The Girl With Hearts (Midtown Brotherhood #1) (9 page)

He stood, looking his best friend in the eye. “Damn it, Austin. I’m just trying to be responsible, here. You’re the one who nominated me for captain, remember?”

Austin stopped, his face turning solemn. “All right, all right,” he conceded, holding his hands up in surrender. “Just one thing, though, and be honest. Are we going home tonight because you think it’s what’s best for our team, or are we going home because you don’t want a certain feisty redhead we know to get more pissed at you than she already is?”

Henrik pretended to be offended before stepping over to grab an eavesdropping Sam, who stood at the locker next to him, and put him into a headlock. “We’re doing it for the kids, Austin.” He laughed, patting Sam affectionately on the side of the face. “Right, rookie?”

Sam looked awkwardly between Henrik and Austin, until Austin finally nodded his agreement. “Whatever. I’ll take my captain’s word for it,” he added, grabbing a towel before heading toward the showers. “But just remember. I know when my best friend is lying to me.”

Henrik released Sam with a relieved huff. “He’s right, you know,” Sam whispered, maneuvering away from him. “If you keep avoiding his offers to go out, he will get suspicious.”

He rubbed a nervous hand through his hair. “Trust me. Austin’s suspicion isn’t anything new.” Sam’s eyes rose, but he shrugged it off. “Long story.”

“What are you going to do about it, then?” Sam asked instead.

Henrik smiled that same determined grin he always used when accepting a challenge. “Exactly what you told me to do. Be her friend, even if it fucking kills me.”

Chapter 12

LEILA’S TURTLES

Leila’s eyes were downcast as she sat alone on the front seat of the subway. It rumbled through the underground with such determination and force that it made her tired just thinking about it. She felt exceptionally bad yesterday, and after a miserable morning of needles and pissing in cups, she knew it wasn’t only guilt. The extra rest from skipping the hockey games hadn’t been enough to stop the doctor from increasing her medication.

She stuffed the generic brown bag containing her new medicine into her oversized purse. No one needed to know about it. She didn’t want their sympathy. In fact, she didn’t need it. She had everything completely under control.

A woman across the aisle smiled at her. It was the fourth person to smile at her today. The guilt hit her again. It was cruel to keep her condition a secret, but she had no choice. Austin would overreact and Drew would mother her to insanity. Then there was Henrik.

Clueless, idiotic Henrik.

She felt guilty about him too. It was a new trend. He’d been giving the whole “friends” thing his best shot the past week. Mother Theresa would be proud. She hadn’t seen a single woman in the hallway, and she even caught half an interview of his coach singing his praises. He even used the word
responsible
.

No one in the history of existence had ever used responsible to describe Henrik Rylander.

It didn’t matter, though. She shot him down at every corner. She even turned down the
Mortal Combat
marathon with extra buttered popcorn.

They couldn’t be friends. She lacked the patience for it. She would never be able to stomach his juvenile behavior as he played ‘hit it and quit it’ all over Midtown. She also couldn’t risk the chance of another tirade like the one she had with the woman who hung up on her.

It was best for everyone if she followed Drew’s advice and kept her distance.

The subway came to a screeching halt, and she stood to join the fellow patrons in the mass exit. Her head felt light. She probably should have taken her medicine at the pharmacy. She needed to get home. Quick.

***

She shoved open the door to Drew’s apartment, only to be greeted with the sound of bolstered cheering. She absently grabbed her head as the ache behind her eyes began to throb. She turned the corner to peek into the living room, and saw no less than ten oversized men scattered about, all their attention focused directly on the television. “Hey, Sis,” Austin announced from the couch, throwing his hand up in greeting.

“What’s going on?”

She meant to sound chipper, but didn’t. Not even close.

“Henrik’s idea,” Drew explained from his spot on the floor. His brows were drawn together in defiance like he just lost some ferocious battle. “Team bonding day watching the football game.”

“That’s nice.” Again she tried to smile, but couldn’t even manage a fake one. “Why are they bonding here instead of his apartment, exactly?”

“Because we wanted to include you.”

She spun around to find Henrik behind her, a stack of pizza boxes in his arms. “You made it back just in time for lunch, and the second quarter.”

