Page 115 of Rebound
“Yeah, my mother. Although I think she was born without a soul,” Jules says. Her answer surprises me because I don’t think she’s lying to get a reaction out of me.
“Why don’t you redecorate?"
Jules twists the cap off a water bottle and takes a delicate sip. “It’s my parents' apartment. We just live here.”
Her phone buzzes on the counter and she types out a quick text. “Kai’s on his way up.”
There’s a thud from somewhere in the apartment followed by Lavinia calling out for Jules. “I’m overheating.”
“Coming!”
I’m left alone while Jules goes to help Lavinia. When Kai knocks, I open the door. Like me, he’s wearing a black suit, and he rears back in surprise when he sees me answer the door.
“The girls are still getting ready,” I explain, stepping aside to let him into the apartment.
I haven’t spent any one-on-one time with the guys. I know they hang out outside of practice, I often hear them making plans. I still haven’t received an invitation and I’m starting to realize that maybe I need to bridge the gap. It’s easy for Lavinia to make friends because she’s always open and the first one to make the approach. She can also sense when someone is skittish and needs her to be gentle.
What the hell am I even supposed to say? How do you start a conversation? I feel like I’ve suddenly forgotten how to speak.
“Your jaw looks good,” Kai says.
I’m relieved that I don’t have to think of a topic. I run a hand over my jaw, where Holden accidentally elbowed me at practice today. It was our last practice before Christmas break, too.
“Tell me honestly, did he do it on purpose?”
Kai laughs, his brown eyes creasing at the corners. “Nah, that’s not Holden’s style. Ford, on the other hand? I heard he punched Drew the first year they were on the team.”
“And I’m the troublemaker?” I scoff.
“I guess we’re lucky enough to have more than one troublemaker on our team,” Kai counters.
“I feel sorry for Coach.”
Kai offers me a small smile that makes me think maybe this friendship thing isn’t crazy. I do it with Kita, I did it with Connor, my old teammate from when I played in New York. The only difference is, both Kita and Connor are also people who mostly keep to themselves. I hear from Connor maybe every six months. Kita is Kita.
“Okay, we’re ready to go. Sorry for the delay, there was a hair emergency.”
I turn as Lavinia and Jules walk into the room and for a second, my heart stops inside my chest as Lavinia walks forward. Her dress is the palest shade of pink, almost white, dark as it reaches the hem which is designed to look like petals. The material has sparkles or something embedded in it and when she moves, it looks like she’s carrying the light with her.
“Roman?” Lavinia tilts her head in question.
I seem to have swallowed my tongue.
“You look…” I swallow roughly, letting my eyes rake over my body. “Fuck, Blossom, you look beautiful.”
A brilliant smile lights up her face. “Aw, did I leave you speechless?”
“You always do,” I admit.
Her cheeks flush pink, and she turns to look at Jules and Kai, who are pretending to be engrossed in their own conversation. “Should we be environmentally friendly and carpool?”
It’s agreed that’s the best idea since we’re all going to the same place. I help Lavinia pull on her faux fur white coat and she rests her hand on the crook of my arm. Leaning in, she whispers in my ear, “I’m glad there won’t be any Maniacs at this party because I can confidently say you’re going to be the hottest man there.”
After seeing her in that dress, the last thing I want to do is go to this party. As far as I’m concerned, I already socialized enough for the evening. I’d much rather stay here, peel this dress off Lavinia and taste every inch of her body. It’s been four days since I tasted her and made her come on my tongue. But Lavinia is excited for this party, and I need to keep up my end of the bargain.
I never knewhow exhausting it can be being an unsocial pariah married to a social butterfly. There isn’t a single person at the Christmas party who doesn’t know Lavinia and whom Lavinia doesn’t want to talk to. From the second we enter the party, heads turn to watch us and I know what a lot of them are thinking.
They’re wondering if Lavinia really married me after being engaged to a golden boy like Josh Whitmore. If a good girl like Lavinia Callahan is really married to the NHL’s notorious playboy.
