“it could be nothing cause nothing lasts forever”—Like Strangers Do by AJ Mitchell
Colin
“You fucked my sister!”
Everyone’s head turns, pairs of eyes stare at me like I’m some kind of performer on a stage. It physically hurts to feel the eyes of my teammates on me.
I’m used to hundreds of people watching me play on the ice but having a good number of guys from your hockey team stare at you like you’ve committed a crime sucks balls.
“You literally gave me the green light.” I turn to face an angry-looking Aaron. He’s just walking into the locker room.
Half of the guys are already on their way to the shower room, washing off the scent of victory sweat.
We’ve had another home game up until a couple minutes ago, and we won. I thought the team would be in a good mood after our victory, but one of us clearly isn’t.
Though, why is he only yelling at me for it now? Lily has been walking around with that hickey on her neck for the entire day.
Granted, she tried to cover it, not even I could see it in film directing earlier.
“I didn’t think you would actually do it!” Aaron yells, not caring that the other guys are present. I won’t even hope for backup from those guys.
Fucking your best friend’s sister can never end well, in spite of having the go. I should have known better.
In all honesty, I was a dick afterwards. I should have stayed the night. I should have slept next to her, woken up next to her the following morning. But I chickened out.
Common sense kicked in. Lily and I are friends. We aren’t supposed to have sex.
It’s not like I could change anything about the way I feel about Lily.
“Remember the part when you said you’d know I’d treat her right?”
I wait for Aaron to approach me properly, but he doesn’t walk any closer. I guess it’s because he doesn’t want his fist to end up in my face.
Truthfully, I don’t think I would even fight back at this point. Only thinking about one of my teammates touching Eira in the slightest has me want to vomit.
But then again, Aaron gave me the okay. It’s not like I went behind his back…anymore.
Aaron inhales deeply, slowly, calming his nerves. “Dude, she’s my fucking twin sister.”
“Well aware of that.” If he wants to evoke some kind of guilt inside of me, he’s not doing a great job. I wouldn’t regret sleeping with Lily for anything. At least for his satisfaction. I don’t regret it, but I kind of do anyway. It’s…complicated.
“We almost have the same face. It’s like you fucked me.”
And now he’s exaggerating, crossing an obvious line.
“How do you know about it anyway? I doubt she walked right up to you and told you.”
“She didn’t,” he says irritated. “She has a damn hickey on her neck, dumbass. That couldn’t have been done by anyone but you.” I swear, the vein on his neck is about to explode.
“I’m not even trying to deny it was me. But now that you mentioned ‘others’…would you rather it being some other guy hitting it off with her? Like one of the frat guys, for example?”
“Fuck off, Carter. She’s not supposed to be with any guy.”
“Ron, your sister is almost twenty-one years old. She’s old enough to make decisions.”
“Aaron,” Grey speaks calmly, placing his hand onto Aaron’s shoulder. “What is your problem? I hate to take sides, but you did tell Colin it was okay. Bitching about it now is just a dick move.”
Aaron exhales deeply, steadying his breath—again—as he tries to control his anger.
“At least tell me she’s not just one of many,” Aaron demands, looking into my eyes with anger burning in his. I swear, if looks could kill, I’d be lying on the floor and kissing death hello.
“She’s not,” I answer with no hesitation. “You really think I would do that to Lily? Fuck her for one night and then disappear?”
“Yes,” he snaps. “Like you do with every other woman.”
“Did you at least stay the night?” Miles asks.
I should have. But I couldn’t. I’m afraid of my own feelings. Lily and I have gone way too far with this already, I can’t let this go any further.
My friends know that I usually send the girls home right after doing it. Or I sprint out the door without looking back. And never do they hear from me again.
But it’s not like those girls don’t know that I won’t stay. I always make that clear right from the start.
It’s just that Lily is different. She is more. And definitely means way more to me than I’d like.
“I didn’t.” I’m incapable of lying to these guys. Perhaps not incapable given that they have almost to no clue what’s going on in my life most of the time. “I stayed for a while and then left.
