Juicy Rebound (IceCats Book 1)

by Toni Aleo

  Chandler is doing just that.

  Before I realize what I’m saying, I whisper, “Will you come home with me?”

  “Come home with you?”

  “Stay at my mom’s with me? As my boyfriend.”

  His hold on me tightens as he presses his nose to mine. “I’d love that very much.”

  “Me too.”

  “You know what my Christmas wish is?”

  “You still have Christmas wishes?” I tease, and he laughs.

  “Hey, my mom spoils me.”

  “No, I did not know that,” I deadpan. “I still don’t know how I feel about her washing and folding the clothes I left at your house.”

  He laughs loudly. “You’re grateful ’cause if I had done it, that white shirt of yours would be pink.”

  I snort as he nuzzles my neck. “Fine, give me your Christmas wish.”

  “To have the hottest date at your brother’s wedding.”

  “So you’re taking Shelli?”

  When he bites my neck, I cry out but laugh at the same time. “While Shelli is one hell of a spitfire, she isn’t the one I want to take.”

  “Then who?”

  He nibbles my neck. “You.”

  “Me?”

  “Only you.”

  His words shake me to my core and stun me. Two simple words completely knock the breath out of me. I know he means them, and they’re a promise.

  A promise he’ll never break.

  “I guess it’s a good thing my dress is backless.”

  “I do love your back.”

  “And I won’t be able to wear a bra.”

  “I love when you free the boobs.”

  I grin huge, laughter bubbling in my throat. “What am I going to do with you?”

  When he takes my jaw in his hand, turning my head to meet his gaze halfway, our eyes lock.

  “Love me.”

  God, he makes me swoon.

  “Done.”

  “Done,” he says back right before he kisses me.

  Nothing else seems to matter. Not the fact that my cousin beat up my ex. Not that I’m about to take my boyfriend home to my insane family. Not that my brother very well may beat up his best friend, the one I have fallen hard for in just a few months—which may mean I am absolutely insane.

  Yeah, none of that matters because Chandler is kissing me.

  And he loves me.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chandler

  “Don’t be mad.”

  “I’m not mad,” she snaps, but she is slamming the pots on the stove pretty hard. “It’s just very disappointing that I don’t get you for holidays—”

  “Mom, we’re coming to the house for Christmas morning with you guys since Amelia’s family does Christmas on Christmas Eve.”

  She glares. “I wasn’t done talking.”

  I blow out a breath to keep from pulling my hair out. My father is lying back in the easy chair with a shit-eating grin on his face. He probably thinks I’m not the favorite in the house anymore. Little does he know, I’ll always be my mom’s favorite. Even when I want to spend every waking and sleeping moment with Amelia.

  God, I love her.

  My heart honestly can’t handle the way I feel for her. She stuns me with a look. When she laughs, I feel it in my soul. And when her lips touch mine, I feel as if I’ve been sent straight to heaven. It’s absolutely insane. I’d thought I loved Lana, but it doesn’t even come close to what I feel for Amelia. Then again, I always knew she was special.

  My mom points her spoon at me as she goes on. “When you were married to that train wreck, it upset me so much that you wanted to spend the holidays with her and her parents. But now, you’ll be with Amelia and her family, and it’s really hard to be upset because I love all those people. Especially Amelia.”

  “Mom, I know Mrs. Justice would love to have you guys over. I just need to ask, but I have to wait till I’m there.”

  Mom furrows her brow. “Why?”

  I shake my head as I tap my spoon against the table. “She was going to stay with us, but she was worried what her family would say. So now she’s bringing me there, and she’s still worried what they’ll say.”

  My dad sits up from his chair, groaning. His hip is still hurting from Thanksgiving. “Why is she worried?”

  “’Cause of her last marriage. She rushed into it and got stuck.”

  Mom leans on the counter. “How so?”

