Filed to story: Luci Forrester and Easton Reed: Hockey Romance Story
“You are crazy, you know that,” I chuckle, enjoying her infectious energy.
She points her milkshake at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Everyone needs that one ride-or-die friend who is willing to commit murder, dismember the body, and bury it creatively-all while figuring out an alibi and looking fabulous doing it. Speaking of which, I met a girl at work. Her name is Stormi, and I think she’d fit in with us. Total murder buddy. She recently moved here and has no friends. We should invite her for dinner.”
I eye her skeptically. “You want to invite someone else into our madness? She might report us to a psych ward.”
“Nah babe, she’s exactly like us. You’ll like her. Maybe tomorrow night? Second girls’ night.”
“I’m in for murder and everything else,” I say with a grin.
As I finish recounting Cole’s conversation, I see her eyes misting over. “That poor baby. Easton needs to talk to him about his mom.”
“I thought maybe I could mention it to Becker. He seems the most open-minded of the four. Also, he’s always been the least aloof.”
She squeezes my hand, nodding in agreement. “I agree. You had a rough day. Lots of triggers for you to navigate.”
I run my fingers through my hair in exasperation. “Which I did fabulously. Being at a carnival, the stuffed animal, seeing Julian, and then Easton talking about how his father stepped up to give his nephews a home and family. I felt like I was in a complete wonderland each time. I had no defenses today, it seemed.”
Syd studies me for a moment. “I think you were distracted by a few things. Don’t beat yourself up, babe. This is a situation you’ve never been in before. I’m proud of you for staying as present as you were. Guess I need to be nicer to Easton Reed for taking care of your safety.”
I make a wry face. “I can’t figure him out. It’s like he can be nice and reasonable, but then he acts like I’m some kind of hindrance. Like he’s forced to tolerate me. Which, I guess, he is.”
“More like he throws out grappling hooks like Batman, hoping he can get back up the cliff he’s falling off. Must be hard for him to have the ice slightly melted around him. But I’ll save my opinion for the next time I see him.” She says cryptically, “Batman reference because Barrett is so ready to come play this week with Cole.”
“You might need to come get him from their house. I’m supposed to be there super late that night. There’s something for the hockey players, so they will be late. Granddragon will be out until like midnight with her husband, and Baker takes that night off.”
“I’ll come when I get out of class. Proud of you for calling me like always.”
“You’re the bestest Sydney in the whole wide world.” I grin at her, feeling a sense of gratitude wash over me.
Becker**
“Cover for me. I gotta take care of something. Ride with Jackson to practice too.” I call out to Kingston as I linger in the hallway, the noise of laughter and chatter fading behind me. Easton and Jackson have already slipped inside, their voices blending into the background.
“What’s going on?” Kingston’s brow furrows as he studies my face. I shake my head, urgency bubbling beneath the surface.
“Not here. I’ll explain later.”
He gives me a cautious nod before stepping into the chaos of the practice room. I weave through the crowd, my heart racing as I navigate the hallway. Timing is everything; I need to avoid running into my mother when I get home. She’s got a copy of our schedules and treats our attendance like a military operation-no cutting class allowed. The fear of grade changes reaching Coach is a constant weight on our shoulders. He’s the type to dangle our positions over our heads like a sword, ready to drop it at any moment. Hockey means everything to us, second only to each other and Cole. It’s our escape, our future, and we have to play by Fuckphries’ rules to keep it that way.
I glance at the clock as I drive toward home, my pulse quickening. Right on cue, I see my mother’s Audi pulling out of the driveway. She turns in the opposite direction, and I wait a full two minutes, counting each second, before I drive into the driveway and park. As I rush inside, I hear Cole’s cheerful voice singing, a sound that always brings a smile to my face. When I round the corner, I see Luci and Baker both looking up, their expressions shifting to curiosity as they register my presence. It’s an instinct we’ve all developed here-always be aware of who’s entering the room.
