Part 4 (2/2)
”Yeah, for sure,” I agree and she nods.
”Then it had to be Jace Sinclair.”
Hm. Jace. I test the name, and a grin pulls at the side of my mouth. I like it. Good name.
Mekena doesn't notice me trying his name on my lips, though, and keeps talking. ”Who is ber hot, and boy, his brothers are also gifts from G.o.d. Jesus. The oldest one, Jude, total manwh.o.r.e. Like he was the manwh.o.r.e of Bellevue until his wife came along and crushed all the dreams of every girl on this campus.”
”Oh, the tragedy,” I comment offhandedly, but I'm listening. For some reason, I want to know everything before I see him again. Maybe give me a little leverage.
I feel I may need it.
”It was. But then Jayden, the middle brother, holy hot, emotional guy... He is so sweet and oh so hot but not sleazy. When he talks to you, he looks you right in your eyes. Gah, he's so dreamy. But then Baylor Moore, the first girl ever to play on the Bullies, came along and Jayden was a goner. Married her as soon as they got drafted, like, that day.”
”Wow.”
”Yeah, so then, that leaves Jace. He's cool, hot, of course, but he's kinda sleazy like Jude. Or at least, that's the rumor. Not sure if it's true.”
I smirk. ”I'm good with sleazy, Kena. It isn't like this is forever. One and done.”
”Yeah, that's how my sister does life. I want forever, though.”
”Good luck with that,” I say, and then I pause when I realize she knows way too much about the Sinclair brothers. ”How do you know all this? You don't, like, want a chance with Jace, do you? 'Cause I'll back off.”
She shakes her head, laughter bubbling from her throat. ”I'm not Jace Sinclair's type for one, and for two, Jayden used to date my sister. Well, not date, screw, until they decided to part ways. And that's how I got all the info.”
”Not Jace, though?”
”No. I don't know anyone who has actually been with him or dated him here. This is only his second year. And last year, he was kinda dating some chick from out of state.
That confuses me. ”I pegged him as a player.”
She shrugs as she nods. ”Maybe, but you can really trust the rumor mill around here. According to anyone you talk to, everyone sleeps with everyone around here.”
”True,” I agree. ”But that's cool. Maybe he isn't a full-out player so I won't have to go get tested in a month.”
She laughs. ”I didn't peg you as a player.”
”I'm not, but maybe I'll become one.” I'm not one hundred percent committed to the idea, but I can't hate on it. Get pleasure and never depend on anyone to love you? Sounds like the life I want. It gets tiring begging for love, and I refuse to do it any longer.
But Mekena doesn't agree. ”No, you don't want to be a ho. You're too gorgeous to be a ho.”
I wave her off bashfully. I'm not ugly by any means, but gorgeous? Come on.
But then I think back to the way Jace looked at me, and yeah, I felt gorgeous.
For the first time ever, I felt special.
Which is insane. I mean, come on, we were in front of each other maybe five minutes. But in that time, it just was intense. I felt something. A connection.
A h.o.r.n.y one.
”Whatever. I haven't decided,” I say, standing up and smacking my thighs as a way to say I'm done with this conversation. But apparently Mekena isn't.
”But you've decided to inspect the length of Jace Sinclair's stick?”
I laugh. ”Clever, Ms. Preston.” I applaud her. ”And yes. I am invested in that task. I will report on the girth, length, and curve.”
”Good, I expect an extensive report.”
”I will be very thorough in my investigations,” I say with a wink and I try not to smile. But soon, I can't hold it in and we both dissolve in laughter. When I lie back on the bed, my body shakes with my giggles and I can't remember the last time I laughed this hard. Mekena is great. I really like her and she is making coming to Nashville worth it. I have a feeling we are going to be good friends, and I've always needed that. I never had a hard time making friends; it's just keeping them that was an issue. Coming from a serious hockey family, one where my brothers were bred to be in the NHL, the friends I had didn't stick around long because their families were jealous of mine.
We are the Kennedys of hockey in New Jersey.
But I don't want to think about that. I want to be thankful for the friend I have made. Glancing over at Mekena, I smile. But before either of us can say anything now that we've stopped laughing, my phone dings with a text message. Bringing it out of my pocket, I see that it's from Matty, and that surprises me. I haven't heard from him since I left. h.e.l.l, I haven't heard from any of my brothers.
Opening the message, I roll my eyes.
Matty: I miss you, f.u.c.kface.
Me: Usually when you tell someone you miss them, you leave off the f.u.c.kface.
Matty: Whatever, come home. Stop being dumb.
That's what my whole family, minus my mom, thinks. That I'm being dumb, chasing after something that won't ever happen.
Me: No way. I love it here.
Matty: You won't for long. It's just all s.h.i.+ny and new. You'll change your mind and then everyone will have to stop their lives to come and get you.
He can be such a d.i.c.k.
Me: Don't worry, I won't call you.
Matty: Yeah, you will. And you'll also ignore that I'm being a d.i.c.k because you love me and I love you. I just don't like being apart.
That makes me wrinkle my face in confusion. I want to think he is being sincere, but that isn't Matty. He's an a.s.shole to almost everyone. He's c.o.c.ky, he knows he's the best, and he is, but you would think since I shared a womb with him for nine months, he would be nice to me. Nope, I'm an inconvenience more than a sister, and I'm coping with that.
Me: Matty, why the h.e.l.l does it matter if we are apart?
Matty: I guess I never noticed until you were gone. There is no one to hold my sticks and s.h.i.+t. It's annoying.
He's lucky we aren't near each other. I would have punched him in the throat.
Me: I doubt you'll have problems finding someone to hold your sticks.
Matty: I don't want to tho, but whatever. Dad said he got you to fly home next month.
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