Delayed Call

by Toni Aleo

  Laughing hard, Jensen fell over onto the ice, leaning on his hand as he looked up at Vaughn. “You know that’s how relationships work. You fall in love.”

  “Um, yeah, like in a year or something.”

  Rolling his eyes, Jensen sat up on his knees. “You know I fell for Wren in two seconds.”

  “’Cause you’re a puss.”

  “Whatever,” he said, flipping him off as he stood, skating to where Vaughn was standing. “I remember it like it was yesterday.”

  “And now you’re going to tell me?” he asked dryly, and Jensen nodded.

  “I sure am,” he said, squirting some water into his mouth, and then he squirted it on the ice, a little grin on his face. “It was the summer we were building NateWay One. I had always thought she was a beautiful girl, and I had a sickening crush, but I didn’t think of her as the one—”

  “You think of Wren as the one?”

  Jensen shrugged. “Yeah.”

  “But you won’t tell her that.”

  “She isn’t ready.”

  Scrunching up his face, Vaughn murmured, “You’re an odd fuck, you know that?”

  Thinking that over, Jensen nodded. “Maybe. But anyway, we were building the frame to one of the houses to the left of the main house. I asked her to hand me a hammer, and she looked at me and said, ‘So you can bang the hell out of that nail?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s what you do.’” He paused to laugh, and Vaughn rolled his eyes. “And she laughed and laughed, and then goes, ‘I was trying to be suggestive, Jenny, come on.’ She walked away, her shorts way too short and too tight, but I knew, right then, I would love her for the rest of my life.”

  When he looked over at Vaughn, like he had seen the heavens above, Vaughn found himself shaking his head. “I wonder about you sometimes.”

  “What? It’s a good story.”

  “Oh, Jenny, bang that nail,” he said, mocking Wren’s voice. “Oh, I am, with my big old hammer, Wren. Come here, baby, let me—”

  “Please stop.”

  “I’m just saying,” he said as he sputtered with laughter. “You’re such a nerd.”

  “It’s a better story than rolling over and telling the girl you really like—” He paused to clear his throat before he said, mimicking Vaughn, ‘Oh, I don’t sleep with women, I only fuck. Ugh, ugh, ugh, I’m Vaughn Johansson, I have a big cock, and you should be lucky I fucked you.’” When Jensen started laughing, Vaughn couldn’t help it, he laughed too.

  “You are by far the biggest goober I’ve ever met.”

  Still laughing, Jensen slapped his thigh. “Dude, really, just be happy, let it happen all natural and shit.”

  “I plan on it.”

  “But remember, my dad always said, ‘You can’t be a coward and be in love. You’re not allowed. You gotta choose one before you’re a coward and alone.’”

  He blinked a few times, and Vaughn found Jensen’s words rattled his soul. He wasn’t saying he loved Brie by any means. He cared for her and he’d do just about anything for her, but he wouldn’t say he loved her. But the words rang in his head. He knew it could happen, and that completely terrified him. He had already failed once at love, and here he was, trying again. But this time, it was Brie. A girl who had been through the wringer, a girl who fought for her brother, who fought for herself, kicked ass, and took names. A girl he had already hurt, not once, but twice, and he didn’t want to hurt her ever again.

  He didn’t want to fail.

  He had failed Nathan.

  He had failed at not seeing through Hazel.

  But he wouldn’t fail when it came to Brie. While he was used to going fast and not thinking, this time, he was going to take his time. He was going to do right by her, and when it came time to love her, he wouldn’t be a coward.

  Failure wasn’t an option.

  “Hey, JoJo, you and your girl work it out?”

  Vaughn and Jensen looked toward the bench where Franklin and Reeves were coming out of the tunnel. “What are you talking about?”

  Franklin scoffed as he gave Vaughn a knowing look. “You know damn well what I’m talking about. That hot-ass reporter who almost kicked your ass on the ice after you two stopped having that lovers’ quarrel.”

  Vaughn rolled his eyes. “Dude, you know nothing.”

