I’m sitting alone in the living room when I hear Sterling and Lincoln upstairs moving around. Lincoln had just moved in with us this past year after Vaughn moved out. After his accident, things really went south for him. He moved back in with his parents because of the intense recovery he was going to have. He had been dodging everyone’s calls and refused to see any of us. It was almost as if his hockey career was over so he said fuck you to the rest of us.
We all knew it wasn’t like that, though. He just went through a life changing event. I couldn’t even imagine how I would react or respond after something like that. One moment, you’re moving up in the hockey world and the next, it’s completely gone. We had to give him some grace and thankfully his mother kept us all in the loop with his recovery.
He was doing well but still had a long road ahead of him.
After he moved out, we had an open room and Lincoln just so happened to be looking for somewhere to move. It kind of worked out, even if there was a somberness to Vaughn missing from the picture.
I completely get it. I just don’t know that I would be one of those guys.
A lot of the guys on our team are graduating this year, including Sterling. That means he’ll be moving out, but not just because he and Olivia are getting their own place. He’ll be moving on to the next chapter in his life, along with August, Logan, Hayden, and Asher. We were losing a lot of guys, but we’ve been working with our newer players to try and get them ready to go.
Lincoln is just a freshman, so I’ll have one more year here with him and then I’ll be off to hopefully follow the rest of my friends. I would imagine that we’ll have someone else move in with us after Sterling is gone, but that’s not something I really want to think about right now. He’s one of my closest friends and not just because we’ve been living together since I was in my sophomore year. He was the one who took me under his wing when I was a freshman—just like I’ve been doing with Lincoln.
It’s this strange little brotherhood, but it’s almost better than a blood-related family. And I’m not just saying that because mine sucks.
Sterling is the first to make his way downstairs. I’ve been sitting down here for the past hour. I woke up earlier than normal and just couldn’t fall back asleep. So, I came down here to do the same thing I was doing in my room. Sitting, staring at the wall while contemplating life.
“Oh shit,” Sterling jumps when he walks into the living room and finds me on the couch. “What are you doing awake already?”
I glance over at him and shrug. “Couldn’t sleep.”
“Is everything okay?” he questions me, his eyebrows drawn together. It isn’t often Sterling really gives a shit about anyone. It’s not that he doesn’t care—he’s just one of those people who walks around with blinders on. He only sees and pays attention to what he wants. And one of the only things he actually cares about is Olivia.
“Yeah, just got some weird shit floating around in my head,” I tell him with a look of indifference. “I usually get a little weird during this in-between period—when the season ends and waiting for summer league to start. Not to mention, it’s weird thinking about all of you guys graduating soon.”
Sterling tilts his head to the side. “You saying you’re going to miss me, Murray?”
I nod, unashamed of our little bromance. “Damn straight. We’ve lived together the past two years. What the hell am I going to do with just Lincoln?”
This earns a laugh from Sterling. “You guys will manage. I’m not leaving your life forever, Simon. Don’t get all sappy and shit on me now.”
“What are you going to do if I cry at graduation?”
Sterling cocks an eyebrow. “Pretend like I have no idea who the fuck you are.”
“What are the two of you going on about?” Lincoln cuts in as he walks into the living room, brushing past Sterling.
“Sterling said if I cry at graduation, he’s going to pretend like he doesn’t know me.”
Lincoln drops down onto the other side of the couch, giving me a weird look. “You guys are really strange. Like I know you have your own little bromance, but sometimes I wonder if it’s more than that.”
Sterling chokes out a laugh, shaking his head. “Hell no. Which, speaking of… I think I’m going to propose to Olivia after graduation.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t put a ring on it already,” I tell him, smiling at my friend. “Where is she, anyways? It’s weird with her not being here.”
“She had finals to study for so she wanted to sleep at her dorm this week. She’ll be back then.”
“Thank God,” Lincoln sighs, propping his hands behind his head. “She’s a much better cook than the two of you guys, and my bank account is going to cry if I have to start ordering from DoorDash again every day.”
Sterling gives Lincoln the middle finger. “My girlfriend isn’t your own personal chef.” He slices his eyes at him with his infamous grumpy attitude before disappearing into the kitchen. That’s just the way Sterling is, even if he doesn’t mean any harm or ill intention. Thankfully, it didn’t take Lincoln long to realize this.
Lincoln glances over at me, shrugging. “If she’s here and she’s going to cook, then I’m going to eat it.”
A laugh rumbles in my chest and I shake my head at him. He’s a nice addition to our household dynamic, even if he does irritate Sterling. To be honest, I find it hilarious and it’s a nice distraction from the shit swirling around in my head. At least I won’t be here completely alone after most of my friends leave me behind.
“Heard that, asshole,” Sterling replies gruffly from wherever he is in the kitchen. “Oh and, Simon, can you do me a favor?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
Sterling pops his head through the doorway. “Stella is flying back in at the end of next week. She’s coming in for graduation and decided she wants to spend the summer back here instead of in California. Something happened with her piece-of-shit boyfriend but she wouldn’t tell me.”
My ears perk up, my heart instantly hammering in my chest. “Where’s she staying?”
“Okay, that was something else I wanted to talk to you guys about…” Sterling’s voice trails off as he steps into the room again. “After graduation, I decided I’m going to go to Minnesota to play in this shortened league until the draft. Then, if I get a call, I’ll be going wherever the team needs me to be.”
“Wait, so you’re just, like, leaving leaving after graduation?”
Sterling nods. “I mean, kind of. I found somewhere that Olivia and I can lease monthly so if we have to move abruptly, we aren’t locked into a yearlong thing.”
I stare back at my friend. I knew this day was going to be coming, but color me shocked. There shouldn’t be any surprise. He’s ready to settle down with Olivia and potentially get drafted into the NHL. There’s no reason for me to feel as sad as I do at this moment.
“Would it be cool with you guys if Stella stayed here for the summer? She’d be going back to California sometime in August. If not, she can stay at our parents’ house instead.”
Stella’s going to be here for the entire summer.
Living under the same roof as me.
“I’m good with it,” I tell him, glancing over at Lincoln who looks like he’s about to fall back asleep.
He mumbles something and nods before his eyes close completely and he begins to snore.
“You sure she won’t be an issue? She just wanted to come back home for a little bit and I figured she could just take my room while I’m not here.”
“Stella’s never an issue, dude.”
I’m still sad my friend’s going to be leaving so soon, but at the same time, knowing his little sister is moving in has me looking forward to something entirely different. I like Stella. There’s something about her that piques my interest, even if she gives me goddamn blue balls. I like her personality and sassy attitude. She doesn’t take my shit.
She makes things fun, and fun is exactly what I need this summer.
“Are you able to pick her up from the airport next Thursday?”
I smile up at Sterling. “Absolutely.”
