Page 38 of Stick With Me
She rolls back onto the couch, and I chuckle as I push myself to my feet.
With a raised brow, she eyes the pillow I realize I’m still clutching to my crotch before meeting my eye in question.
I toss the pillow aside and turn, heading for the stairs. “Going to take a shower,” I call over my shoulder. Her laugh echoes behind me as I quicken my pace up the stairs.
Crisis averted. Sort of.
“Good morning, Sunshine.” I place a mug of tea on the coffee table in front of the couch an hour later.
“Someone’s peppy,” Hannah says, bringing the cup to her lips and blowing at the rising steam.
Yes, that’s what a mind-blowing orgasm, fueled by fantasies of you, does to me.Okay, maybe I did more than just wash up in the shower.
“Are we pretending the pillow incident didn’t happen?” she asks. Her lips tip up around the ceramic mug.
“Yep,” I blurt out, quickly changing the subject. “I was thinking we could do something together today. No practice, so I’m free all day. Want to go out and explore the city?”
She hums in thought, taking another sip of tea. “Remember my ‘Sloth Sundays’?”
How could I forget? Those were some of my favorite days with her back in college. We’d sleep in as late as possible, then spend the rest of the day lounging around. Bingeing movies, tearing through an embarrassing amount of snacks, and laughing until our sides hurt.
It was completely out of character for me, but it was exactly what I needed. A break from the constant grind, from the endless worry that came with chasing my dreams. Back then, I was so consumed by the need to succeed that I neglected anything that didn’t push me closer to my goals—until Hannah came along. She had a way of silencing my restless mind. She still does.
The thought of having her all to myself today, just enjoying each other’s company, feels like exactly what we need. A chance to reset after the awkwardness that’s crept into our normally playful friendship sincethe kiss.
“What if we have one of those? We have a couple of episodes ofYou’re The Oneto catch up on, and I’m sure you’re exhausted with all the travel,” she adds.
“That sounds perfect.” I bring her feet into my lap as I sit next to her on the couch.
“Umm, I wanted to ask you something,” she says, placing her cup of tea on the table and fidgeting with the ring on her finger.
“Anything.”
“Do you mind if Natalie stays here while she’s in town? She’s coming for a work conference thing. We have more than enough bedrooms, or I don’t know… would she stay in your room?”
What the fuck?The only woman I want in my room is sitting right beside me. I try to meet her gaze, but she’s focused on her lap, twirling the ring around her finger. “Of course she can stay. This is as much your place as it is mine. I want you to feel at home here. But why the hell would she stay in my room?” I fail to hide the shock in my voice.
“You know.” She bites her nails.
I take her hands in mine and rest them on my lap. The gesture works, drawing her attention back to me. “No, I really don’t. Can you please explain why because I’m lost?”
She rolls her eyes before responding. “I’m not trying to make this weird, Ryan. I know you guys have a history.”
Okay, now I have no idea what she’s talking about. “What kind of history do you think we have, exactly? We’re friends, but honestly, that’s even pushing it. A friend of a friend? The only reason we’re even friendly is because you’re close with her, and I want your friends to like me. Can you please explain what you’re thinking? Because I’m genuinely confused. I think lines have been crossed somewhere.” I don’t give her a chance to respond as I piece together the implication. “Wait, has Natalie implied something happened between us? If so, I need to call her. What is she thinking? I have no idea why she would say something like that.” I dig around in my pockets for my phone.
Hannah scoots closer and places a hand on my forearm, stopping my movements. “Wait.”
She looks like she’s dreading whatever she’s about to say, her eyes darting back to her hands. “I… When…” I’m not sure she’s going to get it out, but then she lets the words out in a rush, “I heard you. That first night I introduced you guys, and you left together. I heard you with her that night through the walls. Those walls were really thin. I didn’t care. I still don’t care. I just…”
She thinks we slept together? Back in college? More surprising is she’s thought this for years and never thought to ask me, or for that matter, Natalie.What the hell?I brush my thumb across her lips to stop her rambling, then frame her face, tilting her head to meet my eyes.
“I don’t know who you heard that night, but it wasn’t me.”
I remember the night she’s talking about. It was the first one we spent together after she and Knolls got together. The four of us met at a bar near campus. A pit forms in my stomach—just like it did when I saw Hannah withhim.
“The night you’re talking about, I dropped her off at your dorm and went home. Nothing ever happened between her and me. Not back then, and not in the years since. How could it? When all I’ve ever wanted—” I cut myself off and shake my head, realizing I almost let the words I’ve kept locked up slip out.Pretty sure that’d break one—or two—of my rules.
Her eyebrows knit together, then smooth out as if she’s pieced together what I meant. I hope she hasn’t. “Because of hockey?” she asks hesitantly.
