Stella didn’t get home until late last night. Lincoln and I were sitting on the couch playing video games when she came in. She didn’t say much and I didn’t want to push her after the conversation we had that morning. I still haven’t figured out how I’m going to prove to her that I’m nothing like her brother.
Especially when I have to tell her I’m going to be leaving in a few days to head to Canada for hockey camp.
The next morning, Lincoln and I are sitting at the dining room table when Stella comes down. He’s planning on staying around here for the summer and playing some of the different local leagues. The camp would be good for him too, but he decided he wanted to go a different route this summer.
“What are the two of you talking about?” Stella questions us as she takes a seat at the table.
Lincoln pushes an empty bowl and a spoon to her as she grabs the box of cereal from the table and the carton of milk. “We were just talking about when Simon is planning on leaving for Canada.”
Stella’s eyebrows tug together as she glances at me. She quickly recovers, her facial expression relaxing as she tilts her head to the side. “Canada, eh? What are you going there for?”
Fuck.
I wanted to talk to her about it, but I wasn’t sure how to go about the conversation. We’re not together or anything, so I’m free to go about my life as I please, but I didn’t want to leave her hanging. Not with the possibility of having a fun summer fling with her.
“There’s a month-long hockey camp I signed up for. It’s something that will look good when I’m being scouted as a prospect.”
Something passes over Stella’s face and I can’t quite put my finger on what it is exactly. Instead, a smile forms on her lips, but it almost looks forced. “That’s amazing,” she says, her voice as sweet as molasses, but there’s disappointment on the tip of her tongue. “I’m really happy for you.”
“What are your plans this summer, Stella?” Lincoln questions her before shoveling a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.
Stella shrugs. “No plans, really. Just going to enjoy the break from California and trying to find myself in the process.”
“Cool,” Lincoln nods, and I feel like an outsider to their conversation, especially with the way Stella is currently avoiding my gaze. “I’ll be around all summer since I’m playing in the local leagues. Looks like it will just be the two of us.”
Oh fuck no.
There’s no way in hell I’m going to let her spend the entire month with Lincoln fucking Reid.
The kid is like a brother to me, but I know how he is. Just because he was told Stella was off-limits, that doesn’t mean he won’t try and blur the lines. He thinks with his dick more than anything and if Stella lets him in the slightest bit, it’s game over. He’s charming and he knows it. And the last thing I need is for him to poach on my girl.
The logical part of my brain tells me he wouldn’t do that to me. He wouldn’t do that to Sterling either. Lincoln isn’t a threat and Stella already made it crystal clear she wants nothing to do with him. I shouldn’t be worried about it at all, but I can’t help but hate the thought of the two of them being alone here.
“Come to Canada with me,” I blurt out, my gaze colliding with Stella’s. Her eyes widen and I feel the same amount of panic running through me. Why the hell did I just suggest that?
I found an Airbnb that I was going to rent for the month while I’m there, but it’s only a studio apartment in the city. Since I was just planning on it being me, I didn’t plan for having a roommate, let alone having another bed for someone to sleep in. And here I am, offering Stella to come along with me.
Stella stares at me as a look of confusion passes through her expression. “And do what?”
Lincoln snorts out a laugh as he finishes his cereal and rises to his feet. “This is comical. Like, more entertaining than some of the shows I watch.”
I give Lincoln the middle finger and he blows me a kiss before disappearing into the kitchen. Swallowing hard over the lump lodged in my throat, I look back to Stella. “I don’t know. You could explore a new city and do whatever you literally want to do. Do you really feel like being stuck in Vermont for the entire summer?”
Stella falls silent for a moment. “No, not really.”
“So, come with me to Canada. You can do whatever the hell you want to do while we’re there. We can go check out the city and the things we’ve never seen.”
“You’re going to be busy with camp,” she reminds me, tilting her head to the side with a look of amusement dancing in her eyes.
I shrug. “Only from, like, seven in the morning until four in the afternoon. I’m yours every evening, unless they end up having something planned during the camp.”
My heart pounds in my chest. I don’t know what the hell I’m actually doing here. I have no room for her to stay in and I don’t know why the hell I just told her that I’m hers every evening. I mean, I’m not planning on going there and picking up girls, but my words could be taken a number of different ways.
Stella stares at me, still silent with a contemplative look on her face. The silence is killing me and I want some kind of an answer from her. It’s a long shot. Why the hell would she want to go to a different country with me for a month? I can’t help but want her to come along or else I would have never even mentioned it.
“You know what, fuck it,” she says with a sigh before a smile tugs on the corners of her lips. “All in the spirit of rediscovery, right?”
I stare back at her as I let her words seep in. “You’re absolutely right. What kind of journey would it be if it didn’t include exploring new places?”
Stella smiles at me. “Count me in.”
Fuck.
I’m excited and feel like my ego is soaring through the clouds right now. But there’s just one problem. The living situation. And I’m not sure if I should tell her about it now or when we get there. I could always reach out and see if they have a two-bedroom instead, or something that would be a little better suited for two people to stay in.
“We leave in three days,” I tell her, watching her as she rises from the table and collects her bowl. “Does that work for you?”
“I’m on your schedule, Simon. You tell me when and I’ll make sure I’m ready to go.”
I smile at her, caught in my head as I’m at war with myself. Stella turns away from me, heading toward the direction of the kitchen, when I find myself realizing I can’t blindside her.
“Stella?”
She pauses in the doorway, turning back to face me. “Yeah?”
“So, I originally booked a studio apartment… so there’s only one bed,” I admit, my voice quiet as I suddenly feel nervous. My tongue darts out as I wet my lips. “I can call to see if there’s a different unit available or something.”
Stella nods. “I mean, whatever we have to do, we can make it work.” She says the words with ease and shrugs as if it’s nothing. “Surely there’s a couch or we can get an air mattress if needed.”
“So that means you’re still down to go?”
A ghost of a smile plays on her lips. “Are you regretting inviting me along, Simon Murray?”
My eyebrows tug together and I shake my head. “Absolutely not.”
Laughter spills from her lips and the corners of her eyes crinkle. “Good, because you’re not allowed to take the offer back now.”
She disappears from the room without another word and I can’t help but smile. This damn girl. I don’t know what it is about her, but it’s something intoxicating. I won’t push her into crossing any lines because of the little personal journey she’s on.
I’m just along for the ride…
Unless she decides she wants to ride me instead.
