Unbreakable(40)

Headlights sweep through my room before disappearing around the front of the house.

They’re here.

I pat my face dry and tie my just-had-sex hair back into a ponytail. I can’t muster up the energy to even care what I look like right now. I just hope I’m able to hide my feelings from our friends.

I hear the front door swing open and voices laughing and talking.

“Emmy!” My brother’s voice echoes off the walls. “Where you at, Baby Sis?”

I glance back in the mirror and practice a smile, but it looks more like a grimace. I try again, and this time, it passes the test. I’ll show Will that I can do this. I’ll do anything for him.

Taking a deep breath, I go downstairs, keeping the smile plastered on my face. Everyone’s dragging their suitcases into the cottage and chattering excitedly.

My brother sees me and grins. “There she is. There’s my girl!”

He grabs me in a big bear hug. I smack a kiss on his cheek and return the hug. “What’s up, brother?”

Sully’s hair has gotten really long in the front. His bright green eyes, so much like my own, are full of warmth when I release him. Physically, he looks so much like my dad; it rattles me a bit. But unlike my father, he’s happy to see me.

“I missed you, Baby Sis.”

“Missed you, too. Maybe you should try returning some of my messages if you miss me so much, eh?” I give him a light punch on the arm. “You look a lot bigger than you did at Christmas.”

“Damn right.” He grins and tosses his dark hair out of his eyes. “Gotta keep in shape for the ladies.”

“And here I thought it was for your job,” I mock.

My eyes slide over to my best friends, Violet Todd and Peyton Baynes. They squeal with excitement and wrap me in a huge group hug.

“I missed you guys so much!” I say, squeezing them tightly. “It’s been way too long.”

Even though I talk to them on Facebook and we text all the time, it’s not the same as being with them in person.

“You okay?” Violet asks, peering at me. Her big brown eyes are full of concern. “Your eyes look a little bloodshot.”

I tug on her blonde ponytail. “Allergies,” I say, smiling. “I guess I’m just used to the city. All this nature is throwing me off.”

“I brought a few allergy medications with me,” Peyton says, digging through her designer purse. A sleek curtain of auburn hair falls over her face as she rifles through the bag.

Peyton’s like a walking pharmacy. She’s got everything from Advil to Zantac in that bag. She claims she likes to be prepared for any medical emergency that might crop up. We just love to tease her about being a hypochondriac. Still, her stash has come in very handy when one of us gets a headache or stung by a bee.

“It’s okay Peyton, I took something earlier,” I lie.

God, it sucks that I can’t be honest with my friends, but I have to protect our secret.

Will and Sully’s teammates, Mattias Axelsson and Dylan Cabot, nod at me from their seats at the kitchen island stools. I met them both over Christmas dinner last year. They seem like decent guys.

“What’s up, Emmy?” Axel asks, grinning. Axel’s probably one of the happiest people I’ve ever met in my life. He’s always smiling. He’s got shaggy blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a very cute Swedish accent.

Last year after Christmas dinner, the boys all got a little too stuffed and a whole lot drunk. My cousin Vicki came over to the house to hang out with us, and when she took off her coat, Axel stood up from the table and sang the entire Swedish national anthem to her blue and yellow dress. He got really into it, gesturing wildly and belting it out like he was on Swedish Idol. It was both awesome and completely hilarious. I still have the whole thing saved on my phone. It might make good bribery material someday.

Later that night, I caught Vicki making out with Axel on the couch. According to Sully, Vicki—like most girls–just couldn’t resist Axel’s killer smile.

Dylan lifts his hand in a wave. “Hey.”

Dylan Cabot, on the other hand, is a lot harder to read. He seems a little shy and doesn’t say very much. From what I’ve seen, he’s a very intense guy. I went to a few Toronto Smoke games when we were in town for the holiday break, and that intensity doesn’t waver on the ice. He’s incredibly serious and very focused.

Dylan runs a hand down over his reddish-brown beard, which he didn’t have last Christmas. His light gray eyes meet mine. “How was your flight from NYC?”

“Good to see you guys,” I say, plastering on my smile again. “Flight was fine. A lot safer than driving up here with Sul, I’m sure.”

My brother gives me a mock glare. “Watch it, Sis. By the way, Lilly decided to come with us.” He tosses beers to Matt and Dylan. “She went outside to look for Will. Where is he?”

I swallow. No doubt Lilly wants to start things up with him again while she’s here. “Uh, he’s in the backyard, I think.”

As if on cue, the side door opens and Will enters. His hair’s disheveled, like he ran a hand through it one too many times. His eyes meet mine briefly before he acknowledges the rest of the group.

Lilly, of course, is right at his side. I sweep my gaze over her. She’s wearing a short black cocktail dress and three-inch heels. Not exactly an outfit for going to the cottage but definitely one for turning a man’s head. I watch as Dylan, Axel, and Sully give her subtle once-overs.