Chapter Seventeen EVERLEIGH

Chapter Seventeen

EVERLEIGH

I have eight giant men in my backyard, all of them wearing serious expressions on their faces as they watch me while I lead them through various yoga positions. I’m putting extra emphasis on shoulder stretching for Frank and a few others who seem to carry their stress in their upper body.

Some of them have brought their own yoga mats, which I encouraged them to get. I love that they listen to me and that they seem to enjoy the yoga sessions. I know Nico is reluctant to give them a try, like he’s full of doubt this even works when it’s a proven exercise and great for stress relief.

Feeling extra petty about his reluctance, I let him borrow one of my yoga mats, making sure I gave him the bright-pink one with stenciled black flowers all over it. All the others I own are a solid color and plain. I’m currently using a black one, which I could’ve loaned him. But I didn’t.

I have to take my small satisfactions where I can.

Nico is in the very back row along with Cooper, and he’s trying to play it cool despite having some difficulty contorting his body into each pose. It’s almost amusing, and if we were the only ones out there, I would probably laugh at him because he’s ridiculous.

Coop is trying to help him as best he can, and he never gets irritated with Nico, which is something I can’t say for myself. Coop is definitely the most patient person I know, and I appreciate him so much. I think everyone in this yard feels the same way, including his sister.

And speaking of his sister, Sienna is in the front row right next to Gavin, contorting her body into a pretzel so she can keep her eyes on him at all times. Frank is on the other side of Gav, his attention never wavering.

Sometimes, in moments like this, I glance around and am shocked that this is my life. That I live in this cute house right by the ocean with these somewhat famous football players and I can consider them my friends. That I help by teaching them yoga and fixing them nutritious meals with plenty of protein. My grandma would love this. She’d think it was hilarious that I was taking care of all these men, and I know she’d be proud of me. Right now, I’m feeling like a proud mama too.

A proud mama who can see her “children’s” faults, though. For instance, there’s Sienna trying to openly flirt with Gavin, who’s not even paying attention to her.

Typical.

I notice the determined look on Frank’s face as he goes through the motions, and I know he’s hoping against hope that his shoulder will miraculously heal and he’ll be back on the football field before the season ends.

I hope that for him. I really, really do. But the deeper we get into the season, the more I’m afraid that’s never going to happen.

And then there’s Nico. He’s watching me carefully as I shift into each new position, his gaze tracking my every movement. I’m definitely not having proud-mom feelings toward him at the moment. I tell myself he’s watching me so closely because he’s trying to figure out what I’m doing since he’s never participated in my yoga classes before, but there’s a small part of me that feels like it could be something more .?.?.

Intense.

I chose my clothes carefully because I’m shameless like Sienna, who was with me when I bought the outfit while we were out shopping last week. I didn’t need anything new, and I’m trying to watch my money, but Sienna convinced me to try it on and basically wouldn’t let me leave the store without buying the outfit.

It’s a matching leggings-and-sports-bra set in dark brown. Nothing special, right? But the sports bra has extra straps in the back that make a crisscross pattern. The moment I walked out of the dressing room to show Sienna, she practically screamed, “Wow, your tits look fabulous!”

I was slightly embarrassed by her outburst, but I can’t lie. Her comment made me feel confident.

I pulled my hair into a ponytail practically on top of my head and have zero makeup on because it’s kind of warm out here and the sun is intense at this time of the day. I can feel sweat forming on my hairline, but I can’t worry about it.

Whereas Sienna has a full face of makeup and a pale-pink sports bra on with matching booty shorts. Like her ass cheeks are practically hanging out, and when she stretches her legs, I catch Coop looking away quickly more than once. He doesn’t want to see his sister like that.

Oh, Sienna is funny. What makes it even funnier is Gavin acts oblivious. Does he do it on purpose? I don’t think so. She could remove all her clothes and dance in front of him for a solid five minutes, and he probably wouldn’t give her even an ounce of the attention she’d love to have from him.

I admire her determination. I would’ve given up a long time ago. Maybe she should, too, but if I were to suggest that, I know what she would say.

I’m no quitter.

And I kind of love that about her.

But how is that different from what Frank does? I suppose it’s because Sienna is stuck just on Gavin, while Frank tends to fall for almost every attractive woman who speaks to him.

Poor Frank. He’s so nice. He just needs to find the right girl for him.

I wind us down after about forty minutes, leading the group through simple stretching exercises that help their muscles cool down. Once I’m finished, I even hit them with a “namaste” because Frank loves it when I do that, for some reason, and Sienna even giggles after I say it.

“Such a cliché, Ever,” she teases, and I just roll my eyes at her.

No one protests. No one complains. All these big dudes seem to love my yoga classes, and that fills me with pride. It makes me happy that they enjoy them so much.

“Hey, you did really well,” I tell her as I approach, drawing closer so I can murmur into her ear. “You weren’t obvious when you were flirting with Gavin at all.”

