The Puck Drop by Jaqueline Snowe

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Naomi

There wasn’t a to-do list that could save me from myself. Not a single special on serial killers could pull me from overanalyzing what just happened. I couldn’t stop thinking about Michael.

And not just one part of him. All of him. The good bits and the problematic ones. The way his mouth felt on my body, the absolute confidence of a man who knew how to please a woman. The ease in which he shifted from friends to this—whatever this was.  I wanted him. Naked. And yet, one small sound that could’ve been Mona walking into the kitchen had me jumping back like he was a criminal.

It was his rule, but I could’ve taken him to my room. Done a normal thing instead of getting all weird on him.

My face flushed, and my pulse raced something fierce as I walked back and forth across my room. I ran my hands through my hair and took deep breaths, unable to stop replaying the moment. His hands on my body, his tongue on my nipples. My nipples! They were always an afterthought with my past boyfriends but not Michael. They tightened when I imagined his mouth on them again.

I sighed and fell onto my bed, annoyed at myself, my reaction to him, and at Mona for no other reason than she was right. Because despite my attraction to him and the fact he was a decent guy, hockey would always be his priority. Staying friends was safer.

But you agreed to be friends with benefits.

Then I kicked him out right after—basically doing the same thing he did to me the week before after our first kiss. Being a hypocrite didn’t sit well with me.

“Fuck.” I sat up and stared at my phone, hoping the right words would come to mind. I needed to say something to him. It’d been an hour. That was enough time, right?

Utter panic gripped my throat. What if he thought the deal was off? No, that couldn’t happen. My fingers shook, and I channeled all the badass parts of myself to take action. I could own up to my freak out and hope we were still on. Maybe I could go to his place?

My phone buzzed, and Cami’s name popped up, throwing ice on the inferno of emotions brewing inside out. I ignored her.

She called again.

Okay, that was...weird.

The turmoil about Michael shifted in a blink, and I answered, afraid of a worst-case scenario. That had to be the only reason she would call me multiple times in a row. “Uh, hello?” I asked, chewing my lip and preparing myself for bad news.

Someone was sick. There was an accident. Something along those lines.

“I need you.”

Every muscle in my body tightened as I prepared myself for war. Aggressive, protective feelings coursed through me, making me stand straighter as I scanned the room. “Of course. What is it?”

“A ride. Soon, please,” Cami said, her voice shaking and lacking her usual luster. She sniffed, and that sound sent alarm bells off in my head. Cami didn’t cry. She didn’t show sadness. She was the happy one, the bubbly dancer. The one with so much confidence I swore she could sell it and make a profit.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. Just, can you get here fast? I texted you the address.”

“Of course. I’ll leave now.” I slipped on sandals and an oversized sweatshirt left over from my ex last year and grabbed my keys. “Do you need anything?”

“A ride out of this shithole.” She sighed, and my own soul ached. My sister was hurting.

“Are you safe? Should I call Dad?”

“No!” she yelled. “Don’t, no. Don’t tell anyone. Please.”

“Sure, yeah.” I got into the car I’d spent four summers saving to buy. Benny B the Blue Bug wasn’t shiny and new, but he was sturdy and my guy. “Getting in and pulling up the GPS.”

Something loud carried over her end, and it sounded like shouting. Angry shouting. It reminded me of a party, but it was eleven a.m.? I wasn’t judging because I was a firm believer of you do you, but a rager at eleven a.m. was a new one for Cami. She might party a lot and steal guys I dated, but she took dance seriously.

“Shit, I gotta go. Please honk when you get to the address.” She hung up before I could say a word, and I put the car in reverse.

“Watch it!” someone yelled, a deep familiar voice. I winced, horrified I almost hit a human, and Michael’s large body appeared at the driver’s window. I hit the button, on autopilot.

“Fletcher, of course it’s you.”

“What are you… why are you...you’re here,” I said, not providing any evidence of my intelligence. I sounded demented. “Michael,” I said, my face tingling from mortification.

“Trying to hit me, hm?” He bent low, smiling and looking way too relaxed after what we almost did an hour ago. His face was a few inches from mine, and his lips stole all my focus. They were so full and soft and talented. Goosebumps broke out from my neck to my toes, and I shivered.

“Whoa, hey, you’re pale as fuck. What’s wrong?”

“Uh.” Right, Cami. “My sister. She needs my help.” I lifted my phone like that made it all clear. “She needs a ride from.” I paused and squinted at the address. “Shollock. Damn, that’s twenty minutes away.”

“Shollock?” Michael’s brows raised, and he frowned. “That’s not a great town. Why is she there?”

“No idea. She called me upset, and I’m going to help.”

“I’ll head there with you,” he said, not even bothering to wait before he walked around and got into the passenger side door. He was in my car, buckled and staring at me, before my brain caught up to the moment.

“Wait, no.” I shook my head, so flustered with everything that nothing made sense. “You don’t have to come.”

“From what I know of that town, it’s not a great place for you or your sister to be. I won’t say anything if you want silence, but I’ll feel better knowing you’re safe.”

“You don’t need to watch out for me,” I said, annoyed at feeling incompetent. He did this. He rattled me.

“You’re right, I don’t, but I’d like to.” He narrowed his eyes and flexed a hand at his thigh before he sighed. This one felt like disappointment.  The sun hit his face at the right angle, making his blue eyes darker. Like the sky right after a storm at dawn. My breath caught in my lungs at how beautiful he was, and for a moment, I forgot my task ahead of me.

I could only stare at him, at the shape of his jaw. The way his brows were thick and brown. The hair that was still a bit messy from running my fingers through it. Wait. Him… us… “Why are you here?”

