Page 8 of Pucking Tangled
Besides, there was no way she could be interested in a guy like him. With no experience and hardly any time for a relationship.
So he should probably just put all thoughts of anything more than friendship with Mia out of his head.
FOUR
Mia
Mia paddeddown the stairs in her socks, her hair twisted up in a messy bun and her hoodie sleeves tugged down over her hands. The house was quiet, a stark contrast from the night before, one that made the creak of floorboards on the steps louder than she expected.
At the bottom of the steps, she paused and prepared herself for the worst. She expected solo cups and beer bottles littering the counters. Pizza boxes and food trash piled up, and passed out hockey players everywhere.
But that wasn’t the case at all.
There were only two other players in sight. One snoring on the couch, the other asleep on the floor in front of the fireplace.
The house was spotless. Counters were wiped down. No sign of trash anywhere. The faint smell of Lysol and coffee lingered in the once stale air from the night before.
“Hm. That’s interesting.”
She tiptoed further into the kitchen, scanning for any signs of life.
A fresh pot of coffee and a clean mug waited for her like a silent invitation. Or an apology for all the noise last night. She wasn’t sure which.
Her brows lifted in surprise. There was even a sticky note.
For our law school roomie. - O
She plucked the note off the coffee maker, unable to fight the smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth. Mia poured herself a cup and leaned against the counter, cradling it in both hands.
Of course, it was Owen who’d left it out for her. Mr. Responsible. Captain of everything. He was the kind of guy who probably made his bed before games and always folded his laundry as soon as it came out of the dryer.
She liked that about him. He was a steady presence in Casey’s life. Kept him grounded, but didn’t try to hold him back either.
Still... this? This quiet, considerate kind of care? It surprised her, probably more than it should.
Sipping her coffee, she glanced out the back slider. The pool and the grass both seemed to glitter in the sunlight. Three little birds played in the bird bath under a shade tree in the far corner of the yard, like their day was just getting started.
In the moment, it felt like everything was suspended in time. Caught between the chaos of the night before and the stillness of a brand-new day.
Her mind flickered back to Luca.
The soft and sweet way he said hername.
The bashful way he shared his hobbies.
And the way he didn’t push her for anything. He didn’t flirt or make things awkward.
He was just there. Easy. Quiet and a steady beacon in the night.
She blew on her coffee and took another sip, heart tapping a little faster now.
Yeah. She’d definitely noticed him.
And maybe, just maybe, she was kind of hoping he’d be the one to walk through the kitchen next.
She was halfway through her second cup of coffee before anyone joined her.
Sitting at the kitchen table with her legs curled underneath of her, she heard the slider open.