  I look down at the table as the anger bubbles inside me once more. It wasn’t even my disaster of a marriage, and it still fucks with me. How someone could put their hands on Amelia, not to mention hurt her mentally, is beyond me. She was so outgoing, so comfortable in her skin in college, but now she struggles. With each day that passes, I see more and more of the girl I remember. But knowing she wasn’t comfortable in her own skin for the last five years sucks. She deserves more than that.

  She deserves the world.

  “The bastard was emotionally and physically abusive—” I stop once I realize what I am saying. I’m so comfortable with my parents that it didn’t occur to me not to tell them. But then I realize I am going against my promise not to tell anyone about Amelia’s situation. “Shit, I wasn’t supposed to say that. She doesn’t want people to know, obviously.”

  My mom waves her hand at me as my dad says, “We won’t tell a soul, son. But honestly, when she does speak of her past marriage, it’s easy to tell it wasn’t good. Not in a ‘he cheated’ way, but definitely in a ‘he hurt her’ way.”

  Mom nods. “Absolutely. She brings him up, and there is such fear in her.”

  “I hate him, and I don’t even know him. It annoys me that I can’t kill him and get away with it.”

  Dad scoffs. “Stupid laws.” He shakes his head as he sits down beside me. “Being with someone who has been abused is tough, son. You know that, right?”

  I nod. “She had a little over a year to heal from what he did, and then I came along. I don’t know. She has moments where the memories get to be too much and it hurts her, but I’m there, and I think I’ve helped.”

  Mom cups my shoulder. “Of course you have. We’re just worried you’ll get hurt.”

  My brows come in. “Get hurt? How?”

  “What if she freaks out and runs—”

  “No, she won’t,” I say sharply. “That won’t happen. We have great communication, and we’re doing well.”

  “That’s good,” Dad says slowly. “We’re just worried you’re rushing into this.”

  “What? I am not.”

  “Chandler, honey, it’s only been a couple months—”

  “Four.”

  My mom’s eyes narrow a bit, disbelief swirling in them. “Four months and you’re already ready to kill for her.”

  “So? I love her. What’s wrong with that?”

  “You loved Lana.”

  I let my head fall back, groaning loudly. I lift it and glare back at my father. “Amelia is not Lana, and I’m not the guy I was when I was with Lana. Yes, I rushed into that, but it was because I wanted someone to come home to. I was lonely without you guys, but it isn’t like that anymore. I found that I can live without someone. But now, Amelia has happened, and I can’t live without her. She adds to my life. She makes me happy, and I love her.” I swallow hard. I feel like I’m drowning. I don’t understand what is happening here. “I thought you guys liked her.”

  “Oh, we do,” Mom says, taking my hand. “I love her. She is wonderful, and I love how happy she makes you.”

  “She’s great. But, son, we just don’t want you making that mistake again.”

  I shake my head. “She’s different, though. You both said so yourself. When I brought up that I had seen her again, you both went on and on about how you remember me talking about her all the time. I’ve always thought she was special, and now that I have the chance to be with her, I’m not giving that up.”

  “We’re not asking you to,” Dad says. “We’re just asking you to be sm
art and not rush into this.”

  I shake my head. “You act like I’m dropping to a knee right now. I’m not.”

  Dad lifts a brow. “You haven’t bought a ring?”

  Mom smiles, but I glare. “No. Really, I haven’t.”

  “That surprises us,” Mom says, and I roll my eyes.

  “I mean…it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t marry her right now.”

  Dad lets out a long sigh as Mom laughs. “This is what we’re talking about, honey. You’re ready to give yourself to her.”

  “I already have!” I yell, getting really pissed off. “I’m hers. Completely. And I’m not sorry. If it’s not okay with you, I don’t care.”

  “We didn’t say it wasn’t—”

  “Chandler, we just worry—”

  I cut them both off, standing up and pushing in my chair with more force than I mean to, but I’m pissed the fuck off. “I was never sure Lana was it. I thought so, and I remember even telling you guys I thought she might be it. I know that should have been a red flag, but I was young and dumb. I’m not saying I’m not still a little dumb, but with Amelia, I can look at you both and tell you she is it. She is the one I am going to marry, have kids with, and love every single day, more and more.”

