Wild Tendy (IceCats Book 2) Read online

  I want to laugh because I know Amelia has already decided Aviva is never driving her kids. I, too, have been removed from that list. I’m pretty sure the only reason I’m feeding them is because she didn’t want to wait around for them to eat. She’s a busy lady, and since her nights are dedicated to the gym, she’ll settle for me feeding them.

  “It was an accident. She didn’t seem to be having a good day.”

  Amelia laughs. “Aviva never has a good day. I’m pretty sure the universe is out to get her, which I really don’t understand. She’s absolutely lovely. Great big sister and super business-savvy.”

  “And really hot.” My comment makes her groan.

  “Nico, no. You’re too much for her.”

  “How so? I’m hot. She’s hot.”

  I annoy Amelia, and I find it funny. “She has absolutely no time for you—at all. Like, not even kinda. She is always busy, always trying to make ends meet. And I can tell you right now, she doesn’t do handouts. So if, for some crazy reason, she gives you the time of day, don’t buy her shit.”

  I slack a bit, and Carter chases the nipple of the bottle. I hold it better for him. “I’m a little confused. What girl doesn’t like gifts?”

  “Aviva Pearce.”

  “She has a really hot name.”

  Amelia rolls her eyes. “It’s unusual, for sure. But really, Nico, I don’t think this is something you should pursue. With the season starting and Shelli breaking your heart—”

  “Whoa. Shelli didn’t break my heart,” I say sternly.

  “Nico.”

  “Amelia,” I say back. “Don’t get me wrong. I liked her a lot—”

  “I heard you say repeatedly you could love her more than Aiden does.”

  I meet her gaze in the mirror. “I could have if she had given me the chance.”

  “You obsessed over her for months.”

  “It wasn’t obsession. I wanted to know everything so when I got the second chance, I wouldn’t fuck it up,” I say simply as Hannah finishes off her bottle. “Chance never came. I moved on.”

  She shakes her head. “Aviva isn’t the kind of girl you sleep with and move on. She doesn’t have the time for a fling…or hell, maybe she does. I don’t know. I just know she is special. I know Callie, her sister, is talented and so damn kind. That’s all Aviva’s doing, and I don’t want anything hurting that family. They’ve been through a lot.”

  “Like what?” I find myself asking.

  Amelia’s shoulders fall a bit as she turns onto the road where the car rental office is. “It’s in no way my story to tell, but just know someone like Aviva should be worshiped—not played with. So, get your intentions in check before you bother her.”

  I blink. “Why do you always think the worst of me?”

  She doesn’t even laugh. “I don’t try to, and I honestly don’t think you’re a bad guy, Nico. You and Chandler are best friends, and Chandler is perfection in my eyes, so I know you aren’t evil. I think you make decisions and do things to hide what is really going on inside you. I don’t know what that is, or even if Chandler does, but I feel your outlandish ways won’t be perceived well when it comes to Aviva. She has too much going on, and she has too much to lose.”

  “So, you’re saying I’m too weird for her?” I ask, my own insecurity about the word making it hard to breathe.

  She shrugs. “I don’t think you’re weird, Nico. I feel you’re self-absorbed and only care about yourself. Someone like Aviva can’t stroke your ego like Shelli did. She doesn’t even have time to stroke her own.”

  I nod slowly. I’ve heard this self-absorbed shit a time or two. I don’t feel I’m that way. Do I like to get off? Fuck yeah. Do I love women who fawn over me? Every day of the week. Do I like hearing good things said about me? Yes, especially when I have a tendency to put myself down. I like feeling good, and I won’t apologize for that or even think I’m self-absorbed. I’m not. Amelia doesn’t know me. She knows the Nico I allow her to know.

  “I don’t know, Nico. It’s odd because I say that, but then I see how you are with the twins. Or Chandler and his parents. You’re a good dude—I know this—but I feel like you’d hurt Aviva.”

  I scrunch up my face as I remove the bottle from Carter’s mouth as Amelia comes to a stop. I wipe the kids’ mouths and then hand her the bottles. “I’ll make sure to bring you something to eat tonight as a thanks.”

  I won’t look at her as I pull my legs back from the console, and I know she notices.

  “I upset you.”

  I scoff. “Nope. Too self-absorbed to be upset,” I say as I get out. “Bye, babies. Be good.”

  “Nico, I’m sorry. I’m emotional—”

  I shut the door on her and head inside to get my rental car. I love Amelia. I do. I also know she’s going through a lot of hormones right now and has absolutely no filter. I can appreciate that since mine has been missing from birth. Amelia is wrong; I wouldn’t hurt anyone. And I may not know Aviva from Adam, but I know I wouldn’t hurt her. She may have told me to fuck off in three different ways today, but my intentions were never to get in her pants and leave. I wanted to take her to lunch to make her feel better. I wanted to make her smile since her day was so awful. I hadn’t even thought of getting in her pants at all. Would I like to? Yes, because leggings were invented to be peeled off someone with thighs like hers. But it was more than that for me. I saw a girl having a hard day, and I wanted to make it better.

  Yeah, Amelia is wrong. I know she is.

  On my goal sheet that is currently only in my head right now, right under make Aviva believe me, is prove Amelia wrong.

  And I will.

  The parking lot of Willz Sub Shop is packed. It could be the overflow from the gymnastics parking lot, but it seems the shop is busy as all get-out. I park my rented Ford truck between GymMasters and the shop before getting out. Amelia has tried apologizing a billion times since earlier, but what she doesn’t know is I thrive on being doubted. She thinks I’m self-absorbed? Fine. I’ll prove I’m not by bringing her dinner every night, and I’ll get to see Aviva. Two goals, one puck. Let’s go. I want to bang on my chest, not for the manly exhibition but more to try to beat the anxiety out of me. Not sure. But before I can explore that, the door to Willz flies open, and a pint-sized girl yells back inside.

  “You’re ridiculous! We could get this done in five, and now it’s gonna take you twenty!”

  “Your job is not this place, Calliope! Your job is school! Get to work!”

  Well, I know for a fact that the voice yelling back is Aviva.

  The girl slams the door shut and sits at the table by the entrance, opening her book as she lets out a huff. She looks up at me, and wow, she’s the spitting image of her sister. Only difference is she’s miniature. “Take a picture, bruh. It’ll last longer. Though, I am only sixteen and it could be considered child porn or something like that, and I’ll turn your ass in.”

  I can’t help it. I laugh. “You must be Aviva’s little sister.”

  She raises her brows. “Who are you?”

  “The guy she hit today.”

  She nods. “Ah, yeah. Hot guy with the red sports car.”

  I grin. “She said I was hot?”

  “She did, and I hope that embarrasses her.” She lets out another huff before opening her notebook. “She’s impossible. We have a rush, and I can help. But no, I gotta work on stupid angles.”

  I peek inside the shop, and yeah, it’s packed. I want to help Aviva, even though she looks like she can do this with her hands tied behind her back. “I think she’s got this.”

  “Of course she does. Aviva has everything,” she mumbles as she presses her fingers to her temple. “Meanwhile, I have no clue how to do this.”

  I look down at the book, and then I find myself sitting down. “I love this stuff. Angles are my jam.”

  She gives me a weird look. “Angles are your jam?”

  “Yeah. Did you know in a triangle, the largest angle is opposit