Fine lines

Chapter 9

Wyatt

For the first time in a long time, I wake up feeling refreshed. No hang over. No wishing I could sleep in longer. Not wanting to keep the curtains drawn and the door closed. I've never felt so easily drawn to somebody where I could talk to them for hours and not realise the time that's past or it feeling so simple without force. Tate kept me laughing so much and I was content with the thought of staying like that on the phone for another 6 hours.
I never had anything like this with Charlotte, she mainly talked about herself and wants with her needs. I don't think she ever asked me about my day, let alone asked me how things were with me and hockey. There's something about her that will always put me off of the whole time we had together. It was as if it was a fever dream, one I wish never happened and I wish we never crossed paths.
I head down stairs to see what I can eat and make coffee with. It's also been the longest time since I've gotten up and eaten in the morning. As soon as I head down stairs all I can smell is burnt toast. Derek.
The entire kitchen is filled with a grey haze and smells of smoke.
"Derek!" I shout out to him, hoping that my voice will grab his attention when clearly the burning of toast scent is not. He comes rushing out of his room throwing a hoodie over him "Oh shit!" I move to the side as he comes over to the toaster to shake it out of slots it's stuck in. It eventually falls onto the bench, it's so burnt it's rock hard like charcoal.
"I was coming back for that, I swear" Sure he was. Not sure how anyone can let toast burn when a toaster usually has a timer.
"How long were you planning on cooking it for the rest of the morning?" I wave my hand around my face to blow away the burnt smell and my face screws up a little more.
"I went to the bathroom and figured I would be out by the time it finished, but then I forgot about it and showered" my eyes roll as I open up a window a little to let the smell out.
I walk over to the fridge and take out the pitcher of orange juice and pour myself a glass. Safe to say Derek is not the chef of the house and when he is, he will either burn it, undercook it or throw it out and admits defeat before he grabs his keys to go and get take out.
"So.." he starts "Facetiming the coaches daughter?"
"Stop it" I take a gulp of the juice and stare at him "Oh come on I'm only teasing, how long have you been talking?"
"Not long" I'd rather keep it short and sweet but he's going to keep at me until I give him something "You wouldn't believe me how it happened"
"Well I'm assuming you spoke to her after you pushed me away from talking to her?"
I shake my head in defeat and look away "Wait, do you already know her?" My head shakes again. I knew he wouldn't leave it be.
"Then when?"
"The night you guys put me in a cab and sent me home drunk" His head tilts and he looks confused "Wait was she there?"
"Nope"
"Wyatt will you just spill you're going to tell me anyway" He sighs and place the glass down on the bench. I start to tell him the events of after he left me in the bathroom by the toilet with my thoughts, I tell him about our drive and then the lead up to the video call last night, by the end of the conversation he's looking at me without blinking, his mouth is slightly open with a look of disbelief, he places his hand on the bench and take in a breath and looks up at me. I'm going to regret telling him anything. But he is my best friend and he knows me better than anyone.
"Wyatt you are an idiot" I raise an eyebrow to the response. "Dare I ask why?"
"Because you've put yourself into a friendzone" Anyone wanting to get even closer would agree.
"I want to be friends with her, she's kind, we get along and there's nothing more to it" it's not a lie.
"Uh huh"
"It's true, I don't have the energy to deal with another mess after Charlotte, I'd rather be her friend and she isn't implying any indication that she wants more"
He walks around to the other side of the kitchen bench and sits on the stool with his coffee and I slowly follow behind him
"I never liked Charlotte, I told you-"
"Yeah I know, she's bad news and only causes drama I know"
I take in a deep breath and sigh resting my hands on my forehead and wait for another 'I told you so' comment "Look dude, all I'm saying is if she's sweet enough and you feel something don't walk away from it, what if she ends up being the one you marry?"
I laugh at his response "Hmm, not happening" he shakes his head and looks down at his coffee
"I told Sophia I loved her last night"
I look to him a little startled thinking he's either lying or he's lost it. "You've only been seeing her for 3 months?"