“You don’t need to lie to me,” she says with a laugh when I pull away. “He could walk into his bedroom and I’d be laid out on his bed naked, spread-eagle and greased up, and he wouldn’t bat an eyelash.”

I make a face. “Greased up?”

“You know what I mean.” She waves a dismissive hand.

“Um, not really, but okay.” We both look in Gavin’s direction. He’s currently drinking from his water bottle, and he’s not wearing a shirt, showing off the gloriousness that is his naked chest. I totally get why Sienna is so into him. First of all, look at him. It also helps that he’s so nice. “He should probably put a shirt on.”

“No, he definitely should not.” A lusty sigh escapes my friend. “I would give anything to lick his abs just once in my life.”

Now I’m the one who’s giggling, my gaze shifting to Nico, who is currently lifting the hem of his T-shirt and wiping his chin with it. Exposing the perfection that is his abs.

Okay. I can get on board with Sienna’s wish to lick Gavin’s abs. Though I’d much prefer to lick Nico’s.

“His abs are good, too, aren’t they?” Sienna’s tone is knowing, and I shoot her a quick look. “I saw you checking him out.”

I’m sighing, too, though I don’t think it sounds as lust filled as Sienna’s. “Fine, you caught me.”

“You two just going to flirt for the entire school year but never actually do anything about it?”

“He doesn’t flirt with me” is my immediate response. “He seems annoyed with me half the time.”

“You are so blind.” The disappointment in Sienna’s voice is obvious.

I meet her gaze, vaguely confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Men do this. Instead of acting like they’re into the women they’re—into, they act mad at them instead. I think they’re frustrated with their feelings.”

“I frustrate him?”

“No. Well, maybe. But his feelings for you frustrate him even more,” Sienna explains.

Okay, this all sounds strangely logical. Maybe that’s my problem too. My feelings for him frustrate me as well. Which makes me think of the conversation with Coop at Charley’s, when he told me Nico was fighting his feelings.

Hmm.

“I think you two just need to do it and see what happens,” she continues.

I’m gaping at her. “We can’t just do it.”

“Why not?” She shrugs.

“I don’t just do it with random men.”

“He’s not random. You know him. You like him. You’re definitely attracted to him. I say just fuck him and see how it is. Maybe you two need to get each other out of your systems,” Sienna says.

What she’s suggesting is way too tempting, but come on. That would be a huge mistake, messing around with my roommate.

But here’s my dirty little secret: I’ve never been with anyone else besides my ex, and lately I’ve been fantasizing what it might be like with .?.?.

Nico.

Of course I am. Because Sienna is right. I’m attracted to him. I like him. I like his easy smiles and the way he genuinely cares about his friends. Even when he gives Frank grief, he’s worried about him and his shoulder. He’s smart and he cares and I love the sound of his laughter, and when he touches me, it’s electric. I can feel the jolt of his fingers on my skin to the depths of my core.

I don’t remember feeling that way with Brad. I don’t recall the dizziness or the tingles or the butterflies. The anxious sensation in the pit of my stomach when I first hear Nico enter the house. I always know it’s him, just from the distinct sound of his footsteps.

Oh God, I have it so incredibly bad for this man. And there’s nothing I can do about it.

“I don’t know,” I finally say, my voice hesitant. I ignore the skeptical look on my friend’s face. “I’m not the kind of person who just .?.?. fucks someone to see what happens.”

“Oh, right. Because you’ve only ever been with one guy, and he turned into a complete asshole.” Sienna nods, clearly remembering what I told her.

“Brad wasn’t so bad—”

“He was a douche who bored you,” she interrupts. “It’s okay to say that. You can be honest with me. You wasted years of your life with that guy, and now you deserve to have some fun. Am I right?”

I am so glad no one is nearby to overhear this conversation.

“I am having fun, and I don’t need a man to do that. Coming to Santa Mira is just what I needed to change my life. I’m enjoying school, I like my job, I met you, and I like living with the guys,” I explain. “Nothing turned out like I imagined it would before I came here, and that’s okay. I actually think everything has turned out even better.”

Sienna engulfs me in a hug, squeezing me tight before she releases me. “I’m seriously so happy for you. I couldn’t ask for a better new bestie.”

I smile at her, and I swear I can feel tears forming in my eyes, which is silly. I shouldn’t be this emotional, but for the first time in like forever, I feel like I belong to something.

I’m a part of something.

“I heard you’re making dinner,” Sienna says once she releases me.

I burst out laughing. “You trying to score an invite?”

“Only if Gav is staying.” Her eyebrows shoot up.

“I have a lot of chicken marinating because I always make more than I think we’ll eat, but I don’t know if I can feed everyone out here.” I nibble on my lower lip, counting all the guys who are milling about my backyard. None of them have left yet.

“Maybe I’ll suggest to Gav he should take me out.” Sienna flutters her eyelashes at me. “Think he’ll go for it?”

“Probably not,” I say truthfully, not trying to crush her spirit. “But that’s only because he’s oblivious.”

