Page 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Tyler

I wake up to the soft buzz of my phone against the nightstand.

Stretching, I grab it, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes as I unlock the screen. The group chat is blowing up, and I can’t help but grin as I scroll through the messages.

Nick’s message is first.

Last night? Wow. Just wow. Round two soon?

Brooks jumps in right after.

Not sure we can call it a round. Felt more like an entire tournament.

And then there’s Ally’s reply, coy but dripping with innuendo.

I think I’m still catching my breath, but…yeah, definitely, yes.

The smile on my face widens as I fire off a reply.

You guys started without me? Rude.

Ally’s typing bubbles pop up almost instantly.

Wouldn’t dream of leaving you out. Just setting the mood for when you woke up.

My heart races as I lean back into the pillows, reading the playful banter that follows. Nick fires off a teasing comment about stamina, Brooks chimes in with a suggestion to “revisit strategy,” and Ally, jokes about needing an ice pack for her “aches”, telling us, “You guys gave me quite the thrashing” with a winky-smiley face.

I type back.

Guess I’ll need to limber up for next time. Can’t let you guys wear me out too fast.

The chat explodes with laughing emojis and winks, and I can’t help but feel like this crazy, wild thing we’ve got going is something special. Something I didn’t know I needed.

I roll out of bed and decide I better hit up the gym before I decide that staying in bed all day and texting sounds like way more fun.

When I get there, the gym smells like sweat. The rhythmic pounding of my feet against the treadmill blends with the steady hum of the machines around me.

My trainer, a wiry guy named Steve with the endurance of a marathon runner, claps his hands sharply, his voice cutting through the morning fog in my head.

“Let’s pick it up, Tyler! Ten more seconds at this pace, then we’re switching!”

I grit my teeth, pushing through the burn in my legs. The digital timer on the treadmill ticks down, and as it hits zero, Steve motions me off. “All right, let’s move! Grab the ropes!”

I head to the heavy battle ropes lying coiled on the floor like sleeping snakes. Picking them up, I feel the coarse texture bite into my palms. Steve counts down, and I throw myself into it, whipping the ropes up and down in powerful, rhythmic waves.

My shoulders scream in protest, but I keep going, sweat dripping down my temple and onto the mat below.

“Nice! Keep that form!” Steve shouts, pacing behind me.

The circuit continues, moving from cardio to burpees, then to weighted squats. Each movement is a new challenge, but I feel alive, every fiber of my body firing on all cylinders. The music blasting from the gym speakers is upbeat, driving me forward.

Finally, we finish with weights, and I slam the barbell in my hand onto the rack, breathing hard but feeling accomplished.

As I grab a towel and wipe the sweat from my face, my thoughts wander.

Things have been…different since we all hooked up. Ally, Nick, Brooks, and I have this group text going, and honestly, it’s been getting more intimate by the hour.

Ally’s playful wit shines through her texts, making it impossible not to smile when I read them. Nick’s always throwing in some sarcastic comment to make her laugh, and even Brooks, who’s usually gruff and reserved, has been opening up in ways I didn’t expect.

I think about Brooks for a moment, how he’s always been there for Nick and me, taking us in when we joined the team. He’s like the older brother we never had. Seeing him loosen up and embrace this crazy dynamic we have with Ally? It feels like we’re giving him something back, something he didn’t even know he was missing.

I chuckle to myself as I scroll through the group text on my phone, rereading Ally’s last message about how she can’t wait for game day. My grin widens as I type a quick reply, teasing her about bringing pom-poms to cheer us on.

Steve walks over, clapping me on the shoulder. “Great work today, man. Hit the showers, and I’ll see you Thursday.”

“Thanks, Steve,” I reply, tossing the towel into a nearby bin. As I head to the locker room, the thought of Ally lingers, her laugh echoing in my mind like a favorite song.

The warm spray of the shower hits my back, washing away the sweat and tension from my workout. The steam fills the air, curling around me as I lean against the tiled wall, letting the water cascade over my shoulders.

My thoughts drift, unbidden, to Ally. The memory of her, soft and warm in my arms, flashes in my mind. The way her lips felt against mine, the sound of her laughter, the way she looked at me like I was the only one who mattered.

I let out a low sigh, running a hand through my wet hair. The whole dynamic between Ally, Nick, Brooks, and me? It’s wild, sure, but it works. And it’s not just the sex, it’s something deeper, something that makes me feel…whole.

I close my eyes, the water continuing to stream down my body as I wrestle with the thought that’s been nagging at me. Am I falling for her?

It’s not like me to catch feelings. Hell, I’ve spent most of my adult life making sure things stayed casual, easy, fun. But Ally? She’s different.

I shake my head, trying to clear away the thought. Falling for her means risking everything, our dynamic, my friendship with Nick, my own sense of control. But even as I try to push the thought away, it lingers, stubborn and persistent.

The sound of water splashing against the tile snaps me back to reality, and I quickly finish up, shutting off the shower and grabbing a towel.

The drive home is quiet. My mind shifts to the upcoming game. The first few games of the season are always crucial, but this year feels different. The competition is fierce, and the pressure to start strong is heavier than usual.

