Hands full of two sandwiches, drinks, and potato salad, I push through the door leading to the ice baths in the training room where Halsey is icing his foot.
To say I want to crawl into a hole and never be seen again is an understatement. I can’t believe I injured our star player. Not only injured him but took him out of the game. I saw how swollen his ankle was the moment he took his sock off. Yeah, it’s not good. The trainer immediately started doing range of motion exercises with him, and with the pain searing through his face, I knew I had to get out of there, so I ran out to the deli next to the stadium for some food. It’s the least I can do since dinner burned, and we won’t be having sloppy joes anytime soon. It’s a shame because he was trying hard to brown those onions.
Well . . . they browned.
“Hungry?” I ask as he looks up at me.
“Starving,” he says.
I pull up a chair next to him and hand him a turkey and provolone sandwich. “I hope you like turkey. I wasn’t sure and it seemed like a safe option.”
“Love turkey. Thank you.”
“There’s a pickle wrapped up in there as well.”
“I can smell it,” he says as he finds the pickle and takes a huge bite.
I scan for his foot in the ice bath that’s swirling around, but I can’t see anything. “How’s the ankle?”
“Can’t feel a goddamn thing.” He lifts his sandwich to his mouth.
“I guess that’s good,” I say as I unravel my sandwich as well. “What are they saying about play time?” I know it’s probably the last thing he wants to talk about, but I need to know. I need to know if he can play or if he’s done for the season. How much did I mess up the Agitators season?
He wipes his mouth with a napkin he plucks off my leg. “Grace thinks I’ll be good to go in two weeks and when she says good to go, she means heavily taped up and stabilized with everything I do, even walking around when I’m not on the ice.”
“Wait . . . two weeks, that’s it?”
He nods. “She said it’s rolled, but not that bad. There will be a plan to follow consistently when I’m home and I’ll have to come in here every day, but other than that, she thinks I’ll be good to go in two weeks, which isn’t ideal, but that’s only six games. I think the boys can hold out for that.”
“Okay . . .” I look down at my sandwich, my tears forming again. This time, they don’t fall as Halsey places his hand on my leg and pulls my attention back to his eyes.
“Hey, like I said, it’s all good. Okay? We apologized and we’re moving forward, right?”
I nod and sniff back my tears. “Right.”
“And if you’re up for it, I’m going to need some help.”
“Help?” I perk up. “I can do that. What do you need help with? I’m your girl, anything you need.”
There’s a soft smile to his lips but nothing that reaches his rare, full-capacity smile. “Well, I injured my driving foot, so I won’t be able to drive back and forth to the arena. I could hire a car service—”
“No, I can drive you. I can drive you anywhere you need. I planned on emailing my manager today and letting her know the circumstances that I might need to work from home for a little bit and just come in on game days. I’m sure she won’t mind, especially if she knows I’m helping you out.”
“If she says no, it’s no big deal.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll make it work. What else will you need?”
“Just some help around the apartment. I have to do a lot of exercises and ice and elevation.”
“Got it. I can help with that. Will you need help showering? I can wash with my eyes closed.”
He chuckles. “I think I can handle that.”
“Yeah, probably don’t want a stranger rubbing you down with their eyes closed.”
He pauses for a moment and says, “I don’t think you’re a stranger at this point.”
“I guess not. I did straddle your mattress tonight, which . . . oh God, I have to get that back into place.”
“I texted Posey and Silas. They’re working on it, don’t worry.”
“They are? Oh God, did you tell them what happened? Do they hate me?”
“They don’t hate you and they know accidents happen. They were actually impressed with your ability to lift the mattress on your own. Posey and I struggled when we moved it to your room before you moved in.”
“I struggled a lot,” I say, handing him a fork for the potato salad and popping the lid. Together, we each scoop a forkful. “I almost knocked Sherman over, and you can imagine the heart attack that ensued.”
His brows lift. “Almost knocked over Sherman. Not sure I’d have forgiven you for that.”
“If I did, you wouldn’t have ever seen my face ever again.”
“Well, I’m glad you didn’t . . . for multiple reasons.” He directs his attention at the potato salad and for a moment, my body heats from that response.
For multiple reasons . . .
Is he implying he would be sad if he didn’t see my face again?
Doubtful.
“By the way, what was with the cat picture you put next to him?”
