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eighteen

Wyatt

“You’re fucked,” Henry says.

“I know.”

“No, I mean, you’re really fucked.”

“I know . Fuck off.” I glare at him as we lace up our skates for practice.

“Does she even know you’re in love with her?”

“I’m not in love with her,” I say, not meeting his eyes.

Except I’m well and truly aware it’s a lie.

I love Elsy Alexander. And she… tolerates me.

Henry fixes me with a look. “I don’t care if you’re lying to me, but at least be honest with her,” he snaps. “She doesn’t deserve to be jerked around.”

Sagging onto the bench, I rub my hands over my face. “That’s not what’s happening here.”

“Look, I… like her,” he finally says. His voice is pained, like he doesn’t want to admit it.

My eyebrows fly up. “Excuse me?”

Maybe all those jokes about threesomes are getting to him. I’m still not interested in sharing Elsy—with anyone, and especially not with a teammate. Henry might be a playboy, and there’s nothing wrong with that as long as everyone is happy, but I’m not about to blur the lines.

Elsy’s mine. End of story.

“I’m not trying to step in on your girl,” he’s quick to add. “I’m just saying, I like having her around. She’s cool. If you two get together for real and have lots of little blond-haired babies, I’ll be your biggest supporter.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

But somehow, the thought of Elsy and me having kids isn’t as terror-inducing as I expected. I’ve never given much thought to having kids before. I figured I’d get around to it eventually. Maybe after I retire. I’m thirty-two. Most guys my age are coasting to the end of their careers. The majority of them are already married and have families.

I’m married to hockey. That’s how it’s always been.

With Elsy, though… I’m starting to think I can have both her and hockey. Maybe. Possibly.

I want both. I don’t know how I can have it, though.

She and Bex slept off their hangovers in the lounge. It’s not the first time it’s happened, though usually it’s a player and not our friends and family. Jabari, one of the trainers, found a few blankets for them, and when they woke up, the team doctor even gave them IVs to combat the dehydration.

Puppy stood guard at the lounge door, practically baring his teeth at any players who went near the room while they were asleep. Once they were awake, giggly and happy again, he relaxed a bit.

Hey, if his career in hockey doesn’t work out, he can always moonlight as a bodyguard.

I give Riley a nod as I enter the lounge after our on-ice practice and a shower. He’s back at his post, guarding the two most precious people in my life.

Bex is sitting at the island barstools, eating salmon and rice. Ah, pregame fuel. Most of the other players are still in the showers or getting treatment, but in about half an hour, this place will be packed to the brim with hungry hockey players.

“Where’s Elsy?”

My sister laughs. “So that’s how it is.”

I frown. “What?”

“Hey, little sister, how was your flight, good to see you, hope you’re feeling okay,” she snarks.

Rolling my eyes, I round the island and tug her into a hug.

“Rebecca Lynn. You got drunk and showed up at my work.”

“Yeah, and your first question is about my best friend.”

Shame-faced, I sigh. “Yeah. I guess so. Sorry.”

She shakes her head, spearing a piece of salmon with her fork. “She’s fine. Mitch called.”

“Fucking hate that guy,” I mutter.

“There’s nothing going on with them,” she says.

“No, I know.” Elsy made it clear she’s not into him that way. I’ve never doubted that. It doesn’t take away my envy at his getting to know a part of her that I never will. He’s her family. She loves him.

She tolerates me.

“Not like there is with you two,” Bex says pointedly.

Groaning, I sink onto the stool opposite hers. “Shut up.”

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” I mutter, grabbing her plate.

She tugs it back. “I don’t believe that at all.”

“I’m not talking about this with you.” I run a hand over my face.

“So there is something going on.”

I glare at her.

“Hey, I just want you to be happy,” Bex says. “If my best friend does it for you, good, go after her. Don’t let her get away.”

“Don’t intend to,” I mutter under my breath.

“So what’re you going to do? A grand gesture?”

“Can’t I just ask her out?”

Bex pins me with a look. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because it should be… special. You’ve been in love with her forever.”

