Page 106 of Puck Your Feelings

I chuckle. "What?"

He blinks at me three more times before he speaks. "You're joking, right?"

I feel my face get even redder, suddenly grateful for the surrounding darkness. "Why would I joke about that?"

"And you... chosemeto do it with?"

I fight back a smile. "To be fair, I didn't exactlychooseyou. You stumbled into my life, squeezed your way in without asking, with your mess and your chaos." I can't fight the smile anymore as I add, "And that ass."

"But how? You're... hot."

I laugh. "Well, thanks, I guess. I'm also busy. You know, hockey career and all that."

"Well, damn."

His expression is amazed enough that I brace myself for a joke, a jab, any other Becker-specific comment. Instead, he yawns, wraps his arm around my stomach, and lays his head on my chest.

Something explodes inside my chest. I shove the feeling aside before it has a chance to bloom. "Goodnight, Becker."

"It's Riley."

I smile into the darkness and close my eyes. "I know."

***

THREE HOURS LATER, I still haven't fallen asleep.

My head is full, thoughts attacking my brain from every angle, and on top of that, I really need to pee.

But Becker—Riley—still has his head on my chest where he sleeps, snoring lightly, so I will not move. I can sleep tomorrow.

I smile to myself. Guess there's no escaping it now, is there? I really fucking care about this mess of a human.

Too much.

The room suddenly gets a little brighter as the screen of my phone lights up somewhere on my desk. I mentally calculate the distance, and after deciding I'm good for it, I stretch my armwithout moving the rest of my body and reach my phone with the tips of my fingers.

After I unlock it, my stomach drops immediately.

One message.

Dad:Tick tock.

I grip my phone so hard it should break, but somehow doesn't, let out a shaky exhale and close my eyes, squeezing them shut tight to stop a tear from falling.

It falls anyway.

And then another, and another, until I'm crying, silently, trying not to shake. Because I know what I need to do. What I absolutely fucking have to do. Because as much as I hate this, as much as I wish things were different, things are what they are.

I can't be selfish. I need to protect him. I have to.

But that's tomorrow.

Tonight, I'm going to hold him tight and watch him sleep.

CHAPTER 28

Becker