“Oh, that’s Horace. He’s my childhood cat. After I almost knocked Sherman over, I was horrified, and I think he was just as scared and shaken, so I thought Horace might keep him company. Honestly, it was all done in a panic and I meant to take the picture down before you got home but forgot.”
“I bet Sherman liked it.”
“It seemed like his little branches fluffed up, so I think he did.”
“Might need to keep the picture there.”
“I’m not opposed to the friendship if you aren’t.”
He chews on some potato salad and says, “Two inanimate objects forming the bond of a lifetime.”
“Not sure anyone else would let me carry on such an asinine farce.”
He cutely shrugs. “It’s not harming anyone. Have at it. As long as they don’t start dining together or anything like that.”
“Damn, and here I was about to put out a bowl of milk for Horace while Sherman drank up his water.”
“Not sure I’d have recovered after walking in on that.”
“I’d have perished over the cuteness overload.”
He smirks and takes another dip into the potato salad, easing my anxiety. If I were to hurt anyone and take them out for six games, it’s best that it was Halsey, because I’m not sure any other player would be as nice as he is being.
PENNY: Heard Halsey hurt himself.
I watch over Grace and Halsey as they talk together while she wraps his ankle.
Blakely: Yeah, thanks to me. I don’t want to get into it, but if you think I’m feeling guilty, times that by one thousand.
Penny: Oof, I’m sorry. Is he okay?
Blakely: Out for two weeks, so if they end up losing their momentum, I’ll have no other choice than to take the new job. There will be no way I can show my face around this arena again.
Penny: Stop. I’m sure the boys will keep winning. It will be fine. Silas and OC can pick it up and I think Rivers might be coming back soon.
Blakely: No, he’s still out for a bit. I asked. I think they’re bringing someone up to help out. All because of a stupid air mattress.
Penny: What about an air mattress?
Blakely: He was sleeping on one. Gave me his real bed. I found out and switched beds. He was mad because he wanted to be a good host and give me the nice bed. It was a huge thing, but now there is no air mattress and just one bed.
Penny: One bed . . . that sounds like fun.
Blakely: Oh, I’ll be sleeping on the couch. That’s where I belong after all.
Penny: Maybe you can share the bed.
Blakely: LOL! Okay.
Penny: What? You’re both adults. And I’ve sat on that couch, it’s not great. It’s not like you’re going to accidentally slip your hand down his pants. You said he isn’t your type.
Blakely: Uh, I’m not sharing a bed with Halsey. Have you lost your mind?
Penny: No, but think about it, he didn’t want you sleeping on an air mattress, do you really think he’s going to want you sleeping on the couch? Wasn’t arguing about sleeping arrangements what got you into this mess in the first place?
Blakely: Penny . . . we’re not sharing a bed. That is insane.
Penny: Okay, good luck telling him that.
Blakely: There is no way he’ll offer to share his bed. He has to keep his leg elevated anyway. I’m sure he doesn’t want a propped-up leg with a stranger in his bed. There’s sharing an apartment, and then there is sharing nighttime space. That’s going too far.
Penny: Just a suggestion.
Blakely: Well thank you, but it’s not going to happen. Oh, and it looks like he’s done so I’m going to drive him back to his place. I’ll let you know when I’m coming in tomorrow. My schedule will be wonky now because I’ll be helping him out.
Penny: Sounds good. Happy sleeping . . . on the couch.
“YOU GOOD?” I ask as Halsey crutches through the door, only using one of the crutches. Grace wants him to use his ankle and keep it moving so it doesn’t swell up even more so he’s using one crutch for assistance. The grimace on his face the whole way down the hallway of his apartment building just brought on that massive amount of guilt all over again.
“Yup, good.” He enters the apartment and goes straight to the couch where he sits on the arm and lets out a deep breath. “Fuck, I forgot how painful this is and I don’t say that to make you feel bad.”
“I know. You’re allowed to gripe, I promise, I’m good now. I’ve transitioned to mending mode.” I glance around the apartment. “It seems like the boys took care of the meat in the pan and cleaned up. That was nice of them.”
“Yeah, they’re good guys.” Halsey yawns. “Shit, I’m tired.”
“Right, okay. Let’s get you to bed. I’m sure they put the sheets and covers back on your mattress. Do you want me to check?”
“Nah, just grab a sheet from the closet for me. I’ll park it out here on the couch and you can take the bed.”
How did I know he was going to say that?
