“So, where is your newest conquest?”
“Fuck off, Ally,” I say as quietly as possible. The last thing I want is for Lacey to hear me. “She’s not a conquest. She’s Jude’s sister.”
“Ah, so going for your best friend’s sister, huh? I think I saw a movie on Lifetime about that. Be careful. She might be an ax murderer.”
“I highly doubt it.” I take the carved turkey to the table and then go back and start putting the other items into bowls. The hockey house is nothing but a glorified frat house, and our serving wear leaves a lot to be desired. I leave the potatoes in the pot and find bowls for the other side dishes. Lastly, I take the rolls out of the oven and set them on a plate.
“Just answer me this, are you screwing her behind Jude’s back?”
I sigh. “We’re not doing anything. At all. Period.”
“But you want to, I can tell.”
“She has a boyfriend, Ally. He’s a douchebag, but nonetheless, her boyfriend. And I’m . . . well, you know.”
“Kyler, you don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re a catch. You’re going places in life. You won’t ever have to depend on welfare to pay your bills or to put food on the table for your family. But you do need to be careful. The puck bunnies only want one thing.”
“I’m aware.” I don’t need to tell her Thea isn’t like the girls who hang out at the rink or come to the parties, and not all the females I talk to are either. But there are a few out there. Ally could’ve easily been one of them. She used to hang out at the rink all the time, waiting for me to finish practice. I know she dated a few of the older guys before she got involved with Lacey’s father.
“I worry about you,” she tells me. “I don’t want to see someone taking advantage of you.” What she really means is she doesn’t want someone taking time away from Lacey. I love my sister, but like my mother, she depends way too much on me.
“Can you let Mom and Lacey know it’s time to eat?”
Ally nods and kisses me on my cheek before leaving. I look at the spread and snap a picture of everything. I’m pretty damn proud of myself and know Thea would appreciate the effort I put in. She’ll also be happy to know I’m not alone today. She asked me a half dozen times what I was going to do today, and each time the answer was nothing. We’re not a big holiday family. When you grow up as poor as we did, these days don’t mean anything but heartache. I wasn’t a kid who got excited for Christmas or my birthday. Those are just days of the week to us. Ally and I do everything we can to make sure Lacey is taken care of, though. She knows what it’s like to have a birthday party and have presents under the tree. Christmas with my niece is magical and something I look forward to. Plus, the handmade gifts she gives me are the best, and I have them hanging on my wall.
Lacey and my mom come into the kitchen. My mom’s eyes widen at the spread in front of her. She’s sober today, which is great. But, most days, she’s tipping the glass a bit too much. It bothers me because that’s money she could be using elsewhere. But she’s never saved a damn penny in her life. The check comes in, and it’s gone—nothing for the next week except struggle.
“Uncle Ky, did you make all of this?” Lacey asks as I hold the chair out for her.
“I did.”
“Hey, I helped,” Ally blurts out.
“Smashing some potatoes isn’t helping.” I point out. “Besides, you were only in here to gossip.”
“I love gossip,” Lacey says excitedly. “Can I have some?”
The three of us laugh. Lacey brings so much laughter to our lives. It’s hard to imagine where I’d be without her. She’s definitely given me a purpose to work harder and be a better man, and she’s shown me a bit of what it will be like when I’m a father. If I ever get the chance.
My mom insists on saying grace, which makes Lacey laugh. But, unfortunately, her giggles are infectious, and my mom ends up snorting halfway through her words. As soon as my mom says “amen,” Ally and I do as well, but Lacey mumbles something like almond.
“Well, let’s eat,” I say, much to the satisfaction of the women around me.
After the kitchen is cleaned and Ally has taken my mom and niece back to their place, I finally decide it’s time to relax. I figure I can catch the tail end of the football game or something or at least work on some homework. I have a paper due next week, and I could get a head start on it instead of leaving it until the night before. My professor might appreciate the extra effort. As soon as I sit down on the couch, I open my social media app and start to scroll. I have purposefully stayed off my phone all day to avoid the temptation of texting Thea. We’ve started a friendly little chat on text, and while I’d love to continue it, I don’t want to interrupt her time with her family. I’m sure she misses her parents. Only, she’s not just with her family, but Adam and his family as well, and they’re looking awfully cozy. The picture before me shows the gorgeous woman who I want to get to know better. The one I kissed with such abandon and slept next to, in what had to be one of my best night’s nights of sleep in a long time, sitting next to her douchebag boyfriend. They look cozy. Too cozy if I’m honest. They look like they’re in love. In one image, they’re together, with DBA’s arm around Thea, and in the next, he’s looking at her like she’s the last woman on earth and she’s meant for him.
I close the app and try to get the image out of my head. I can’t. What Thea and I shared the other night was nothing more than a college hook-up after a night of drinking. Thank-fucking-God I didn’t fuck her and had enough sense to put a stop to her roving hands. It’s clear to me now she’s trying to make him jealous. Sadly, she’s not going to succeed. I was fine before she arrived, and I’ll be fine long after she’s gone.
Instead of wallowing in self-pity, I head upstairs and change into a clean pair of jeans and a crisp button-down. I use some of Jude’s hair gel and run it through my hair. It’s what he calls his “make-the-girls-go-crazy” stuff. Personally, I’ve never cared what my hair looks like because it has a mind of its own most days or is covered by either a hat or helmet. Women either like me or they don’t.
Tonight, I want them to.
Tonight, I want to be noticed.
The only problem is most of the bars are closed today, except for The Crease. The owner doesn’t have any family and makes sure his staff gets the night off. He’s about to earn back the paycheck he gave me last week because I’m going to need a shit-ton of booze to forget those images.
God, how could I be so stupid? There is no way in hell someone like Thea would want to be with someone like me when she has Mr. Moneybags. Apparently, she doesn’t care he’s cheating on her and he probably convinced her I made the whole story up.
When I get to the bar, I’m happy to find I’m not the only loser out by himself on a holiday. I take a seat and tell my boss what I want. He frowns but pours me a Jack and Coke regardless. He knows my life story and gets why I’m so sullen all the time.