Page 186 of Stick It
“Seriously?” I drawl, trying to act like I’m entirely unaffected when he knows damn well I’m not.
Arching a brow, he brushes his shoe over my leg again. A little higher this time.
I subtly shift andaccidentallykick him back. He just laughs under his breath, eyes sparkling like he’s thoroughly enjoying himself.
Ethan sighs, flitting his gaze around the table before dragging his hand down his face. “Remind me why I hang out with any of you?”
“Because you love us,” Finn singsongs.
“Because we’re the only ones who will put up with you,” Griffin says at the same time.
“Because you’d implode without the ability to micromanage everything around you,” I offer sweetly.
Ethan lifts his eyes to mine, unimpressed. Of course, that’s when a yawn rips out of me. He immediately sits straighter in his chair, eyes raking over my face with concern. “Are you tired? Did you not sleep well last night? Was it?—”
“I’m fine.” My tone is exasperated. It’s been a week of him—of all of them—fussing over me, and it’s safe to say that I’m over it. “I got my full eight hours of sleep. It was just a yawn.”
Eyes narrowed, he continues to watch me, even after I’ve chosen to ignore his existence and focus back on my own work.
“Do you have a headache?”
The pen I’m clutching threatens to snap in half as I glower at him. “What?”
“You’re rubbing your temple.” He gestures toward where my free hand is rubbing circles into the side of my head. Shit, I hadn’t realized I was doing that, and now that he mentions it, there is a slight throbbing behind my eyes.
I hastily drop my hand from my face. “It’s nothing.”
His expression is flat, skeptical. “You’ve done enough studying for today.”
“I just need to finish this assignment and then I’m done,” I snap at him. I’m about to lay into him for being a hovering mother hen when he reminds me why I put up with his bullshit. “How about we get in a practice session after this—just the five of us?”
The beginnings of my headache instantly fade, and theenergy that was flagging a second ago surges forward. I haven’t been on the ice since…thatgame.Thatnight.
“Nothing intense,” Ethan presses. “Just light drills.”
Griffin perks up, but it’s nothing compared to the way my whole body lifts at the suggestion. “Seriously?”
Ethan nods. “Doctor cleared you to start easing back in. We’re easing.”
I grin. I can’t help it.
Hell yeah!
Finn’s leg brushes against mine, and Griffin leans into my space. I can’t take my eyes off of Ethan, though. His lips lift in a smile, his eyes dancing. He knows how badly I’ve been dying to get back on the ice. The trainer cleared me this morning, but with classes, I haven’t had a chance to actually get skates on my feet and get out there.
“Hey,” Finn says, drawing my attention. “How is your mom doing?”
Internally, I wince. My mother is such a sore topic, but I don’t think that’s ever going to change. It’s just how she is now. It’s sweet of Finn to ask, though. After her meltdown at the hospital, they’ve all been asking about her. She’s back in Oak Haven, and I made a point of switching my emergency contact number to Bear so she doesn’t get called the next time I invariably end up in the hospital—hopefully for a bog-standard hockey accident and not a near-murder attempt.
“She’s doing good,” I tell him, offering a grateful smile. “They’ve upped her meds and she seems to be a bit more…balanced.”
Still barely accepting any of my phone calls, though. However, the few times she has, she sounds more like the mom from the hospital. The one I remember from before. So, I haven’t completely given up hope. I’m just…guarded.
The library door opens and Jax strolls in with a coffee carrier in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other.
He beelines straight for our table. “Sorry I’m late. Had to make a detour,” he says, setting the cup down beside me. “I know you like the hazelnut one from the campus café, and I got you one of those muffins you like.”
My heart squeezes. “You didn’t have to?—”
