17. Brady

17

Brady

" H ow was it?" I ask, and lean in to kiss Melanie on her pale cheek, desperately needing the connection. Christ, what is wrong with me? I've only been away from her for a few hours. What the hell is going to happen when I'm on the road?

When our time together is over?

She stiffens a bit, a little uneasy chuckle catching in her throat. Is she embarrassed at the public display of affection? Does she not want people to know she's been sleeping with Coddy, the asshole with the reputation? I inch back, working to ignore the tightness in my chest as I take her backpack and shoulder it. Once again, embarrassment floods her face. Yeah, I get it, she's a girl who does everything on her own—a girl who is afraid to let anyone too close because it might end in hurt and betrayal—but she doesn't have to be tough around me. I want to help her and don't expect gratitude or anything in return, other than her happiness.

When you help your family, dude, you don't even get happiness from them. All you get is them wanting more and more and the only time they worry about you or your career is when it might affect their needs.

She folds her hands like she's not sure what to do with them and answers. "Not too bad. There were only a couple of questions I had trouble with, but I think I did good." Her eyes brighten, but beneath the shine, it's easy to see that she's worn out. She exhales and lifts her face to the sun, a hint of relief on her face. She's been working hard, and I want her to have some much-needed downtime before her next semester starts.

Her gaze flies back to mine and she shakes her head. "Where are my manners? I must be more worn out than I realize. Brady, this is Tania and Trevor. My small study group." Her brows scrunch together. "Although we haven't done much of it lately with me living in Sparrow Springs."

Students file out of the campus building and many slow to gawk at me as they pass, no doubt wondering if I really am Brady Fisher. I pull my hat down lower, not wanting to ignore them, but I'm interested in meeting Melanie's friends—or rather, not friends.

"We didn't know you moved," Tania says, not taking her eyes off me.

"Oh, just temporary. I have a place lined up for November."

She does, and the thoughts of her not staying with me leaves a hollow feeling in my gut.

I extend my arm to Tania and she greedily accepts my hand, shaking it enthusiastically as she steps closer. "Would it be weird if I asked for your autograph? I'm a big fan," she says.

"Not weird at all."

As she digs into her backpack for a pen and paper, I turn to Trevor and shake his hand. He sort of looks starstruck too. "Next game, why don't you guys sit in the box with Melanie?" Melanie's eyes go wide, because this is the first time she's hearing of the box—the first time I've invited her to a game. She'd gone a few times with Brighton in the past, but this time…maybe she's shocked because I asked.

"Are you kidding me? That would be phenomenal," Trev says, and slaps me on the back. "Is that okay with you, Mel?"

"Yeah, sure." She blinks rapidly, like she's trying to wrap her brain around this sudden turn of events. "Of course. I'll check the schedule against our next semester's courses and see what works."

"Hey, listen," Trev shades his eyes and looks down the sidewalk. "Mel said you guys might have plans later, but we were just headed out for a much-needed end of semester drink. Any chance you have time to grab one with us?"

"That sounds like a good plan. What do you say? Want to join them?" I ask Melanie as I wipe my brow with the back of my hand as the late afternoon sun beats down on us. "I could use a cold one and hey we need to celebrate."

She frowns. "Oh, I thought…um, yeah, that actually sounds like a great idea."

"I know a place around the corner," Trevor says and jerks his thumb out. "It's a Scottish pub called Kilting Around." He wags his brow playfully at Melanie, as if to entice her. "The guys don't wear hockey jerseys, but they do wear kilts. We could grab a cold pint there."

Tania loops her arm through Trevor's. "Hot guys in kilts and cold beer. I'm in."

They start down the sidewalk, and a warmth weaves its way through my blood as I take Melanie's hand in mine and she glances down as my palm swallows hers whole. "I'm so glad your exam went well. I know how stressed you've been. You put a lot of pressure on yourself."

She chuckles. "You're one to talk." She's right, I do put a lot of pressure on myself. I'm just better at hiding it than she is, and honestly, I don't want her to hide it from me. "Now to wait for the results." She winces like that might scare her, before she adds, "Did you get all your errands done?"