Brooks has been pushing himself harder than anyone, and I know why. He’s worried about being traded, about being labeled “too old” for the game. But anyone who’s seen him on the ice knows he’s still a beast, a brick wall on defense with a sharp hockey IQ to match.

I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, thinking about the plays we’ve been working on in practice. If we can execute them as well as we’ve been handling them in practice, we’ll be in good shape.

Pulling into the driveway, I feel a sense of comfort settle over me. Brooks’ house looms ahead, familiar and welcoming.

I park the car and step out, the cool evening air nipping at my skin. The sound of music filters out from the house, and I grin, knowing Nick probably has his playlist blasting in the kitchen.

As I step inside, the smell of whatever Brooks cooked earlier hits me, and I feel gratitude. This is home, messy and chaotic as it might be.

The house is quiet, the kind of calm that comes after a long day. I glance around, taking in the open floor plan, the high ceilings, and the warm glow from the recessed lights.

Brooks’ place is damn nice, modern but not flashy, with big windows that let in the city’s evening light and enough space to make it feel like you could stretch out forever.

A thought nags at me. What if Brooks really does retire? Would Nick and I stay here? Could we? The three of us have built a rhythm living together, but it feels fragile, like one change could knock it all out of place.

My eyes land on the big leather couch, the one where we’ve always sprawled out after games, beers in hand. I imagine Ally here with us, curled up in the corner, laughing at one of Nick’s bad jokes or tossing a pillow at me for teasing her.

The thought makes my chest tighten, not in a bad way, but in a way that feels heavy with possibility. What if this thing with Ally isn’t just a fling? What if, somehow, it could be more?

The idea feels crazy, but the more I think about it, the less crazy it seems. The way things are going, with all of us getting closer to her, it’s not hard to picture Ally fitting into this house, into our lives.

I shake my head, trying to push the thought aside. It’s too soon to be thinking like that. Right?

The front door swings open, and I hear Nick’s voice before I see him. “Ty, you here?”

I smirk, leaning against the kitchen counter as he strides in, his yoga mat tucked under one arm and his hair slightly damp with sweat.

“Look at you, fresh from your yoga class,” I tease, crossing my arms. “You’re so zen now, huh? Gonna start doing downward dog in the middle of practice?”

Nick rolls his eyes, tossing the mat onto a chair. “Hey, yoga’s legit, and you know it. Helps with flexibility, balance, focus, all things you could use, by the way.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, waving him off. “You’re just trying to impress the instructor.”

Nick grins, unbothered. “You’re deflecting, man. What’s up with you? You’ve got that lost puppy look again.”

“I do not,” I protest, though my voice lacks conviction. Nick raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Come on, Ty. You can’t hide anything from me. What’s going on? Spill.”

I hesitate, the weight of my thoughts pressing down on me. Finally, I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “Fine. It’s Ally.”

Nick’s grin widens knowingly. “Figured. So, what about her?”

For a second, I think about brushing it off, but I can’t. Not with Nick. He knows me too well, and besides, this isn’t something I can keep bottled up.

Taking a deep breath, I decide to go for it. “I’ve been thinking…a lot. About her. About us. About everything.”

Nick leans against the counter, his expression softening. “Go on.”

“I don’t know, man. It’s just…the more time we spend with Ally, the more it feels like this could be something real, you know?” I pause, searching for the right words. “Like, what if we didn’t just mess around with her? What if we…I don’t know…lived with her? Together?”

I glance at Nick, half-expecting him to laugh or tell me I’m crazy. But he doesn’t. Instead, he just nods, his gaze thoughtful.

“You’re not the only one who’s been thinking that,” he says after a moment, his voice quiet but steady.

I blink, surprised. “Seriously?”

“Yeah,” he admits, running a hand through his hair. “It’s weird, right? But it’s not. Ally’s different. She’s not like anyone else we’ve ever been with.”

“Exactly,” I say, relief flooding through me. “It’s like…she gets us, both of us. And I don’t know, man, I feel like we could actually make this work.”

Nick smiles, a small, genuine smile that I don’t see often. “Me too.”

The tension in my chest eases, replaced by a strange sense of hope. For once, we’re on the same page about something big.

“So,” I say, leaning back against the counter with a grin. “What do you think it’d be like? Living with Ally?”

Nick chuckles, shaking his head. “Honestly? Probably chaos. She’d probably spend half her time yelling at us to pick up after ourselves.”

I laugh, picturing it. “Yeah, and the other half of the time, she’d be making us dinner and stealing all the blankets on the couch.”

Nick nods, a faraway look in his eyes. “But it’d be worth it. Having her around…it’d feel right, you know? Like, having one woman who cares about both of us.”

I glance at him, my smile fading slightly. “You really think that could happen? That she could want us like that?”

Nick’s expression grows serious. “I think so. I mean, look at how things are now. She’s already made room for both of us in her life, and she hasn’t run screaming yet. That’s gotta mean something.”

“Yeah,” I say softly, the thought sinking in.

We fall into a comfortable silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts. The idea of a future with Ally, of something solid and lasting, feels surreal. But it also feels…possible.

For the first time in a long time, I feel like we’re moving toward something real. Something that could change everything.

Nick raises his glass, breaking the quiet. “To Ally,” he says, his voice filled with quiet conviction.

I clink my glass against his, a grin tugging at my lips. “To Ally.”