  “You guys were fighting over sex. What, were you leading her on?”

  “Noneya,” he answered with a shrug. “You don’t even know what was going on. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. Go work on your backhand before you get sent down to the minors. Ask Reeves how bad that sucks.”

  Reeves held his gloves up. “Hey, I didn’t say anything!”

  “Guilty by association.”

  Rolling his eyes, Franklin skated off with Reeves as Vaughn let out a long breath and Jensen muttered, “I told you to tuck all that in when y’all were on the ice.”

  “Yes, Father, I heard you.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t say you’re doing her. When have you ever been shy?”

  “The moment I don’t know how she feels about it. I’m not putting her out there like that, that’s shitty.” When he looked over at Jensen because he felt him staring, Vaughn rolled his eyes. “Stop.”

  “That’s so sweet. You’re growing up. Come here, let me hug you.”

  Hitting Jensen in the pad with his stick, Vaughn warned, “You come near me, I’ll tell Wren you like her.”

  “Jerk.”

  “Pussy.”

  Laughing, Jensen started to shake out his arms as he asked, “Speaking of Wren, are you going to take the woman we are not speaking of to dinner with Wells, boyfriend guy, and Wren?”

  Glancing down at his best friend who was now on the ice doing some downward dog pose, Vaughn nodded. “I haven’t asked her yet, but I wanted to.”

  Clicking his tongue playfully, Jensen paused as he teased, “Aw, introducing her to the family and you don’t love her? Please.”

  “Cool your jets, lover boy. Not everyone falls in love while hammering in a nail.” He paused then, pointing to his best friend, a smirk on his lips. “Hammering, though, that could happen. Especially with someone like her.”

  Skating around, messing with the puck as Jensen continued to stretch like a freak, Vaughn looked up when Jensen asked, “So you think I’d fall in love with her all over again if we…hammered?”

  “Whatever you do, my inexperienced friend who wants to lose his virginity, don’t say, ‘Hey, Wren, wanna hammer?”

  Jensen glared. “I hate you.”

  Vaughn chortled as his head fell back. “Yeah, yeah. Though, I think so, but you gotta make a move.”

  “She’s being weird.”

  He shrugged. “Wren’s an odd one.”

  “No, something is up.”

  “Yeah, but she won’t tell any of us.”

  “Maybe if all three of us team up on her, she’ll crack?”

  Vaughn stopped skating as he shook his head. “I’m not subjecting my beautiful woman to that.”

  Jensen shrugged. “It would scare off the new guy.”

  “Why do we wanna scare him off? Wells likes him. So, we like him, right?” Vaughn was confused, and then he nodded slyly. “Wait, is it really Wells you’re in love with?”

  When Jensen’s goalie stick came flying at Vaughn, he hit the rink, laughing as the stick went sliding across the ice. “You’re a fucker.”

  Still laughing, Vaughn made snow angels as he looked up at the rafters of the Assassins’ arena, a grin sitting on his lips that Brie had left there the night before. He couldn’t wait to see her later that night. Couldn’t wait to hold her, kiss that naughty mouth of hers, and just be with her. He hadn’t wanted that in a long time, and it felt right. But the nagging feeling of fear was there.

  He worried that it wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while.

  Not when he was with someone like Brie.

  “I thought we were having sex?”

  Glancing over at Brie, he rolled his
eyes as he threw a chip in his mouth. “I thought we were watching a movie.”

  She pouted. “Or we can have sex and watch the movie.”

  “I can’t do both. I gotta focus on the movie or you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You came over here in nothing but shorts—no shirt, no socks, just those shorts.”

  She pointed to his Assassins shorts, and he shrugged. “I wanted to be comfortable. Should I put a suit on next time?”

  “Well, if you don’t want to be hit on, you might want to… Never mind, I’ll hit on you then too.”

  A smirk covered his face before he fed her a chip. “Be good, and I’ll give you some loving after the movie.”

  “Fine,” she pouted. “By the way, I think you need a tattoo right here.”