Maybe because the whole reason we’re in this situation is because he was mad about me sleeping on an air mattress. Penny is right, he’s not going to let me sleep on the couch, but I can’t possibly get any sleep knowing that he’s out here with a hurt foot.
“Halsey, I don’t want you sleeping on the couch.”
“If you think you’re going to sleep on the couch—”
I hold up my hand, stopping him. “I know what you’re going to say and where this is going. Neither one of us wants the other sleeping on the couch. I get it. So . . .” I swallow hard, embarrassed that I’m even suggesting this, but I don’t want to run around in circles all night about sleeping arrangements. “We’re both adults. Why don’t we just share your bed? It’s a king. We won’t fumble over each other, and then that way, we can figure out a bed situation later. It could be temporary.”
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he says.
“It’s not . . . for me, I mean if it is for you, I understand, but there is no way I’ll be able to get any sleep knowing you’re out here, and I’m sure you’d be the same way if I slept on the couch. So can we just share the bed, at least for tonight?”
“I mean . . . yeah, if you’re cool with that.”
“It’s fine. Like I said, we’re adults, the bed is big enough. It’ll be okay.”
“Okay, sure, that’s fine with me.”
“Thank you.” I let out the breath I’ve been holding. “Okay, I’m going to go get dressed for bed, brush my teeth, and wash my face. Do you need help getting ready?”
He shakes his head. “Nah, I’m good.” He stands again, leaning on one crutch.
“I’ll grab the pillows from my room so we can prop up your ankle.”
“That works.” Awkwardly he shifts toward the hallway. “Uh . . . see you in a bit.”
I smile. “Yup, call out if you need anything.”
As we go our separate ways, I quickly type a text to Penny.
Blakely: We’re sharing a bed.
Penny: Ha! I knew that was going to happen.
Blakely: I was in no mood to argue. And he was already geared up to tell me every reason why I wasn’t allowed on the couch.
Penny: That’s Halsey. Eli was saying he’s easily the sweetest on the team. Cares the most. He gave some of the best advice to him and Silas when they were struggling with their relationships. I’m not surprised at all that he didn’t want you on the couch.
Blakely: Yeah, he is the sweetest. I’ve actually been surprised by how he’s taken this. And also at how well he’s communicated things too. We were going back and forth about how he injured his leg and whose fault it was. He stopped us both and suggested we just apologize to each other and leave it at that. It felt so . . . grown-up.
Penny: He’s a smart man. Maybe this one bed situation will lead to something else. **wiggles eyebrows**
Blakely: You realize I’m only a few weeks out from breaking up with my longtime boyfriend and that by no means am I even close to ready to date someone else, let alone think about it.
Penny: I know . . . but he’s so yummy.
Blakely: Do you tell that to Eli?
Penny: No way, his man ego isn’t strong enough to handle such a sentence.
Blakely: Didn’t think so. Okay, I’m exhausted, I’ll see you tomorrow.
Penny: See you tomorrow.
When I enter my room, I notice the deflated air mattress is gone and the sheets and blankets are folded nicely in the corner. God, the guys really are the best. Hard to believe these strong, intimidating hockey players have actual lives outside of the rink. Like I’d never expect just from the look of them that they would care this much about each other, and I know that’s probably an awful thing to say. But they cleaned up this whole place while Halsey was getting treatment just so we didn’t have to deal with it when we got back.
They aren’t just teammates, they’re a family.
Reminds me of my college days when Kenzie and I did pretty much anything for each other. These boys have the same kind of bond.
I move around my room, throwing on a pair of cotton shorts and a simple tank top before heading into the bathroom where I finish getting ready. I’d normally wear something else to bed, something silkier—I just like the way it feels when I’m sleeping—but I don’t want to show up for our sleepover looking like I’m ready for a dirty romp. Don’t want to scare the man.
I brush my teeth extra long, not wanting to breathe potato salad on him, go to the bathroom and throw my hair up into a silk scrunchie before heading to his room where I find him sitting on the bed looking at his phone.
Extra pillows in hand and a bottle of nerves in my stomach, I step into his room and say, “All set?”
He looks up from his phone and nods. “Yup. Wasn’t sure what side of the bed you wanted.”
“Whatever side you don’t want and, I swear to God, if you argue with me about it, I’ll hurt your other ankle.”
He smiles. “I’ll take this side, closer to the bathroom in case I need to use it in the middle of the night.”
