Page 104 of Cloudless
The banging on his door starts again. This time, Dax’s voice accompanies the harsh rhythm. “Come on, Cap! I’m starving out here!”
Kam rolls his eyes as he raises his voice. “I’m coming! Don’t get your panties in a twist!”
Laughter accompanies Dax’s muffled voice. “I don’t need to know about the state of your dick, Cap. That’s between you and Sullivan.”
Kam closes his eyes as he shakes his head. “I’m going to kill him.”
I don’t even try to contain my laughter. “Don’t do something you might regret, Trouble. Dax is a great defenseman.”
The background blurs behind him as he stands from the bed. “You’re right. That would be a mess to deal with this late in the season.” A softness takes over his eyes as he examines my face. “Goodnight, Sunshine.”
“Goodnight, Trouble.”
As my phone screen fades to black, I relax back into my bed, which has never felt as empty as it does right now.
CHAPTER 49
ONE MORE
KAM
The smell of hairspray hangs in the air as I search the theater for familiar faces. It’s moments like this that make me appreciate my height as I peer over everyone’s heads to get a better view of the room.
A nervous energy flows through the space as kids run around in costumes. Parents with exhausted faces chase after them as I try not to step on anyone.
Three tall figures in the distance standing above the crowd act as my landmark in the over-crowded space. I clutch the overpriced flowers to my chest as I weave through the aisles to get to my friends.
A blanket of darkness descends as I reach our row of seats just in time. I ensure the aisle seat remains empty for Lila. Wyatt’s brows raise as we lower into our seats. “Cutting it close, aren’t you?”
Jasper’s face lights up as he pokes his head around Wyatt. “Kam! I thought you got lost.” The multitude of toy cars lining Wyatt’s legs shift as he tries to keep Jasper from tumbling out of his seat.
I lower my voice as classical music takes the place of voices around us. “Nah, I couldn’t miss Posey’s performance. Traffic was just a lot worse than I was expecting.”
Dax’s voice filters through the darkness. “This place is packed. Who would have thought a ballet recital could rival our crowd size?”
There’s no way this is a stadium full of people. However, I have to admit I’m shocked at the turnout. “Have you seen Lila? I know she was having an issue with Posey’s costume.”
Mace’s voice is the one that rises above the music. “We got it worked out. Nothing a safety pin couldn’t fix. She should be back out soon.” His voice falls to a whisper. “Should we have saved some seats for the grandparents?”
I shake my head as I fold myself into the tiny seat. “Nope. Lila said they aren’t coming.”
He raises his brows. “I figured they would be here. Especially since the court date is coming up.”
I shrug as Miss Emma’s voice drowns out the music from her place on center stage. “Thank you all for coming to our Annual Fall Recital. All my students have worked very hard these past few months to bring you our take of Swan Lake.” A practiced smile pulls at her lips as she looks around the crowd. “I hope you enjoy the show.”
I swivel in my seat to look for any signs of Lila as applause follows Miss Emma from the stage. A streak of blonde catches my attention despite the low lighting.
A smile blooms on my face as Lila pushes the spring-loaded theater seat down before settling into it with a huff. “I never want to see another ripped seam again.”
A quiet laugh tumbles from my lips as I push the hair from her face. “But you conquered that ripped seam.”
She raises her brows as a smile touches her lips. “It’s not like I could let it win.” Her eyes grow soft as they fall to the flowers sitting in my lap. “You got Posey flowers?”
I’m thankful for the darkness that hides my blush. “Well, yeah. She couldn’t be the only one without flowers.”
The gentle kiss she plants on my cheek is more than worth the money I forked up for the flowers. How someone could live with themselves after charging almost one hundred dollars for twelve roses, I’ll never know. I definitely won’t be using that florist for her next recital.
My ears ring with the increase in the music's volume as the kids in white spin on stage.