“Ugh, men.” She rolls her eyes.

“Come inside and help me prep.” I take her hand and drag her into the house, ignoring the guys who watch us as we walk past. Once we’re inside, I go to the junk drawer and pull out the extra-long wand lighter we keep in there, handing it to Sienna. “Light the candles for me, please?”

“Ooh, yes. Look at you. Next thing you know, you’ll have these boys completely domesticated!” Sienna does a little shimmy as she moves about the room, lighting the candle on the counter first before she lights two more on the dining table.

“There’s a candle in the bathroom and in the living room,” I tell her, and she takes off to light them as well.

I connect my phone to the small speaker we keep in the kitchen and turn on my favorite Spotify playlist that I like to cook to. A jazzy tune starts playing, and I feel like I’m living in one of those cooking videos I see on social media.

We move about the kitchen in sync, Sienna doing everything I ask her to without complaint. I get through all the meal prep that much faster since I have a helper with me, and within ten minutes, I’ve got everything in the oven.

“Smells good,” Coop announces as he enters the house from the back sliding door. Frank, Gavin, and Nico follow right behind him. “Whatcha cooking?”

“We’re having chicken and potatoes, plus a salad,” I tell them with a smile. “And Gavin, you’re more than welcome to stay for dinner. I’ve made plenty.”

“You sure? I don’t want to impose,” Gavin says.

“Oh, you’ll want to stay, bro. She’s the best cook.” This comes from Frank, who’s always singing my praises to someone.

“That’s wifey material right there,” Gavin says, earning a laugh from Coop and Frank.

Nico’s not laughing, though. And neither is Sienna.

In fact, the entire kitchen has gone quiet, and when I chance a look at Nico, I see him glowering in Gavin’s direction. Is he mad Gav said that? Why should he care?

“Um, I hate to do this, but something has suddenly—come up.” Sienna grabs her phone from where she left it on the counter, checking it for what I’m sure is a fake message. “I need to bail on dinner. Sorry about it.”

My heart drops, and I follow after her as she abruptly leaves the kitchen, heading for the front door. “Sienna, wait.”

“Hey.” She whirls on me, and there are tears shining in her eyes. Oh God. “Please know I’m not mad at you. It’s that—I do everything I can to gain his attention, and he says nothing to me that’s even vaguely flirtatious. Like, absolutely nothing. You invite him to stay for dinner with the gang, and he’s automatically calling you wifey material. I just—I can’t with him sometimes.”

“Sienna.” My heart is breaking for her. “Please don’t let Gav upset you. He didn’t mean anything by that statement.”

“I’m starting to believe I don’t mean anything to him either, you know? Oh God, this is so incredibly stupid.” A tear escapes, sliding down her cheek, and I can’t take it anymore.

“I hate that he made you feel so bad.” My voice is soft and my heart is aching.

I don’t like seeing her hurt. Worse, I don’t know if Gavin is even aware of how much she cares about him. Is he pretending he doesn’t see it? If that’s the case, he’s cruel. He needs to tell her he’s not interested at all. It’ll break her heart, but she’ll be better off in the long run.

“It’s fine. Really.” She hauls me in for a big hug, and we cling to each other for a moment before she finally pulls away, turning toward the door. “Give me the recipe for the chicken, okay? Someday I’m going to make it for him and knock his fucking socks off.”

She leaves before I can say anything, the door quietly shutting behind her, and I twist the lock into place before I turn toward the kitchen. I can hear all the men chatting and laughing without a care in the world, even Nico, and I shake my head.

Men. They are the most oblivious creatures sometimes. But I can’t say anything to them. I’m not going to call out Gavin or make Cooper aware of anything. They need to figure this all out on their own.

Which might never happen, but that’s the chance we have to take.

“Yo, Ever! You got a fancy bottle of wine we can crack open stashed somewhere?” Cooper calls.

This is another thing I’ve introduced them to. Pairing wine with the meal versus just slamming down a beer or whatever. I know I shouldn’t encourage these guys to drink—unnecessary calories—but when they kept having beers with their meals, I decided to change it up.

“I do! Hold on.” I rush into the kitchen and head straight for the tiny pantry, rummaging around until I find the bottle I bought with their money. I hide them because I like to have them with dinner and not when they’re partying. Though they never reach for wine, so I don’t know why I bother hiding it.

“Found it,” I say as I emerge from the pantry, the bottle clutched in my hand. “Can someone open it for me?”

“I will,” Nico volunteers, approaching me slowly, his dark gaze roaming over me from head to toe.

I’m still in the sports bra and leggings, and his hot gaze seems to spark on my skin everywhere he looks. I go still, my mouth popping open, no words coming out as he takes the bottle from my hand, our fingers brushing. My heart skips a beat.

He did that on purpose. I know he did.

“Thank you,” I murmur to his retreating back, wondering if Sienna is right after all.

Maybe we should do it and get each other out of our systems.

But would he be down?