I turn with that, and I almost make it away from the table, but the petty runs deep. I glance over my shoulder, finding her watching me, and I say, “But just FYI, you’ll never be happy with all the ugly inside of you.”
Her face fills with a frown, and I head for the door, knowing good and well my mom would be so disappointed.
D’Artagnan’s laughter over my Bluetooth is annoying.
“A C? Ha, I got a B. Told ya I’m better than you.”
I roll my eyes. “Apparently my one dimple is a deformity.”
He pauses. “It is?”
“Apparently. I haven’t googled it yet.”
“I doubt it. And don’t let her get to you. She’s a psycho. I was just fucking with you.”
I make a face of irritation, even though he can’t see me. Surely he’ll hear it in my voice. “Thank you for that. I enjoy having some random girl rate me on all my apparent faults. Being a twin is one of them.”
He laughs. “No, man. She’s nuts. Thatcher and Audrina thought it would be funny. I’ve been through it. So has Thatcher. Audrina thinks it’s hilarious to mess with all of us.”
I groan in frustration. I should have known they were all messing with me. Not once has Audrina offered to set me up until now. She’s one of the physical therapy trainers for the IceCats. A damn good one, and we all have a blast together. Thatcher Orlov has played for the IceCats for two years. He’s our age, right around twenty-one, and for the longest time, I thought he and Audrina were together, but actually, they grew up together and are best friends. Brother and sister, as they say. I still think they’re screwing on the side. But all of us, including my brother Evan, get along and do things together a lot.
“How did Audrina even meet this chick?”
“I think they’re in book club together.”
I make a face. “Great, she’ll probably bring my score sheet to book club.”
“Oh, for sure,” Dart agrees. Thank God for that nickname because his full name is a mouthful. “Don’t worry. Audrina will tell you everything.”
“I can’t wait.”
His laughter sets my teeth on edge. “No worries. I think you’re an A++.”
I roll my eyes. “Fuck off.”
“Love you too, boo-boo.”
I hang up and shake my head. Dart is just as much of a nutcase as my date was. He’s a good dude, though. A brother. We get along and like a lot of the same things. Since arriving in South Carolina, Evan hasn’t been adjusting. He spends a lot of time inside, and since I want to explore, I do so with Dart. He’s my partner in crime, along with Audrina and Thatcher.
I drive past the arena where the IceCats play. I still can’t get over my face on the side of the building. It’s an honor to wear my dad’s number, six, and to follow in his footsteps. I’m making a name for myself, and I know he’s proud. As much as I want to play for the Assassins, I love my life.
I’m an NHL player on the same team as my brother. My twin. The best person I know. Not many people get that lucky, but I did. I know it hasn’t been easy for him to adjust, but he’s getting there. He’s always suffered from anxiety, but being away from family and in the big leagues has been really hard on him. I worry that he won’t be able to handle it or overcome his apprehension. Doesn’t help that our mom is encouraging him to come home. She worries for him like any mother would, but sometimes I think she doesn’t give him a chance to really feel what he is feeling. She assumes, and it makes him feel what she thinks he feels. I just want my brother to play on the same sheet of ice as me and for us to live our dreams together as the lethal duo we are.
Once I pass the arena, I head toward the coastline. My grandma and grandpa on my dad’s side own a beach house out here. They were going to sell it to my cousin Amelia, who is actually married to the captain of the IceCats, Chandler Moon, but Amelia and Chandler found a bigger house for their growing family farther up the coast. They just moved a couple weeks ago, which opened it up for Evan and me. Since we have always shared a room, it left a room for Dart. Now the three of us are living our best lives in a killer beach home with no rent because my grandma and grandpa spoil the shit out of us kids.
Amelia did a lot to the beach house when she was living in it. She painted it a coastal blue with gray shutters. Added an awesome new deck to the back and painted all the rooms fun, beachy colors. I think her plan was to make it an Airbnb. Sorry, cuz. Your baby cousins are taking over. Evan and I share the master, with our two full beds. We’re made fun of, but I don’t think people really think about the fact that we’ve been together since the womb. I hardly go anywhere without Evan. We have the same friends, the same likes, the same taste in everything. We just feel more comfortable together, and for me, it’s not weird.