  She moved her finger along his chest, and he laughed. “What? ‘THUG’ in big letters? I can go show it to the florist, she’d really love me.”

  She laughed as she nodded. “Especially if you get, like, a pair of guns or something.”

  “Yeah, or better yet, just big, bold letters: THUG LIFE.”

  “Yes! That would put you on the map as the badass playboy for sure.”

  “My dream.”

  “Could be a reality. Just a trip to the shop.”

  “Nope.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  “What the hell, woman? Are you not attracted to my baby-soft skin?” He faked a hurt expression, and she laughed as she reached out to take his hand, which he playfully smacked away. “No, you don’t like my clear, beautiful skin.”

  “I do, you big nerd. But it would be so hot if you had some ink.”

  “Well, I think it would be hot if you let me put it in your butt.” She glared. “What? It would be so damn hot, my cock so deep—”

  “You’re nasty, shut up.”

  He chuckled. “Are we at an impasse?”

  “Yes,” she answered, all grumpy and cute. Reaching out, he took her in his arms, laying her over his chest. “You want me to get a tattoo?”

  She looked up at him, setting her chin on his chest as she met his gaze. “Yes, I thought we could go together. I want a new one.”

  “Of what? What would we be getting?”

  She shrugged, a smile playing on her lips. “I thought maybe we each could get something for our brothers.”

  He thought it over. It was sweet. “No.”

  She snorted. “You’re an ass.”

  “I know,” he said, smacking her butt.

  “You’d be so hot, though.”

  “I’m hot now, asshole. Stop making me question my hotness!”

  Snickering against him, she said, “Well, excuse me.”

  “You’re excused. Now, hush, I’m missing the movie.”

  Cuddling into him, she let out a breath and whispered, “You know I’m joking, right?”

  “I do.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay.”

  “Vaughn.”

  “Yes, Brie?”

  “I’m glad you get me.”

  He smiled against her hair as he nuzzled her. “Right back atcha, hot stuff.”

  A moment passed, and he couldn’t help but chuckle when she started talking again. “How was— Why are you laughing?”

  “’Cause you keep talking!”

  “I know,” she said, reaching for the remote and pausing the movie that he had no clue what was going on in. Sitting up on her hands, her elbows digging into his chest, she said, “I want to talk. I haven’t seen or talked to you all day.”

  “We’ve both been busy, and you didn’t text me.”

  “I don’t like texting.”

  “I don’t either.”

  “So call me.”

  “I was busy.”

  “So was I,” she answered sadly with a loud exhale.

  “Then why are we talking about this?”

  “I don’t know. How was practice?”

  “It was good, busy, worked on three-on-three OT.”

  “Good, you guys need to.”

  “Yeah, they’ve got me with Reeves and Sinclair.”

  “Hmm, not you and Franklin?”

  He made a face. “I don’t like Franklin.”

  She scoffed. “He’s got a great pass. You don’t have to like him, just work with him.”

  “He called you a hot-ass reporter.”

  He held her gaze as her brows lifted. “I mean, I am—”

  “Shut it, and I’m rubbing off on you.”

  She snickered as she rolled her eyes. “I was joking, but why was he talking about me?”

  “He was giving me shit about us.”

  “He knows?”

  “No, I kept it on the DL.”

  “Oh,” she said sharply. “Trying to keep me a secret with everything else in your life?

  He shot her a bored look. “No, asshole, we hadn’t talked about what we were going to tell people, and I wanted to talk to you first.”

  “Oh,” she said with a smile. “That’s nice.”

  “Jenny thought so too.”

  She laughed. “So what do you wanna do?”

  “Be with you?”

  “Well, duh, dork, I mean with all that. People and shit?”

  “Do we have to tell people?”

  “We might have to. I might want to kiss you in public.”

  He nodded slowly. “I’ll kiss you wherever the hell I want and I don’t care what people say, but I’m not saying we need to be Facebook official and shit.”

  “I don’t have Facebook.”

  “Really? I don’t either.”

  “It’s a cesspool of drama.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  She nodded, holding his gaze. “So if we aren’t Facebook official, what are we?”