“I don’t believe you,” Aaron spits out with an amount of venom I’ve never witnessed in him.
I fucked up big time with him.
Without saying a word, I take out my phone from my locker, unlocking it then going straight to dialing Lily’s number.
She picks up on the second ring.
Aaron is watching me, still having his angry eyes focused on mine. He doesn’t move, doesn’t even change his expression for a second.
“Colin?” Lily’s sweet voice comes through the phone. Somehow just hearing her voice makes Aaron’s madness seem less mad to me.
“Lilybug, where are you right now?” I ask. I know she has to be around here somewhere.
“Same bench you found me at the day we met. Why?”
“Okay, stay there, will you?”
I quickly change my footwear. Not waiting until Lily could respond, I hang up the phone and jog over to the other side of the arena, ignoring the fact that someone—most definitely Aaron—is following me.
I need to see her.
When I see her blonde hair only slightly above the railing—which means she is either on her phone or writing in her journal—I experience instant relief. Not even sure why.
Lily stays seated as I approach her, but when I do stand in front of her, her head tilts up for her eyes to meet mine.
“Congratu—”
I guide my lips to hers, kissing her gently, yet also rough enough to draw out a soft moan from her throat.
I didn’t even know I needed this kiss until my lips are covering hers.
I also didn’t know I was going to kiss her until I find myself doing so.
“Thank you,” I say as I pull away from her lips. “For the congratulations I didn’t let you finish voicing.”
“You’re welcome.”
Looking over Lily’s shoulder—down to the seats—I notice her mint green notebook lying on one of them. Before she has the chance to forget it again, I grab it.
“What are you doing?” she asks with confusion written all over her face.
“Holding onto this in case you accidentally leave it here again.”
“I won’t.”
“Sure, Lilybug.”
She smiles lightly, carefully swinging her arms around my torso, pulling me into a hug.
What I thought was going to be a cute and friendly hug, quickly turns out to be an attempt to murder me as her iced-cold hands find their way underneath my jersey.
But I don’t budge. I don’t because if I did Lily would no longer be hugging me. I happen to enjoy her almost to never happening hugs a little too much. Even more than I like her mouth pressed to mine.
Never mind. I love her lips more.
“Are you ready for day four?” I ask, swinging my arms around her as well, pressing her closer into my chest.
“Depends. Where are you taking me?”
“We’ll go visit Eira for a bit and then I’ll take you somewhere to let out your aggression.”
“I’m not aggressive.” She looks up at me, pouting.
“Alright, we’ll leave that for tomorrow then.” I kiss her forehead. “Rollerblading it is.”
“No,” a voice from behind me snaps. “She can’t do that. She isn’t even allowed to skate on the ice.”
I look down at Lily, raising my eyebrows. I know for sure she is allowed to but just doesn’t want to. Or more like her depression won’t let her.
“What if I promise that I won’t let her break her bones?” I ask nicely, or fake nicely.
I mean, come on, Aaron is overreacting right now. I understand that he’s pissed. I would be as well. But he has to get over it already. He was the one telling me to go for it. If he hadn’t said it, hell, I don’t think I even would have continued seeing Lily for those nine days.
That’s not true. I definitely would have continued to see her. Daily.
“Her mother is going to chop off your head.”
“Oh,” I gasp. “I think it’s time for me to meet your mother,” I say to Lily. “She will love me. I know your dad does.”
“Dude, seriously?” Aaron groans, shaking his head in disapproval.
“Deadly serious,” I tell him. “Your dad loves me.”
Maybe it’s a bit overexaggerated. Not the part with Aaron’s father loving me. Not to brag, but he once called me his son. But the part where I said Lily’s mother would. Mothers usually hate me…except for my own.
“Aaron”—Lily’s voice is harsh—“you’re not seriously mad at Colin, are you?”
Aaron doesn’t answer, he chooses to go with the silent treatment. If he won’t answer, she won’t keep asking.
Just that this is Lily we’re talking about.
“Answer me.”
“You wouldn’t understand it, Lily.” Once again, Aaron brushes his hands through his hair. “You don’t have a younger sister to protect from guys.”
