In Your Pucking Dreams, Captain

Against The World

Noah’s PoV

Tears welled in Kendra’s eyes. The sight hit my chest like a sucker punch, that I forgot how to breathe. I pushed off the wall I’d been leaning on. Her defensive scowl couldn’t make me back away; I simply stepped into her space and threw my arms around, drawing her petite body against mine.

I felt the tension release from Kendra's body as she went limp in my arms. Every muscle in my body screamed to be right there beside her with Warrington. I knew I shouldn't have waited. A huge wave of relief crashed into my chest when she gave up, nestling her face into my chest.

“Let go of me.” Kendra pleaded, though her voice lacked its usual snark.

I reluctantly released her, cupping her chin. She looked away. “Are you gonna be okay?”

Kendra sniffled, using the sleeve of her coat to dry her eyes. “I’ll live.” Her voice strained a little. “There’s bigger stuff in life than one ex-boyfriend, right?”

Speaking of which, gravity could barely keep me still. This girl was a

stranger, yet something drew us together…My mouth curled. Besides losing five grand today.

I reached for her hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

Downstairs, we hung by my car. The college kids walking by looked our way, but Kendra faced me directly.

“You should know there’s no grand scheme between Simon and me,” her words rushed out breathlessly. “Isn’t it bad enough that I’m attracted to you and find you specifically annoying?”

My brows knitted. A sudden heat flared south of my belt making me feel incredibly guilty for how my body responded to her being vulnerable. Deep down I was relieved we wouldn't split up, and Warrington had nothing on me. “Wow. You’re just going to throw that out there.”

She covered her lips. “I get mouthy when I’m really overstimulated with…whatever happened back there.” She said, “The point is, what you did was really dumb. Do you hate your dad or something?”

I pushed my tongue in cheek. “Actually, we have a great relationship…”

“Well you do not sell your father’s item or empty your bank account for a complete stranger you met two weeks ago, O’Shea!”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I’m going to find a way to repay you.”

“Don’t bother, it’s all in the past.”

“It was four hours ago, dummy.” She lightly pushed my arm.

I studied the grey folds under her eyelids. “You look tired Kendra, need me to drop you off?”

“No!” she cried, relaxing. “Um…my dad’s uh…hates guys between the ages of nineteen and thirty hanging around me.”

It was weird but I saw her off to the bus stop before retreating back to the dorm.

I parked my car right behind Kit’s large pick up truck. He was a semi-country dude at heart afterall. Then I bustled through the front door of the dorm. I was in dire need of a hot shower, my stomach growled for a large meal and I’ll probably spend like thirty minutes calling every single professor whose classes I’d missed today.

And Coach Murray.

Damn it.

As soon as I hung my coat, someone’s raspy laughter pricked my ears. I rolled my hands into balls of fists.

If I’d known I would have gotten him arrested earlier, because Ed was sprawled on the couch with Kit nursing beer bottles keeping their eyes peeled at a hockey game.

Both of them spun their heads at me.

Kit raised his bottle. “Hey man, guess who….AAAAHHH!”

My best friend’s scream hardly registered amidst the rage burning in my chest like hot lava.

I threw my entire weight across the room, tackling Ed right off the couch. We both tumbled to the hardwood floor. A sharp pain shot into my knee as it struck against the leg of the coffee table. I rushed atop his body, grabbing the collars of his shirt. I saw red, focusing mostly on his middle-aged flushed face.

“How the hell did you get into my house?”

“Uh, through the door.” Ed wheezed, clutching my upper arm.

“I told you never to show your face here again!” I barked.

“Technically you didn’t…ack…Noah…can’t breathe.”

Kit reached for my shoulder, barking. “Noah, you’re gonna hurt him!”

“Good!”

“Don’t be a fool,” Kit brought his head down to my level. “You’re Captain of the team. Everyone’s favorite golden boy. You baked cookies for that elementary school hockey team…please don’t make this weird for the two of us.”

I took in Kit’s prestige features, not a hair out of place. Kit was good.

And also weird.

Just an inch, I released the collar, but made sure Ed’s head connected with the floor. Hard.

“Yeow!” Ed whined.

I stood, breathing, never taking my eyes off Ed. “Call the cops.”

“Noah, I’ve changed.” Ed crawled to a sitting position. “Honest to God.”

“You gotta be kidding me!” I growled. “How the f**k are you not in jail?”

“He says he got out for good behavior,” Kit said and Ed nodded.

I glared at my friend. “And you let him in.”

“Hear him out, Noah.”

“Don’t you get it? He tried to kill Jim, his words mean nothing to me.”

“Jim?” Ed quipped, flinching as I lunged for him, Kit held me back.

“I know you hate me to the bones, son.” Ed tried to reason.

“I’m not your son!”

“But I need your help.” Ed continued. “I’ve got nowhere to go…”

“How about the bottom of the ocean?”

“I’ve been living off leftovers from the back of a seafood restaurant north of

here.”

I grimaced. His beard was scraggly and unwashed, as his frame mirrored a yardstick. Ed was barely recognizable, and it rolled my core. It made me sick—but not as sick knowing I was inches away from not existing thanks to the man on the floor.

“The owner found out and threatened to call the boys in blue if I remained.” Ed casually reached for the coffee table, and picked a cheesy slice of pizza, and took a huge bite. “I’ve made some mistakes…”

Normal people make mistakes all the time. Forgetting to return books to the library, or a sibling’s birthday. But trying to knife your own sister’s boyfriend hardly counted as one.

“Alright a lot,” Ed shrugged, probably realizing I wasn’t smiling as he was.

“But I’ve changed. Words are never enough but…I want my family back…and even though they pretty much despise me but you, Noah…” He exhaled lightly. “You’re still my boy...Noah and Ed against the world.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, not believing a single word.

“Uh, this is cringe-worthy.” Kit muttered somewhere around.

“How did you find me?” I questioned Ed.

“Aye, not that hard when you’re on the news for the uh NHL,” Ed said.

“Congratulations are in order, taken much like your old man.”

“f**k off.” I hurled sharply at him and pulled Kit aside. “I don’t know why you’re encouraging this.”

Kit’s mouth tore up a cocky grin. “Are you kidding? Rooming with an ex-con is number three on the top ten ways to kill our mothers before we’re officially men.”

I frowned. “I thought that was breaking your virginity with cheer squad captain, Savannah Monroe in high school freshman year.” I said. “The men part; not your mother’s list.”

Kit snickered, cheeks turning beet red. “Her A-Cup felt like heaven.”

I rolled my eyes. “Idiot.”

“Uh, you boys know I can hear you right?” Ed called.

“Quiet!” Kit and I snapped, then faced him.

“Ed, we’ve decided you can stay.” I declared.

We might as well have offered the elixir of life because Ed started to tear up.

“I knew there was good in you…”

“Hold up, I wasn’t finished,” I growled. “Don’t expect pure Mid-western comfort, this house wasn’t cheap, we pay bills…”

Ed visibly shuddered. “Oh, I’m sure there’s a job out there for the likes of me in the American Society again.”

“Just for a month or two, then you’re out.”

“Because we’re graduating.” Kit added helpfully. “But you get to be our fancy butler.”

Ed pulled a face of horror.

I held back from looking at Kit.

“You’ll be doing some real housekeeping and stuff. And you have to wear a suit too. No suit, no deal.” Kit’s voice sounded so deadpan and serious. I wondered if he was taking secret acting classes.

The awkward silence grew between them, and I chewed the inside of my cheek to keep my laughter from exploding.

It was the first month of my senior college year, but for the next two months, Kit and I had a butler.