Chapter 37

“Are you ever going to wake up?” I heard Sidney whisper into my ear. I stirred at the sound of his voice and cuddled a little more into the arms that were wrapped around me.

“Do I have to?” I whined, my eyes still closed.

“Only if you want to make it to breakfast,” he responded, placing a light kiss on my neck, just below my earlobe. I shivered at the touch. He’d never done that before.

“Fine, I’ll wake up,” I muttered. He laughed as I turned myself so I was facing him.

“You will need to get out of bed to go, you know,” he joked as he unwrapped himself from around me and got out of bed.

“I hate your rules,” I shot back as I watched his naked body walk into the bathroom.

As soon as he was out of sight I cringed. Was I insane? Now why would I think sleeping with Sidney after the club last night was a good idea? Like I needed to confuse myself anymore. In my defense I was drunk, but I also don’t feel like using alcohol as an excuse is okay to do. God, I’m an idiot.

Eventually as I was dancing with Max, and sometimes with Tanger, Sidney made his way over to me. He acted like he hadn’t just ignored me for half the night to flirt with a girl he’s been sleeping with for over a year. I was determined to just treat him like he was a friend and nothing more, and yet I found myself sitting on his lap a little while later. Damn shots.

I didn’t bring up the girl to Sidney figuring he’d bring her up himself. If I was his best friend like he said, it shouldn’t be an issue. I was still waiting for him to bring her up. I wondered if he ever would. I chastised myself as I thought about it. I had no right to be questioning him about anyone. We are not a couple.

I wasn’t even sure how we ended up in bed together last night. Honestly I felt a little used. Was I the new girl? Was I the new version of that girl? I didn’t think Sidney was like that, and I thought I knew him pretty well, but now I wasn’t sure. I was confused. I didn’t know what we were doing.

“So what are you doing about the school search?” Sidney asked me over French toast topped with strawberries.

“I think I’ve narrowed it down to my top 10. I was actually going to start applications today when we got home. I’m still not sure exactly what I’m looking for. I don’t know how I made a decision last time,” I grumbled before popping hash brown into my mouth.

“Are any in Pittsburgh?” he asked. It sounded like a nonchalant question, but he was avoiding my gaze when he asked. Did he want to know because he wanted me here or because he didn’t? Would I be in the way with the other girl?

“Yeah, Chatham University,” I told him. He was quiet for a little while after I told him that.

“How high is it on your list?”

“I’m not really sure. I haven’t really sorted through them that way. I figured I’d just narrow my list to what I have, apply to them all, and see what I get back. I’ll do some research while I wait, but I’ll see about financial aid and all that,” I explained. He nodded and I couldn’t tell if my answer was satisfactory enough for him.

“If you decide on Chatham, you can always stay with me when you go to school,” he offered. I looked up at him pleasantly surprised. He wouldn’t offer to have me live with him if he didn’t want me here, right?

“You want me to live with you? You sure you can handle that?” I asked. He looked up at me and grinned.

“You’re right. I rescind my offer. Find another place,” he joked. I rolled my eyes and threw some hash brown at him. I laughed when it fell into his orange juice.

“You’re an asshole, Crosby.” He laughed with me and then his face became a little more serious.

“I mean it though, Misty. It’d be great to have you around more often.” I felt my cheeks starting to turn red, but I tried to act like his statement hadn’t affected me at all.

“I do spice up your life.”










Sidney glanced over at Misty who was sitting on her laptop typing away. She hadn’t looked up once in the last couple of hours and he knew she was hard at work on applications. She’d told him she’d put them off way too long and it was starting to be deadline time. He didn’t want to bother her so he left her to her work.

He’d been thinking about her going back to school since she’d gotten here. She’d talked about going back, but he hadn’t been sure she was serious about it until today. Now that he knew she was, he desperately wanted her to go to school here. Having Misty around all year long would be amazing.

He typed Chatham University into the search on his laptop. He began to do his own research, looking up where exactly it was. When he found it was close to the rink he smiled to himself. There was a chance Misty could move to Pittsburgh. If that happened then there was a chance she’d move in with him. He’d have to find a way to convince her to go to Chatham.

He thought about the last few days and how he was trying to slowly work his way up to telling her how he felt. The dinner the other night had been a good start. He took her someplace nice, took her for a walk in the park, even held her hand. Even though he’d wanted to kiss her, he hadn’t because he was worried about rejection even now.

