Page 34 of What Are the Chances
When the lights of the grocery store flickered off momentarily, Riley reached out on instinct, her hand wrapping around my forearm. The flashing lights were followed by a clap of thunder, causing Riley’s wide eyes to snap up to the flickering ceiling. She spooked so easily.
“Relax, Dover. It’s meant to storm tonight.”
Her mouth settled into a grim line. “Perfect night to watch a horror film.”
I noted her sarcasm, but she was right. Cold. Rainy. Dark. Stormy. Itwasthe perfect night to watch a horror film. And unlike Riley who got scared watching Harry Potter, I happened to like scary movies.
Once the basket was overflowing and weighed more than my hockey bag, we joined the back of the long line at the check-out.
As Riley snickered quietly to herself, I peered down at her. “What?”
She shook her head, baffled. “It’s just... you and me... at the grocery store together.”
“Yeah,” I quipped. “Strange.”
“I guess we have Ryan and Grace to blame.”
“Not Hughesy. We’ll tap her out for Levi.”
“Better change the name of my voodoo doll then.”
I caught myself laughing. Riley had never failed to amuse me with her dorky humour.
She turned on the spot, her steel blue eyes looking into mine. “Parker’s my best friend, Caufield,” she solemnly said. “Please don’t let Ryan hurt her.”
My breath caught in my throat. I knew where this was coming from, and it had nothing to do with Ryan or Parker. Guilt pulled at my vocal cords, but what came out instead sounded defensive.
“It’s not my job to tell Ryan who and how he needs to date.”
Riley’s back straightened, and it was almost like I could see the barriers reforming around her heart.
“It’s just your job to tag along and hook up with thehot roommate, right?”
“Dover–”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, Caufield. But that will nevereverhappen.”
I sighed. Like I needed her reminder.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I couldn’t keep my hands to myself
RILEY
Will and I very loudly announced our arrival by slamming the front door closed. Luckily we had. Parker and Ryan broke apart, their faces both more heated than I liked given they were sitting on our communal couch.
“We’ve got snacks,” I called out.
“Great.”
As Parker jumped up, the blanket her and Ryan had been sharing fell to the ground. I made note to wash that later. Just in case. She followed me to the kitchen, where she began prepping the microwave popcorn.
Ryan filtered through the bags of food. “You went hard on the snacks. I’m surprised Mr Chicken and Rice allowed this much sugar.”
I snickered because I knew how often Will ate that meal. He was a health nut. I would say I was too, but I knew when to loosen the reins and indulge. He never did. Maybe in the off-season a bit, but throughout the hockey season, it was all about protein and hitting quotas. That wasn’t to say he never ate a burger or drank a beer, because he did. But he actively turned his nose up at candy, and always declared he hated ice cream, which was a freaking travesty in my eyes. But whatever. More for me.
I grabbed a bowl and began preparing a snack that was sure to make his stomach turn. I started with a few scoops of cookies and cream ice cream, then I crumbled some Oreos on top. Next I mixed through a stack ofM&Ms, before finishing up with some of Parker’s popcorn. Salty and sweet. The perfect combination.
