lot longer than hers, but it takes me a damn minute to catch up to her. We walk into the airport together, and Lucy scans herself in and prints out a boarding pass. Minutes later, we’re at the security gate and it’s time to say goodbye, but I don’t want to. I never want to let her go.
I kiss her goodbye because I just can’t help myself. She leans into my body, and for a moment, everything is exactly as it should be. But our kiss ends and Lucy’s gaze darts around, as if she’s
checking to see if anyone noticed us. Like we’re wearing flashing Stepbrother/Stepsister signs or something.
I must not hide the look on my face, because she’s immediately apologetic. “I want to do this, Caleb,” she tells me. “I want you, but—”
“I know,” I tell her. I kiss her one final time before I turn to go. And I don’t look back.
Chapter 22
Whit
The next week sucks.Or maybe I suck. Either way, I’m even more unmotivated and useless than usual. There’s a job fair on campus and I could totally go. A few local restaurants are going to be there, as well as a culinary school. But instead, I stay home and play Xbox.
