“I was hoping you would get me tickets for tomorrow. Besides, I got a hotel, so you can chill the fuck out.” Lori might curse more than any of the hockey players I know, but damn am I happy that she’s here. Though she might have made everything awkward in the first place. It’s better than staring at Owen or acting on what was about to happen.
Then I’d be even further in the hole with a Beta and Alpha I shouldn’t want. That I don’t have time for, that both keep trying to complicate my fucking life.
“Do you have any siblings?” Lori asks.
“No, but my best friend feels like a sister.”
“Isn’t that sweet.”
“Her Alphas play for the Foxes.”
“What a small world. It isn’t that hot captain you’ve been talking about, right, Owen?” Owen’s face is bright red as he looks over at his mother. At least I’m not the only one with an Alexi Bandnin hard on in the room.
“No, Mom. Can we stop talking?”
I pull out my phone and see the time. I need to be ready for rounds at five. “I actually have to get some sleep before my shift. Thank you for having me, Owen. It was nice meeting you, Lori.”
“Of course, nice meeting you too, honey.” Lori pulls out her phone and acts like she’s ignoring us as Owen grabs my jacket and puts his own on. We’re both in the tight little entryway outside of his door. It’s cold and dark, and every part of me wants to fist his shirt and bring his lips to mine, but I stop myself. Starting something with Owen wouldn’t be smart, right? My life is complicated enough, but as I look at him, I can’t help but feel like there's something more here, something I can’t explain.
“I’m sorry about her. Mom’s always had a big mouth.”
I shake my head and look at him, and while we’re the same height, he’s all muscle. Why do I like the fact that he’s a Beta who could still toss me around. Shit, I’m in too deep. He licks his lips, and I sigh. “She was nice. I had a good time.”
“Are we going to talk about this, Piper?”
“I can’t right now,” I tell him, and he nods. Both of us know that we shouldn’t start anything. But damn, a deep-rooted part of me wants to.
He sighs and nods. “I’ll see you at the game next week?”
“Hope so.”
“Night, Piper.” I can’t help it. I fist his jacket and wrap him up in a hug, which he returns immediately. Holding on to him feels so right. He smells like his house, and I want more, but I stop myself. Owen deserves someone who can be all in, and right now, I can’t. My life’s a mess, and adding someone into it isn’t smart.
His hand strokes down my back, and the hug is far more intimate than it should be. “Goodnight, Owie.” He pulls back from the hug, and I can’t help the laugh that escapes me. God, it feels good to laugh. When I clear the tears from my eyes and see the way he looks at me, I know I’m fucked.
I’ve got to figure my shit out. Because something tells me if I let Owen and Alexi go, it will be a bigger regret than any career decision I ever make.
“Go Foxes!” I say stupidly as I walk up the stairs and make the walk back to my townhouse. I’m not sure if I feel more or less helpless than I did this morning.
CHAPTER14
Anders, Charlotte, and myself are all in the fourth row watching pre-skate, and I can’t help all the feelings flowing through me. Not only does Alexi keep smirking at me every chance he gets because the psychopath does his pre-skate with no helmet on. But Owen has squirted his water bottle over his hair twice, and I feel like I’m on edge.
I still haven’t made a decision about work, not really. I can’t just throw all my time away like that. I have to be absolutely sure. Not to mention the fact that both Alexi and Owen have been running through my head rent-fucking-free.
“Thank God you’re not an Omega, or you’d be leaving a trail of slick in that seat,” Charlotte says, breaking up my thoughts.
“She’s speaking from experience,” Anders says in my defense, and she smacks his chest.
“Yeah, Charles, glass houses.”
“I just wish I knew who you were drooling over more, Alexi or Owen.”
“Owen, goalies are better,” Anders says, and Charlotte rolls her eyes. I’m sad Katie isn’t here, but the fact is she gets bored before the first period is even over. Plus, Anders' parents have been trying to get as much time with her as they can while they’re in the States.
Charlotte puts a hand on my thigh, and her pretty eyes search mine. “Piper Penelope Blake, are you hiding something from me?”
I swallow as I stare down at my small Omega friend. She has her moments of being intimidating. “There was a moment with Owen, well Alexi too.”
