Page 1 of Mine to Take

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Maverick

I lift the bottle to my lips and take a swig of cold beer as my gaze skims over the crowd. Music pumps, the bass vibrating in my bones. People are dancing and cutting loose on a Friday night.

We won our game yesterday.

Afterward, we all headed to Slap Shotz to celebrate with rounds of shots and karaoke. It’s the unofficial home of the Western Wildcats hockey team.

There’s barely time to revel in our victory before we have to prepare for our next game against the East Town University Rattlers.

That’s one we abso-fucking-lutely need to win.

Even thinking about their left wing, River Thompson, pisses me off. I crack the muscles in my neck to loosen the mounting tension. The rivalry between us dates back to high school. He’s a right wing and always looking to score. I’m a defenseman and always shutting him the fuck down.

On more than one occasion, we’ve come to blows on the ice.

Aw, hell…who am I trying to kid?

It’s unusual if we don’t get into a brawl and end up in the box.

I’m knocked from the tangle of those thoughts when slender hands glide their way up my chest, and I find myself staring down at the dark-haired beauty beaming up at me.

“Hey, Mav. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

I lift the bottle to my lips again and take another drink. “Looks like you found me.”

Her grin intensifies. “Lucky me.”

Jenna Montgomery.

She’s one of the Wildcats’ biggest fans, if you know what I mean.

I flick another glance around the room.

It gets snagged by Ryder and Juliette playing kissy face.

My nose scrunches.

They really need to warn people before engaging in PDA.

Ugh.

Even though they’ve been together for a couple of months, I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that my best friend and sister are now an item.

Should I have seen it coming from a million miles away?

Probably.

I’ve always sensed the tension that vibrated in the air when they were in the same room together. It’s been that way since middle school. I’d just assumed they hated each other.

Joke’s on me—turns out the opposite was true.

When my chest tightens, I shove those thoughts from my head.

Not that I’d admit it to anyone else, but I miss the way things used to be before they started dating. Ryder was usually down for anything. We’d chill out and play a little NHL or Madden on the Xbox. Sometimes we’d head to the bars after practice. Or we’d get a lift in.

Now he spends all his spare time with Juliette.

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