“Probably smart.” I look at his shorts and T-shirt and ask, “Is that what you normally wear to bed?”
“No,” he answers, “but I also didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“The only thing that will make me uncomfortable is if you’re not comfortable, so strip down to whatever you sleep in.”
He thinks about it for a second and just shrugs as he pulls his shirt from over his head—the only way men know how to take off a shirt—and shimmies out of his shorts, leaving him in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs.
Okay . . . so Penny is very right about the whole yummy thing because . . . wow.
I know I’ve seen him without his shirt on before, but now that he’s in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs, it brings our friendship to a whole new level.
I mean, look at those thighs.
I’ve never been a man-thigh kind of girl, but my God, his are thick and his calves and his knees and . . . oh my God, Blakely, stop looking at the man’s legs.
Clearing my throat, I say, “Lean back and I’ll get the pillows situated and drape the blankets over you. Does that work?”
“Yeah, that works,” he says as he sets his phone on the nightstand, then leans back and moves his legs up onto the bed.
Because I’m apparently an absolute pervert, the first thing my eyes go to is his crotch where I catch an obvious bulge. It’s not the kind of bulge where he’s turned on, just his everyday package and . . . wow. It’s there . . . a bulge of all bulges.
It’s really there.
Like . . . I’ve never seen anything like it. I mean, Perry had a nice penis, but it wasn’t really all that much to write home about. Man, I feel so disloyal even thinking that. But . . . he left me. So . . . let’s be real here.
Halsey Holmes has a giant penis. Something you’ll never see in person, Blakely.
I tear my eyes away and focus on the task at hand—no need to get sucked into those thoughts, not right before you share a bed with him. I situate the pillows under his ankle as he lifts his leg and I help him adjust until he’s comfortable. “That good?” I ask.
“Yeah, I think so. Not sure it will stay the whole night, but we’ll see.”
“If they collapse or your legs fall off, just tell me and I’ll help you adjust again.”
“Okay,” he answers, not putting up a fight.
I drape the blankets over him but he only brings them up to his stomach. It makes him look naked under the sheets . . . which is not good.
My ears go hot, my skin flushes, and I’m suddenly envisioning what it would be like to see this man naked. Completely naked. What if he’d taken off his boxer briefs as well as his shorts? Good lord. I move around the room quickly, plug my phone in to charge—one of the boys must have put my charger in here too—and get into bed.
There’s a decent amount of space between us and when I say decent, I mean maybe a foot if we’re lucky. Halsey takes up much more space than I was anticipating, but it’s fine.
I turn toward him and look up at the ceiling. “Crap, I forgot to turn off the lights.”
“I’d offer to do it myself, but I’m pretty sure getting up and needing you to readjust the pillows will be more annoying than you just turning them out yourself.”
“Look at you learning.” I laugh and hop out of bed, turning off the lights and jumping back into bed, bringing the covers all the way up to my neck.
“Are you cold?” he asks.
“No, I just like to be fully covered. I like the comfort of it. I’m going to assume you get too hot at night given you’re nearly naked and don’t have the blankets up to your chin.”
“That would be correct,” he says. He lets out a large sigh. “I have to be at the trainer tomorrow at eight. Do you think you could take me?”
“Yes, anything you need. I’ll bring you over and work in my office until you’re done. Does that work?”
“Yup,” he answers. “Thank you. I appreciate it, Blakely.”
“Of course.”
“And if you’re not busy, how about we watch the game here and grab pizza or something?”
“Oh, you don’t have to watch it at the arena?”
“Nah, they’d rather me stay home and get better than shuffle around the arena.”
“Okay, then yes, that would be fun. Let me see if Penny can cover my VIP suites. I’m sure she can.”
“Great.” He yawns. “Okay, I’m about to pass out. Good night, Blakely.”
“Good night, Halsey.”
MY ALARM GOES OFF, shooting me straight into a sitting position only to fumble around with it until I figure out how to turn it off through my blurry eyes.
“Goodness,” I mutter as I rub my face. I need to get one of those hatch alarms that gently wake you up, not the blaring regimen that wakes me up every morning with a jump-start to my heart.
Not sure if I was super tired last night or having the comfort of someone next to me in bed again, but I slept soundly, so freaking soundly that when I look to the side, I realize I didn’t hear Halsey get out of bed and crutch his way out of here.
