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“We don’t need to talk for you to get this done. And if you can’t find the time, let me know. I’ll do it.” She leans back in her chair, eyes bouncing between her computer screen and me. “You do your thing, I’ll do mine. Stay out of my way. I mean it.”

She tucks her notebook back into her bag, which is hanging on a hook on the side of her desk.

Looking down at the list, I realize it’s some of the most basic things one could do.

Her lack of faith in me is warranted, though.

I haven’t exactly proved that I’m dependable in this situation.

And that bothers me on a whole different level.

There’s a gust of wind from behind me, I turn in time to see my brother fly into the room, barely stopping before he runs into the therapy table.

“Woah! Hey, broski!” He says as he runs a hand through his hair that desperately needs to be cut.

“What are you doing here?” He looks between Abby and me, his eyes darting back and forth like he’s following the world's most interesting ping-pong match.

He snaps his fingers before hopping up on the table to my left. “Ohhh, I get it, Hannah’s home today, so you had your planning meeting here. That’s smart. You two are sneaky!” I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding as Abby laughs.

“You caught us. We just confirmed we were going to play 'pin the ring on the fiancée,' but with consequences varying based on how far off you were.” I nod along like it makes perfect sense when, in reality, it sounds like the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard.

“Oh, that sounds fun! Can we make it a drinking game?!”

“No, Hannah was adamant about no alcohol.” She’s a smart one. Hannah’s the mother hen. If alcohol was involved, she’d end up babysitting someone at her own party.

“But, weren’t you guys going to Miami? How’s that possible without drinking?” I ask, deciding to fall into our normal routine and play Devil’s advocate .

“You don’t have to drink to be in Miami, you oversized oaf,” she snaps, her voice taking on the exasperated tone she saves specifically for me like she’s a fire-breathing dragon talking to an insolent child.

Her eyes lock on mine, leaving me fumbling for air as my hand slips into my pocket, nervously playing with the edges of the list she gave me.

The silence stretches between us, pulled tight like a rubber band about to snap.

My brother watches our interaction, ready to act as a referee if need be.

My pulse is loud in my ears as her gaze stays locked on mine, challenging–no daring—me to say something.

And for the life of me, I can’t figure out why my voice has picked this exact moment to give itself to Ursula. I can’t find a single retort to that.

When she finally breaks her silence, her tone is softer, but the underlying annoyance is still there. “She wanted to go snorkeling, parasailing, and hang out at the beach. Simple stuff, things you’d know if you paid attention.” Her eyes cut to mine as her lips press together in a straight line.

“But we can still do outdoorsy stuff like that in the mountains, right?” Greyson asks as his tone turns thoughtful.

“I thought Monroe was planning activities? Do I need to take that on too?” Abby asks as she picks up the same notebook she just tucked away, opening it and tapping her pen against a blank page. Great, this is escalating beyond my tolerance level for today.

“NO! I’m in charge of activities. You can’t take it from me, Knight!” Monroe calls from the gym on the other side of the door that my brother left open.

They just stare at him, faces blank since they’re used to his unique brand of humor.

I might find it funny if I weren’t in the middle of this circus.

“I’m not trying to take anything from you, Monroe.

Just a question. Don’t get your panties in a twist,” Abby calls before she looks back at me.

“Now, you, out. I have work to do.” She waves me off like my mother does when I’m in the kitchen while she’s cooking.

Fine with me. I’d rather be anywhere else than here at the moment.

I don’t make it very far down the hallway before I hear, “Baby Wilder, what’s up?” Reed, Andrews, and Zeke are standing to the side of the Hawks' locker room. The three of them look like they’re up to no good. I give them a curt nod as I close the distance between us.

“Are you and Abby done already?” Zeke asks as he peels a banana. This. Freaking. Guy. The eyes of both Reed and Andrews look like they’re about to pop out of their heads.

“You and Knight?” Samuels crosses his arms over his chest as he leans against the opposite wall, trying his best to look unbothered.

Where the heck did he even come from? This is something our team doesn’t have.

Our team is our team; the staff is the staff.

There’s no mixing. Here, though, Abby and Hannah might as well be on the ice with these guys, with how protective they are of them.

Five of them went to Alabama to check on Hannah after my brother decided to be an inconsiderate jerk. Okay, I also played a role in that runaway episode. Reed and Andrews are two of five who’d turn a conversation into a smackdown over those girls if they felt it necessary.

“I was simply trying to make up for missing our planning meeting yesterday. Don’t read too much into it,” I say with my hands up in mock surrender. Reed’s eyes narrow as he thinks over my wor ds. His silence is loud. As the Captain, he has no shortage of things to say or shots to fire.

“I heard about that. Don’t stand her up again. If you can’t be counted on, just tell her. I’d be more than happy to help.” His face relaxes, not a hint of animosity in his tone. Yet, I feel like there’s a challenge here. He wants to take my spot. He wants to spend more time with Abby.

“No.” My shoulders square up, my chest puffing up a bit. “I’ve got it covered.” Now I’m just mad. How dare he try to take my job? How dare he try to take my time with her away?

Huh, where’d that thought come from?