11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

I 'm jolted awake by a gentle jostle to my shoulder. "Wh-what? Did I fall asleep?"

When I open my eyes, Oli is in front of me with a soft smile. He nods. "Yes. It seems everyone fell asleep." He points toward my feet.

I look to find Lewi asleep in a very awkward position. He still has his hand on my ankle as if he fell asleep mid-massage. His neck is tilted to the side, which looks extremely uncomfortable. Then I take in the room and see everyone else is sporadically lying on the floor asleep. "We should probably wake everyone else up too," I whisper.

Oli gestures over his shoulder. "Fenni and Gilly will wake them up before they leave. Perri left an hour or so ago." He leans over to shake Lewi awake. He groans sleepily and rubs his face. Oli snorts. "Go to bed."

Lewi nods and slowly lifts my legs off his lap, so he can shuffle off the couch. He looks half asleep as he makes his way around the couch and down the hall.

I let out a squeak when I'm suddenly lifted from the couch. I instantly wrap my arms around Oli's neck. "Oli! I'm more than capable of walking on my own."

He just shrugs as he follows Lewi down the hallway. "Your ankle still needs time to rest; plus, you don't know which room is yours for now."

His cheeks turn pink, and I can't help but ask, "Whose room will I be staying in, Oli?"

He looks down at me briefly before turning to the door on the right. "Lewi and I volunteered to give up our bedroom. We plan to clear out one of the other bedrooms we use as storage for you, but until that happens you can stay in here." He shrugs and sets me down on the bed.

The room is large, though, I suppose it would have to be with two hockey players sharing the room. Two queen-sized beds sit on opposite walls, as if the room is split in half. "Where will you guys sleep until you clear out the room?"

"We will bunk with one of the other guys. Clearing out the other room shouldn't take too long."

I run my fingers over the silky-smooth bed sheets and smile as I look up at Oli. "Whose bed is this?"

He rubs the back of his neck as he looks away with bright pink cheeks. "It's mine."

I chuckle and snuggle into the blankets on the bed. I inhale and can't help but relax as his scent engulfs me. It's a combination of snow and the woods. Like standing in the middle of a forest after a fresh snowfall. A yawn overtakes me as I close my eyes.

"Sleep well, Chérie."

I slip a hand out from under the blanket to snatch his wrist. My eyes open just enough to see his surprised expression. "Don't go," I whisper.

He turns to kneel beside the bed. "Chérie, I will be a shout away. I won't be far."

My eyes burn as I whisper, "Please, don't go, Mac."

His eyes soften as he leans forward and presses a kiss to my forehead. He pulls away and whispers, "As if I could deny you, Chérie." Pointing over his shoulder to Lewi's bed, he says, "I will be right over there. I won't leave the room."

When he begins to pull away, for some reason, panic builds in my chest, and I remember why I'm here. My grip on his wrist tightens as I plead, "With me." I tug on his arm. "Please. Just for tonight. I just want to feel safe."

"Are you sure?" he asks.

"Please."

He nods before slipping into the bed behind me with all of his clothes on. I can't help but ask, "Do you normally sleep in all of your clothes?"

Oli chuckles as he settles in beside me but keeps a respectable distance between us. "No, I do not, Chérie. But I think stripping down to my underwear with you here would be inappropriate."

My cheeks heat, and I nod. We lie in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before I gather the courage to shuffle closer to him. I lay my head on his chest and feel him stiffen beneath me for a moment, but then he relaxes. He wraps an arm around me, pulling me closer to his chest. "Are you okay, Chérie?"

His steady heartbeat helps me even out my breathing, and my body starts to relax. Being wrapped in his arms makes me feel safe. "I am now," I whisper into the silence of the room. I feel the tendrils of sleep grasping my mind as I relax further into him. I barely hear his words before sleep takes hold.

"Je veux te tenir près de moi comme ?a pour toujours, Chérie."

Mac ‘Oli' Oliver

Of all the people she could have reached out to… she chose me. Though, I suppose having been frightened out of her mind, it makes sense for her to seek comfort. As much as I enjoy having her in my arms, a nagging feeling keeps prickling the back of my mind. There is someone missing.

Dean. Dean is missing. I've seen how he looks at her. Briefly looking down at her sleeping form, I reach over to grab my phone from the side table. Pulling up his name, I send a quick text.

Hey, get your ass in our bedroom.

