Page 6

Zoe

Two weeks later…

“ W ait. Brett?” Eden’s eyes widened, and she stopped mid step.” As in Noah’s big brother, Brett ? As in LeCavalier Brett ?”

“The one and only.” Numb, I nodded as I unlocked the front door to the brownstone we shared.

Eden and I were rooming together until she found a place of her own.

Of course, it had been six months of ‘looking’ for a suitable place, but it was better than living with her mom and stepdad.

Even though Eden turned twenty-four this summer, her stepdad was just a tad overprotective in the best possible way.

The walk from Noah’s place just down the street took at the most, maybe five minutes.

Noah, as in LeCavalier Noah, invited a few of the Triumph players over for a pre-madness/preseason dinner.

Brett, my revenge fuck one night holy fucking hotness stand’s little brother.

Triumph training camp began in just a few days, and there were a few new guys who he invited to stay at his place until they found out if they made the team or not.

Eden and I left when the boys brought out the gaming chairs and did that weird chest bump thing guys sometimes did.

Out came the PS5 controllers, the headsets, and a few extra beers.

Being around them going head to head in some insanely immature and loud video game was not my idea of a good time.

I loved Noah, but unless he snuck out the Nintendo Switch he hid for our Kirby tournaments, Eden and I were out.

Rowdy hockey players taking out their aggression gaming? Not as much fun as it sounded. Even if they were easy on the eyes. But the loud outweighed the eye candy, so Bridgerton binge watch it was. Noah might’ve pouted when we told him our non-gaming go back to our place plans.

Goalie’s were a different breed. Noah was no exception to the stereotype and hated when we watched the period drama without him.

Noah also got all emotional in the middle of dinner over how his big brother was going to coach the Triumph this season.

My stomach dropped, and I steadfastly avoided eye contact, choosing to concentrate on the taco bar set up as I loaded my plate with a second round of yumminess.

The guilt worsened when Brett sent him a text telling him he’d be in town in a few days mere seconds later.

Noah’s face lit up as he read the text out loud.

Eden, the third of our bestie trio, kept throwing glances my way, twiddling with a strand of her bright hair.

Eyes narrowed on me, watching every reaction.

I also avoided her because Eden had an uncanny way of finding things out she shouldn’t.

When we begged out of the rest of the night, Noah teased as he walked us to the door, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were sneaking off with your summer fling instead. But Mr. Mystery man is thousands of miles away, so you get these idiots instead. Makes sense.”

“Hey!” Stephen Linders, the team’s star defensive player, peaked his head around the corner. He added, with a fake pout, “I’m offended. See you later, Zoe. Eden.”

Eden waggled her fingers at him, then turned her attention to me as I pretended to look for my keys. Watching every movement like a colorful haired little yet very observant hawk.

As if she realized I kept something pretty big from her that included Noah somehow. And the text he read out loud as I choked on the spaghetti marinara from our favorite Italian place.

Eden knew I hooked up with someone on my mini escape over the summer. I just never told her who. Or that the reason I needed to get away was my secret situationship with Liam and his two-timing ass.

Add one more thing to the list of secrets I was keeping, I thought guiltily. It was eating away at me, and I felt the the story screaming and fighting to get free from the spot I locked it away once I closed the door as I left Brett’s hotel room that morning two weeks ago.

As soon as I threw my keys in the bowl on the kitchen island, I broke down and told her my hot-as-fuck beach hook-up was Noah’s older brother.

How Noah’s buzzed story about Brett’s reputation sparked a plan that included a little light stalking, a whole lot of scheming, and multiple orgasms with Noah’s big brother.

As in, not only Noah’s big brother, but also the new coach of the Triumph. And technically, the person I’d be working with, at least in some capacity.

Yep. Brett LeCavalier, Triumph head coach, and the best sex of my life would be unavoidable for the foreseeable future. Avoiding how to navigate that was my current super power.

Eden buried her face in her hands with a groan.

She squared her shoulders, raised a finger to indicate the hold the fuck on we need something strong for this finger, walked deftly to the kitchen and whipped open the cabinet we kept our alcohol and her Junior Mints, as well as my and Noah’s secret snack stash.

