Page 87 of The Substitute

I have to do something about Savage before I lose Tobi forever.

I knock on Savage’s door, but his roommate answers.

“Lovelace, right?” I hold out my hand.

We’ve played against each other for years, and the hockey community isn’t that big, but I don’t think we’ve ever spoken to one another.

He takes my hand. “Yes. Ambrose?”

“Yeah. My step-brother here?”

“I think he’s in his room. I’ll check.” He releases my hand and steps back, allowing me to enter. “Come in. It’s fucking cold out there.”

I walk past him, taking a look around the place. I’ve never been to Savage’s place. It’s nice. Cozier than I would have expected it to be. For some reason, I was expecting some modern minimalism, but instead, I find a traditional modern-lookingaesthetic with way more color than I would have expected, lots of plants, and big bookshelves filled with books. And not books strictly for decoration. Someone had read and loved the books on these shelves.

I can’t imagine it’s his roommate picking out the finishes, since I know Savage owns the place. His father was pretty loaded.

I shove my hands in my pockets while I wait for my step-brother to materialize.

Finally, he comes down the stairs, hair still a mess from sleep and rubbing one eye. “Why the fuck are you here?”

“We’ve got to talk.”

“Do we?” He leans against the frame at the bottom of the stairs, crossing his arms.

“I think we do. This is more than a game, and Tobi is going to get hurt if we don’t figure this out.” I went over and over what to say to him on the way here, and I’m still not sure any of it will work.

He lifts a brow. “What are you proposing?”

And this is one of the reasons I can’t fucking stand him. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and he’s locked up tighter than a safe. At one point, it felt like we were on the same side, and now we couldn’t be further apart.

“What if I go see your mom? Will you back off?”

His brow pulls. “As much as I want you to do that, I’d never trade Tobi for that.”

“That’s the whole reason you started all this, isn’t it? So, you win. I’ll go see her. Just back off. Please.”

Surprise colors his expression, and then he works through something internally, but I can’t quite figure out how he’s feeling before he schools his features. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I’m willing to do anything.”

“Anything?” He almost laughs. “There is nothing you can offer me that will make me back off.” His statement is so final.

My heart sinks to my fucking feet, but I’m not willing to give up. I know he’s better than I am in every fucking way. He isn’t a bunch of trauma in a trench coat pretending to be a person. “Why?”

“Because I like him. I want to keep seeing him.”

“I live with him.”

“And?” Savage asks, and I’m almost convinced he doesn’t care what I do with him.

“Then why are you willing to share him?” Maybe if he won’t back off, I can at least understand what’s in his head to try something else.

“I don’t want to share him, but I’m not going to force him to choose either. That’s not going to end well for the person who suggests it, and honestly, not something I’d ever do.” He studies me, searching for something.

“I wouldn’t make him do that either.”

“But you’d try to work out an underhanded deal behind his back?” Savage asks, and I wince.