“Ah well, someone… meaning me, left their wallet here.” He gave a goofy smile. “Then you tried to hit me with your car, and now I’m tagging along to get your sister. Which, you didn’t ask for my opinion, but I’m glad you’re helping her. Those without siblings don’t understand the I love them but don’t like them argument. You might not like your sister, but you’ll do anything for her.”

“That’s exactly it.” I shook my head a bit and settled myself by gripping the wheel and wiggling my toes in my sandals. “You hit it perfectly. She called, and my stomach dropped. Of course I’d help her.”

“And I’m coming with you because I’ve heard that town is rough. If I’m assuming anything about your sister, my guess is she might’ve gotten into trouble, so having wonderfully strong male backup isn’t the worst idea.” He winked and leaned back into the seat.

“Tuck your ego in, Reiner. It’s hanging out.”

“Just the truth, baby.”

I snorted, and just like that, there was no weirdness between us. I didn’t have the paralyzing worry about what happened or didn’t happen. It felt normal. A beat of silence passed as I got onto the main road that took us out of town. Worry ate at my stomach the longer the silence went on, but not because of us. We could talk about that later. It was Cami. “Do you think she’s in trouble?”

“I don’t know her, but the fact she called you is good.” He turned toward me, and I swore I could feel my face heating from his attention. “Does she do drugs? Is she an adventure-seeking type of girl?”

“No to drugs, or at least I’d be shocked by it. She takes dance seriously, but we’re obviously not close.” My palms sweated. Ten minutes out. “Can you text her from my phone to ask if she’s okay?”

“Sure thing.”

I pushed on the pedal to go faster, and he clicked his tongue. “She sent back a yes.”

I didn’t know a lot about the town, but my mind was already overactive. Instead of thoughts about partying, they turned darker. Drugs. Sleeping with married men. What if a guy beat her up? Hurt her? My jaw ached, and I got off the highway and pulled into a parking lot with a large gray building.

The blank building had one large word painted on it: MICKIE’S.

“Ah, Mickie D’s makes sense now,” Michael said, jutting his chin toward the building. “Strip club.”

“My sister is stripping?” I frowned, hurt that I didn’t know this, but then again, why would she tell me? There was zero judgement in my body if she was in fact stripping. Hell, my freshmen lab partner made a shit-ton of money getting subscribers to her Onlyfans. I respected that hustle.

But in this town?

When I thought she had a better life… and had everything? I honked like she asked, and not two seconds later, a black door swung open, and she marched out. She wore short shorts and a black crop top and cowboy boots. She looked good, and my eyes prickled with relief.

She’s safe.

She jogged to my car and threw herself in the backseat before slamming the door. “Go.”

I was on the road again in ten seconds, and her perfume flooded the car. It was way too strong and, if I was correct, had a hint of vodka mixed in. “So, you going to—”

“No,” she said, her tone fierce. I met her eyes in the rearview mirror for a second before she looked down. She crossed her arms over her chest and kept her face neutral as I tried to think of what to say.

I wanted to demand answers, but we weren’t there. I wanted to tell her I was so happy she was okay, but that made my tongue feel too big for my mouth. Instead, I turned on the radio and took deep breaths. This sucked. Too many unsaid words and emotions threatened to overcome me, and I was seconds away from losing it when Michael reached over and placed his hand over mine.

He squeezed my hand and left his there, the weight of it soothing in an odd way. It was just his palm on my fingers, but that support, the silent I’m here, was enough to get me through the ride. The air was thick enough to cut with a knife, but I could breathe because his presence helped.

I barely pulled onto campus before she said, “Here’s fine.”

“I can take you to your place,” I said, confused and angry and upset. “Can we please discuss what happened?”

“I’ve been trying to talk to you for weeks, Naomi,” she said, fury lacing her tone like sharp knives to my chest. “You don’t get to give a shit now.”

“Hey,” I fired back, glaring at her in the mirror even though she wasn’t looking at me. “I do care. I’m glad you’re okay.”

Michael’s grip tightened on me, and Cami looked up, the hurt so clear in her eyes. I wished I could go back in time to when we were close. When we told each other everything and had trust between us. When we’d shared more than half of a last name.

“Cami,” I said, my voice clogged with emotion I wasn’t prepared to handle.

She met my gaze, and for one second, her eyes, just like mine, softened. But then she got out the door and slammed it. I winced and leaned back into my seat, completely spent.

Michael, my dad, Cami. My once normal and uneventful life was filled with all sorts of feelings and complications, and my analytical mind preferred the former. Without all the emotions. When my brain overworked, I shut down.

“Hey,” Michael said, his voice laced with enough sympathy for me to break. The moisture in my eyes pooled over and dripped down my cheeks. Shame flooded my face, and Michael’s strong grip gently tilted my chin his way. “You did the right thing.”

“You don’t know that,” I said, sniffing and trying not to lean into his hand as he cupped my face. “I just... my dad wants dinner tonight, and Cami did… what she did. I’m confused.”

“I probably don’t help either, huh?” he said, laughing and wiping away one of my tears. His mouth was so close to mine, and his breath tickled my skin, causing that weird swooping sensation in my gut to grow.

“No,” I admitted, feeling safe in the brief vulnerability. “You’re thrown in there too.”

He dropped his hand, and the only indication he heard what I said was a slight frown on his lips. It went away quick, and he flashed his grin my way. “Tell me what you want. You want a buddy? I’m game. You hoping to distract yourself with my body? I’ll do it. Want me to get lost? I’ll bitch about it, but I’ll listen.  Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”

I could feel the strength and truth to his words, and I nodded, unsure what I was agreeing to. He seemed to understand though.

He patted my hand and slowly opened the door. “I’ll wait to hear from you, Fletcher.”

He shut the door, and without even realizing it, he seemed to give me the exact thing I needed. Time, space, and control. It was getting harder and harder to not fall for him. And honestly, I was afraid it was already too late.