  He thought that over for a minute. “Vaughn and Brie official?”

  “Why do you get to go first?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Brie and Vaughn official, then.”

  “I like Vaughn first.”

  “You’re a pain in my ass, woman.”

  She grinned happily as she kissed his jaw. “So we’ll just do us.”

  “I like that.”

  “But you’re not hiding me?”

  “No, you freak. If I want to do you against the wall with the whole team there, I’ll ask you first and then do it.”

  She snorted as she crawled up his body and kissed his lips. “Sounds like a plan.” Reaching for the remote, she restarted the movie and lay down as he hugged her tightly against him. He liked that they had settled that, and above all, that they were both on the same page. She smelled like heaven, and he wanted to bury his face in her hair, but before he could, he remembered she’d had an appointment with Rodney that afternoon. “Hey.”

  Pausing the movie, she looked at him. “Yeah?”

  “How did Rodney’s appointment go? Sorry, I meant to ask earlier.”

  “Don’t apologize, I forgot to tell you because I’m trying to forget.” His heart sank as she blew out a long breath. “Dr. Miller doesn’t like the looks of Rod’s EKG, so they’re running some more tests.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “He might need a new heart.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Exactly. The doctor is thinking about putting him on the list to be safe.”

  “Yeah. Fuck, baby, why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to think about it.”

  He drank in her face. She was looking at his chest, and within seconds, the fun, silly Brie was gone and replaced by a worried sick sister. She was so used to doing everything on her own, and he didn’t want her to feel like that. He wasn’t expecting her to just give him all the pain, but she could lean. He’d hold her. “Hey.”

  She looked up and he cupped her face. “You know you got me, right? To lean on?”

  She smiled. “Yeah.”

  “Okay, don’t be an ass and not lean, then.”

  A grin replaced the smile, and she nodded. “Okay.”

 
“Start the movie.”

  With a grin in place, she lay down and hit play. But then he said, “Wait, I forgot.”

  Laughing, she paused and sat up. “And you say I’m annoying and ruining the movie.”

  He scrunched his face up at her playfully before smacking her butt, which she laughed at. “So, question?”

  “Yes?”

  “You know I’m from Colorado and all, right?”

  “I do.”

  “Well, when we go there to play in a couple weeks, I wanted to show you NateWay One. Take you to see Nathan and my mom.”

  Her eyes widened a bit as her lips curved into a small smile. “I’d love that.”

  “Cool. Also, I need you to be my date for this dinner with Jensen, Wren, my best friend, Wells, and his new boyfriend.”

  She held his gaze, and he was sort of worried she’d say no. “So you’re introducing me to the family, in a sense?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Holy crap, this is serious, isn’t it?” Her eyes were teasing, and he found himself laughing.

  “A bit.”

  “Cool.”

  “Cool?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be there.” Her eyes sparkled as she held his gaze. “Might wear the dress I only wore for like ten minutes on our first date.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t do that to me. I can’t be a best friend when I’m trying to finger my girl at dinner.”

  Turning red, she laughed. “I would die ’cause you know I’ll come.”

  “Oh, I know. I also know you won’t wear panties.”

  “Nope, just to mess with you,” she admitted with a wink, and he smiled. “Guess, I’ll wear pants and tee.”

  “No, you won’t.”

  “I know, but I’m not going to tell you what I’m wearing.”

  “Fine, brat.”

  Sticking her tongue out, she reached for the remote. He stopped her, bringing her hand up to his lips before he kissed it. “I want to have sex now.”

  She made a face. “But I want to watch the movie.”

  “I don’t care,” he said, rolling her over so he was on top.

  “I want you.”

  Letting out a groan, she teased, “Fine, I guess.”

  And as their lips met, he found he smiled more during kisses with Brie than he did anywhere else.

  Climbing onto the Assassins’ charter, Brie tried to stay calm as she FaceTimed with Rodney. “I’m sorry I had to drop you off so quickly. That we didn’t get to talk that much.”