“Don’t act like this life isn’t yours just as much as it is mine. Don’t act like you haven’t missed the ice.”
“I have. The pack always promised to let me come skate, but then it came less and less. I don’t think I’ve skated in a good three years.”
“I feel like such a failure,” he said, shaking his head. “How could I not see that? I should’ve done something. Checked in on you more.”
“Let’s be real, I probably wouldn’t have let you know,” I admitted. “You can’t be there every day for me. As much as we’d love that, it’s just not possible.”
“I hear you, but I’m not listening. You’re going to come to the arena with us. I wasn’t kidding about that job. We haven’t had a proper nutritionist and we need you. Plus, I think you need this. You’d take on the whole team during the day, and at home you can cook for us.”
“Oh, can I?” I teased.
He gave me a toothy grin. “Of course. Anything for your big brother, right?”
“I don’t know,” I shot back. “Lennon made one hell of a homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese.”
He snorted. “Don’t you dare act like you weren’t involved in that.”
They all assumed I was responsible for that meal. The smirk on Lennon’s face when he told them he cooked was priceless. I still wasn’t sure what happened in his life that made him not trust omegas, but I was glad he was letting me in, at least a little.
We were quiet for a moment, me just sipping my tea and my brother staring into the evening.
“Mom called me,” he finally said, breaking the silence.
I winced. “She did?”
“They want to have dinner.”
“Which restaurant did she pick this time?”
“Santana’s. That Mexican fusion place downtown.”
“At least we’ll have good food,” I offered. It was a feeble attempt at brightening the mood, but we both knew we weren’t getting out of it.
I let out a long sigh. “I guess that means I’m going to have to come clean about everything.”
Nobody wanted to admit to their parents that they let their partners walk all over them.
“I also need to go shopping,” I said with a sigh. “I ordered a few things our first night here, but I definitely need more. And the fact that I have very little professional clothing doesn’t help. Even in kitchens, I’ll need to look the part. I’d be representing the team, after all.”
“Mason would take you,” he said.
I fake gasped, making him groan. “Is this you giving me permission to be alone with one of them?”
“Well, I thought letting Lennon be the one home the other night meant I wouldn’t have to worry about it,” he said, giving me a side-eye. “And then I come home to him making homemade food.”
“You have to admit, that was some damn good grilled cheese and tomato soup.”
“It was,” he agreed, almost reluctantly. “It was always your favorite. I can hardly blame you.”
He stood and opened the door, calling out to his teammate, “Hey, Mason.”
Mason joined us, eyes flicking from my brother to me.
“Is everything alright?” For the first time, he wasn’t flirting, just concerned.
“I’m fine,” I said quickly.
He relaxed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he sat in one of the patio chairs. “So, what’s going on?”
