Still, I do ten sets of lunges, jumping jacks, and burpees before I call it a morning and head inside. I’ll get an actual workout in after practicetoday, but I always feel better if I get my heart rate up and my muscles burning just a little first thing in the morning.
I sneak into the house, hoping like hell I don’t wake any of the kids. The last thing I need is to be surrounded by chaos at five a.m. AirPods still in, I dance around the kitchen, filling a glass of water and taking my morning vitamins. Then I head upstairs for a shower. We’ve got to be at the practice rink by eight, but I’d like to relax and drink a cup of coffee after my shower and maybe do a little yoga and journal for a bit before I get dressed.
Honestly, since I have to deal with Dirk again—and JJ—I need to do more than journal, but with the time I’ve got, I’ll have to settle for that.
With clothes in hand, I knock on the bathroom door, ensuring that JJ isn’t on the other side. It’s still so weird that he’s sleeping in Finn’s room. And it’s even weirder that while he moved into that same room for an entire hockey season when we were teenagers, he didn’t ever actually sleep there. Instead, he spent every night in my bed. Beside me.
My focus drifts to the king-size bed. The same bed I had back then. I can almost picture the two of us, fifteen and stupid, staying up way too late, talking, sharing secrets, laughing, crying.
That year was hell on his family. Even now, more than a decade later, I often think about how close they came to losing Cat.
But she’s still here. Though I rarely see her anymore. Not since Avery was born, anyway.
Eyes falling shut, I shake my head. Why am I thinking about this? I thought I was over all of it. Over him.
I clench my jaw and chide myself. It’s ridiculous to believe that I could be. That I ever will be. How could I get over the only man I’ve ever loved? The one person who knows every spot that elicits pleasure. The person who’s caused me far more pain than anyone or anything else ever could.
Groaning, I turn the music up. I need to dance this out.
The bathroom is a few degrees warmer than my bedroom, like maybe JJ was in the shower not long ago. Good. That means we won’t be late. I set my bundle of things on the closed toilet lid and strip as I dance,bouncing on my toes Meredith Grey style. My mom and her best friends forced all of us to watch every season ofGrey’s Anatomyin high school. And when I say forced, I mean we were all for it. Growing up the way I did, surrounded by so many honorary aunts and cousins, was incredible.
Shit. I stumble a little, realizing I forgot to turn the water on to heat up. I hate a cold shower, and I swear that’s one thing Dad has never been able to fix about this house. It takes a good two minutes to warm up to the nearly scalding temperature I like.
Grasping the curtain, I tug it open. Rather than finding it empty, I discover a naked JJ standing before me, and a blood-curdling scream escapes me as my heart takes off at a gallop.
“Why are you naked?” I shout.
He barely reacts to my anger. Rather than covering up or yelling back, JJ stands under the spray with his cock dangling between his legs and a cool expression on his face.
I’m pretty sure something glistens on his cock. Is…is his penis pierced?
And is that a tattoo on his chest?
His mouth moves, but I don’t hear a word.
Scowling, I holler, “I can’t hear you!”
He points to his ears, a nonplussed look on his face.
Oh. Right. Lizzo is still singing, drowning out all other sound.
With a huff, I pull out an earbud. “Why are you just standing there? Why didn’t you call out when I knocked?”
“I did. I’ve called your name at least twenty times since you ignored me when I shouted that I was in the shower.”
“Well, I couldn’t hear you,” I say with far too much sass for someone who clearly carries some blame here.
He shrugs, his full body on display, making it hard to keep my thoughts straight. “Okay.”
“So why didn’t you get out when I came in?” I wave a hand wildly at the door.
“So you could see me naked?”
“I’m already seeing you naked,” I shriek.
“I’m aware.”
“Why aren’t you covering yourself?” My heart is still racing, and by now, my face is on fire.
