Page 70 of Hockey Boy

He gives me a bored look. He’s not surprised by my answer. I rarely say yes. It’s our thing. I say no. He makes sure I know how disappointed he is. I go home and stew over whether I said no because I didn’t want to do what he asked or because I wanted to spite him. In the end, more often than not, I end up doing what he wants.

He knows he’ll get his way if he doesn’t push.

It’s annoying.

If he pushed, I’d double down and stand my ground.

He hasn’t figured out that I’m the one who makes the choice in the end. He assumes he’ll always get his way.

In this case, annoyingly, I’ll say yes. I need to get Ryder to agree to perform at the Kingston wedding.

But I don’t have to be happy about it.

Beckett: What day should I tell Jasper he can move in?

Gavin: The sooner, the better. Right, little brother? We all know how excited you are about moving in with your one true love.

Me: Ha. I’m thrilled. The guys are helping me clear out my apartment as we speak. Then we’ll get War’s place ready for you.

Brooks: What guys?

Me: Fitz and War.

Brooks: You’re hanging out with my best friend and my coach, and you didn’t invite me?

With a grunt,War lifts one side of the couch. My side is still on the floor. “You gonna help with this? There are plenty of other things I’d rather be doing today.”

Fitz pokes his head out from my bedroom. “What are we doing with the bed?”

Grinning, I point to the small jar I placed next to the door. “Bedbugs. I can take care of that, though.”

Fitz lets out a howl of a laugh. “Savage.”

My phone rings just like I knew it would. Laughing, I tap the speaker button.

“Since when am I not one of your boys?”

“Wow, Brooks. No need to be so desperate. I still love you.”

“Seriously,” he grits out. “Why are you hanging out withmybest friend andmycoach?”

“Because he didn’t want to implicate you in this shit. Believe me, it’s a good thing,” War groans.

Fitz saunters into the living room, shaking his head. “I love this shit. A vindictive ex. Getting revenge. I feel like I’m on my own version of that show.”

“What show?” Brooks asks.

“Revenge,” Sara hollers in the background. “Brooks, how have you not seenRevenge?”

“Shit,” Brooks mutters. “I know what we’ll be watching tonight.”

“You’re a psycho,” War says to me as I drop the phone to the couch so I can lift my end. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

“That’s the thing. He’s the fun guy. Never underestimate the fun guy,” Fitz reminds us. He was wearing his standard backward Bolts hat when we pulled into the garage but tossed it in the back seat and told us he wanted to go incognito for our little revenge plan. Dude is on my level, and I love it.

“Just get the door so we can load this onto the elevator and get it into storage before psycho Jill comes back,” War grumbles.

Sara is still explaining the plot ofRevengeto Brooks as we pick up the couch. “And then her husband figures it out, and he shoots her. You know what’s really cool? They’re married in real life.”

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