Even Hayes sighs at him. “You literallyjustsaw him on the ice. You know, where we beat your half brother 3–2 in overtime?”
“It was a beauty of a goal I had on him, no?” Lawson grins proudly. “And yes, of course I miss you, Kells. We didn’t share any minutes together.”
“Thank fuck too,” I mutter, yanking my mask back down.
He pulls it up again.
“What the fuck?” I yell, and to absolutely nobody’s surprise, it doesn’t scare him off one bit. “Can I get some damn shut-eye?”
“No. Not until you tell me why you just lied to Hayes.”
I glance over at the man in question. His brows are raised, a very dad-like look on his face, and it’s wild to me to see his transformation over the last year and a half or so. He went from being a rowdy young guy who destroyed a hotel room to being a father to his niece and settling down with Quinn. Sure, she used to be his nanny, which isn’t the best example to set, but who cares? It doesn’t make his accomplishments any less impressive.
“Did you, Kells? Did you lie to me just now?”
“What? No.” But even I hear the uncertainty in my voice.
“Is Chloe not coming to the wedding?”
It’s still so strange to hear them say her name, especially when Lawson says it like he’s an old friend of hers. Part of me loves that they’ve accepted her so damn easily, but also…well,I’m still cautious of what her being back could mean, and I don’t want them to get their hopes up that she’ll stick around.
I don’t want to get mine up either.
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. Hutchy told me.”
“I didn’t tell you shit,” the captain says from the seat behind me.
Goddamn, is the whole plane listening in on our conversation right now?
“Did too,” Lawson argues. “You said you asked him twice, but he didn’t give you an answer. That means she’s not coming.”
“Or it could mean he didn’t ask her,” Fox pipes up, joining the discussion.
I sit forward and look around Hayes to the seats next to ours. “Anything to add, Locke? Seems everyone else has an opinion on this.”
“Oooh, this would beperfectfor the group chat. Quick—someone type exactly what we’re saying.”
“Please shut up, Lawson,” Hayes says.
“Yeah, what he said,” I agree. “Locke?”
“Nope. I got nothing.” He holds his hands out, the cards he and Fox are playing something with—probably poker—gripped tightly. “Just waiting to see how this plays out is all.”
I sigh, then settle back against the seat and pull the mask down again. “Well, since we’re done discussing it…”
Lawson snatches the mask up again, this time removing it completely and stealing it away.
“Hey!”
“Shhh! Some of us are trying to sleep, you know!” someone from up front hollers.
“Well, maybe if he didn’t have ten gremlins running around his house, he’d get a little more sleep, huh?” Lawson says to uswith an eye roll. He spins my mask around his finger by the strap. “Anyway, did you ask Chloe yet?”
“No,” I say through gritted teeth. “Are you fucking happy? Is that what you wanted to hear?”
Lawson frowns. “Uh, no, buddy. That isnotwhat I wanted to hear. Why haven’t you asked her?”
