I’m a coward. Two weeks ago, I stood in front of Ember’s front door, trying to find the courage to knock and tell her how I felt… or just kiss her right there; I still wasn’t sure which. But I bolted the second I heard her voice on the other side of the door.
I told myself I’d confess it all the next time I saw her… then that turned into after class while we worked on our project… which turned into telling her on Wednesday… which turned into waiting to see if she brought it up first.
And she hasn’t.
Well, I think she tried to last Thursday before we hit the road for a game because she started to mention the party, but then she completely changed the subject. Like thinking about us almost kissing was a sore subject… which isn’t good for a man's ego.
“Are you okay, man?” Zeke wonders, stretching out his legs. We’re in the locker room, preparing to hit the ice.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because you’ve been acting weird for weeks.” He slams his locker. “It’s like your head is clouded.”
Trust me, it is, for more reasons than one.
“Is it Ember?” he asks. “I know we’ve been down this road, but some things changed between you two.”
“Nothing’s changed.”
“She barely talks when she’s at the house,” he begins, “and it all started at that party. She doesn’t even stick around to beat my ass at video games.”
“Speaking of that night,” I change the subject, “you’ve been acting differently, too.”
“So, you admit you’ve been acting different.”
Shit.
“I admit nothing.”
I grab my gear to get dressed, but he doesn’t let it go, not that I expected him to. If any of the guys are persistent, it’s Zeke.
“Come on, man,” he begs, “my mom has been loving the Ember and Declan sexual tension stories I’ve been sharing with her. I’m running low on content.”
“You’ve talked to your mom about us?”
“I have to keep her distracted during chemo treatments somehow.” He shrugs.
“And talking about my sex life, is that distraction?”
“Not your sex life, the sexual tension, there’s a difference.” He smirks, sitting on the bench across from me. “And my mom doesn’t want to hear about my sex life, so yours has to do.”
Zeke and I are the only ones here, and even though I wish it was Jax, so I could confide in him first, I need to get this off my chest. Hopefully, he doesn’t relay this information to anyone else. I guess I’ll make an exception for Mrs. Harris, though, since she’s the reason I’m giving in.
“I almost kissed her.”
“What?” His head snaps up. “When did this happen?”
“The party.”
“What? I’m upset that I’m just now hearing about this. I mean, you’re good at keeping to yourself, but Jaxon is a talker. I’m surprised all of the guys don’t know by now.”
“Jaxon doesn’t know.”
“You told me before you told him?”
The shock in his voice makes me feel guilty, but I honestly planned on keeping this to myself. I doubt Ember went and confided in Brinley.
“I can’t wait to rub this in his face,” he adds.
