10. West Side Story

10

West Side Story

Alice

Do you know how many times I've dreamed of a hot guy sauntering into the bookstore and announcing, "I'd like to buy some books"?

An embarrassing number of times. That's how many.

But my sullen neighbor was never supposed to star in the dream! And my heart wasn't supposed to breakdance either. But that's what happened. Because Deacon Collier did something I didn't think possible—he smiled. Smiled .

And when he did, my whole world flipped upside down. Everything faded, and his smile was the only bright spot left in the room. Even if it was more of a cocky smirk than a smile, it was everything.

And I'm already craving the chance to see it again.

One smile I'd like to stop seeing right now? Mark's, as he recounts the goal he scored last night. For the fifth time.

"I really thought the puck wasn't in," he says to me with the same intensity as the first four times. "But then the horn sounded, and I knew it made it."

Yes, Mark Crain is a hockey player. And if I'd known, I wouldn't have agreed to a date with him. Unlike most girls on this planet, I'm definitely not in my hockey romance era. When your brother is a player, it kind of loses the romantic appeal. What is this guy even doing on a dating app? I thought athletes had no shortage of girls to choose from. Scratch that, I know why.

The evening stretches on, and it's more of the same. Him bragging about the goals he scored, and me pretending to care. He doesn't seem like a bad person by any means. Just incredibly boring. My mind wanders to Deacon, and I try to imagine him on a date. The thought makes me smile. I'm sure even on a night out, he's grumpy and barely says two words to his date, though right this second, that feels like a huge upgrade .

Finally, the evening comes to an end, and unfortunately, Mark insists on walking me home since we chose a restaurant close to my place.

As we stroll down Warlington Lane, music and cheers emanate from Deacon's bar. And just when I begin to wonder if my brother and his teammates are here, I spot Marissa and Aaron Miles come out to chat in front of the bar. Great .

"Oh, hell no," Mark growls. I glance at him to see what the problem is. His eyes are narrowed on Aaron.

Merde. Is he on my brother's team? I didn't even ask, because I really didn't care, but now that I think of it, that would have been prime information.

"Um, do you know him?"

Mark grits his teeth. "Yes. He's a Raptor ."

Uh-oh. "Right, and you are . . ."

His head snaps toward me. "A Shark!"

"Right, right." I swallow hard. Sharks and Raptors are the two New York teams, which also means they're fierce rivals. Of course I had to wind up in a West Side Story situation. Why can't a date go smoothly for once?

Aaron notices us, and his expression mirrors the one on Mark's face. "What are you doing here, Crain? Are you lost? "

"Just came to see how the other—lower—half lives," he says with a smirk that makes me wish I could disappear below the ground.

Marissa and Aaron both zero in on me, which only increases the feeling. The look on their faces is a mix of incomprehension and disgust. I instinctively take a step away from Mark.

"What's going on here?" Aaron asks, crossing his arms. With his military haircut and large muscles, Aaron Miles is one of the scariest of my brother's teammates.

"Walking my date home," Mark says casually, as if we were going steady.

I open my mouth to defend myself, but the bar door opens, and Hayley, my brother, and some of my brother's teammates file out. Perfect.

"What's up?" Max asks, his face scrunching into a frown.

"Alice was on a date with Crain," Aaron says, not helping one bit.

" Alice, ?a va pas ou quoi? C'est notre adversaire! Je t'interdit de sortir avec lui! " Max yells.

I scoff. "You're forbidding me from dating him? Are you serious right now? I'll date whoever I want," I say, momentarily forgetting how much I don't want to date Mark. But that's beside the point. My annoying, overprotective brother needs to be put in his place.

"Alice," he growls, and Hayley places a hand on his arm to try to calm him. She offers a compassionate look, and I answer with a half-smile. It's not her fault my brother is a caveman.

Mark takes a step forward, bringing him uncomfortably close to my brother, and I draw a short breath. "What's wrong, Beaumont? Had your eyes set on her? Well, deal with it. She's got it bad for me."

