Page 36 of Pucking Tangled

THIRTY-FIVE

Mia

When the bugs got too bad, they made their way inside.

The couch wasn’t big enough to fit all of them, so Owen rounded up pillows and blankets and tossed them on the middle of the floor.

Mia lay in the center of the pile, warm and full and impossibly content. Skeeter sprawled against her legs like a heat trap, while her men surrounded her.

Luca was on her left, one hand resting lightly on her hip, the other tucked under the pillow where he was resting his head. Casey laid on her right, his arm draped across her waist. Waylon had her feet in his lap, massaging them while he leaned back, half-asleep, against a stack of pillows.

Owen was on the floor with his head near hers and Casey’s. Close enough that he was running his hand through her hair.

No one spoke.

They didn’t need to .

This moment wasn’t about sex. Not tonight.

It was about trust.

Closeness.

The kind of intimacy that didn’t need permission to exist.

Someone shifted. A murmur. A low laugh. A soft snore. Then stillness again.

Mia laid there, eyes drifting closed, surrounded on every side.

Protected.

Cherished.

Chosen.

She woke before sunrise, and quietly untangled herself from all the muscle surrounding her. After everything they’d given her, she wanted to give them some time alone together, too, so she slipped upstairs to her room, setting an alarm so she wouldn’t miss her afternoon classes.

When she climbed into bed, Skeeter padded in behind her, his nose burrowing beneath the comforter until he found her leg. Guess he needed a moment, too.

She grabbed her laptop from where she usually left it, on the dresser right by her bed. Opening it up, she went through her emails and tried to reply to one from her professor.

Halfway through typing a reply, she heard quiet footsteps and then a knock.

She looked up to see Luca standing in the doorway, one hand braced against the frame, his head tilted to the side. “ Morning. I just wanted to make sure you're okay,” he said softly.

“I’m good. Just needed a little reset."

He held her gaze for a long moment, then nodded once and turned away.

A few minutes later, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye and found Casey standing right outside her room. His arms were crossed and he watched her cautiously, like he wasn’t sure if he should come in or not.

She gave him a smile, then he turned and walked away.

As for Waylon?

He was way less subtle.

He sauntered in her room, kissed her on the lips and petted Skeeter’s head that was now poking out of the blankets. “Never thought I’d be jealous of a dog. How come he’s the only one still snuggling with you?”

She rolled her eyes, but her cheeks flushed. “Do you know how much heat you all put off?”

“We need a bigger bed. Maybe a community bedroom,” he said with a sexy smirk.

“We could always move everything out of yours and put two king sized mattresses in there,” she teased back.

“Great idea. I’ll call the movers.” He lingered a little longer before he took her laptop away and shut off her light. “I know you don’t have class until 2 today. Get some rest, Mia.”

Then he left, pulling her door most of the way closed behind him.

It was almost lunch time when she finally crawled out of bed. She couldn’t remember the last time she slept that late, but it felt good. She felt…rested. Restored.

But she had class in a little more than two hours, and needed to get ready .

After showering, she did her hair and pulled on a pair of leggings and a t-shirt.

As she dressed, she could hear the guys in the living room talking, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. When she made it to the bottom of the stairs and they spotted her, the conversation stopped.

“Oookay. Uhm. Good Afternoon?” She raised her brow at their obvious behavior.

“Hey, sleepyhead.” Owen grinned at her.

“I’m just going to say it.” Waylon stood and walked over to her. “We all missed you when you left us last night, early this morning, whenever it was. Also, Luca’s a bed hog. And did you know Casey snores?”

Mia let out a laugh. “You’re all ridiculous.” Her voice grew serious. “I just needed some time to breathe. I didn’t mean to make anyone feel like I was pulling away.”

“You don’t have to stretch yourself thin to prove you care about us,” Owen told her. “We already know. You just have to be honest.”

“I am being honest. I wasn’t pulling away. I wasn’t avoiding anything. Just…needed my own space for a little bit. Nothing’s changed. I still love all four of you in the morning…I mean afternoon light.”

“Good. Then you’re doing fine,” Waylon hastily kissed her cheek.

“Come on, I’ll get you some coffee.” Luca stepped forward and took her hand. “Casey can make you something for lunch before you leave.”

“Thanks, Luca,” Casey snickered.

A few minutes later, Mia slipped out the door with her book bag slung over her shoulder, a full belly, and a refill of coffee in her travel mug.

In the car, she waited for her phone to connect to bluetooth, then dialed Brooke’s number before she backed out of the driveway.

It rang twice before Brooke answered.

"Well, well, well," her friend said, her voice laced with teasing. "Look who remembered she has friends outside of four hot hockey players."

Mia laughed, her breath puffing out in relief. “Don’t start.”

“Too late. I’ve been waiting for this call since we went to the game together.”

Mia hesitated. “I didn’t know how to explain it.”

“Then don’t,” Brooke said. “Just tell me how you feel.”

Mia was quiet for a second.

“I’m happy,” she said softly. “But it’s complicated. Like…stupidly complicated.”

“I can only imagine,” Brooke acknowledged.

“I’ve been with all of them now,” Mia admitted. “Not just physically. I mean, emotionally . I care about them all. Deeply. And they care about me. But we’re still figuring out how to do this…together.”

“Is it working?” Brooke asked gently.

“I think so. But it’s fragile. Like we’re all trying so hard not to break the spell.”

She paused, merging onto the highway.

“But today I slept in my own bed. Just for a little space. It wasn’t about them. I just—” she exhaled, frustrated. “I felt guilty about wanting space. Like I owed them more. Like I wasn’t allowed to take a moment for myself to just breathe.”

