Unbreakable by Jennifer Lazaris
Chapter One
WILL
“Will! Over here!”
Emmy’s voice carries through the throng of people congregating in the arrival area of the Toronto Pearson airport. I quickly scan the crowd, but I don‘t see her anywhere.
Moments later, she emerges from the sea of passengers, dragging an enormous pink suitcase behind her. She utters a squeal of happiness and breaks into a huge, beautiful smile.
Holy shit.
Emmy’s trademarked, shoulder-length dark curls are gone, replaced by a long, sleek ponytail that swings back and forth behind her as she rushes toward me. The baggy jeans and retro t-shirts she used to wear every day are now replaced by hip-hugging denim shorts and a white shirt that reveals one sexy, bare shoulder. And she’s ditched her running shoes for a pair of designer sandals.
It’s been eight months since I’ve seen Em in person. And though we’ve traded a few pics back and forth during late-night texting marathons, she’d always had her hair pulled back and a makeup-free face.
But seeing my tomboy friend looking like she fell from the pages of a fashion magazine? It’s a pretty big shock. Kinda like one of those movies where the cute, average girl gets a makeover and becomes the hottie everyone wants.
Because there’s no doubt, she looks f*cking hot as hell.
She’s completely changed, except for that big, happy smile. The smile that gets me every single f*cking time.
“Oh my God! Will!” She launches herself into my arms. “I’ve missed you so much.”
The light scent of honeysuckle and violets wraps around me.
Her scent.
“Missed you too, Em. Christ, it’s been way too long.”
She bursts into peals of laughter as I pick her up and spin around.
That’s the thing about Emmy—she radiates pure happiness. It’s like being near a perpetual ball of sunshine. No matter how shitty I feel, she can always make me smile.
“Damn, Em. You look incredible.” I set her down, and we head off through the crowd in search of the exit.
She grins over at me and laces her fingers through mine. “Thanks.”
“I almost didn’t recognize you. The Emmy I know would never be caught dead without her trusty running shoes.” I tug her along toward the parking lot. “I might need to see some ID to verify that you are who you say you are.”
Emmy laughs. “I know, right? I’ve turned into a total fashion and makeup addict. New York City will do that to a person.” She elbows me playfully in the side. “You’re looking pretty good yourself, Mr. Maverick. So rugged. Training hard for the upcoming hockey season, I guess?”
“Yep. Every single day.”
When we reach my truck, I grab her suitcase and toss it into the truck bed, along with her carry-on bag.
“Do you train with Sully?” she asks.
“Sometimes. Depends on the day.”
Her twin brother, aka my best friend, Evan, (or Sully as everyone calls him) also plays professional hockey.
We're both hockey players within the Toronto Wolverines’ organization, and right now we play for their minor league team, The Toronto Smoke. Hopefully, one of us will get called up to the Wolverines for a few games this season. The Wolverines are national—the big show. Like every player on the Smoke, we’re hungry to prove we can hang with the best players in the world.
“I hope I can get back here to see a few of your games in person this season. I have to support my favorite guys. By the way, my running shoes are in the suitcase,” she whispers conspiratorially. “I couldn’t give them up entirely.”
“Good. We can skip the ID check, then,” I say, tugging on her ponytail.
“Thanks for picking me up today, Will.” She leans back against the seat and sighs as I start the truck. “I didn’t want to miss vacation this year. I was so disappointed when we didn’t make it to the cottage last summer.”
I navigate through the busy parking lot and back onto the road. “Yeah, I know. It’s just getting harder to get everyone together. Things have changed. We aren’t kids anymore. People are busy with work and school.”
Emmy stares out of the passenger window. “It seems like everything’s changing lately. But we have to keep up this tradition. It’s important, you know?”
I reach over and squeeze her hand. “I think so, too.”
Every year since grade five, our families have gotten together at my parents’ cottage for ten days in August. But the past few years, it’s only been me, Emmy, Sully, and a few of our close friends. Last year, no one could make their schedules work, and Emmy had been horribly sick with strep throat.
I went up alone to do some maintenance around the cottage and hang out. It had been way too quiet and more than a little lonely, but it wouldn’t have felt right to miss a year.
She glances over at me, a concerned expression on her face. “Are you okay? I know it has to be hard for you to go up there without your parents.”
“I’m good, Em.”
Emmy’s been my rock ever since my parents died three years ago. I'd just been drafted a month before it happened, so I'd gone from being on top of the goddamn world to having my entire world obliterated with just one phone call.