"When Sage and I broke up, I thought everything was over. I didn't understand how someone can change their mind on you with no warning, completely blindsided. I lost so much faith and trust in girls I didn't want to bother. I thought about leaving her, saying I wasn't ready and going out to bars and picking up random girls but Sophia came out of nowhere. I never saw her coming and she brought out something in me I didn't know I could feel with her. It's terrifying dude, but shes the best thing going for my right now and I'm not about to walk away from it"
I don't know why I'm surprised, both Kylo and I told him to confess how he felt to her, I just didn't know he felt this strongly, which is all the more reason he felt like he needed to push it away.
"I'm glad, because I never liked Sage either"
"What do you mean? She was a delight!" He jokes "I don't see Tate in that way, we're really just friends" Derek gets up from the bench with a groan, walking over to the cabinet and taking the bread out for his second attempt at toast, he holds it up to me asking without speaking if I want some. "I'm good, thanks"
"I'll take your word for it if you're just friends, how do you reckon the coach would feel about it?
Something tells me he wouldn't really care for who she hung out with, but I feel he would care about us being distracted with who we hung out. He's always about our game and if we lose focus from the game, we're out. My mind flashbacks to when we were on a call last night and over hearing the argument between them, it doesn't sound like they have the best relationship. But I'd never over step towards my coach when he's my only in to making it to the NHL. "I don't know, cross the bridge when I come to it." I shrug my shoulders and sip on my juice some more.
We hear the front door open and close, we look at each other wondering who, Derek leans out towards the hallway and sees somebody walk in, Derek's face relaxes a little "It's just Kylo" I nod my head and keep looking in his direction waiting for him to come into view. He walks in holding some beers and other things which I'm assuming is for tonight.
"Why are you here so early?"
"I was bored" He states chucking his keys on the bench
"I don't know why you don't just move in with us, you're always the first to arrive and last to leave" Derek and I have been trying to get Kylo to leave his parents house and live with us. His parent's are never home and he's always by himself, he has no girlfriend and only ever hangs out with us. Which we don't mind, we love him. But he doesn't know how to accept a bit of help, including anything to make his life easier. Imagine the money he would save on gas driving back and forth from his place to ours. Our house has had a spare bedroom ever since Derek and I moved in a year ago and we'd only ever tolerate Kylo the most out of the boys. "I don't want to be a burden" Derek chuckles at his response and looks at me, it makes me a little sad to hear that but also confused when he knows he's here everyday but would only be a burden if he brought all his belongings with him.
"Kylo we literally live on the same schedule, you're not a burden at all. Plus, you can keep me occupied when Derek is with Sophia"
"You're about to be occupied" Derek raises an eyebrow and I glare at him for dropping any bit of information to peak Kylo's interest
"Dare I ask?" He looks at me waiting for my response, I say nothing.
"Our good buddy Wyatt here has found himself a bachelorette" The statement leaves me cringing as I look at them both "She's not a bachelorette, that would imply I have more than one on the go" Derek's face's gleams watching me admit my interest in Tate "No Derek wipe that look off your face that's not what I meant"
He still has a beamed look upon his face and Kylo looks back and forth between the both of us "Will one of you care to explain?"
"I have a new friend" I tell him.
"Who is the coaches daughter" Derek cuts me off and Kylo looks at me with widened eyes, I can tell he isn't believing what he's hearing.
"The photography girl?" The sigh's grow longer and deeper out of my mouth every time one of them speaks, asking questions or making a statement for things I already know.
"She's just a friend" Both of them cross their arms and stare at me "It's true" Their eyebrows raise and I still have to defend myself "She is, plus I can't date anyone right now"
"Oh god" Kylo drops his arms shaking his head as Derek starts to give me a lecture.
"Wyatt, this rule you have about not dating during hockey is ridiculous, just because Charlotte dragged you to every after party and always followed you home after the game, doesn't mean every other girl out there is going to do the same thing"
"They're not all out to drain your energy after a game for themselves" Kylo adds.
"It's just easier, I don't have to worry about trying to make the time"