Page 9 of The Best Friend Power Play

"So," Beth begins. "Did you want us to brainstorm ideas for your hot girl summer, or would you prefer to do it alone?"

"Alone," I reply straight away, because knowing these guys, it's the only way I can ensure the conversation won't veer back to me and Culver.

"That's fine. I can respect that." Beth smirks. "Just don't forget to add Fall for my best friend to the list."

"Ooh, I've got a better one." Amiel's eyes shine mischievously. "Add Fake marry my best friend before falling for him for real to the list. That's two tropes in one!"

"I hate that so much that I actually like it," Beth says, and she and Amiel break out in a fit of giggles.

"It's official," I mutter. "You guys read too many romance novels."

"When is Culver coming?" Evie asks, linking her arm through mine.

"In two days," I reply. "Chester and Katie leave tomorrow, and then he arrives the day after."

"And then your hot girl summer can begin," she says, giving my arm a squeeze.

"Yeah." I draw in a breath, tired and worried and the tiniest bit excited at the same time. "I guess it will."

2

Culver

I shift in the passenger seat, doing my best to conceal my discomfort.

It's no use.

Fraser glances over and clocks it right away. "You okay, man? I can pull over again if you like?"

"Nah. I'm good. Thanks."

"Okay," he says slowly. "Let me know if you change your mind."

I grimace through a throb of pain snaring my left hip. "Will do."

I've already added an extra half-hour to the drive from LA to Comfort Bay, having Fraser pull over twice to let me stretch my legs. We've only got another ten minutes or so left, so I'm determined to suck it up.

We're coming back from a three-day off-season training camp.

Coach's idea.

Every few weeks over the summer, the entire team will be summoned to LA for a team training session.

Last season, our performance was up and down with the downs outnumbering the ups. We barely scraped into the playoffs and only made it to the third round.

It didn't help that I sustained multiple injuries and, as of last week, got diagnosed with a labral tear in my left hip. Something no one outside of my medical team knows about.

I'm twenty-nine, and my body is breaking down, which is kind of a perfect metaphor for my life right now.

But I put all of that out of my mind for now and turn my thoughts to something a lot more fun—surprising Hannah.

She thinks I'm arriving in two days, but I hatched a plan with Chester and Katie to be back the night before they leave for the summer.

They were more than happy to go along with my surprise.

I'm sure it has everything to do with getting to spend some time with their favorite honorary uncle and nothing to do with my promise to whip up my world-famous—well, Comfort Bay-famous—spaghetti Bolognese.

Fraser and I drive the rest of the way in silence.

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