"All done," I say as we follow her friends who keep glancing back at me, like I might be a figment of their imaginations. They're friends—not friends—of Melanie's, so by proxy, they're friends of mine and I want them to see me as a regular guy, not an NHL player who's always loud and obnoxious.

Wait, did I just say I wanted them to see me for who I was?

I slow my steps to keep pace with Melanie's stride as she glances at me, her nose crinkled up in a cute way that makes me want to forget drinks and take her home, to bed. "You really want me to come to a game and sit in the box?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Because that's where the WAGs sit, and I'm not a wife or a girlfriend."

I look straight ahead, my brain racing. "No, you aren't, are you?" I say under my breath, thinking about how I can change that. I just don't want to scare her off if it's not something she wants. I know how hard she finds it to get close, and this arrangement came with a deadline that has been extended until she moves out in November. I spent the day moving pieces on the chess board, strategizing on how to extend it past that.

Christ, I have no idea what is going on with me. I have so many people counting on me back home, I never thought I could take on one more person, but it's different with her. Everything is easy with Lanie, which is probably why I continually drop my defenses when we're together. She doesn't make me feel like I need to be there for her—in fact, it's Lanie who wants to do things for me—and while it's always tit for tat with her, it does make me want to be there all the more, without wanting anything in return.

What is even happening in my life?

We reach Kilting Around and Trevor opens the door for us. I glance at the big sign over the door. How did they ever come up with the name? "I heard about this place. Just never been." I follow in behind Melanie and find a bunch of big Scottish men, full of tattoos, in kilts bustling about.

"I think I found my new favorite pub and study place," Melanie teases, and I playfully pinch her side.

"Hey," I tease, even though jealousy is zinging through my veins. We find a booth and slide in, and a server comes and brings us menus.

"Nachos for the table?" I ask.

Trevor and Tania nod, but Melanie puts her hand over her stomach. "I'm good. All the stress has gotten to me."

I put my hand on her knee under the table and give it a tender squeeze. "Still not feeling good?"

"It's anxiety. I get like this. I'm sure it will pass."

She really does put a lot of pressure on herself, and doesn't want to rely on anyone for fear of disappointment. "Okay." I shift closer, and offer my comfort and when I do I notice the longing in Tania's eyes as she watches us.

"I get like that too, Melanie," she says and wiggles in her seat. "The sight of our server looking hot in that kilt is helping ease my anxiety, though."

Trevor playfully hits her with his shoulder. "I saw him first."

"I think I might just get a soda," Mel says, as our server approaches us. I nod, and order nachos, a pitcher for the table and a soda for Melanie. Fuck, I hope she's not coming down with something. But if she is, tonight's plans will have to be put on hold.

I move my hand from her knee to her shoulders and pull her against me, kissing the side of her head. "Do you need anything? I can run to the drugstore."

"Thanks, but...oh wait." She plops her purse onto the table.

Tania makes a little aww sound as she watches me keep a comforting hand on Melanie. Melanie pulls some antacids from her purse and pops one in her mouth. "This should help."

The server comes back with our drinks and assures us our food will be out shortly. Trevor pours three glasses of beer and we all clink glasses to another semester done. I take only a tiny sip as I'm driving, but Melanie takes a long drink of her soda and moans in delight.

"Maybe I was just dehydrated. I'm already starting to feel better."

"So, why do they call you Coddy?" Tania asks.

With my arm still around Melanie's shoulder, I lightly play with her hair, and she groans and covers her face with her hands. "Oh God, don't ask."

"Oh, come on," I scoff playfully. "It's not so bad."

"Oh, this sounds juicy." Tania leans in, her eyes big and curious. "Now I really need to hear the details."

"Not juicy. More like slimy," Melanie says as she drops her hand, and I notice color returning to her cheeks.

My head rears back as I pretend to be offended. "I told you, they're not slimy, they're dry."

"Uh, what are we talking about?" Trevor asks, his stupefied gaze going back and forth between the two of us.