She frowned at him. He wasn’t allowed to be in her apartment. Her icy attitude the last time he showed up unannounced should have made that point clear. He especially couldn’t show up looking irresistible in his faded jeans and ripped t-shirt, acting all sweet and thoughtful. Except, actually, it was his apartment, which meant he could be there as much as he wanted.

Her frown deepened.

She needed to start looking for her own place. Soon. Of course that required a job and a steady income. It wasn’t like her to depend on anyone else, even if it was her brother and best friend. If only the job interview she called about last week would come through, she could move out, get some distance, and maybe a little perspective that didn’t involve the outline of Henrik’s abs through his shirt.

“I’m not hungry.”

“But it’s pizza. Do you know how long I had to argue with Austin to let me break our training diet for this?”

She slipped by him down the hallway toward her room. She would use the faucet in her bathroom to take her medicine before she lay down.

“Hey, wait a second,” she heard him call after her.

He’d discarded the pizza by the time he’d caught up with her at bathroom door. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She knew better than to try to smile again, so she tried to lie better. “I’m just tired. I’ve had a busy morning.”

He stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, scuffing the toe of his sock against the carpet. “Where have you been?”

“Shopping.”

“Doesn’t look like you had much luck.”

“I didn’t, which is why I’m tired. So, if you’ll excuse me—”

She tried to shut the door, but he caught it. “You’re tired a lot lately.”

Her stomach knotted up, and she suddenly felt nauseated. “What do you mean?”

“It just seems that you’re always putting off hanging out with me,” he explained in a whisper, but she could feel the tension in his voice.

She let out a sigh. Relieved. “I’m not avoiding you, Henrik.”

He smiled, a small dimple forming in his cheek. “Yes, you are.”

“Not intentionally.”

He stepped forward, his hand grazing under her elbow as he dropped his voice between them. “Yes, you are.”

She rubbed her eyes. It wouldn’t be much longer until the flashes started, or orbs started to appear in her vision. She needed her medicine.

“Go lay down,” he instructed, his hand delicately brushing the edge of her shoulder. “Get some rest. We’ll discuss it later.”

She wanted to argue. In fact, she wanted to scream at him. She hated that she wanted to give in so easily. She wanted to watch
Mortal Kombat
and laugh every time he dropped his voice to mimic Scorpion. She wanted to eat pizza and meet his friends. She wanted him to be human—to have a heart.

But Drew was right. He was Tin Man Henrik.

She pushed his hand away, ashamed of the adrenaline spike the small contact created inside of her, and shut the door.

“I’ll try and keep the noise to a minimum,” he added on the other side, but she didn’t respond. She stood there, her head against the cool metal, and waited until his footsteps retreated back down the hallway.

She needed to tell them. Henrik needed to understand why the playful banter and his game to break her willpower had to stop. She knew that. However, it wouldn’t be today.

***

Leila woke up three hours later feeling slightly refreshed, only to find the apartment completely empty. She wandered aimlessly around, looking for some sign it had housed half a hockey team earlier that day, but it was spotless. She made her way into the kitchen, deciding to eat lunch. She managed to finish an entire BLT and two sides of fries when she heard a commotion at the front door. She hurried around the corner to find it was only the boys, attempting to squeeze through the small frame at the same time.

She laughed at the ridiculous sight. “Watch it,” Drew groaned, shoving his brother, only to bounce back and land against Austin. Poor Drew looked like a Hobbit trapped between two trolls as he tried to fight his way through the door.

“You watch it,” Henrik shot back, pulling a load of bright yellow bags through the door behind him. “I’m the one doing all the work.”

“Where have you guys been?” she inquired, eyeing the nameless bags as Henrik set them down at his feet.

“Shopping.” Austin threw himself down on the couch as if the activity had been strenuous.

Her interest was instantly piqued. Boys, especially these three particular ones, loathed even the thought of going into a department store. Something was off about the entire scenario, and she was confident it had something to do with her. “What exactly did you buy?” She leaned up on her tiptoes to sneak a peek in the bags.

