“About?”

“The fact that you and Phillip would be cute together, really good together.”

Reese could feel Claire’s eyes on her and knew that this conversation needed to end. NOW.

“What the hell ever; he is so not my type.”

“Yes he is, he has a penis, that’s the first step,” Harper said with a laugh.

This was true but still. “Bitch!”

Expectant mothers and parents alike shot Reese dirty looks, but she didn’t care. Harper continued to laugh while she shook her head. “I’m just kidding…kind of, but really, y’all would be cute together. I wonder why I never thought of it before. Hmm…”

“Because it will never happen. I don’t want to be with anyone, you know that.”

“Why?”

Harper and Reese both turned to look at Claire. Her eyes were wide, looking right into Reese’s soul.

“Um. Well. I was hurt pretty bad by a POS, so I tend to stay away from guys.”

Claire face scrunched up. “But I’ve heard that you’re always with guys.”

As much as she was glad the conversation of her and Phillip was over, this wasn’t one she wanted to go into. Plus, who the hell said she was always with guys? She kept her nightly shenanigans out of the light. What the hell?

“Well, you see, while you should wait until you’re married—”

“I’m sixteen, almost seventeen, I get that you can have sex without love and stuff like that.”

“You shouldn’t know that,” Harper said with a shake of her head as she started towards something else that was blue.

“Well I do, and I get it.”

“Then we’re good,” Reese said, picking up another outfit and throwing it in their pile. It was cute. It had little dogs on it.

“Not really,” Claire said softly.

Reese looked back. “Why’s that?”

Claire moved her hand into her hair before kicking at the ground. She then looked up at her, and Reese felt like she had kicked the girl. She looked so worried, so hurt and unsure of herself.

“I don’t want you to hate me.”

Reese’s head cocked to the side. “I would never do that.”

“You will if you get with Phillip. He’ll break your heart.”

She wasn’t sure why she was about to entertain this conversation, but she needed to know. “Why would I hate you if he broke my heart? Not saying he will, because we aren’t together,” she said, directing her comment to her sister, who was eyeing her. She then looked at Claire before continuing, “People break up all the time, Claire.”

“I know, but Phillip always hurts people. He hurt me, he hurt my mom and grandma, and even the girl he apparently loved.”

Wow, talk about some deep, pressing issues these two had.

Reaching out, she took a hold of Claire’s hand. “The point is moot, kiddo. I’m not dating Phillip.”

They shared a long look. Claire looked skeptical, but thankfully said. “Okay.”

“Okay, now I really do think you and Phillip need to discuss your feelings. You two have issues,” she joked.

Claire smiled. “It’s getting better. As much as I want to hate him for leaving me, he’s making up for it.”

“He loves you,” Reese declared, “very much.”

Claire moved her fingers through her hair. “I know.”

“Good.”

“Come on, you two. Let’s go pay and get some lunch,” Harper called out towards them.

“Thank God!” Reese joked as she wrapped her arms around Claire’s shoulders and started for Harper. She tried to ignore her pounding heart, but it was hard. She hated lying to Claire, but no one could know about her and Phillip right now. Really, there wasn’t anything to know. They were just fooling around. No reason to get everyone all twisted in a knot over it.

Reese sure wasn’t in knots…

Where are you at?

Phillip leaned against the wall of the arena with a grin on his face. He had been excited about seeing Reese all day but, like always, she was late. After being gone for three away games in the east, he was glad to be back home. Not only did he miss Claire, he missed Reese. They talked every day, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted to touch her, and feel her against him. He was hard just thinking about her.

I’m turning in. Sorry, I suck.

You don’t suck, but I do have something you can suck on.

When his phone started ringing, he laughed. Answering, he said, “Too much?”

“I almost crashed my f**king car! Jeez.”

“Shouldn’t text and drive, it’s dangerous,” he said as his smiled grew when he saw her pulling in.

“I wasn’t. I was at a stop light and then all of a sudden, I get that and almost take out a beamer.”

“Damn women drivers,” he teased as he watched her park her little blue Prius.

“Haha,” she said as she slammed the door and then hung up her phone. “Ass,” she then called out to him as she made her way to him. He always loved the way she walked, but most of all, he loved the way she looked. She was gorgeous, but she had such a carefree look. In a pair of tight black jeans, a white, over-sized tee, and a bright yellow scarf, she looked great, but the best part was her hair. He loved how long it was, and how it fell bone straight down her shoulders. He wanted nothing more than to eat her up. Ever since she said hockey wasn’t sexy, he had made it his mission to show her it was. He had a whole day planned, full of skating and shooting pucks, and then hopefully him scoring at the end. Off the ice, of course. Or on. Really anywhere in his opinion. With the look in her eyes, he was sure it wouldn’t be too hard.