Page 117 of Mine to Take

“The situation is…complicated.”

His expression turns curious. “How come?”

I roll my eyes. “I think we both know the answer to that one. In three words—River fucking Thompson.”

He shrugs. “I know you hate the dude, but what does that have to do with Willow?” His eyes search mine. “One of the reasons I stayed away from Jules for so long is because I knew you wouldn’t like it. But it got to a point where I couldn’t let our friendship stand in the way of something that could be amazing. If you really care about this girl, then don’t let your issues with River be what stops you.”

He’s not wrong.

I stare down at my hands. “There’s the other thing,” I mumble, unable to meet his eyes.

“The C word.”

It’s not a question.

Ryder was there through it all when Mom battled cancer. He knows exactly how much it affected all of us.

Me especially.

Can I open myself up to potentially losing someone else I care about down the road?

I don’t know.

As that question circles through my brain, I glance around, only to realize that Hayes is eavesdropping on our convo.

When I frown, he pops a shoulder. “Just wanted to make sure you two hugged it out. I was thinking about gathering the guys for an intervention.”

With a shake of my head, I mutter, “Shut the fuck up, dude.”

I’m embarrassed that our private convo wasn’t so private after all.

Then again, maybe we shouldn’t have done this in a locker room full of our teammates.

“He’s totally serious,” Colby says, using the towel to dry his hair. “We talked about it the other night. We were thinking of catering the affair with barbeque.” He pats his belly. “I could have gone for that while you two hashed your shit out.” He shrugs. “Guess that won’t be necessary. Bummer.”

“More important than barbeque is all those good vibes we need gelling on the ice,” Hayes adds with a grin.

Ryder shakes his head. “You guys were stressing over nothing.” His gaze settles on mine. “We’re all good. Right?”

For the first time in a while, our friendship feels as if it’s back on solid ground. “Yup. So feel free to move it along. There’s nothing to see here.”

“Glad to hear it.” Colby hauls his boxers up his legs.

“You never answered Ryder’s question about Willow,” Hayes cuts in, some of his humor fading.

As our gazes collide, I’m struck with the realization that he had insider intel he didn’t bother to share with me.

My brows jerk together as I growl, “Why the fuck didn’t you give me a heads-up and tell me she was River’s sister or that she was sick?”

He shrugs. “It didn’t really seem like my place.”

Is this guy being serious?

“When the hell have you ever been concerned with minding your own business or staying in your place?” I ask with a disbelieving snort, using my fingers to make air quotes around the last word.

He folds his arms across his brawny chest. “I’ve known River for a long time. I consider him a friend in the same way that I consider you one. I know what happened between you two and I didn’t want to get caught up in the middle of it. I told Willow she needed to come clean, but that was her story to tell, not mine. And she doesn’t have cancer anymore.” There’s a pause as his brow furrows. “At least, I don’t think she does. What I do know is that she was diagnosed in high school, and by the time we graduated, she was in remission. That girl has been to hell and back. She deserves all the happiness she can grab hold of. And if you can’t be a part of that, then don’t mess with her.”

Hearing about her cancer is like a kick to the balls, and sucks the air from my lungs as icy fingers wrap their way around my heart before squeezing. It takes a few seconds to realize that it’s the very same kind of fear and anxiety that takes hold of me when I worry about Mom.

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