“Why wouldn’t I answer?” I settled into the driver’s seat, pulling the door closed against the cold.
“I don’t know. I just... we haven’t talked in a while. I wasn’t sure if...” She trailed off, and I could hear the uncertainty beneath her words.
“We’re good, Cam. I promise.” And I meant it. Whatever had been broken between us felt like it was slowly but surely starting to heal. “How are you? How’s the tour going?”
“It’s been incredible.” The energy in her voice shifted immediately, excitement bleeding through. “Trystan’s been amazing on stage. The crowds love him. We’ve been to so many cities, I’m starting to lose track.” She laughed. “We’re flying to Italy tomorrow, actually. Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to explore a little bit between shows.”
“Italy? That’s huge.”
“I know, right? I’ve always wanted to go. Trystan promised we’d have at least one day in Rome.” She paused. “I love traveling. I really do. But I’m starting to get a little homesick, you know?”
I understood that more than I could articulate. “Yeah. Everything’s so different this year now that everyone’s gone.”
She sighed. “I’ve tried calling Kaia a few times, but she’s so busy with Kailyn. I’ve chatted with Jax and Syn a little bit, and everyone seems good.”
“How are they? Jax and Kaia?”
“Exhausted, mostly. But happy.” She laughed. “I tried calling Harlow a couple of times, too, but she’s always in class or studying. That girl is going to work herself into the ground.”
My hand tightened on the steering wheel at the mention of Harlow’s name. “She’s definitely pushing herself hard this semester.”
“So, how have you been? Really?”
I started the car, letting the engine warm up, considering the question. “Busy. Practice has been intense. We’ve got scouts coming to games this season, so Coach is riding us hard.”
“That’s amazing. You’re going to get drafted. I know you are.”
“I hope so.” The words felt more real every time I said them out loud. “But yeah, other than hockey consuming my entire existence, things are... good. Different, but good.”
“How’s Harlow doing?” The question was casual, but something in her tone made me pause. “I heard what happened. With the break-in?”
I chuckled, shaking my head at the memory. “Yeah, she had a little scare. Thought someone broke into the house, called me freaking out, but it turned out to be a cat.”
Cam laughed. “That’s both hilarious and terrifying.”
“She left the garage door open, and it wandered in, knocked something over. She was scared. But she’s good now. She’s actually staying with me until her dad and Liz get back.”
The line went quiet.
Too quiet.
“She’s staying with you? At your apartment?”
“Yeah. In the spare room.” The lie came automatically, a reflex I immediately hated. “She didn’t want to be alone after the scare, and honestly, I really didn’t like her being there alone either, so I offered to let her stay with me.”
“That’s... nice of you.” Another pause. “How does Jax feel about that?”
Jax’s overprotectiveness of both Syn and Harlow was legendary, the kind of running joke that everyone acknowledged but no one really questioned.
Except now it wasn’t funny.
Now it was complicated.
I was silent for too long, my fingers drumming against the steering wheel, my mind racing through possible responses. I could laugh it off. Make a joke. Keep lying.
But I was so fucking tired of lying.
“Owen?” Cam’s voice pulled me back. “You still there?”
