Page 43 of Pucked Up (Punk as Puck #2)

BODEN

Three Months Later

“It’s the end of an era.” Tucker swiped his hand under his eye and turned to me. “I can’t believe you’re leaving.”

Rolling my eyes, I hit the joystick on my chair and tipped the box in my lap onto the dolly. “Dude. I’m moving like six miles north of here.”

“Yeah, but…this was our place. Our home .” Tucker looked actually distraught.

“You haven’t lived here in forever. And you’re going to have a room at my new place.”

Tucker sniffed. “It won’t be the same.”

“No.” I reached for him and pulled him close. “Things have to change as they get better. We can’t be those dipshits in this crappy-ass bachelor pad anymore. ”

“We would have lived better if you were less uptight about living off your dad,” Tucker said.

I shrugged. “Well, now I can live off my contract money, and you can live off the money you make coaching Jonah’s team all the way to the playoffs.”

He grinned, but it faltered after a second. “I’m gonna be okay at that, right?” He sounded nervous. “I know I’m not the most passionate player anymore, but…just. I don’t know. Tell me we’re going to be okay.”

My legs were still struggling after the weeks of packing and prepping to move into my new place, but I found the strength to undo my straps, then stand up and pull Tucker into my arms. We were both not the most balanced people, but together, we were steady.

“You’re going to be amazing. It’s everything we ever wanted, right?”

He nodded, then bit his lip. “Do you think Ford will be okay? I mean, with Deo and Hugo…”

“I think that Ford will figure out himself and what he wants. Maybe that means he won’t settle down with anyone. It doesn’t matter as long as it’s what he’s choosing.”

“You’re the best, Dad.”

I shoved Tucker back so hard he had to catch himself on the wall, and I dropped back to my chair and strapped my legs back down. “Go finish the kitchen, son, or you’ll get your ass whooped.”

Flipping me off, he turned and headed to do as I asked, and I headed outside to find Ford, who had disappeared for the last fifteen minutes. He said he was making some space in the back of the borrowed pickup he’d gotten from Cooper, but he was nowhere to be found.

Hugo and Amedeo were still on a lunch run, and Jonah and Micah were having a lightsaber-style fight with their canes in the side yard.

Pushing myself down the driveway, I swore I heard something. I turned my head, my right side better than my left, and then yeah. It was there. Ford’s voice. I wheeled forward and found him crouching down behind the neighbor’s car.

“…just figure it out when the time comes. I don’t want you to panic. It’s not going to be like that, okay? I’m not going to boot you out just because—oh shit.” He saw me and stood, his face flooded with panic. “I gotta go. Mhm. Yeah. Catch you later.”

I stared hard. “Who was that?”

“What? Nothing.”

“Ford!”

He glanced away and took a breath. “It’s…I have something going on. But please don’t ask because I’m not going to tell you, and I already feel like shit about it.”

“Are you being safe?”

He nodded.

“Smart?” His hesitation told me everything. I wheeled closer and gestured for him to drop back down into a crouch. He stretched Carol-Ann out in front of him to balance himself on his leg. “Ford. What is going on. ”

“I met someone.” He swallowed heavily. “It’s very complicated, and…it’s not like a sex thing.” Something told me he was lying, but not entirely. So maybe it wasn’t totally a sex thing. “I need to figure out what’s going on before I tell anyone, okay?”

“Am I going to be pissed off about this?”

He bit his lip, then nodded.

“Is Tucker?”

At that, he paled so quickly I thought for a second he might faint.

“What the fuck, Ford?”

“Look, just…”

“Is it Grady?” We rarely talked about him—the dickhead from Jonah’s team who hurt Tucker.

Ford quickly shook his head. “God, no. You know I would never give that prick the time of day. Can you please just let it go? Just for now?”

I hated that he was keeping stuff from me, but I’d kept a lot from him too, so it was only fair. “Promise me it’s not going to fuck everything up.”

He glanced away, and that was my answer. “I wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t important. You have to know that.”

I suppose I did know that. None of us ever set out to hurt each other. But sometimes it happened. “If it gets bad, you know you can talk to me.”

Ford bowed his head. “Yeah. I know. I love you for that too.”

I didn’t get a chance to return the sentiment. Hugo’s car pulled up, and I wanted to see him. We were moving in together, and while the change was making me sad, it was also maybe the best day of my life.

It was official. I was happy. My contract was signed, and I was getting ready to head to training camp before my first official PPHL season. It was everything I’d ever wanted.

Turning in my chair, I hit the joystick and flew toward Hugo, who was stepping out of the car. He quickly came around as I rolled to a halt, and then he undid my straps, pulled me to my feet, and kissed absolute bliss right into my soul.

“Love you,” he murmured. He said it a lot, like he was afraid to go too long without letting me hear it. But it wasn’t old. Not yet.

“Love you too. I’m starving. I’m ready to get the hell out of here and eat in our new place.”

He cupped my jaw. “Our new place.”

“Say it again.”

He grinned down at me. “Ours. Yours and mine.”

“One more time.”

He kissed me and murmured right up against my lips. “Us.”

Us. We were messy and raw, a little fucked-up…

And absolutely perfect.

Want to see what happens when Boden has the chance to tell off his father and Micah and Hugo realize he needs a way to unwind with a little bed jumping and blanket fort building?