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If the man next to me doesn’t get his goddamn hands away from my ass, I’m going to break his fingers.
I turn and face him, not surprised to find a blond-haired guy looking at me. The worst ones are always blond.
“Yeah?” Maverick turns his chin my way. “Did you tell him about the dream you had? The one with me, him, Hud—” “You’re cut off, Miller.” Emmy puts a hand over his mouth. Her red cheeks match her hair. “One more word and you’re on the couch tonight.”
“She wasn’t finished speaking,” Riley says, deathly low. The look in his eye is murderous. A shiver races up my spine when he curls his fingers into a fist. My cheeks turn bright red when he stares at my boss and tilts his head to the side. “And her name is Lexi. L-e-x-i. That’s not difficult, is it? Treat her with respect and get it right, or I’m leaving.” Holy shit.
“You did all of that? For me?” Riley stares at me with wide, dark eyes.
“I hate living like this, so I want to be able to handle it. But I’m not sure I’m going to be able to.” “Of course you are, Mitchy. You have me in your corner,” I say, and his gaze is cautious. Reluctantly optimistic, almost. “If there’s one thing I love to do, it’s prove everyone who’s ever doubted me wrong. That’s what you’re going to do too.”
“You are. Which is fine, Riley, but we’re your brothers. We want to see the messy and fucked-up parts of your life, okay? After my mom passed, I was broken. The guys on the team were the only thing that saved me. And I’m not saying you need to be saved. Just… let us be waiting with a life jacket if it starts to feel like you’re drowning, okay?”
“Men have one-night stands all the time, and they’re considered kings of the world,” Maven chimes in. “When women have sex with multiple people, we’re considered sluts. Why? Why is there such a double standard?”
“I’ve been skipping my rehab sessions.” “I know you have. It’s hysterical hearing the excuses Lexi come up with to cover for your ass.” “She’s been doing that?” I ask. “Yeah. My personal favorite is when she mentioned you were awaiting a very important package.”
“Who says women can’t do hard things just because of how we dress?”
I grab a glass from the cabinet, not mentioning I went out and bought a handle of gin to add to my liquor cabinet in case she asked for some. “I got some limes for you too.”
“It’s like you don’t know me at all. Being good at things men think they’re superior in is my quest in life.”
“Today was a good day,” I murmur. “They’re all good days with you, Riley,” she whispers, and I hold that as close to chest as tight as I can.
“I always brush it off when they ask why I don’t date and throw in a joke about men not being shit.” “We aren’t shit.”
“How about instead of arguing…” Maverick reaches into his pocket and unfolds a piece of paper, handing it off to Emmy. “Everyone say Guess what? We’re going to be aunts and uncles to the coolest baby girl in the whole fucking world who will be here by Christmas!”
My eyes prickle with tears. I squeeze them shut, and when I open them, I see twenty-six familiar faces right behind the Comets’ bench, all wearing my jersey.
My body aches in ways I’ve never experienced before. My right leg feels like it’s seconds away from giving out. My eyes burn with sweat, but every time my blades touch the ice, I tell myself Riley from a year ago wouldn’t believe how far I’ve come, and I push even harder.
“You did it,” Lexi squeals. “Oh my god, Riley. You really, really did it.” “Thank you,” I say into her hair. “For not letting me give up that first day in the training room. You’re the only reason I got this far.”
“That’s a hat trick, Lexi baby, and that means I win.” “Win?” She wrinkles her nose, and I kiss away her frown. “What the hell do you win?” “You, obviously,” I say. “I don’t need anything else.”
