Page 37

Finally, I ask, “Is your sister okay?”

He quirks a brow, probably surprised I'm asking about her, and I hope he doesn’t think I’m just like the kids who tease him and think about how hot she is. I definitely think about the latter, but I’d never tease him about it.

“I don’t know. I think she’s upset about the gym.”

“The gym?” I ask, feeling more confused.

Noah’s working on backwards skating exercises, so I flip around and skate backward beside him while he explains, “She wanted to start lifting weights again, so she ordered equipment for a home gym.” He pauses, concentrating on his movements. “She said she wasn’t tall enough to get the squat rack assembled.” He stops and glances over at his sister again. “She seemed really upset about it.”

“I’m tall,” I blurt before I can stop myself. Not wanting to sound desperate, I clear my throat and add, “and I have lots of tall… friends.” The word friends feels weird on my tongue. Like eating Pop Rocks and drinking soda at the same time.

“You think you and your… friends,” Noah says the word friends with a smirk like he realizes how uncomfortable it makes me. “Could help?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Probably.”

He nods slowly. “Alright. Maybe then she wouldn’t be so sad. I guess she really wants to work out.”

I almost chuckle at his comment, there has to be more going on inside that head of hers. And I want to know what it is. I want to be the person she confides her deepest thoughts to. And I’m the last person she should want to do that with.

“So, what’s your address?”

Noah’s mouth slowly pulls up in a wide smile.

* * *

Not even twenty-four hours later, I’m standing in front of Andie and Noah’s front door, about to ring the doorbell. I pause when I hear tittering and whispers behind me. I turn to glare at Bruce and Colby, who are being obnoxious. What was I thinking, bringing them in on this?

Remy shares my look of annoyance and elbows Colby in the side. West had a date night planned with Mel, so at least that’s one less annoying hockey player.

“Would you guys shut up?”

“Sorry!” Colby whisper-yells. “I just can’t believe you have a crush.”

“I don’t have a crush,” I respond a little too quickly and they start quietly laughing again.

“Riiiiiight,” Bruce says with a wink.

Remy groans.

Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I turn toward the door and ring the doorbell.

After a beat, the door opens and Noah stands there, his eyes are wide as he takes in the four of us. I can tell he’s a little starstruck. More by my teammates than myself. He’s wearing a red Eagles jersey with Remy’s number on the shoulders.

I make a note to get him one with my number instead.

“Hi,” he breathes out nervously. “C-c-c-ome in.”

The four of us step inside the small entryway, we’re shoulder to shoulder in the tight space. I notice a family photo of Noah and Andie, with who I assume are their parents. I can see similar features between him and his dad, but he has his mother’s eyes. Andie is an exact replica of her mother, though. Just a younger version. I look away from the picture, feeling like I’m intruding somehow.

“Noah? Who is it?” Andie yells from another room.

Noah starts to turn toward her voice, waving his arm for us to follow him. We walk down the skinny hallway single file since that’s the only way we’ll fit, and enter an open living room and dining room area. It’s painted a cheerful yellow color. The kitchen is messy with lunch boxes and water bottles, dirty dishes still in the sink. But it’s a nice home despite being lived-in.

Andie stands from the sofa, remote in hand, and gapes at us. “Uhh,” is all she can say as she takes us in, which is fine, because that also gives me time to look at her.

She’s wearing little pink shorts with hearts on them, showing off her incredible, muscled legs. Her tank top says, I like big books and I cannot lie, with a picture of a book stack on it. Her blonde hair is in a crazy pony-tail right on top of her head, and she’s wearing white, fuzzy socks that come up over her knees.

She’s the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.