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He’s my best friend in the whole damn world, more like a brother than anything, and to see him hurting hurts me.
A week of job searching has left me empty-handed and on the brink of joining OnlyFans.
The jersey smelled like death and hung all the way down to her feet, but she didn’t care. She wore it around for weeks, and it’s still her favorite item hanging in her closet.
and I notice how easy she is to talk to. She’s genuine. Authentic in her enthusiasm and gracious in her sympathy.
“Did you set me up on a blind date? My shirt has a hole in it, Piper. That’s not how I make a good first impression. And I didn’t bring wine. Flowers. Anything.”
“For you, Mom,” I say to the empty room. “Always for you.” One of the overhead lights flickers, and I laugh. “Yeah. I know you’re here. You wouldn’t miss this. Sometimes I can still hear you yelling at me to get the rebound.” I pause, my shoulders heavy and my eyes wet with tears. “Fuck. I miss you, Mama.”
“What was with the penalty you got earlier? I saw you chirping that dude.” “He liked one of Emmy’s photos on Instagram last week, and it pissed me off. The hit was worth the two-minute timeout I got in the sin bin.” “You’re joking.” “Nope.” “You might be the most deranged man I’ve ever met.” “Nah. Just an idiot in love.”
Riley—focus on the game, not what someone is saying about your girl,” I tell them. “She’s not my girl,” Riley grits out. “You look at her like she’s your girl,” Mav teases.
Spending over fifty nights in a hotel room throughout the season loses its appeal pretty fast.
I’ve never been drawn to blond men, but he’s an anomaly. From the deep blue eyes and the scruff of his well-trimmed beard to his shaggy hair and the way he holds himself like he commands the attention of everyone in the room, Hudson Hayes has me curious.
“I try to be good about my sugar intake during the season, but I’m a sucker for anything chocolate. Anything sweet, really.”
holding up a cheese grater I didn’t know I had. I have no clue where the hell these gadgets are coming from.
“Not heaven in the form of ground beef and melted cheese. Hell. This is delicious.”
Her eyes sparkle and her back straightens. Her smile is full of joy and love, and I bet her daughter is the best kid in the world.
Hello, Liam signs. He touches his chest with a flat palm. My. His first two fingers tap the top of his other two fingers in the shape of a cross. Name is. Then he slowly spells out L-I-A-M with the ASL alphabet.
He gives me a wave and flips his hat backward before walking toward us. Jesus Christ. Shit like that should be illegal for men to do in public.
I guess I am a romantic. I believe in soulmates and happily ever afters. One person for you kind of thing. I’ve always cared more about emotional attraction than physical attraction.
“You’re making these from scratch?” I lift an eyebrow. “You thought I was going to use a boxed mix?” “I did, and I’m learning it was a wildly offensive assumption. Forgive me, chef.”
Making us dress like we’re extras on the set of fucking Bridgerton. And I still hate our chat name. Mitchy Good show. Me GREAT show.
“Canada can kick fucking rocks.” Maverick takes the seat next to me on the charter plane and crosses his arms. “I’m still mad Toronto took Emmy away from us. Away from me.
“You’re incredibly needy.” “Probably because I was abandoned as a child and I’m making up for it as an adult. That’s what my therapist says.” “Fuck you for making me feel like an asshole.”
Wait till I tell you I go to figure skating classes in the off season with some of the guys. And the Pilates classes Lexi teaches downtown. It keeps us in shape. Liam also goes to ballet classes to help with his flexibility.
Now I know he’s been hiding a body that looks like it was handcrafted out of the finest marble, but he does and he is, and my brain nearly short-circuits because of it.
“Book club?” I finish off my drink and reach for the bottle. “Who do you have book club with?” “My teammates. We, ah, read romance books.”
“To the family you’re born with, and the family you meet along the way.”
“It’s about a basketball player pretending to date his best friend’s sister.
“Pretty sure that could be considered assault,” Riley chimes in. “Not in dark romance it’s not,” Grant says. “That’s why I like that shit the most.”
“And fantasy too. When they’re sword fighting and he’s all I hope you’re prepared to meet your end, and she’s all I’d sooner die than let you win, and then he nicks her cheek and smirks? I live for that shit.” “Holy shit. Should we bring swords to the arena and fight?” Ethan asks.
“We need to make him watch the ‘Juno’ positions clips and figure out which ones he likes.” Grant drops to the floor and thrusts into the rug. “Have you ever tried this one, Hud?”
but I still feel like I’m this ball of emotion who loves people too fiercely, who cares too deeply, who wonders if my brain might be hardwired wrong.
And keep my roommate’s name out of your mouth. None of you are touching her, and you’re not going to talk about her like that again. Got it?”
“Who?” Piper follows my gaze. “That’s Hannah, Grant’s sister. She’s a professional figure skater.”
There are a lot of men in the world, but I’m learning there’s only one Hudson Hayes.
G-Money Not as entertaining as the book I’m reading right now. There’s accidental cannibalism in it lol.
Liam does get picked as a volunteer, and after shooting daggers at us, he puts on a pink apron and pretends to pour tea much to the delight of the three dozen giggling children.
I promise your girl is in good hands. Madeline I know she is.
I swear the only thing hotter than a guy with a kid is a guy wearing a backward hat.”
“It’s not the length of time that determines your happiness. It’s the person,”
Hudson is asleep on the couch, and his body takes up all the cushions. Next to him, Lucy is curled against his chest. Her face is buried in his shirt and his left arm is wrapped around her, as if he’s keeping her from falling off the sofa. Gus and Millie are on the floor beneath them, snoozing soundly.
His voice is deeper than before, and he can’t stop staring at my collarbone. “I like your shirt. Top. Thing.”
I refuse to show up somewhere empty-handed. Or with something store-bought.
But I’ve never seen anyone, not even my ex-husband when we were at our happiest, look at someone the way Maverick looks at Emmy.
It’s like she’s made of shooting stars and the brightest light in the sky. It’s
She might be the most favorite friend I’ve ever had, and I know I should be the one thanking her.
“When I said green, I meant that exact shade. You in that outfit, really.” His cheeks are flushed, and his Adam’s apple bobs. “No other variation is ever going to do.”
It’s stupid, really, but all of a sudden, I’m looking for any opportunity to be around him. Paying attention to the thing he loves seems like the easiest way to do that.
It’s torture—hell on earth—but when she huffs out a laugh at my patheticness and kisses me fully, I’m a lost cause. A man gone, because she’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted, and once isn’t going to be enough. A million fucking times won’t be enough.
I’d rather be a sinner with her than a saint with anyone else.
“Hudson.” Piper reaches for me. Her smile is bright when she wraps her fingers around mine. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.” “Are we forgetting the time I tied my wedding ring to my skate?” Liam grumbles. “That was sweet.”
Piper makes me sound like a hero, when, really, I’m just treating people how I’d want to be treated. The right way to be treated,
