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I frown, sensing there’s more to it than that. “You sound…disappointed.”

His cheeks turn a delicate pink, and he glances down, suddenly fascinated by his hands in his lap. “No, it’s just—I think Kyle deserves to be appreciated, that’s all. He works so hard, and he’s such an amazing person. He’s kind and loyal and has the biggest heart of anyone I know.”

And then it hits me. “Oh my God. You like Kyle.”

Alex’s blush deepens to a vivid scarlet, and he bites his lower lip, still avoiding my gaze. “Is it that obvious?”

“Only to someone who’s been there,” I say gently.

He finally looks up at me, his hazel eyes filled with unshed tears. “But Kyle will never like me that way. I’m just his best friend. His sidekick. The little brother he never had.”

My heart clenches at the pain in his voice. I want to reach out and hug him. Tell him that everything will be okay. But I can’t do that without risking a fiery crash, so I settle for words of encouragement instead.

“Never say never, Alex. I never thought Gerard would give methe time of day, but here we are. Sometimes, the most unlikely pairings are the most perfect.”

Alex sniffles and wipes at his eyes with the back of his hand. “You think so?”

“I know so. Don’t give up on Kyle. He might surprise you.”

Alex nods. “Thanks, Elliot. You’re a good friend.”

“Anytime, Alex. Now, let’s see if we can get this beast to the arena without killing ourselves in the process.”

We makeit to Infinity Arena midway through the second period. Our seats are right behind the home team’s bench, where Kyle sits. I vaguely remember Gerard telling me Kyle’s backup signed with the New York Rangers, and Coach Donovan wanted to give the new guy some ice time. But glancing at the score, something tells me that was probably a bad idea.

Kyle whips around the second my ass hits the seat. Even through his helmet, I can see the fury blazing in his eyes. He presses his gloved hands against the glass and hisses, “Where the hell have you two been? The game’s half over!” He shifts his gaze to Alex, and his expression softens. He checks him over, making sure he’s not injured or distressed. “Are you okay?”

Alex’s cheeks flush under the intensity of Kyle’s stare. “I’m fine, Kyle. We just had some trouble getting here.”

Kyle turns back to me, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “What kind of trouble?”

I clear my throat, suddenly wishing I was already dead. “Well, you see, you failed to mention that your car is a stick shift.”

Kyle’s eyes widen, and for a moment, I swear I see fear. “My car. Is it…is it in one piece?”

I grimace, recalling the grinding gears and the sputtering engine. “Barely. We made it here, but it was touch and go for a while.”

If Kyle were a cartoon, steam would be pouring out of his ears right now. He takes a deep breath to calm himself, but I can tell it’s a losing battle.

“You mean to tell me,” he growls, his voice dangerously low, “that you drove my car—that I spentweeksworking on—without knowing how to handle it?”

“In my defense, you failed to give me pertinent information. And it’s not as if I had much of a choice. Alex needed to get here, and you weren’t willing to risk his father’s wrath.”

Kyle glances at Alex, guilt written all over his face. He knows he should have been the one to drive Alex, but his dedication to the team and his stubborn pride got in the way.

“I’m sorry, Alex.” His gruff voice is barely audible over the roar of the crowd as Drew scores, tying things up. “I should have been there for you.”

“It’s okay, Kyle,” Alex whispers, staring at the floor. “I understand. The team needed you.”

Kyle shakes his head, his expression pained. “You needed me too. And I fucked up.”

“It’s fine. I’m just glad we made it in time to see some of the game.”

Kyle nods, his gaze lingering on Alex for a moment longer before he turns around to face the ice. Alex might think Kyle could never see him the way he sees Kyle, but I’m not so sure. The way Kyle looked at him, the concern in his voice, and the guilt in his eyes suggest something deeper than friendship.

It reminds me of how I felt about Gerard before we got together. It was as if an invisible string was pulling us closer and closer until we couldn’t deny the inevitable any longer.

I glance over at Alex, noting the expression on his face as he watches Kyle on the bench. His eyes are full of longing, and a pang of sympathy shoots through me.