“That’s the best part,” Henrik told her, pulling a piece of paper out of his back pocket and handing it to her. “I was going to tell you about it this morning, but Austin thought it was best to wait until we were more prepared.”

She cautiously took the paper from him, analyzing the overzealous smile plastered on his face. She slowly unfolded it and read through the bold writing down the page. The annual Rangers Halloween extravaganza was scheduled for that afternoon. Costumes strongly suggested, noted a handwritten amendment on the bottom.

She eyed the yellow bags again, noticing Drew and Austin shared the same ridiculous smile. “Costumes? You realize they were probably referring to the kids, right?”

“What do you have against costumes?”

“Nothing, I guess. The kids will love it. You guys will have a good time.”

She spun around, prepared to run.

But their voices rang out in unison. “Stop.”

She winced, pausing at the edge of the doorframe.

“You guys?” Austin’s voice echoed behind her. “You’re coming with us.”

She turned around slowly, knowing now why they’d all shown up together. It was an intervention. She could see it in the sad way they each looked at her, as if she were a fragile piece of glass hanging on the edge of a cliff.

She pulled herself up, attempting to appear in control of herself, but it was a nearly impossible feat while wearing Drew’s decade-old Power Ranger pajamas. “Why would I come to your team’s Halloween party?”

“Because it’s hosted by the Rangers organization, and it’s for our families,” Henrik explained.

“And I want to spend time with my sister,” Austin added softly, smiling at her.

She folded her arms over her chest. “You just want me to get out of the apartment.”

“That too,” he confessed, getting up to walk over to her. “You’ve been to one game in the last two weeks, and even then you bailed on dinner afterward. Since then, you may have left this apartment a couple times at best.”

“And your brilliant solution is to make me go with you to a Halloween party?” She looked around for Drew, hoping he would come to her rescue. Drew merely mimicked the same sympathetic smile Austin had given her.

“The bottom line is, if I have to go, so do you.”

It was a damn conspiracy.

She didn’t want to go to the Halloween party, not because she didn’t want to spend time with them, but because of the same reason she hadn’t called her friend Laney, or gone to the grocery store after those cookies she loved. The thought alone was debilitating, and then to add the emotional gauntlet that was Henrik into the equation, they might as well be asking her to swim through a tsunami.

“You bought a costume for me, didn’t you?”

Henrik beamed. “Just wait until you see,” he said, digging through the bags. He jerked out a shirt and green mask. “You’re going to be a Ninja Turtle!”

“A Ninja Turtle?”

Damn it. She loved Ninja Turtles. It didn’t matter, though. She had to get out of it. “Even if I was going to this party, which I’m not, I would never wear that. You realize I’m a girl, right?”

Henrik smirked at her, holding back whatever filthy thought popped into his head. She shot him a warning glare.

“I told the salesperson I needed a woman’s costume that didn’t involve the word sexy in front of it,” Austin began to explain, “because I know how your feminism flares up. This was the best I could manage.”

“Apparently, we shop at the slutty Halloween store.” Henrik grinned. “Don’t worry, though. You won’t be lonely, because—” he began pulling out more green shirts and masks “—we’re going as Ninja Turtles too!”

His enthusiasm was exhausting.

She didn’t want to tell Austin no. It was the first time since they were kids that they’d had the chance to spend any kind of significant time together. It was the ideal opportunity for movie-perfect, sparkly bonding time.

She wasn’t feeling sparkly, though. She felt like coal.

“It’ll be fun,” Henrik urged.

Fun wasn’t part of her remedial plan. Rest. Sleep. Any nameable Henrik-less activity. That was her new routine.

“You can’t say no to this face,” Drew said through the small slit in his dime shop mask. “You love me too much.”

She rolled her eyes and grabbed her costume out of Henrik’s hands. “Love is a strong word right now,” she grumbled, stomping off toward the bedroom. “In fact, I hate all of you.”

“Thank you for participating,” Henrik yelled after her. “You won’t regret it!”

“That wasn’t a confirmation.”

“We leave at five.” His voice echoed down the hallway, but she could imagine him grinning like an idiot. Even though she tried not to, she smiled as she slammed the door shut behind her.

She had to tell him.