“Even if I did, Aaron, it wouldn’t be any of my fucking business. It’s not like you don’t know Colin.”
“Exactly!” he yells. “I know Colin. I know who he’s been with before. How shitty he treated every single one of those girls before you.”
I mean, he has a point. I haven’t been really gentle with any of those girls before. But Aaron also knows that I do treat people I like well and truly care about them.
I can’t blame him for being mad. I wouldn’t have hesitated punching him in the face if he touched my sister, no matter how good I know he’d treat her.
“Cool. But you clearly don’t know what he did last night. You don’t know how he’s treating me, Aaron. He isn’t mistreating me in the slightest. If anything, I am the one doing crap to him. I’m pulling him down with me, not the other way round.”
I don’t want her to say it like that. It’s not true. Lily is not pulling me down. In fact, Lily is breathing air into my lungs. I thought I would be the one showing her how beautiful life could be. When in reality, Lily is the one showing me what I will miss out on once she is gone.
“You’re not pulling him down.” Aaron’s eyes switch between Lily and me, uncertain of who to look at. “But I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle what his life will bring, Lily.”
“What’s his life going to bring?” she asks. “He’s made me happier than every Sunday we’ve spent together on the ice, Aaron. In just three days.”
I watch as Aaron’s face drops. I’m not sure what it is: amusement, more anger, shock, astonishment, maybe even happiness? It’s not clear. But it’s something.
“Colin managed to make me feel more alive in three days than I’ve ever felt for almost twenty-one years. You can’t seriously be mad at your best friend for making my life better.”
I’m not sure if Lily is lying to Aaron, saying all those things to make him feel better, or if she truly means those words. I want them to be honest words. I wish for them to be true, not because that’s a damn ego-boost, but because I want Lily to be happy. More than anything.
Aaron settles his eyes on me, saying, “If I hear her say anything but good stuff about your relationship—” he pauses, focusing his eyes over to Lily for a moment before they travel back over to me. “—I will have to throw fists at you, Carter.”
“Totally understandable.” Just that Lily and I aren’t even in a serious relationship. I think. I did, technically, claim her as mine, that’s because she is. I’m not letting anyone touch her, but that’s because I want to protect her from even more darkness.
“Now that we got that out of the way, we’re celebrating our birthday at Brites.”
“We are?” Lily frowns. “Does that mean I can invite people?”
“It’s a bar. Anyone can come.”
“You do know the more people come, the more you will have to pay, right?”
“I’m not paying for everyone’s drinks.” Aaron taps my shoulder a couple of times. “I can’t afford that, unlike this guy here.”
“Sorry, I’m just paying for my and your sister’s drinks.”
“Jackass.” He starts to walk away. I did tell him I would pay for all of the drinks if that meant I wouldn’t have to get him a present. God knows what I should buy a guy that already has everything.
“Love you too, bro.” Aaron flips me off. Turning back to Lily, I find her laughing, muffling it down by pressing her face into my chest. “Hey, you have no right to judge.”
“I’m not. But maybe you should date my brother. Seems like he got quite jealous over us ‘being together.’”
“What do you mean?” She pulls away from the hug, raising her brows like me not understanding is equal to the world ending. “Aaron and I have been in a relationship for years. We’re basically married.”
“Figured.” Lily takes her notebook from me, sliding it into her handbag. “Do you really think you should meet my mother?”
When I said it’s time for me to meet Lily’s mother, I did say it only to make my intention clearer to Aaron. Meeting parents is a big deal, I guess.
However, Lily met my parents before as well.
She knows my father because he is the hockey coach at our college. And my mother happened to be home when I took her with me to see Eira.
I never truly intended for my parents to get to know her.
“I’m your personal chauffeur, Lilybug. You said you wanted to pay your parents a visit tomorrow, so we’ll do it together,” I say. “Ergo, I will meet your mother.”
“Isn’t that kind of weird though? I mean, meeting my mom is a big deal, sort of.”
“Nothing weird about showing me off.”
Lily starts to laugh, punching her fist into my arm.