  “We believe you, son,” Dad says softly, holding up his hands. “We just want you to think this through. She’s damaged—”

  “She’s fucking perfect,” I snap. I don’t understand the emotion that is taking over. My eyes are watery, and my chest hurts. “Yeah, she’s been hurt. That fucker put some dents in her. But even with those dents, which I know hurt her, I want nothing more than to smooth them out and love her. Be the man she needs and wants. Because I can do that. Want to know why?” They don’t answer me; they are both just looking at me like I’ve grown a few heads along the way. “Because I am loved by two of the greatest people on this earth. Two people who have so much love inside of them that it overflowed, and somehow, I was the one on the receiving end. I want to love her like that, I want to love my kids like that, and when I look at what is in my future, all I see is her by my side.”

  My mom combs her fingers through her hair as my dad leans back, crossing his arms over his chest. The air in the room is thick with tension, but I won’t budge. I love Amelia, and I always will. I clear my throat of emotion as I look at the floor. “I know you guys are looking out for me and I appreciate it, but when it comes to Amelia, there is no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with but her. I hope you two can support that.”

  Before I even finish my sentence, my mom is across the room and has me wrapped up in her arms. “Of course we can,” she promises. “We just want you to be happy.”

  “I am.”

  “Then we are,” Dad says, sending me a grin.

  When my mom pulls back, I look down into her beautiful face. “I don’t know how this conversation escalated like it did, but I don’t want you to be mad that I’m going to Amelia’s mom’s house.”

  “It escalated because we’re all so passionate and don’t want to spend time apart,” she says, cupping my face. “But no, I’m not mad. I’m jealous of Amelia.”

  I give her an exasperated look. “Mom—”

  “Because I think you might love her more than me.” Didn’t see that coming. My shoulders fall as I look down at her.

  “No one can come close to the love I have for you and Dad, but Amelia is almost right there.”

  Mom pats my face as her eyes swim with her tears. “Then, Chandler honey, you love that girl. And I’ll pray and hope she loves you just as much.”

  She does. I know she does.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chandler

  When I get to the airfield with the team, Amelia is waiting for me. She flew into town with my parents, but she came back with the car I keep here to bring me home. She looks absolutely beautiful, standing beside my car in a long black jacket that goes to her knees with only a little strip of jeans showing before her black boots cover the rest of her legs. Her hair is down, blowing in the wind, and I can’t help but laugh at her bright-pink nose. Leave it to Tennessee to be cold as fuck today, when yesterday, the high was sixty-two.

  As I step off the last stair of the plane’s staircase, a grin pulls at my mouth. Her eyes sparkle as she watches me, waiting for me. We haven’t seen each other in four days, and I swear it feels like nine months.

  “Aw, is that your woman waiting for you, Moon?”

  “Nope, she’s too pretty!”

  “Way too pretty!”

  “Hey, maybe I can get her to give me her number?”

  Nico laughs at our teammates. “Already tried. She’s into Moon, for some reason.”

  Hell, I don’t know all her reasons, but I’m one thankful dude for them.

  I wrap my arms around her, dropping my bag so I can hold her tight, and our lips join in a heated embrace. I don’t even hear the guys anymore; all I hear is my heart pounding in my ears for this girl. The conversation with my parents has weighed heavily on me for the last couple days. A part of me is worried that maybe I am rushing this, but the other part reminds me I’ve never been this happy. She does that for me. Right now, I’m on fire from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. My heart is swelling to ten times its size, just for her. I hate how I feel without her. But now, I feel complete.

  I pull back only a breath, just to kiss her top lip. “Hey, you.”

  She grins up at me, her eyes bright and so full of love. Her lips trail along my chin as she whispers, “Hey, so I have to tell you something.”

