Wild Tendy (IceCats 2)

Chandler snorts and I smirk. “Yes, in the additional info: ‘Please don’t wipe my come on the bedsheets, and brush your teeth if you swallow it. It’s icky, and I don’t like it.’”

With an unamused look, I say, “I’m a man. I don’t use the word icky.”

Chandler flips me the bird. “Fine, it’s fucking gross.”

“Better,” I agree, though I’ll never put that on there. Maybe I will be a bit more honest, though. I’m always so worried people will think I’m weird. It freaks me out so badly that I’m not even completely honest with Chandler about my issues. He just thinks I’m OCD and a germ freak.

Amelia grins. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea. How many times have you had this problem since you and Shelli called things off?”

“I didn’t call it off. Shelli called it off for that fuckbag, Brooks,” I remind her.

I’m not saying I was head over heels in love with Shelli Adler, but I may have been tripped up on her. She’s a goddess, and hell if she didn’t fuck like a dream. She didn’t care for me the way I did for her. Her excuse that I didn’t even really know her was bullshit. Yeah, I didn’t know her family shit, but I knew how she liked to sleep, her favorite foods, and what made her squirm. It may have taken a lot of therapy, but I know for a fact that it wasn’t me. It was her. I fell for a girl who was in love with another man.

A fuckbag, in my opinion.

Amelia rolls her eyes. “Hey, that fuckbag completes her.”

I’d wanted to complete her. She didn’t give me that chance, though.

“But that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t have. I loved you two together, but she has loved Aiden since she was a kid.”

“Ugh, Amelia, please. I don’t need you stroking my ego,” I groan. “I’m over her.”

I am; I’m just bitter about that fuckbag. He not only took my girl from me, but he took my Cup. I don’t like Aiden Brooks. At all.

“I’d rather she didn’t stroke anything of yours,” Chandler says then, which sends us all into a fit of laughter. “But in all honesty, bro, she isn’t wrong about the whole sleeping around thing. Especially if you’re going to keep up with the Tinder,” he says as he rocks back and forth while Carter eats.

“Huh?” I ask, confused.

“The whole letting people know beforehand what you like and dislike so that you don’t get kicked out of women’s houses.”

“Oh,” I say as I start to wipe down the counters. I didn’t expect him to change gears so quickly, but then, Chandler doesn’t speak of Shelli with me. He knows I’m still upset about it. “Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t use Tinder anymore.”

“Now that’s a great plan,” he says, pointing at me.

Even Amelia nods. “I never liked you on Tinder. You meet crazy people, and with the twins now, I can’t have you bringing nutcases around.”

“Yeah, I mean, I wasn’t thinking about the twins, but you’re right.”

She rolls her eyes. “Of course not. Nico Merryweather, think of anyone but himself? Never.”

I glare, and Chandler shakes his head. “Hey, he’s not that bad.” He then looks at me. “She’s emotional.”

“I know Amelia loves me,” I call over at her, and her look says otherwise, but I know the truth. “While I’m thinking of the twins now, it also has to do with the fact that I’m not meeting good people.”

“Mainly because you’re on a hookup app,” Amelia says dryly. “Go to a bar.”

Both Chandler and I shake our heads. “Nico doesn’t do bars. When he does, he drinks entirely too much.”

I nod. “And then I make even more bad choices.”

“Fine, join a church group.”

I give her a look. “Do I look like the kind of guy who’s getting into heaven?”

She doesn’t laugh or even smirk. She just nods. “Yeah, you’re self-absorbed, but you’re a good guy. You’ll be a nice addition to heaven.”

I wave her off. “Don’t you have friends you can hook me up with?”

“I do, but none of them could handle you,” she says simply. “You need the kind of woman who is strong and can deal with you and your extra-ness.”

“Extra-ness?”

She gives me a look. “Nico, you are over the top. You’re loud, and you say what is on your mind with no holds barred. Half the time, I’m not sure you even think about what you’re about to say. You’re extravagant. You spend money as quickly as you move your glove to stop pucks.”

I shrug. “Women love that.”

“Gold-digging women, yes, but not decent women. You need a good woman. Someone who will love you and your quirks. Not get their feelings hurt when you say something you don’t think through because they wiped your come on the bed.”

I bite the inside of my cheek as I throw the towel I was using to clean up with. “I don’t think there is another Shelli out there.”