Way to take care of him, Blakely.
I toss the covers off me, only to quickly make the bed, and I slide out of the bedroom and down the hall where I find Halsey dressed, showered, and sitting on the island drinking a cup of coffee.
When the hell did he do all of that?
“Good morning,” he says.
This morning he’s wearing a heather gray shirt that just says hockey and it makes me smile. It’s something a non-fan would wear to their first sporting event, yet, he’s a professional wearing it. He’s also in a pair of athletic shorts.
“Good morning.” I see his leg dangling off the counter and say, “Shouldn’t you be elevating that?”
“Probably.”
“Let me guess though, this is where you like drinking your coffee?”
He shrugs. “I like routine.”
“Understandable.” I pour myself a cup and mix some creamer into it before turning toward him. “How did you get ready without waking me up?”
“Don’t know, honestly. I even tipped over into the dresser, crashing to the floor, and you didn’t even move.”
“Oh my God, you did?” I set my coffee down. “Are you okay? Why didn’t you wake me up?”
He smiles. “Just kidding. I kept my balance the whole time.”
My eyes narrow at him, and I swat at his good leg, causing him to chuckle. “Don’t do that.”
“Just teasing, I could have gone further with it.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, bringing my coffee to my lips.
“Back in high school, Holden rolled his ankle and it wasn’t too bad, but our mom was freaked out because it was a few weeks before a big showcase. She was worried he wouldn’t be able to play. To be a dick, he pretended he fell down the stairs. He lay splayed across the floor at the base of the staircase while I ran down the stairs, hitting the walls, making the sound effects while he groaned with every slap to the wall. I hid in the hall closet while my mom came rushing in to see him bent and crooked at the base of the stairs, his crutches flung across the carpet.”
“Oh my God,” I say slowly. “Halsey Holmes, that’s terrible.”
“Yeah, it was.” He smiles to himself. “But fuck did we laugh so hard about it, even when we were grounded in our room. We could not stop laughing.”
I point my finger at him and say, “Don’t you dare do anything like that to me, got it?”
“I would never. You scare me more than my mom.”
“Good, keep it that way.”
I take a large sip of my coffee and tilt my head back. “I don’t think I’ve slept that deep in a long time. Here I am supposed to be taking care of you and instead, I’m out cold, hopefully not snoring . . .”
“There was no snoring.”
“Thank God. Anyway, that was some deep sleep.”
“Were you really tired?”
I shrug. “Probably, but also . . .” I pause, not sure I want to divulge the real reason.
“Also what?” he asks.
And just look at him, those eyes of his, intent on mine, ready to listen. The way he holds his mug—wrapping his fingers around the whole thing—and how the fabric of his shirt so effortlessly clings to his biceps. He really is a dreamy man.
Maybe that’s why I find myself telling him the truth.
“I always sleep better with someone next to me. Kenzie and I shared a bed in college, especially when we were going through difficult times. And when I was with Perry, we obviously shared a bed. It’s been a little tough since we broke up that I think I found comfort in being next to you last night.” I wince. Stop talking, B. He does not want to hear about you sleeping with Perry. “Hopefully that doesn’t sound weird. Or clingy.”
“It doesn’t,” he says. “It actually makes me feel good, that I could provide you comfort. I know what it’s like to lose someone important in your life, and finding comfort during those times of unease and uncertainty is what matters.”
“Thank you. And I know you’re probably ready to kick me out of the bed so I can find something today and have it delivered.”
He’s silent for a moment before he connects his eyes with mine. “Or . . . you don’t have to.”
“You want to share a bed with me?” I chuckle. “I doubt that.”
He shrugs. “You didn’t bother me and if it gave you comfort, then it’s fine. And it’s not like you’re here for long, so there’s no need to get another bed. I’m good with it if you are.”
“I mean . . . sure. I just don’t want to intrude.”
“You’re not.”
“Okay.” My cheeks blush for some reason. Maybe because your extremely attractive roommate just told you that you can continue to sleep next to him at night. “It feels awkward now.”
He chuckles and slowly slides off the counter. “Then let me be the one to walk away . . . or crutch away. There’s a bagel place on the way into the arena. Want to stop there for breakfast before we head in?”
“That would be perfect. Give me like twenty minutes and I’ll be ready.” I take one more sip of my coffee and then head down the hallway to my room, a smile on my face the whole time.