“Hey. Baker, can I borrow Luci for a minute?” I ask, urgency in my tone. Time is not on my side.
He nods, concern flickering across his features. Luci stands up, and I motion for her to follow me. “Let’s head to the game room.”
Once inside, I close the door behind us, the familiar scent of old leather and wood enveloping us. She glances around, taking in the sanctuary we’ve created. “It’s our little paradise. A mix of a college guy’s man cave and our workout space. Come, sit.” I gesture toward the big brown leather couch that has seen countless hours of laughter and discussions.
I settle into one of the matching armchairs across from her, leaning forward with my forearms resting on my knees, my foot tapping anxiously against the floor.
“Did I do something wrong?” Luci’s eyes widen, filled with worry.
“No, Luci, you didn’t. I doubt you ever do. We were all here last night, hanging out, when you put Cole to bed.” I lift the little white baby monitor and wave it slightly. Her eyes grow wide with fear. “Don’t be scared. I’m the only one who heard you. Honestly, it was so loud in here that I didn’t even catch your conversation until I heard my name. After that, I moved to a spot where they couldn’t see or hear me. Easton had the music blasting as he pounded away at the punching bag.”
“I…I didn’t know what to tell him. I hope I didn’t cause any problems. My answer probably wasn’t the right one.” She looks down at her fidgeting fingers, a hint of sadness creeping into her voice. Easton had filled us in on what she confessed at the carnival, and while it may not have been perfect, it was crucial for us to understand so we could protect her.
“It couldn’t have been the right answer because you don’t know the whole truth or the backstory. And I’m not sharing that with you either.” She shakes her head, and I raise a hand to stop her. “However, it was the best answer you could have given that little boy. I thought about what I would have said, and it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as perfect as your words. You have a special way with him. He knew he could trust you to understand.” I hold her gaze, and she swallows hard, the weight of the moment settling between us.
“How much did you hear?” she asks softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Everything after my name when you were telling him who she was. But I have a terrible memory. CRS disease from all those hockey hits.” I give her a small smile, one that she returns, understanding that my lips are sealed. Well, except for Kingston; it’s tough to keep secrets from my twin. This girl has been through so much and still manages to wear a smile and keep her heart soft.
“I was actually going to talk to you about this since he showed you the picture. Cole doesn’t remember her, and it makes him sad. He said Easton doesn’t talk about her. Maybe…maybe he could. I know he’d bite my head off if I suggested it or asked, so I didn’t know who to turn to.” Her determination shines through as she keeps her gaze locked on mine.
“He would probably lose it on you. It’s a very sore subject-off-limits, really. Just a warning about the gravity of the situation. I’ll talk to him, but I won’t betray Cole’s confidence in the process.” I rub my temples, the thought weighing heavily on my mind. It broke my heart to hear Cole say he didn’t think she loved him. Easton is going to be furious with me, but I can handle it. Luci can’t; she’s as sweet as she seems. I wonder if Easton might calm down and listen to her when it comes to Cole.
“I need to leave soon to make it to practice on time. Just a word of caution: there are ears everywhere in this house. This room has no cameras or monitors, but Cole’s room and the playroom have baby monitors for obvious reasons, and the playroom has a security camera. Keep that in mind, Luci.”
She nods, and I hold the door open for her. “I put that picture back under Cole’s pillow.”
“I’ll take care of that now. Just explain to him that Uncle Becker had to put it back if you wouldn’t mind.”
“I can do that.”
I dash off to Cole’s room, my heart heavy as I search for the photo. Staring down at it, I shake my head sadly. The Easton in that picture feels like a distant memory, and I can only hope he returns someday. He peeks out for Cole now and then, but it’s not the same. I race through the kitchen, snatching a sandwich from the tray Baker keeps stocked for us food gremlins. “Photo moved, Baker.” He nods, giving me that same sad look that speaks volumes. I assume he found it when he made Cole’s bed today but chose to leave it there out of consideration.