Page 60 of Rival Season
I pull my phone out of my pocket with one hand while sliding my key in the lock of 3B with the other. I’m completely distracted when I turn the door handle and walk in with my head down and nearly jump out of my skin when I hear…
“SURPRISE!”
When I look up, I’m in total shock to find the loft fully decorated for a party and packed with people.
“What the hell?”
Fisher steps forward and presses a cold bottle of beer into my hand. “Happy birthday, buddy. Welcome to your Canada-fest.”
I laugh as I look around to realize the decor is all Canada-themed. Like, ridiculously so. Red and white streamers and balloons are taped all over the ceiling. Canada flags are strung around everywhere, and little statues of Mounties are strewn across the kitchen counter. Fisher is even wearing red sunglasses in the shape of maple leaves.
“There’s a poutine bar and everything,” Noah adds, gesturing to the stove, where there’s a mountain of takeout boxes stacked.
Fisher makes a face. “We even got your disgusting ketchup chips.”
“You guys are too much,” I say with a shake of my head as I look around to see our whole hockey team squished into the loft, as well as a bunch of their girlfriends, and some other friends and acquaintances we’ve made in our months living here in San Francisco.
Fisher cranks the music and dims the lights, and someone pops a bottle of champagne. Party atmosphere set, I make my way around the room, saying hi and thanking everyone for coming. My eyes keep spontaneously looking around the crowd, seeking out a familiar freckled face and head of curls. I don’t see her anywhere, and my stomach dips in disappointment.
Was she too busy to come? Or did she notwantto come? Either way, it feels wrong that she’s not here, and a knot tightens in my stomach.
Ally, dressed to the nines in a white dress with a red bow on the back, gives me a hug. “Do you like your party?” she asks.
“You know I love a good party.”
She grins knowingly as she steps back. “Hazel and I worked really hard on this.”
“She helped?”
“Oh yeah, she came up with the theme and everything.”
“So…where is she?”
“She was supposed to be here an hour ago.” Ally shakes her head. “I’m sad she missed the surprise, but I just texted her, and she said she’ll be here soon. She was really excited about tonight, so I’m not sure what’s holding her up.”
Chadwick.
My blood cools, the knot in my stomach growing by the second. Maybe she’s just running late or working on her dissertation before heading up here…but maybe that asshole’s involved. And that’s a chance I’m not willing to take.
“Everything okay?” Noah asks as he walks up to us, sliding an arm around Ally. He’s relaxed tonight, smiling and holding a beer.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell them, already striding towards the front door.
She giggles in amusement. “Where are you going?”
My jaw sets. “To get my girlfriend.”
CHAPTER 22
HAZEL
I’min my bedroom second-guessing all my life choices and wondering how I ended up here in these strappy red stilettos and glittery sexy outfit. What on earth was I thinking, buying this? I look like a child playing dress-up.
Glancing in my full-length mirror, I make sure my backside is fully covered for the millionth time. My legs are freshly shaved, and I applied a shimmery lotion all over my body that makes my skin glow. I swept my thick curls into a messy updo with a few curls pulled loose around my face and put in some simple gold hoop earrings. My toenails are painted a red that matches my outfit and my lip gloss. I feel sexy, but I also don’t feel like myself.
I haven’t seen Penn in over a week, and my hands are shaking with nerves. It’s his birthday today, and he didn’t ask me to hang out, so he obviously didn’t want to spend it with me. He didn’t stop by when he got home from the airport last night, either.
The vibrations of the music upstairs are pulsing through the ceiling, so I know the party has started without me, but instead of being up there with everyone I’m still in my apartment wondering if I should even go to this party. If our attraction was all in my head. If I hyped it up while he was gone, and whenhe arrives at his surprise party, he won’t even notice if I’m there or not. And when he sees me in this ridiculous skirt, what if his expression seems bored and uninterested—or worse, he’ll think it’sfunny? My self-esteem would never recover.