Brooke hummed. “Sounds like you’re forgetting that your needs matter, too.”

“I know,” Mia whispered. “But I just love them all so much already. It’s scary. I don’t want to mess this up.”

Brooke was quiet for a moment, then, her voice softened. “Mia, let me ask you this—do they make you feel safe?”

“Yes.”

“Do they respect you? Your boundaries, your choices?”

“Yes.”

“Then you’re not going to mess it up by needing room to breathe. If anything, that’s what makes it real. You’re not playing house. You’re building something with all of them.”

Mia blinked back sudden tears. “I wish you could see how good they are. How different. ”

“I don’t have to see it,” Brooke said, sweetly. “Because I can hear it in your voice.”

They sat in silence for a beat.

Then Brooke added, “So…who’s your favorite?”

Mia choked on a laugh. “Brooke.”

“I’m kidding. Mostly—as long as it’s not my cousin. I don’t want to hear about that .” She laughed. “But seriously, don’t forget you can call me. Even when it’s messy. Especially when it’s messy.”

“Thanks,” Mia said. “I needed this.”

“Anytime. Love you, weirdo.”

“Love you, too.”

Mia hung up, rolled her window down and let the wind blow through her hair the rest of the way to campus.

She wasn’t alone.

Not anymore.

And somehow, she thought, that made all the difference.

A short while later, she pulled into a parking spot on campus and climbed out of her car, making sure to lock it behind her.

She’d nearly made it to the lecture hall when she noticed a few awkward glances and snickers as she walked past. As she jogged up the steps and into MacFarland Hall, her cell phone pinged several times, reminding her to silence it.

But not before she saw messages from Brooke, the group chat, and the guys individually.

Somehow she’d missed a call from Owen, too. Was the universe playing tricks on her? Pushing all the notifications through at once? Did Owen accidently call her and hung up before it could even ring on her end?

Her heart leapt into her throat, and dread filled her stomach.

Instantly, Mia tried calling Owen back first, but he didn’t answer.

Shit.

She pulled up her text messages.

Brooke : Do NOT go on the internet. Do NOT look at the WAGs website! I’m calling all my contacts right now.

Owen : Stay off the internet. We can talk when you get home. We’ll figure this out and get it taken care of.

Casey : I’m so sorry, Mia.

Luca : Remember when I said I’d kick someone’s ass for you? I meant it. I’ll move heaven and earth to figure out who did this.

Waylon : Shit. Mia. Call us back. Call Owen. Don’t go on the internet. Call me. Something.

Her phone buzzed again.

And a dozen notifications from Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, even LinkedIn—which she hadn’t opened since undergrad—flooded her phone before she received two additional texts from unknown numbers.

Unknown : Didn’t know you were into group projects lol

Unknown 2: Damn girl, save some for the rest of u s

A chill slid down her spine.

A pair of students passed by her, not bothering to lower their voices. “Is that her?”

“No way! She’s with all four of them?”

Mia’s stomach turned. Her fingers fumbled with the phone as she pulled up her browser. Her hands were shaking so badly her coffee nearly slipped from her grip.

She didn’t have to search long.

It was everywhere.

“Law Student Linked With Four Lancaster Hockey Players”

A familiar face with Barn Raisers’ fans, it appears all those past rumors about Mia Abbott may hold some truth.

Spotted lakeside yesterday with several members of Lancaster’s beloved hockey team, it seems Miss Abbott, who hopes to become a sports agent when she graduates from Widener University, will stop at nothing to secure her dream job.

That includes indulging in an untraditional polyamorous relationship—one raising eyebrows among classmates and faculty alike.

Sources say the team’s dynamic with her has been ‘unprofessional’ and ‘inappropriate.’ An anonymous source from the team says they don’t condone or approve what’s going on.

There were dozens of grainy photos at the bottom of the article.

You could barely make out faces, but there was no mistaking Mia in her hoodie and shorts from when they first arrived at the falls yesterday. Another with her head on Waylon’s chest. And then on Owen’s shoulders in the water as they played. Casey wrapping her in a towel.

And the final one…

Mia’s heart dropped .

The kiss.

At sunset.

With Casey.

No context. No caption. Just enough to tell the worst kind of story.

The comments below the article were awful.

“How desperate do you have to be?”

“Trashy pick-me. No self-respect.”

“Bet she’s slept with the whole roster.”

“First Novak and Hawk come out as queer. Now this? Hope the team captain's career survives this. Yikes.”

“Isn’t she studying LAW? Wonder how an ethics panel would feel about this one.”

“She’s not even that pretty. Must just be a warm hole.”

“Hahaha. A fat slut. Go figure.”

“I knew it. I mean, did you see how shitty they played after she went to one game?”

Mia backed outside and crumbled at the top of the steps. Her heart was beating so wildly that she could hear it in her ears. She tried to swallow, but her throat burned.

She’d known it was only a matter of time before their relationship came crashing down around her. Around them.

Her phone buzzed again.

Luca : Mia, I tried calling you again, but the call won’t go through. We’re on our way to get you. Stay put.

She pressed the heel of her hands against her eyes.

She didn’t care that people knew she was in love. She didn’t even care that they were four different men.

But these stories?

They made it sound dirty.

This made her feel ashamed.

Like something precious and messy and real had been ripped out of their hands and put on display for strangers to tear apart .

She closed her eyes and leaned against the brick stairwell, her jaw clenched, and her body buzzing with adrenaline and embarrassment and grief.

This wasn’t a rumor anymore.

This was real.

And the whole world had just been invited in.