Lewi

Seriously man? I just got comfortable.

Stop complaining and just get in here.

Lewi

Fine.

I can't help but smirk because I know he's rolling his eyes as he snatches his pillow to shuffle over here. He hates moving once he's comfortable and ready to sleep. I hear him stomp down the hallway before he reaches the door to the room and quietly slips inside.

"Why am I here?" he asks, groaning as he moves over to his bed.

I keep my voice low as I reply, "It feels weird to be in here by myself."

He looks at me with a raised brow. "You don't look alone to me."

I huff out a sigh and roll my eyes. "You know what I mean."

He climbs into bed as he says, "Do elaborate."

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" I groan.

He snorts a laugh and turns on his side to lie facing me. "It's a character flaw that you knew I had when you declared me your friend. You're stuck with me now."

"As if I'd get rid of you." I scoff. I love the guy like a brother, but that doesn't make him any less difficult to deal with. "As I was saying, it felt weird in here without you."

"So… what you're saying is you love me?"

God help me. "Dean…"

"Mac."

This conversation is leading nowhere. May as well go in for the kill. "Do you like her?"

His eyes widen in the darkness for just a moment before he masks his face. He cocks a brow. "Her? There are a lot of women in the world, Mac. You need to be more specific."

My eyes narrow on him as I scoff, "The only ‘her' I'd feel the need to mention."

His gaze flicks to Liz before turning back on me. "It wouldn't matter if I did. Girls always go for you anyways."

I balk at his tone. "Me? I haven't dated in years."

"Doesn't mean girls haven't tried." He sighs before shifting to lie on his back. "Girls like you more than they like me. Can't blame them, though. You have that soft, doughy attitude, and I'm all anger and sharp edges."

My chest aches for my friend. He hasn't lived the easiest life. Letting people in to see the real him is hard. Many give up before they learn how amazing and loyal he is. "She's different, though. She doesn't shy away from you like the others did."

He huffs a sigh. "Yeah… well we can't both have her."

"Why not?" I challenge.

He flips back onto his side, eyes wide. "Why not? What do you mean, why not?"

Peering down at the beautiful woman asleep in my arms, I can't help but smile. "She deserves all the love she can get in this world." My eyes shift to him as I add, "Why not us? We could give her that."

"Are you proposing we share her?" he asks defensively.

"No. Nothing like that. It would be like…" Well shit, how do I explain this? Then I remember an old friend of mine. "Hunter. You remember Hunter?"

He gives me a look that says he doesn't follow. "Hunter? The mixed martial arts fighter dude?"

"Yeah. He owns that mechanic shop in Lindberg."

"I remember him. What does he have to do with this?"

I try to shimmy out from under Liz's body, careful not to wake her, so I can sit up. "Him and three of his friends are dating one girl."

"So… they share a girl?"

I shake my head as I try to explain. "Yes, but no. The way I understand it, each of them have a relationship with her. They have their individual relationships, and then they have a group relationship." I point to Liz's sleeping form. "We would both have separate relationships as well as one together… if you'd like."

He's quiet for a moment before hesitantly saying, "So we wouldn't be sharing her?"

I snort. "No, Dean. We wouldn't share her; she's not a hockey puck we pass back and forth. We'd have to work as a team."

"A team," he hums, considering the possibilities. His gaze flicks to the sleeping form of our guarded therapist. "How will we convince her to take a chance on us?"

My eyes shift from my best friend to the woman beside me. I reach out and brush a black curl off her cheek. "We give her what she needs most."

Dean's voice is hushed as he asks, "And what's that?"

My eyes meet his. "Someone who will choose her."

Eyes narrowing, he nods. "We will show her she can trust us. That we won't betray her."

I hum, turning back to stare at our therapist. I'm not sure how to pull this off. There are rules against players and staff dating. And I know Liz well enough now to know she will deny herself happiness if it means not breaking the rules. "We can start by showing her friendship and go from there. She won't jump into a relationship after what happened in her past. I have a feeling her relationships, if any, have been fleeting."

Dean grunts. "The stalker thing doesn't help, either."

The thought of her stalker hunting and scaring her makes my blood boil. I'm normally a chill person, like water off a duck's back. It's hard to ruffle my feathers, but it seems that when it comes to our sunshine therapist, I don't have the same outlook on life. "We protect her," I say with determination.

He snorts. "Duh."