“Language, jeez,” I chastised him. I did not need Duke getting even more encouraged to curse… but we really did have a cool set-up. It was my dad’s little side project when he had time off work. He kept it nice and clear for us by mopping it down with hot water to smooth itout.
“Sorry,” he laughed and smoothed a hand through his shaggy hair. “Can we playsometime?”
I nodded and bit my lip to contain my smile. I was trying to force myself to play it cool. Inside, I felt a bubbly excitement over him wanting to hang out again. “Bet Duke and I could take you guys out there too though,” I quipped.
“Oh no, no, no, little lady,” he said, moving closer to me. “See, that’s where I draw the line. I always win on the ice,” he winked down at me.
I shrugged. “We’ll see.”
“We might have to switch up teams out there though,” he said with raised eyebrows. “You and me versus Duke and Griff would be a good match-up, eh?”
“Maybe,” I grinned. “I’ve only ever played with Duke though.”
He nodded. “Well, you know what they say about maybe…” he arched an eyebrow at me.
I gave him a questioning look.
“All it needs is a little love and care to get turned into a yes,” he answered before sucking in his bottom lip and raising his eyebrows.
I couldn’t help but laugh at his eagerness. “Is that so?”
He pulled me into him then, and we were standing just inches apart. I felt him loop his hands around my back, and my stomach filled with nervous butterflies.
“Yes,” he smiled.
He quickly grabbed up one of my hands and we were in an old-school dancing position.
I pressed my lips together, totally amused by him.
“What? I wanna dance,” he said, as if it were the most casual thing in the world for a teenage guy to say. “Your kitchen floor is just so slide-y. It needs to be dancedon.”
I smiled at his chest and obliged, feeling like the most special girl in the world. He twirled me out, and then spun me back into him so that my back was facing him, and his arm wrapped around my waist.
He paused then and looked down at me over myshoulder.
Looking up into his warm, brown eyes, my breath hitched… because his head was dipping lower to mine, and he was looking at my lips…
And then the basement door swung open, ruining the moment.
Duke and Griff stood in the doorway, and Duke shot me a weirded-out look.
I felt pretty awkward still standing there with Nick’s arms around me, but Nick apparently did not. He seemed content, staying right there in that position.
5. Griff
I gave them a minute or two upstairs because I didn’t want to look suspicious intruding when Nick was obviously trying to get some alone time with her… but it kind of hurt to watch. My chest felt uncomfortably tight at the prospect of her falling for him without me even getting the chance to compete.
So, I tried to focus while playing pool against Duke. I let him beat me swiftly and then asked if he would be interested in watching the Boston College hockey game that I knew would be starting soon. I might’ve also put it in his ear to ask the other two if they wanted to watch as well. He jumped at the opportunity, and then we were both running up the stairs together.
When I opened up the basement door, I kind of wished I would’ve come up earlier, because Nick had Savannah practically hugged up against him.
He didn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed at being caught in such an intimate position with her. Although, it’s not like he knew I liked her too… Nick just shot me a quick, happy smile and didn’t budge an inch. My eyes were glued to his arm, which was wrapped around her stomach. He slowly unwrapped himself from her body and placed a hand on the small of her back. I felt an overwhelming urge to push him away from her.
“What’s up?” Nick asked. He narrowed his eyes at me and nudged his head towards the side, like he was telepathically trying to shoo me away, but I just shrugged like I didn’t know what he meant.
“You guys wanna watch the Boston College game with us?” Duke asked the two of them.
“Oh, good idea!” Sav answered. “Want popcorn, guys?” She looked to each one of us for confirmation. I felt my breathing fall back into a normal tempo at that. She wasn’t looking to get rid of Duke and I… That was a good sign… right?