Of course last night didn’t really help him in the ‘slowly’ part of his plan. Even though he hadn’t intended on doing anything last night, Misty had made it nearly impossible not to. While they were hanging out at the club she just kept sliding closer and closer to him on the couch until he couldn’t stand not touching her anymore. He wasn’t even sure what possessed him to do it, but he’d eventually dragged her up onto his lap and she hadn’t gotten off.

Doing that was the worst thing he could have possibly done. All willpower he had to just take things slowly had disappeared. Her neck was right in front of him, and he hadn’t been able to keep his mouth off of it last night. She didn’t pull away, and in fact she seemed to enjoy it. By the end of the night they were practically having sex right there at the table and he knew it was time to go then.

They’d barely made it through his front door before they were pulling each other’s clothes off. He was surprised they made it all the way up to his bedroom. A couple of times he thought about stopping them, but every time he opened his mouth to say something he found Misty kissing him. It just felt too good to stop.

Now he was annoyed and frustrated at himself. He had to stop doing that if he wanted her to think he wanted more from their relationship than the occasional wild night. He didn’t want to be sending her mixed signals. While he wasn’t exactly relationship savvy, he knew that mixed signals were not a good thing.

A couple of days later Misty had finished all of her applications and their essays. She’d been working on them almost day and night. Every chance he got he brought up Chatham, usually asking her questions about it. He figured it was like TV advertising. The more he mentioned it, the more it would be in her head, and the better chance he’d have that she’d choose it as long as she got in. Sidney had no doubt she’d get in.

Now they were headed to Diesel…..again. He wasn’t sure he’d ever been there as many times in his life as he’d been with Misty. Before it had always been awkward. Either he was stuck being a third, fifth, who knows what odd numbered wheel with the couples or stuck with the single guys hitting on just about every skirt in the place. Neither was his idea of a good time. Now that he had Misty he fit in with at least one of the groups.

When they walked into the club Sidney immediately began scanning the place. He absolutely did not want to see Sabrina. He’d gone on a couple of dates with her at the beginning of last season and found her to be incredibly annoying. Of course, she’d been hot as well, so he’d still slept with her, but he made sure she knew that was all it was.

He and Misty sat down at a table with their drinks and joined the conversation that was already going on around them. Sidney sat back and watched Misty’s interaction with everyone. She just fit. She was not shy to give any of the guys shit right back when they said anything, and that always won them over. There was nothing more a locker room of guys hated than an uptight girl who couldn’t take a joke.

Misty eventually got up and moved over to the bar. He watched her as she took shot after shot with his teammates and the other girls and laughed at the spectacle they were making of themselves. They were joking around, laughing, dancing, and pouring shots down each other’s throats. She was just like them. Usually that might have annoyed him if he thought she was just there to party, but he knew Misty knew when to turn it off. Not to mention every once in a while she’d glance over at him and smile. That always got him. Misty’s smile got him every time.

“You’re acting like a pussy watching her like that,” Max told him, putting a beer down in front of him.

“I’m not watching her,” Sidney denied. Max snorted out his derisiveness.

“Whatever you say, Captain.”

“I’m just trying to take things slow, okay?” Max nodded.

“How did she take the Sabrina thing?” he asked. Sidney looked over at him in confusion.

“What do you mean ‘the Sabrina thing’?” Sidney questioned. Max gave him a look like he was an idiot.

“You ditched her half the other night to talk to Sabrina,” Max told him. Sidney shook his head defensively.

“No way. I wanted nothing more than to get away from Sabrina,” Sidney said.

“You looked like you were getting ready to take her home.” Sidney looked at Max in shock. Before he had a chance to say anything, Max cut him off. “Just think about how it looked to Misty.”

Sidney sighed as Max walked away and headed back over to the bar. He’d been right, which sucked. Here Sidney had thought he’d been doing well the last few days when really he’d practically destroyed it on the first night. He was such an idiot. He figured Misty had just been quiet the last couple of days because of the college applications, but maybe that hadn’t been all. Maybe it had been Sabrina.

When he and Misty had come last time Sabrina had seen him and taken up his entire night. He made excuse after excuse to get away from her but she just kept talking. He felt bad leaving Misty alone for half the night, but she’d looked like she was having fun hanging out with the girls. He’d nodded and laughed whenever Sabrina said anything to him, but he hardly contributed anything to the conversation. It was only when her friend had gotten sick that she’d finally let him go.

He was going to have to tell Misty about Sabrina and how he wanted nothing to do with her tomorrow. He hadn’t seen Sabrina since before he’d even met Misty this summer, and he had no interest in keeping in contact with her. He’d make that clear. Right now though, he decided to head over to the bar and join in on the fun. Misty wasn’t going to be neglected by him tonight. He’d make sure of that.