Page 3 of Wild About You
Everly is in the kitchen when I walk out. I missed her outfit earlier in my rush to get in the shower, but as I take it in now, I grind my molars. “You can’t wear that.”
“Why not?” She stands taller and gets a defensive glint in her eyes.
“You got the same copy of the dress code that I did. You tell me.”
She rolls her eyes. “I didn’t read it and I don’t care.”
“Oh no, you do care. Remember?” It was my only deal breaker when I finally agreed she could stay with me: go to school and stay out of trouble.
She unties the flannel shirt around her waist and puts it on. It doesn’t completely cover the three inches of her stomach unless she buttons it, but it’s progress.
So, things didn’t go as planned. One night turned into four weeks and now it looks like Ev is going to be staying with me for the next five months while she finishes high school. Five months…that’s less than half of a year. I probably won’t lose my mind.
We’ve mostly been steering clear of one another, which is difficult in my small apartment.
A knock sounds at the door. I know that can only be one person, so I yell, “It’s open.”
Declan pokes his head in a second later. “Morning.”
“Hey, Dec. Coffee?” I ask as I pour myself some in a to-go mug.
“Nah, thanks. I just came by to wish Ev good luck on her math test.”
My stomach drops.
“You have a test already?” I look at Ev. Fuck, I should have known. Parents are supposed to know when their kids have tests, right? Did I miss a paper syllabus or something? Is that even still a thing?
She nods. “Every Friday.”
“You’ve got it, Little Sharpie,” Declan says encouragingly.
Since Everly came to stay with me last month and hasn’t left, like I thought she would after a night or two, I’ve become, for all intents and purposes, her guardian. She turned eighteen over Christmas break so she doesn’t really need a guardian, but what she does need is someone to keep her in line. Actually, she needs a whole team of people. Aka, my teammates. Declan and a few other close teammates have become like surrogate big brothers.
“Thanks, Big Sato,” she mocks, but she smiles at my teammate.
Of all the guys I thought Everly would bond with, Declan was the least likely. He’s quiet and keeps to himself a lot, but he seems to speak teenage girl better than the rest of us. Who knew the broody defenseman was such a softie?
“Coming to the rink today?” I point my gaze toward his wrist.
“Yeah, meeting with doc this morning.” His mouth tightens and he makes a fist with his right hand as if he’s checking to see how it feels.
He had surgery last month and has been rehabbing it. The time away and missing games has been hard on him, but a lifesaver for me. He’s been the one to help keep an eye on Everly while I travel. He lives in the same apartment building as we do, a few floors up. Having him stop in once or twice while I’m gone has been clutch.
“All right. See you there.” I look at the time. Shit, we’re already running late. “Ready, Ev?”
On the ride to school, she’s quiet, earbuds in. I nudge her with an elbow. “Things going okay at school?”
“School is school.”
“Can you translate that for me?”
She rolls her eyes. It’s her very favorite thing to do when I’m around. “It means school sucks, but it’s whatever.”
I start to pull into the parking lot, but Everly unbuckles. “Here is fine.”
“I have time. I thought I could go in with you and—”
“No way. I’d rather die.”
