Page 33

Luka

I look down at Lily. “What’s my girl in the mood for?” We’re almost down the hallway, heading toward the main parking lot.

“I could seriously barf right now,” Stella complains.

Rowan slings his arm around Stella’s neck and pulls her in close. “Maybe you’re just jealous. I can ask you what you want for dinner, too,” he purrs.

“Dude, take your hands off her,” I growl.

Rowan automatically lifts his right arm off her shoulder and holds his hands in the air in surrender. “Just having a little fun, Brother.”

Stella punches Rowan in the gut while he has both hands raised, leaving his core unprotected. “ Arghhh , what was that for? Damn, that hurt!” he whines as he rubs his lower abdomen and ribs.

“Don’t touch me unless I give you permission, Lucky Charm,” Stella says more playfully than I expected. If I didn’t know any better, I would almost say she enjoyed him touching her. My eyes narrow as my twin Spidey senses start to go off.

“That sounds like touching you might be a thing in the future?” Rowan asks.

Stella barks out a huff of laughter. “Not a chance, pretty boy .”

“ Ohhh , now I’m pretty?” Rowan blows on his fingernails and then rubs them against his chest in a show of boasting.

I shove his shoulder. “Cut it out, dude. In case you’ve forgotten, that’s my fuckin’ sister, bro. ”

“Like I said, just having some fun.” Rowan wanders over to Tessa and throws his arm around her the same way he did Stella. This time, he doesn’t get punched. “I’m Rowan, by the way.”

Tessa laughs. “I gathered that. I’m Tessa.” She awkwardly holds out her left hand for him to shake before they walk down the hallway with Rowan’s arm thrown around her neck.

“Lucky Charm?” Lily asks in confusion.

We’re still making our way down the hall to the hockey rink parking lot, and no one has suggested a place to eat because everyone is distracted by Rowan’s antics.

Rowan smiles broadly as his arm falls from around Tessa. He turns on his heel and walks backward. “It’s like my superpower. I’ve had the best damn luck my entire life, and the nickname Lucky Charm just stuck.”

“Ah, yes. This infamous luck I’ve heard about. I have like a million and one questions for you,” Lily says excitedly.

“Oh, shucks, I’m flattered. Shoot, honey.”

“Watch it,” I growl, unhappy with him calling my girl honey.

Rowan clears his throat. “Old habit. Also, I’m not exactly used to you having a girlfriend, bro . Isn’t there like a grace period or something?”

I playfully lunge towards him, grabbing him around the neck and pulling him into a headlock before giving him a noogie. He pushes back and successfully shoves me off him.

Lily laughs. “You know a grace period is supposed to be full of goodwill and harmony .” Her emphasis on the word harmony isn’t lost on me.

“These two wouldn’t know harmony if she bit them in the ass,” Stella says.

“Who’s biting who’s ass?” Beau asks.

“Harmony, dude,” Nash says, quite unhelpfully.

“Harmony can bite my ass anytime. Is she a puck bunny, though? Cause that could be an issue,” Beau notes seriously.

“Why, your momma tell you to stay away from them?” Nash playfully jabs.

“No!” Beau says defensively. “I just like to know what kind of girl I’m taking out.”

“There is no girl,” Stella says .

“Then who’s Harmony?” Beau asks again.

We all burst into a fit of laughter as we finally make our way out into the parking lot. The cold evening air is more frigid than usual for this time of year. I tuck Lily into my side as we stand just outside the exit doors.

“I’ll explain it in the car,” Nash says to Beau, who still has a puzzled look on his face. He truly thinks Harmony is a real person.

No one has decided where they want to eat so I make an executive decision. “Let’s go to Dave’s.” It’s a sports bar right down the road that has the best draft beer and hamburgers.

The group nods, and we break into two groups since we can’t all fit in one car. Rowan and Lily volunteer to drive their vehicles.

I intertwine my fingers with Lily’s as we head toward her car. Stella and Tessa are coming with us, and the others go with Rowan.

“Are you sure you don’t want to ride with them?” Lily asks.

I squeeze her hand tighter. “Not a chance, Lovebug. I’ve waited all damn week to have your hand in mine, and I’m not wasting a second being away from you.”

She swoons before her nose scrunches up. “Nix on the Lovebug, boo.”

“Boo? What happened to Loverboy or Tiger?” I ask, pulling her to my side as we reach her car. She unlocks it so Tessa and Stella can get in, but we both stand outside the car on the driver’s side. The wind kicks up, so I wrap both my arms around her to cocoon her in warmth.

She cuddles into my chest. “They’re still on the table, but I thought I’d take boo out for a test drive.”

“Do I look like a boo?” I ask, not hating the nickname but also not sure if it suits me. That being said, I think I’d like just about anything this girl is willing to call me.

She tilts her head to the side, intently studying my face. “I could see it.”

I smile as I lean down to capture her lips once again. Our mouths move in tandem together, and our tongues twirl in and out of each other’s mouths. Every time I touch her, I get pulled into her warmth. It’s a magnetic sensation that draws me to her. I linger longer than I probably should as we both startle apart from a sudden knock on the window .

Stella’s head thumps against the glass as a long, drawn-out groan comes from the other side of the window. “You two are kiiilling me.”

We share a secret smile before releasing each other to climb into the car. I don’t know how I manage to keep my hands to myself on the drive over to Dave’s, but by some miracle, I do. I don’t want to distract her while she’s driving, and I also don’t want to be the reason my sister barfs in the backseat of Lily’s car from what she would deem a public display of affection.

Dave’s is a twenty-four-hour diner on the outskirts of town. It’s a local favorite not only for our town but also for the surrounding towns because of its convenient location next to the highway. It’s usually quiet this time of night, which is why I picked it, and it helps that the food is damn good.

When I look over at my girl in the driver’s seat—a sweet, serene smile on her face—all I can think is that I’m the luckiest man alive, and I’m damn happy she picked me.

All the worries of losing my focus on hockey or being unable to give her the time that she deserves fade into the background. In that moment, I know I’ll do whatever it takes to make it work.

There’s no reason why I can’t have both.

I’m all in.

One thousand percent.