Under his shadow

Noah’s PoV

The second I pushed myself into the dorm, the door slammed, rattling the hinges, startling the lanky guy lying across the couch with the semi nude girl sprawled over him. I barely glanced their way as I stormed for the kitchen.

“Noah, dude, what the fuck?” My best friend and roommate swaggered inside, sporting a mop of messy brown hair, well sculpted chest with his grey sweats hanging low over his hips.

I gripped the marble worktop tight. Should I be mad? My insides were scorching like a solar flare.

“Noah?” Kit Stiles called again.

I glared at him.

“You’re scaring my date.” Kit gestured to the dark-haired girl, now wearing his shirt, hovering at the doorway with a mix of curiosity or the urge to flee.

“Oh, sorry,” I narrowed my eyes, not quite sure if I’ve seen her before.

Luckily, she saved the awkward moment by approaching me with a shy smile. “It’s Annika.”

I exhaled tirelessly, checking the steaming coffee jar. “Can I pour you coffee to make up for it?”

Annika beamed. “Aw, yeah.” she took a stool. “O’Shea, my dad loves your dad…in a sportsman kind of way, it's embarrassing. What’s James like?”

Somehow, I can’t ever escape the shadow of my Dad. I was too busy filling her mug.

Cranky. But “Just a regular dude.” Spilled out from me. I slid Annika the mug, meeting Kit’s disapproving face.

His eyes never left mine. “Annika, can you give us a sec?” He asked. “We’re gonna talk about deep manly stuff.”

Kit winked at her. She pouted for a bit before stowing out of the kitchen.

Kit pointed to my chest. “First off, don’t try to charm Amanda away from me.”

My friend shuffled through girls like a deck of cards. Since she was out of earshot, I didn’t bother correcting him. “I’m guessing you met her at Warrington’s.”

“Oh, you knew about it? We missed you.” He punched my arm. “And why do you look like the great big loss of ’23 with Lockwood?”

Besides missing a winning shot to the other college hockey team, I can’t stop thinking about what Kendra told me. Of course she’d liken our fantastic hook up to some mere nerd study.

It should be over and done with.

A girl turned me down.

I pressed my jaw. I didn’t even think it was scientifically possible.

I had to be the one who called the shots.

Say no.

And let her steam over it for a bit and next thing we’re laughing over it at the campus library or some crap.

But Kendra…

Kit stretched his toned arms wide like a toddler seeking attention. I focused on him. “I’m getting worried over here. You’ve been spending way too much time at the rink.” He said. “I know your body is a temple of athletic awesomeness, but it’s eventually going to wear out.”

Good. I need some distraction anyway. “The Vikings aren’t a joke. There’s no way I’m going to start my debut as the weakest link.”

My best friend’s eyes narrowed. “Uh-huh, gospel truth, you’ve been dreaming of getting drafted in the pros since middle school,” He said. “But that glow on your face is new.”

“Glow?”

Kit waved a hand midair. “I don’t know, but your voice is lighter.”

I scoffed. “Are you planning on switching from business to witchcraft? Gonna pull out some tarot cards next?”

Kit snorted deeply. “Screw you.”

I sipped some of the coffee.

“It’s a girl isn’t it?”

“What? No.”

Kit stared at me.

I scowled back.

He simply shrugged, heading for the exit. “I’ll find out sooner or later.”

I dug my phone out of my pocket, sighed at the long trail of messages from the usual crowd. I tilted my head. Damn. Kendra saw these. I know she did.

Worse.

I don’t have her phone number.

Before I could process a new plan of action. Mom’s caller ID filled the screen.

My stomach dropped.

I swiped right and pressed the screen over my ear. “Hey Ira, what’s up?” Ira was her agent who handled the calls.

A soft London feminine accent filtered through. “…No darling it’s mommy.”

I simply rolled my eyes, thanking my stars Kit didn't hear that. “Oh.”

“Whatever do you mean ‘oh’ for?” Mom’s upset tone never failed to cut through like glass.

“Nothing.” I sighed, not wanting a pointless argument about being a legal adult in over two hundred countries.

But she seemed to be occupied on her end. I heard low voices and crackling. “…No wait your turn Jim…Ugh fine…” She groaned. “Noah, Pop is taking over.”

“Noah.” Dad’s curt voice rang out.

I widened my eyes. “Jim.”

“You bloody rascal, didn’t even waste a second answering mama’s call. Are you picking sides against me now?”

“Maybe it’s because you’re stubborn,” I grumbled under my breath.

“Stubborn? We’re O’Sheas, of course we’re stubborn but not to each other. What are you up to boy?”

I literally cannot deal with my old man right now. I get the sense of heaviness lodged in my bowels. The man. The legend himself. And I’m supposed to top that.

“School stuff. Final projects. The team.”

“Are you giving those boys hell?”

I moved to the fridge and swiped a leftover chicken quesadilla to nuke in the microwave. “Always.”

“That’s great!”

“…You mean horrid,” Mom called in the background. “They’re not machines.”

“Stop eavesdropping, Penny,” Dad warned, his voice suddenly playful, then back to curt. “How’s your diet?”

A forkful of the quesadilla hung over my lips. “You know me, I never miss my salads.”

Dad spent the next five minutes going over potential gameplays for me. All the while exhausting, I thanked him and Mom took the phone.

“You know he loves you, right?”

I blinked. “He’s such a geek.”

She giggled. “Yes, that's just par for the course.”

My mother hardly ever uses American lingo, with Dad it must be addictive.

“Okay I have to go.” Mom sounded panicky. “Jim’s secretly trying to order Mickey Ds in his office. Bye son, love you.”

“Yeah.” I tapped the end call with a smile on my face.

Maybe it’s weird to want something my parents have shared for as far back as before I was born. I need normalcy.

I want a girl who doesn’t see me on ice.

Someone like Kendra Drake.