My face twists in disgust, but it quickly shifts to fear as Max's expression darkens, his large figure closing the gap between him and Mark.

"She's my sister, you dumbass," he says between gritted teeth. "Lay one finger on her, and I'll break your face."

"Max," I hiss, but there's no stopping these two.

Mark's mouth tilts into a malicious smile. "I plan to do a lot more to her than that."

Okay. Now Max has my permission to knock his teeth out. What's wrong with this dude?

Max's fist connects with Mark in a loud thud, and just when he's about to retaliate, the bar door swings open.

"What's going on here?" Deacon booms.

"Crain's running his mouth about Alice," Aaron says, as if he's talking to one of his buddies. I know they' ve been spending time at the bar, since it's so close to the shop and the café, but what on earth is happening here? "He was on a date with her."

Deacon's eyes turn into slits, and he shoots Mark a death stare. "If you don't want to end your night on a stretcher, get out of here."

"What, you got a thing for her too?" Mark smirks.

Deacon grabs Mark by the collar. "Don't make me say it again."

You'd think witnessing a bar owner threatening a hockey player wouldn't be that scary, but you're not seeing the look of determination burning in Deacon's eyes. Even Mike Tyson would run for his life at this point. Plus, half the Raptors are here, and Mark is a lone Shark tonight.

He glances at me, and I take a step toward my brother's teammates. Then, stealing one last glare at Deacon and my brother, he scoffs and stomps away.

A sea of shoulders sag in relief, and I almost crumble to the floor. Deacon throws me a look I can't quite decipher, a mix of anger and disappointment, far from the limited expressions I've seen him wear before. But I don't have time to process it, because I have to endure ten minutes of my brother's wrath in a dizzying mix of French and English while the rest of the players go back inside for drinks. The search for my true match is getting a little out of hand. Maybe I should quit dating for a while.

Finally, he goes back inside, and just when I'm about to head home, Hayley and Marissa come out, each of them hugging me in turn.

"Sorry about that. Are you okay?" Hayley asks, squeezing my hand.

I shake my head. "I'm fine. To tell the truth, I didn't even like the guy. And he absolutely deserved that punch."

We all laugh.

"Bold move dating a Shark," Marissa says, shaking her strawberry-blonde hair. "Even I wouldn't dare. Well, I don't date hockey players, period, no matter which team they play for."

"Really?" Hayley frowns, looking at her. "I thought you and Aaron . . ."

I can see why Hayley would think that. Aaron spends half his time at the café, and they always bicker like an old couple.

Marissa snorts. "Miles is my best friend. We grew up together, so he's pretty much my brother. Plus, my dad is his coach, so . . ." She chuckles.

"Right, off-limits."

She bites her lip. " Exactly."

Hayley throws me a look that tells me she doesn't believe a word of that "best friend" spiel either, but we've had enough emotion for one night. I suck in a quick breath. "Anyway, I swear I didn't know he was a Shark. I only found out he played once we were on our date, and that's when I lost all interest."

Hayley and Marissa puff out a laugh.

"You almost gave the guys a heart attack, bringing him here," Marissa says between giggles. "And Deacon's face! That was epic."

I press my lips together. "Yeah, I don't know why he stepped in like that. He's not even on the team."

Marissa shrugs. "He's kind of running a Raptor bar now, so I guess it makes sense."

"Right." I swallow, trying to bury the part of me that hoped Deacon was defending my honor because he cared. "Well, I think I'll call it a night, let you get back inside."

"Why don't you join us?" Hayley glances over her shoulder to peer through the window. "Max is already back to his usual happy self."

I grimace. "I don't know. It's kind of weird now."

"Nonsense," Marissa says, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "We can still have a fun night. The boys are in good shape for the playoffs, and I promise you that's the only thing they're talking about," she says, rolling her eyes.

"Fine." I smile. "Just one drink."