“I’m a Veteran and just do some volunteer work right now,” I answered simply.
“Oh shit, you are? What branch? What did you do?” Colton rapid fires questions.
“Army. I was an Apache pilot.”
“That’s so fucking cool. Are you trained in combat and shit?”
“Colton!” Brynn exclaims, throwing her hand over his mouth. “I’m sorry, I’ve been trying to teach him how to talk to people, but he never learns.”
“That’s okay.” I try to keep my voice light, attempting not to think too much about the negative from that time. “Yes I am.”
Colton pulls Brynn’s hand from his mouth. “How long do you think it would take you to take us all out?”
“A group of hockey players?” I look at the four other men and smirk. “Seven seconds.”
He laughs and they all join in with him while I chuckle with my half joke. It feels nice to not be completely serious. It feels good to just let go for a minute.
The rest of the night goes by easily. There’s a lightness around us and as the sun goes down, the large Christmas tree set up in front of the floor to ceiling windows looking out to the Denver mountain landscape lights up. Even as we all eat pizza and sit around telling stories that aren’t too deep, I learn a little more about all these new people.
I mostly learned how close this group is. Not just because all the guys have played on the same hockey team for years, either, but because they’ve created their own family. Their ownchosenfamily. That’s something I never really even considered as a possibility. Seeing them and seeing how happy they all are makes me feel like maybe living how I have—closed off to everyone—wasn’t my only option.
Especially with Bailey sitting next to me. She’s scooted closer without either of us noticing. I’ve gotten more comfortable and more relaxed, draping my arm around the back of the couch around her.
It’s simple. Easy. Even with the chaos, it is oddly peaceful.
When it gets late, and the exhaustion hits, we don’t even think twice about going upstairs to go to bed together. For the first time. Even though I’m nervous, I refuse to show it. I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep, or what I may do when I inevitably have nightmares. Any small hesitation I have about the situation flies out the window as soon as Bailey speaks.
“If you’re uncomfortable I can go sleep on the couch or something,” she offers, not looking at me as she changes.
“Fuck no,” I snap immediately. “If I had a problem, then I would be the one sleeping on the couch. But I don’t.”
She looks at me skeptically.
“Get into bed, Angel,” I commanded, pulling my shirt off with one hand behind my neck.
She settles into the large bed and after I push my pants off, I climb in on the other side, keeping my distance from her.
Neither of us says anything, even as I turn off thelight. She shuffles around in the blankets, and I lay facing the ceiling like I do every single night.
“Wes?” Bailey whispers into the darkness.
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to kiss me goodnight?”
I take that as the permission it is to roll over and move closer to her. Leaning over her, I hold myself up with my hands resting on either side of her head. Dipping my head down, I whisper right before my lips touch hers, “Goodnight, Bailey.”
CHAPTER 40
Bailey
I wasnervous about falling asleep so close to Wes. I didn’t know if I was going to struggle to fall asleep like I normally would, or if he would. But I feel like everything hits me all at once and exhaustion takes over. The weirdest part is that after he kissed the breath out of me, he pulled me into his body and I drifted off easily.
When I open my eyes the next morning I realize it’s Christmas morning and instead of the usual thought of dread consuming me, I feel…comfortable. I’m surrounded by warmth. It’s not just a normal warmth it’s like a space heater. And I quickly realize why.
I’m completely pressed against Wes with my arm draped across his stomach. I’m afraid to move because I don’t want to startle him. As carefully as I can, I look up to his face, where I’m met with his already open eyes.
“Did you sleep at all?” I ask, trying to move away, but he stops me with his arm tucked under me that I didn’t even notice.