“Shut up. It’s not like that.”

She laughs. “Dude, you are so far gone for her. Ever since that first night I introduced you.”

And for several years before then.

Glancing around the room, I make sure we’re still alone.

“So you’re okay with this? We have your blessing?”

“Are you kidding?” She grins. “My brother and my best friend. What could be better? I love it.”

“Don’t make it weird.”

“I want to be your best man at the wedding,” she says. “Besides, she’ll probably ask Mitch to stand up with her. I can’t wait to finally meet the guy after all these years.”

“You’ve never met Mitchell?” He’s played in the league as long as I have. I’d have thought with the way she and Elsy are attached at the hip, they’d have crossed paths more than once. Then again, they’d only been living in Boston together for two years.

“Nope. Whenever he’s been in town, I’ve had a conflict or the flu or a date. I’ll meet him eventually.” Bex smirks. “Hopefully, before the wedding.”

“Shut up with that.” I shove her off the stool and she stumbles, gasping at me.

“You asshole.” She tries to shove me back, but I steal her abandoned plate and fork, taking a bite of the salmon. “Get your own food.”

“But I’m hungry,” I tease my little sister. She growls at me, baring her teeth.

Except she’s not so little anymore. She celebrates her thirtieth birthday in a few months.

“Wow,” Elsy says, walking into the lounge with her phone in her hand. “I leave for five minutes and the Whitney siblings revert to their true forms.”

I clear my throat. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. That IV… no wonder you guys never have hangovers.” She grins. “I could get used to that kind of recovery.”

“Or you could not get drunk at brunch.” I can’t help the censure in my voice.

Her eyes flash. “Fuck off, Wyatt. You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

Irritated, I glare at her. “That’s not what I’m trying to do.” I only want to protect her. But I can’t do that if she’s getting wasted when I’m not there to look out for her.

“Really? Because it sure sounds like it.”

Bex steps between us. “Okay, let’s all calm down a bit here,” she says, ever the peacemaker. “Elsy, Wyatt is a dick and spoke without thinking. He does it all the time.”

To my surprise, Elsy’s face crumples. “Yeah, I remember that all too well.”

She spins on her heel, stalking out of the room. I stare after her, trying to figure out what just happened.

Bex glares at me. “Fix it,” she hisses.

“How? You said it yourself, I’m a dick. I spoke without thinking.”

“Go after her.” She shoves me. “Show her you love her.”

Fuck. That’s exactly what I have to do.

Jogging after her, I track Elsy to the opposite end of the training facility where the admin offices are. I call her name and watch as a line of tension creeps into her shoulders.

“Fuck off, Wyatt,” she snaps, not turning to look at me.

“Elsy,” I say again.

She whirls to fight me, an argument on her lips.

“I’m sorry,” I blurt. “I’m an asshole.”

Surprise flashes across her face before she folds her arms over her chest. “Yeah, you are.”

“The last thing I want to do is hurt your feelings.”

“Well, you did.” Her chin lifts in defiance. “Sorry isn’t enough.”

Slowly, I reach for her, and when she doesn’t push me away, I pull her into my arms.

“I’m sorry for hurting your feelings. I didn’t want to imply that you can’t do anything you want,” I tell her. “If you want to go day drinking, that’s entirely your right. I would never want to take that away from you.”

She melts into me, winding her arms around my neck. “Then why’d you say it?”

“Because I didn’t think.” I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear and she leans into the touch. “I don’t like the idea of you getting drunk and getting hurt. You can take care of yourself, I know,” I’m quick to add. “But I still want to look out for you.”

Her eyes are fixed on my neck. “I like that you do.”

“Good. Because I want to keep doing it.” My stomach twists. “Elsy, can we—can we start over?”

“Is that what you want?” She meets my eyes.

I swallow. “Yeah. That’s what I want.”

She pulls away. “Okay. We can do that.”

Ducking my head, I aim to kiss her, but she evades my lips. And when I try to pull her back into my arms, she won’t let me.

“You’re going to have to work a little harder than that,” Elsy says, a smirk on her lips.