Page 64 of The Captain

It’s not just us here, and the sidewalks are littered with tourists, pushing Cassie and me together and apart as we weave through sidewalk traffic to reach our destination.

“How was your birthday?”

Cassie’s unexpected question throws me for a second before I find a reply.

“My birthday? It was okay.” I move around another person, trying to keep up with her and our group. “Why?”

She shakes her head. “No reason, really. It was your twenty-first. I’d hoped it was good.”

I let her words wash through me and sigh internally. How was my birthday? Well, I didn’t do anything. Crew and I got one drink, and that was my limit, so I went to my mom’s afterward for family dinner and then home to bed.

Getting drunk did not appeal to me at all. Not anymore.

“It was low key. Got a beer with Crew and went to my mom’s.”

She looks at me now, something like confusion passing over her features. “Really? You didn’t go out to celebrate?”

Who would I have gone with? I want to ask, but bite my tongue for now. I’m not starting off this weekend with a fight. “No, I definitely didn’t want that.”

“Why—”

“We’re here!” Mickey’s voice rings out, and we all file into the brewery. I hold the door for Cassie to go ahead of me, and she does, brushing her shoulder against my chest to get through the door.

Fuck. I clench my jaw. I’ll get us back to the point where I can freely touch her again. The thought of never holding her hand, of never lounging on her couch in front of the TV while she reads again, of never exploring her body and making her pant my name, of not fucking giving her a hug whenever I want, it kills me.

I follow behind her, giving nasty looks to anyone who even looks her way. She may not realize how gorgeous she was, but that didn’t mean that anyone else didn’t see her the way I did.

She’s oblivious to the looks I’m throwing at people.

Probably for the best.

We get to a table, and I realize that Mick and Tanner must have called ahead to reserve it since we’re a pretty big party.

Devon and his wife sit down on one end. Victoria and my cousin Josephine seem to be hitting it off and are chatting with Devon’s wife, Robin, I think. Mick sits next to Cassie, and I get the lucky spot of sitting across from Cassie, right next to my coach.

Joy.

He nudges me. “How goes your summer project?”

At least he didn’t yell the question, but I still hope no one latches onto him asking me about the work I have to retake.

Again.

“It’s coming along.” I glance at Cassie, who’s smiling at something Mick says. Mick hasn’t stopped talking about plans for the wedding, even though it’s still a good amount of time away.

“Good. I want to see you leading that team on the ice when the time comes, Ellis,” Tanner says, looking me over. “You up for it?”

I nod my head. “Yes, sir.” Part of me wants to say something sarcastic or something untrue to get him off my back, like that I was going to drop out and just go straight for the pros.

But I don’t, and thankfully, a waitress comes over to take our order interrupting any chance for me to stick my foot in my mouth.

When I order a Coke, no one questions me, but I can feel Cassie staring at me anyway, and I glance her way as the waitress makes her way down the table.

“No beer for you?” she asks, curiosity written all over her face.

I shrug and smile at her, trying to shake off my discomfort. “Nah. It’s a bit early for me to indulge.” Not like I was going to indulge at all this weekend anyway.

“Oh.” She nods, and her eyes are still trained on me, so I raise a brow, silently questioning what she wants to say. “It’s just not what I expected.”

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