BLAZE: Enemies to Lovers College Hockey Romance by Eddie Cleveland (ebook reader macos .txt) 📕

my ass. So, yeah, you deserved it. Now stop complaining about something that happened when you were eight, and eat the meal I made.” Etta narrows her eyes, and Griz stops.

“If my sister cooked me food like this, I wouldn’t care how many of my birthday’s she ruined,” Canuck adds helpfully.

“He attacked me.” Etta defends herself. “I didn’t ruin his birthday. He ruined his own birthday.”

“I don’t know about that, but this more than makes up for the birthday cake you robbed me of that day.” Griz smiles at his sister.

“Get over it.” Hattie nudges him.

“Etta knows I’m kidding.” It’s clear she does. It’s clear they love bugging each other.

The meal is so good that there’s a lull in conversation where we are all concentrating on appreciating the food. I still wouldn’t trade the convenience of my Swanson dinner tradition, but I wish the turkey was half this tender and juicy.

Griz is the first one to finish, even though he had the largest amount of food on his plate. Player and Canuck aren’t far behind him though. Soon, we all finish our meals and clear everything away in the kitchen so Etta doesn’t have to. It’s nice to see that, after all her hard work, the guys load up the dishwasher and put the leftovers away. When the kitchen is spotless and our bellies are pretty much exploding with food, the guys head back down to their video game tournament.

Griz and Hattie don’t join us. “We’d love to stay, but tomorrow’s a big day. I’ll see you guys bright and early,” Griz calls out.

Everyone says goodbye, and they take off. Pretty much as soon as the front door clicks shut behind them Canuck says, “We’re going to need a new roommate. Griz is definitely going to move in with Hattie next year.”

“There aren’t many nights that he sleeps here now. We could’ve been renting his room out all semester, and he wouldn’t even notice.” Gucci leans back into the futon and puts his arm around Etta, giving her a squeeze.

“What about Rookie?” Blaze says.

“Why, so you can have your own fan club?” Player answers.

“He’s a good guy.”

“He wants to be you, that’s why you think that,” Player scoffs.

“Rookie and I are nothing alike. He’s just a first-year guy. A puppy. He still gets excited and pisses on the floor.” Blaze doesn’t do much to sell the new roommate situation with his description.

“Listen, I’ve got no problem with the guy,” Canuck cuts in.

“Me neither,” Gucci agrees.

“Rookie is fine. I’m just saying we don’t need Blaze Jr. living here. One is more than enough.”

Blaze isn’t paying attention to Player anymore though. He’s frowning at his phone screen.

“You’ve made your point.” Kaylee squeezes Player’s hand.

Blaze doesn’t notice or care. He pops off the sofa and talks to Griz in a low voice. “Hey man, can I borrow the SUV? I need to go.”

“Yeah, sure.” Griz hands him the keys.

“Shouldn’t you stay in tonight?” I interrupt.

“I’ll be back before curfew, Prissy. Don’t worry.” I know with everyone watching, he can’t say it nicer, but it still rubs me the wrong way. Where is he going, and why is he leaving me here?

It doesn’t look like I’m going to find out because Blaze doesn’t give me another glance. He disappears out the door, leaving me with a lot of unanswered questions.

“Blaze probably left because you won’t stop harping on him.” Kaylee nudges Player in the ribs. “You’ve got to stop being so hard on him. He’s trying to do better now.”

“Is he?” Player picks up the video game controller and passes Gucci the other one.

“He has.” Kaylee won’t let him tune her out. “He drinks less, he’s cut back on weed. I’m not sure about girls, but…”

“There will always be girls for Blaze,” Canuck says. “They go crazy for him. He can’t beat them off with a stick.”

I don’t like the little jolt of jealousy that zaps through me.

“Not necessarily true,” Kaylee contests. “Look at Noah.”

“How about we don’t? Blaze and I are very different people,” Player says.

“He’s right.” Etta stops her friend from the slippery slope she’s going down. “Besides, it’s not the same. Blaze is a free man. Player had you.”

“No, I meant before we got together,” Kaylee answers.

“Yeah, but even then he still had you. You guys may have only been friends, but he was still in love with you. He was just wasting his time with those other girls, waiting for you to come to your senses.” Etta looks at her friend.

“That’s how I remember it.” Player leans into Kaylee and she laughs.

“That might not be exactly how it went down, but I see your point.”

“The point is, he already loved you,” Etta says.

“Blaze only loves Blaze.” Player’s eyes don’t leave the screen, and I’m glad. I don’t want him to notice how I slump over.

I don’t know how long I pretend to watch their video game competition. My eyes are stuck to the screen, but my mind left with Blaze. I’m not sure where he went, or why, I just know it doesn’t rest well with me.

Brr-ing, brr-ing. My phone lights up with a number I don’t recognize. I take my phone out in the hall, happy for the distraction.

“Hello?”

“Is this Priscilla Stevens?”

“It is.”

“Good, you’re gonna want to come down here…”

It’s not a long conversation. It doesn’t have to be. It’s pretty straight forward. I pop my head back in the living room. “I need to get going you guys. Thanks for having me over.” I try to remember my manners. I try to center my thoughts.

“What’s going on? Is everything okay?” Kaylee asks.

“Everything is fine. That was just my mom.” I don’t like lying to them, but the truth isn’t going to do anything but create chaos. Because, just like this dinner, creating chaos is what Blaze does. It’s his tired tradition. And we all get sucked into his orbit.

My goodbyes are quick, and so is my walk to my car. I can’t get the last words the bouncer