Page 24 of Brodie

“Do you like this kind of thing?” I look around at thepeople chatting in groups and others dancing near us. It’s a lot to take in,and I don’t know that I could do this on a regular basis.

“What? Events like this?” I nod. “I don’t know if I likethem, but it’s a good way to meet other athletes and build connections. Plus,this is all for a good cause. My family could afford to pay for my gear andshit when I started playing hockey, but that isn’t the case for everyone.” Hisgaze wanders over my face. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m just not good at this. I’ve never been overly social,so I feel really outside my comfort zone, which I know makes me extra awkward.Hence me telling that nice woman her dress looks like a flamingo.” I watch himsmile and melt into him. “Plus, I don’t recognize anyone and feel like I shouldwhen I’m in a room full of famous people.”

“Who cares if you don’t know who any of these people are? Ifyou started talking about one of the sea creatures from your science-y books, Idoubt any of us in this room would know what you’re talking about.”

“Science-y books?” I grin, but he doesn’t smile back. Thelook on his face is deathly serious.

“You’re perfect, Ree, and fuck anyone who doesn’t think so.”He dips his face closer to mine. “And I knew it before, but I hope you get thatyour ex is the world’s biggest fucking idiot. I know it sucks because he hurtyou, but I gotta tell you, Ree, I’m half-tempted to send him a thank you giftfor fucking up because if he hadn’t, I don’t know that we would have met. AndI’m really fucking happy we did.”

“Are you trying to make me cry?”

“Do not start crying. I don’t think I could handle seeingyou cry,” he grumbles, and I drop my forehead to the center of his chest,attempting to pull myself together because my nose is actually starting tosting.

“You do know that you’re pretty awesome, too, right?” I sayquietly, lifting my gaze back to his. “I’m also really glad that things workedout like they did and that we met.”

His expression softens, and my heart pounds as he presseshis mouth to mine for a soft kiss. Shit, I’m falling for him—or I think I am. Ihave never felt like this about another man, and all of this is so new to me.When he pulls back, he touches my jaw softly and then looks over my head whensomeone calls his name.

“Fuck.”

“Do I even want to know?”

“It’s just my agent.” He laughs, giving my waist a squeeze.

“Oh, okay. Well, while you go talk to him, I’m going to usethe restroom.”

“Come back to me when you’re done.” I nod and step out ofhis embrace, heading to the restroom while he walks toward a very short manwith almost no hair on the top of his head.

After I finish in the bathroom, I step out into the hall andsilently curse when I see Kirk standing there, leaning against the wall withhis head back and his eyes closed.

I start to sneak past him, hoping he won’t notice me, but myplan is thwarted when he opens his eyes, and they lock on mine.

Great.

“Reese.” He pushes away from the wall and steps in front ofme.

“Sorry, I can’t talk. Brodie is waiting for me.”

“Please.” He holds his hands up in front of him. “I justwant to talk to you for a minute.”

Since he’s blocking the hall, and I don’t want to cause ascene, I cross my arms over my chest. “Fine. Say what you want to say.”

“I’m sorry. I never planned on anything happening betweenMelissa and me, but you and I were in an awkward place, and we hadn’t...” Heglances behind me and shuts his mouth.

“Had sex,” I finish for him. His gaze comes back to mine.“So, because I hadn’t had sex with you, you decided to sleep with Melissa?”

“It wasn’t that…” He scrubs his fingers through his hair.“Or it was partly that, but…”

“But what?” I swear I want to kick him in the shin. When Iagreed to be his girlfriend, nothing between us changed except the intimacypart of our relationship. But even that only went so far. I mean, we wereworking up to it, but it was all very uncomfortable for me. So, we hadn’t hadsex. He thought it was because I was still a virgin, and I convinced myself ofthe same thing. Now, I realize it was because he was Kirk, my best friend, theguy I grew up with. We knew everything about each other, and I loved him, but Ijust wasn’t attracted to him like that. I never had the urge to crawl up hisbody. I never wanted to kiss him or have him kiss me. There was no desire on myend, and that should have been my first clue that I should have broken up withhim. Did he feel the same? Probably. Or maybe. Who knew?

“But I shouldn’t have asked you to be my girlfriend.” Hetakes a step toward me, and I back up into something—or someone. Then a handwraps around my hip in a familiar way, and I know without looking that it’sBrodie. Great, how long was he standing there? “We were getting ready tograduate, and I was scared that I would lose you. Part of me thought we couldmake it work.”

“You know all of this could have been avoided if you hadjust been honest with me. I don’t care that you’re with her, and sure, no guywants to tell their girlfriend they’re falling for someone else, but before thedynamic of our relationship changed, you and I were best friends. That shouldhave trumped everything else.”

“You’re right.”

“And you should have known me well enough to know that Iwould have been okay with you dating Melissa if that’s what you wanted, even ifI don’t like her very much.”

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