"Before he begins…" Melanie grins at me, and everything in her smile fucks me over in the best possible way. "Newfoundlanders are?—"

"The friendliest people on the face of the earth." I nudge her. "Is that what you were going to say?"

She laughs. "Right, something along those lines." She holds one finger out. "Friendly." A second finger joins the first. "Eccentric."

"Eccentric?" I burst out. "How can you say that?"

"You have mummers, Coddy," she shoots back and turns her attention to her friends—not friends. "At Christmas time, they dress up and go house to house and sing and dance. The host has to guess their identity before offering food and drink."

"That sounds like fun." Tania flattens her hands on the table, excitement in her eyes. "I want to do that."

"I kind of do too," Melanie says, chuckling.

"How did you know about mummering?" I ask.

"I looked it up."

"Ah, doing a little research on me, were you, ducky?" I actually kind of like that she's interested in my heritage and culture.

"Just curious, ducky ."

"Ducky is used for girls," I explain. "A boy is b'y."

Her shoulders relax. "Like I said, eccentric." I laugh as she grows animated, clearly having fun now as the stress of the day leaves her body. She holds out a third finger. "They call their kettle a slut."

"What?" Tania bursts out laughing. "That's it, from now on my kettle is a slut," she announces.

Melanie grins at me. "Go on, tell them how you got your nickname, Coddy."

The nachos come and I proceed to tell them about getting screeched in and kissing a cod, and Tania seems as disgusted by the whole tradition as Melanie. Trevor, however, thinks it's hilarious. We eat and chat and Melanie even has a few nachos. She eventually excuses herself from the table, and once she's out of earshot, I lean in and chat quietly with her friends, hoping to have a moment alone with them.

When Melanie comes back, she has a distrustful look on her face. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," I say quickly and sit back in my seat. She eyes me before turning her attention to her friends. "What's going on?"

They both shake their heads, and Tania checks her phone. "I have to get going. I…uh…have plans tonight."

"I thought you said you were going home to sleep for a week."

"Right." She shoves Trevor to get out. "That's my plan. Move it."

"Yeah, I have plans too. Gotta go."

Melanie shakes her head as I slide from the booth. "Jeez was it something I said?"

"We should get back," I say to her. "You're looking a bit pale again."

"Really." She puts her hand on her stomach. "I actually feel better after eating, and I didn't think I looked pale when I checked myself in the bathroom mirror."

"No," I say and glance over her face as I pull my wallet from my pocket, letting her friends know this was on me. I lean in and whisper. "You actually look a bit feverish. I think I might need to get you home to bed."

A quiver goes through her as she puts the back of her hand against her forehead. "You're right. I think I might be a bit feverish."

I turn back to drop the bills onto the table, and that's when I overhear Tania whisper, "Girl, he is so into you."

I chuckle, because yeah, it's pretty damn obvious. Hurrying my steps, I catch up with them and follow them outside. The sun is lower on the horizon, but we still have time for me to take her home and help her forget all about her day before I take her out for her end of the semester celebration. Something tells me she thinks drinks with her friends was her reward after all the studying and hard work, but no, she deserves more.

We head back to my car, and she smiles happily as we drive back. It's nice to see color on her face again. We talk quietly about my upcoming away games, and the house is quiet when we reach it.

I hurry from the car, cross the front and capture her hand when she walks up to me. Her smile is soft, and my heart jumps, wanting my mouth on her body, my cock inside her. Jesus, I've got it bad.

We head inside and straight to my suite. I shut and lock the door behind me, and silence hovers as I guide her to my bedroom. Once inside, I say, "I heard what Tania said to you when we were leaving the pub."

"What…" She swallows.

"About me being into you," I explain.

She gives a nervous laugh, like she's not sure what I think of that. But Christ, she must fucking know by now how much I truly am into her. Dammit, I'm not hiding the fact that I want to touch her all the goddamn time.

I angle my head and let it slowly move over her body. "She was right."

Desire floods her eyes. "Oh." She nibbles her bottom lip. "You're into me."

"Well, at least I'm going to be."

Desire morphs into confusion. "What?"

"Why don't you get on that bed, open your legs for me, so I can get ‘into' you."