Then she brought out the vodka and two shot glasses, lips pursed, silent, and poured shots.

I wrinkled my nose as she handed me one and raised hers in a not-so-toast toast. We downed it together with a grimace even thought the vodka went down smoothly.

Eden motioned for me to continue, and listened to my incoherent ramblings as she kept pouring Tito’s.

Maybe because I was reliving all the dirty details, but leaving out the whole revenge fuck and reason why. That I just randomly ran into a really hot guy, only to realize he was…Brett on my solo beach getaway and had a one night stand that lasted until the next morning.

Leaving out the reason behind it all, but I had my reasons. Was I embarrassed that I’d been fooled so easily and believed all his lies about how he felt about me and that I was the only one. Hell, I could be one of seventeen at this point.

At lease I had the memory of Brett and all the things he did to me to resort to when I went down the rabbit hole.

Shot two went down easier. Of course, we drank to Brett’s magic, no commitment dick and tongue. Le Sigh. So that helped.

By shot number three, I confessed how I thought about him and the orgasms he addicted me to constantly. Day and night. Night and day, and not the damn Tom Cruise movie, either.

Oh, no this was full on, X-rated, replay every damn dirty filthy thing.

I could almost hear him call me his little slut even now.

NO, not almost. I did. My cheeks flushed, and I was grateful to have the alcohol buzzing in my veins.

“But it’s hopeless to even think anything else could come of the night we spent together.

Because he doesn’t do feels. Catch feels.

Things. Ugh,” I groaned as I buried my heads in my arms on the countertop.

“Which was why it worked out so well, right? Even if he is Noah’s brother? ”

“ Noah is going to ice you out when he finds out. Not because you had crazy, dirty sex with his older brother. “ Eden pointed her finger at me while holding another shot then downed it. Her nose wrinkled. “But because you kept it from him. Bestie code. You know he’s going to be hurt and…we didn’t even watch Bridgerton.”

“Which is why I am not going to tell him.” I raised my clear shot of false liquid courage and threw it back like I was still in college. The burn as it made its way down to my already torn up in knots stomach only made me feel worse and more guilty. Liquid courage, my ass. “And neither are you. ”

Eden raised her eyebrows as she gathered her multicolored hair and twisted into a bun on top of her head. “What else aren’t you telling me, Z?”

I froze, all that guilt eating away at me once again. But instead of confessing all my sins, or should I say dickhead Liam’s sins, I shook my head and plastered what I hoped was a convincing buzzed smile on my face. “Nothing.”

Hand on her hip, she glared at me, clearly not believing my bullshit.

“So you’re telling me you just so happened to be at some random beach bar, buzzed like a little honey bee?

For no other reason than you missed the beach and magically ran into Noah’s hot, emotionally unavailable older brother.

The same one Noah told us was a grumpy man whore?

Then, BAM ,” she snapped her fingers, hot pink and purple strands swaying like a fluffy cotton candy dream, “woke up in bed with him after a gloriously dirty night of sex?”

“Yep. Nothing else to tell.”

Her eyes narrowed. Seconds ticked away as she twined her hair around her finger, lips pursed.

Then the finger pointed at me as she reached for a cookie from the jar we kept on the island.

“You can lie to Noah, Zoe, but I am on to you. Fine. Keep your little secret. I’ll be here when you’re ready to attend confession. With vodka.”

A ping from her phone distracted her as she took a bite of the sugary goodness. I breathed a sigh of relief until I noticed the concern etched on her features. And how pale her face went as she read the message on her screen. “Eden? Is everything ok?”

“Huh?” she asked, enormous eyes looking up, then back down in quick succession as she turned off her phone and slipped it into her back pocket.

“The text?” I pointed to her phone as I shoved a cookie in my mouth.

Her eyes widened, then she shook her head. “Nope, everything is fine. For now.” And like any person hiding a secret, she flipped the tables on me. Just like I tired to do with m y question. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Zoe.”

I sucked a deep breath and reached for another cookie. “So do I.”