Page 9 of The Fake Out Flex

I shake my head, chuckling. "They're not for you, bozo."

"Really? I'm devastated. How will I ever get over it? Oh, wait. There. I'm over it. Come on in." He raises his voice, speaking louder than necessary. "Evie's spying on us from the dining room."

My eyes flick over to the dining room, and I catch the tail end of her ponytail as she zooms out of the room.

By the time Levi and I reach the kitchen, Evie's perched at the breakfast bar, scrolling through her phone. Which I'm pretty sure she's holding the wrong way around, if the upside down cats on her phone case are anything to go by.

She looks up and smiles. "Oh, hey, Fraser."

"Hey, Evie."

She drops the phone and moves toward me.

Now, I can do a spin-o-rama on the ice, rotating three hundred and sixty degrees while maintaining control of the puck, but I cannot for the life of me get my feet to move right now.

So I stand frozen in place, my eyes raking over her as she approaches. She's wearing her dad's famous 81 jersey and looks like she always does—effortlessly beautiful. Minimal makeup, with just a faint rosy hue in her cheeks. Her wavy blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail. And she's smiling that smile that makes my chest tingle.

A subtle floral scent hits my nose as she walks right up to me, lifts on her toes, and plants a small peck on my cheek. "It's good to see you," she says, her voice sounding a little airier than I remember.

"It's good to see you, too."

We stare at each other for a few beats.

Apart from occasionally running into each other after a home game, we don't hang out together anymore. The hockey season sees me traveling for eight months of the year, and even though we both have places in Comfort Bay, most of the time, when Levi and I catch up, it's in LA since we both have our reasons to avoid coming back here.

Unlike Evie.

She's a small-town girl through and through. Even in high school, she always said she'd be back here after college.

When I left, I knew it'd be for good. I didn't know where I'd end up settling down, I just knew it wouldn't be here.

Seven years later, I still haven't found a place I can truly call home.

She smiles at me.

I smile back.

Her gaze drops.

To the flowers.

Oh. Right. I forgot I was holding them.

I extend my arm. "I got these for you."

Levi bites back a grin and moves into the kitchen to check on dinner.

Evie takes the bouquet from me, her hazel eyes twinkling in delight. "Yellow roses. My favorite." She studies the bright petals for a moment, then brings them to her lightly freckled nose and inhales deeply. "Ah, I love this smell. They're so beautiful."

I squash down the urge to say something stupid like, I remembered how much you like them and would always have them in your room, and instead go with, "I saw them and thought of you."

"That's so sweet. Thank you."

She's still smiling as she heads toward Levi. "Vase?"

"Second shelf on the right."

I pull out a stool from the breakfast bar and watch her as she finds a vase, fills it with water, and then arranges the flowers in it.

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