  “Yeah?”

  “I missed you.”

  My face breaks into a wide grin. “I missed you more.”

  “Good,” she says before I lift her up on her toes, kissing her hard on the lips. I want to do more, but I can hear my teammates again.

  I place her back on her feet before grabbing my bag with one hand and taking her hand with my other one. “Do we have time for a detour?”

  She giggles. “No, I told my mom I’d be at the house in twenty minutes. And she’s called me nine times since I’m late.”

  I grimace. “So, is she in a good mood or bad?”

  She shrugs. “She’s excited I’m coming home, but she’s annoyed I’m not there yet. She’s complicated.”

  “Like mother, like daughter,” I tease, and she sticks out her tongue at me. I open her door as I laugh, kissing her temple. “What? I adore complicated women.”

  She scoffs. “Well, you got your hands full with me.”

  As she sits down, I nod. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  I shut the door and head to the trunk to put my bag in. When I get behind the wheel, I notice Amelia’s leg is bouncing. I grab her knee, not only to stop it but also because I want to touch her. “You nervous?”

  “Oh yeah.” She gives me a wry look. “Pretty sure my mom will have a lot to say.”

  I start up the car. “About what?”

  Still with the same expression, she says, “About me being in a relationship.”

  “What’s wrong with that? It’s been over a year since Fuckface,” I comment as I drive away from the airfield.

  She snorts. “Is that what you’re going to call him for now on?”

  I nod. “Yes, I feel it’s satisfactory.”

  She rolls her eyes as she sighs heavily. “I just feel like she’s gonna say I’m not thinking or that I’m rushing into something with you when I shouldn’t. I don’t know. They kind of scorned me with Drew. I don’t want them to try to make me choose between you and them.”

  Now I’m the one showing her my deadpan expression. “I’m the coolest guy ever. Your whole family loves me, and I wouldn’t lay a hand on you. So basically, you’re winning in the boyfriend department.”

  She laughs as she pulls out her notebook with her gymnastics lesson plans. She told me she had to work on them during the break. The gym is closed through the holidays, and we’re both thankful for that. We didn’t want her to miss
work, but we weren’t skipping Christmas or Ryan and Sofia’s wedding. “Is that right?”

  “Totally. Watch…your mom is gonna be so damn happy and be speechless because she’s so excited you chose someone so great.”

  “Wow, the confidence is real.”

  “So real,” I say with a wink, and she laughs. What she doesn’t realize is that I’m confident because of her. It’s funny as all hell that, at the beginning of this, I wasn’t. I was nervous, and she made me spew out my guts in a panicky way. I would talk to keep her with me, but now, she stays because she wants to.

  Because she wants me, and I want her.

  I reach for her hand, but she’s already reaching for mine. When our knuckles collide, we glance at each other and start laughing. We lace our fingers, and I kiss the back of her hand when my laughter subsides. As she works, I drive, in love with being with her. The trip to her mom’s isn’t far, about forty minutes through traffic before we hit the open road that leads to her house. The house Amelia grew up in is a little smaller than Ryan’s new house, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in beauty.

  The three-story gray-brick home has the biggest windows I’ve ever seen. They take up most of the first floor of the house. I remember my first time here. Mrs. Justice told me that, before he died, Mr. Justice had secretly hired someone to take out the old windows because she’d always said she wanted more natural light. It took over two weeks and lots of tarps to replace the small windows with the huge ones. It was a simple gesture but one that she still talks about to this day.

  That’s special.

  I park beside Mrs. Justice’s car, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Amelia taking in deep breaths.

  “We have to go in, huh?”

  “Yup.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to see her. I do. It’s just I don’t want her to automatically judge that I am making the same mistake again.”

  She turns to look at me as I speak. “Are you sure she will?”

  She shakes her head, her bottom lip between her teeth. “No,” she says around it. “But obviously I’m nervous she might.”