Page 49 of Ice Cold Heart
Cole: If that’s what you need.
I didn’t lie. The newspaper schedule between Christmas and the beginning of the semester was crazy. Most of the other staff writers were on vacation, so Marco and I were taking up the slack. The truth didn’t stop me from feeling like a fraud—and it definitely didn’t stop the fist from squeezing my heart.
19
Imissed Avery. There was no other explanation for my shitty mood. She hadn’t responded to my text agreeing to let her back off, or any of the other texts over the next twenty-four hours. I woke up on Christmas Eve with my phone in my hand, all my messages on read, and a headache jackhammering my brain.
Normally, I’d be on my way to Grandpa’s farm, but not today. Instead of my family, I got to spend the day with the asshole leftovers on the hockey team. At least Gavin would be there. He and Eva had come home late last night. I’d finally gotten a glimpse of Henry as she came out of whatever hiding spot she’d found when Avery had stayed the night.
So much for being the favorite.
I pulled on sweats and made the questionable decision to have breakfast before the optional noon practice. Henry waited for me in the hallway, and I glanced across the hall to confirm Gavin’s door was closed. No way was I bursting in there after the last time, even if Henry gave me that pouty look. She could deal with me for one more morning.
The main floor was dark with all the blinds shut. I squinted at them, trying to remember if I’d done that or if Mase was exhibiting his vampire traits again. Reece wasn’t a closed-door type of person—he loved outside attention.
“Why are all of you so loud?”
I jolted at the tall form splayed out on the couch. “What are you doing here?”
Stephen sat up and rubbed his lower back. “Trying to sleep on your horribly uncomfortable couch.”
“Okay, but why? Eva has an extra bed she’s definitely not using.”
He raised both brows at me. “Have you ever tried sleeping in there with Gavin and Eva on the other side of the bathroom? Sound travels, my friend. Besides, the last time Eva started a semester without me, she shacked up here in hockey hottie house. We all know what happened next. I’m worried if I’m not around she might elope or something crazy.”
I eyed his messy hair and wrinkled shirt, then headed for the kitchen. “I’m making coffee. Want some?”
“God yes.”
I turned on the fancy coffee maker Gavin had quietly bought after Eva moved in.
“You know,” I mused. “They were gone for a while. They could already be married.”
He mumbled a curse and flopped back on the couch.
“Does she know you’re here?”
“Not yet, and I can’t stay too long or Anthony will get uppity.”
“Your boyfriend?”
“My cat.”
I chuckled as he said hello to Henry. A door closed upstairs, and I sighed at the quiet footsteps. Stephen may not have heard it, but I knew the sounds of all my roommates coming and going on the stairs.
Eva shrieked right around the time the coffee finished brewing, so I grabbed two more cups. She usually preferred the frothy, cold coffee drinks, but she wouldn’t pass up ready-made hot coffee either.
Stephen let out an oof from the couch, and I assumed Eva had flung herself on top of him. Gavin joined me at the counter with a grunt and claimed his cup.
“Welcome back,” I greeted him.
He eyed me for a second, then pulled milk out of the fridge. “What’s wrong?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Everything?”
After yesterday’s fuck up with Avery, I felt like I was back where I’d started. Completely out of reach. I’d wanted him or Eva to give me advice, but now that I had him here, I wasn’t sure where to start.
“The team?” he asked, making a second cup of coffee with an Eva amount of milk and sugar.