Page 16 of Pucking Never

I nod. "You're going down."

We proceed to play several rounds of Mario Kart, laughing and insulting each other like we did as kids. It's amazing how easy it is to fall back into our old patterns, even after so much time has passed.

"Last game," he says finally, stretching his arms above his head as he yawns. The clock on my wall indicates that it’s already past midnight.

"But you're winning," I protest.

"That's the point." He grins and picks up his controller once more. "It’s always good to leave on a high note."

I roll my eyes but reluctantly agree to one final game. As our characters speed around Rainbow Road, I find my mind drifting back to Jensen, back to Miami, back to the tangled web I've somehow gotten myself into.

Carson breaks into my thoughts as our race ends, a triumphant holler echoing through my apartment as his character crosses the finish line first.

“Victorious!” He raises his arms in an exaggerated gesture of victory before turning to me with a smirk.

“Don’t let this go to your head,” I warn him as I drop my controller onto the couch next to me.

He snorts and leans back against my couch, looking warm and content in the dim light of my living room.

"Don't worry," he says with a lazy smile. "I won't."

He loops his arm around my neck and pulls me in for a hug and a rough kiss on the forehead.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” he says.

I pat his arm. “Me too.”

We get up and I walk him to the door. As we say goodnight and he leaves to head to his own apartment, anxiety begins bubbling in my stomach. Carson is my brother. My twin. He’s the person I’ve been closest with my whole life. I can’t risk ruining that. I can’t risk driving him away again, especially not for some hockey player.

I have to bring things with Jensen to a firm and decisive end.

Whenever I’m on the ice, I’m laser-focused. Unshakeable. Nothing distracts me from my game.

At least, nothing ever did before.

Now, though, I can’t stop stealing glances at Grace. She’s in the stands, taking video of our practice again. She looks sexy in tight gray slacks and a torso-hugging black sweater. Her hair cascades over her shoulders in soft waves, catching the light every now and then, making it glow like a halo. She's got a professional-looking camera in her hands, lens focused on Carson. I feel a small pang of jealousy that she’s not looking at me.

“Jensen!” Coach suddenly shouts. “Pay attention!”

I blink, realizing I’ve been spacing out as I gaze up at Grace. The next moment, someone slams into me from behind, throwing me off my feet. I hit the ice, hard, and the air is knocked out of my lungs.

Pain blooms in my side, but I'm up and on my feet again in an instant, my heart pounding as adrenaline floods my system. I shake myself off, throwing a glance in the direction of the culprit — one of our rookies who looks sheepish and more than a little worried.

"Sorry!" he hollers over the rest of our team’s laughter.

I give him a curt nod of acknowledgment before skating back into position. My eyes wander back to Grace. She’s watching me now, a crease in her forehead, her lips parted slightly in surprise. I can't help the rush of pleasure that shoots through me at the concern on her face, but then she looks away, focusing back on Carson.

Coach blows his whistle and we launch back into practice. I'm annoyed with myself for losing focus and for letting Grace distract me during my game. Try as I might, I can’t seem to keep my eyes off her, even when I know my focus needs to be on the game.

I manage to get through practice without any further screwups, but all I want to do is get cleaned up and crawl into a hole somewhere. I’m embarrassed that I’ve played so poorly.

As I strip out of my gear, Carson comes up to me and smacks me on the shoulder. “Hey, man, you okay?” he asks. “You took a pretty decent hit out there.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I grumble, embarrassment burning through me. “Off day I guess.”

“Those happen,” he shrugs. “I think I know what could cheer you up. Since we don’t have practice tomorrow, I’m taking Grace out on the town tonight. We’re going to grab some food and drinks at the Checkered Pub. You should join.”

My stomach tightens at the thought, but I’m careful not to let Carson see how eager I am to take him up on his offer. The thought of getting to spend more time with Grace, though, has my blood pumping hard in my veins.

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