Page 83 of Just Forever

We’re fine.

The weeks leadingup to Christmas are stupidly busy, with Lake studying all the time and me living out of my suitcase because of all the away games, so by the time the twenty-fourth arrives, and the three days of no games scheduled, I’m happy to just hide away in our apartment.

Last year we celebrated the holidays with Kelly, Rach, and Sawyer in Boston, but since Rach and Sawyer are still away and will make it back for New Year’s and Kelly is scheduled to work, it’s just the two of us for Christmas. I’m secretly happy about it. I get to have Lake all to myself.

Lake isn’t much for holidays anyway, so we don’t bother with any of the traditions. I put up lights because I feel like it but forgo most other traditions.

We’ll make our own.

For three days, we alternately fuck and veg out on the couch, watching movies.

We go for a walk on the evening of the twenty-fourth and barely manage to close the front door behind us when we get back home before Lake’s hands are in my jeans and he’s in front of me on his knees with my dick down his throat. We follow that up with a second round in our bed, where we take our time with each other.

To be fair, we spend most of those three days in bed, talking, fucking, watching TV, eating takeout and getting crumbs everywhere.

We stay up late and then spend the next day lazily dozing in the weak December sunshine that comes through the windows since neither of us bothered to draw the curtains.

We’re naked and warm, pressed together, head to toe, neither willing to move an inch.

It’s kind of perfect.

RYKER

Rachel letsout a squeal so loud it makes people turn their heads, lets go of Sawyer’s hand, and sprints toward Lake. She jumps, and he catches her. They both laugh, she wraps her legs around Lake’s waist, and they hug each other tightly.

These last few days, ever since our little Christmas break ended, he’s been kind of quiet. Or at least it feels like it. I can’t really explain it. It feels like his mind is a million miles away, but at the same time he’s trying to hide it.

This is the first time in almost a week that he hasn’t looked silently tense.

“Longest flight ever!” Rach declares.

Sawyer and I shake hands, and then Rach hugs me too.

“Oh my God! I’m so glad we’re on solid ground again,” she says. “I’m tempted to kiss the floor.”

“Is international travel already losing its flavor?” Lake asks with a laugh.

“You spend fourteen hours in a steel can in too-narrow seats and tell me how you feel.”

Lake picks up Rach’s suitcase, and we head for the exit. We find our car, throw the bags in the back, and climb in.

“How was New Zealand?” Lake turns so he can look at Rach and Sawyer in the back seat.

“Green,” Sawyer says with his customary small smile on his face.

“Really pretty.” Rachel lets out a dreamy sigh. “A hundred percent would’ve stayed longer, but you were all, ‘But Rach, I miss you so much. You promised to spend New Year’s with meeeee.’ What choice did we have?”

“I asked you what your plans were before heading to Europe,” Lake says dryly.

“I can read between the lines.”

They grin at each other.

“Have you heard anything from Kelly?” Rach asks. “He hasn’t replied to any of my messages in, like, two days already.”

“He said he was coming yesterday, and I haven’t heard anything from him today, so I don’t think he’s changed his mind.”

Rachel nods. “Well good. Otherwise we’d have to go all the way to Boston to drag him here, and I’d really prefer to start drinking sooner rather than later.”

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