Page 42 of Three Pucking Wedding Dates

My pride stings, but I don’t have much of a choice right now. I let out a sigh, resigning myself to my fate as Gray carries me toward the stands.

“Fine, but this never happened, okay?” I mumble, feeling another wave of embarrassment wash over me.

“Your secret’s safe with me,” he promises with a grin, finally setting me down in one of the seats. My feet touch solid ground again, and I shoot him a grateful, if slightly annoyed, smile. “And every other hockey player here.”

Avery and Iris settle down beside me, still giggling about our clumsy escapade. Avery leans in close, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Did you see that, Oakley? Theo actually held my hand when Reid helped us up!”

“Really?” I arch an eyebrow, genuinely surprised by this new development. “I didn’t even notice Theo.” It seems Avery’s crush on Theo might not be as one-sided as I initially thought.

“I need you to help me,” Avery whispers, her eyes pleading. “I really like him, but I don’t know what to do.”

I take a moment to think about it before nodding. “Of course I’ll help you.”

“Thank you, Oakley!” Avery exclaims, beaming at me. “You’re the best.”

“Hey, that’s what friends are for,” I say with a grin that I can only hope reaches my eyes.

“Here they come,” Iris says, her eyes fixed on the players zipping back and forth, weaving intricate patterns across the frozen surface. “I’ve never seen them up close like this.”

“Me neither,” Avery adds, leaning forward with anticipation. “This is amazing.”

As the boys glide effortlessly around the rink, I find myself marveling at their skill and grace. It’s not often that I get to witness such raw talent, and there’s something undeniably magnetic about it. I’ve always enjoyed hockey. My gaze drifts from one player to the next, taking in their focused expressions and powerful strides.

The boys are pushing themselves harder than ever, each one vying for a chance to stand out amongst their teammates, which makes sense with the championships right around the corner. I watch as Gray easily navigates around his opponents, his movements fluid and precise.

“Gray is really good,” Iris comments, clearly impressed. “He’s so agile on the ice.”

“Isn’t he?” I agree, feeling a surge of pride for my friend. “But then again, so is the whole team.” I don’t want Iris thinking I’m interested.

We continue to watch, mesmerized, as the boys weave their magic on the ice.

21

GRAY

As I glide toward the edge, I spot Iris perched in the seats, her curly red hair impossible to miss. A grin tugs at my lips; it’s been too long since she’s come to one of our practices.

“Hey, stranger!” I call out, skating over to where she sits. “I haven’t seen enough of you since you got back from Paris.”

Iris beams, her hazel eyes sparkling. “Too busy being a hockey superstar. You guys look amazing out there!”

“Well, I try,” I laugh, hopping over the barrier to join her. “You three look like you’ve been deep in conversation over here. Any hot gossip I should know about?”

There’s an awkward silence, and Oakley shifts uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze. “Uh, just…girl stuff, you know?”

“Girl stuff, huh?” I raise an eyebrow, trying to gauge whether there’s something more going on that I don’t know about. With my sister, it’s always hard to tell.

Iris leans in, her curly red hair brushing against my cheek as she whispers conspiratorially, “You know, Gray, you should really wake up earlier if you want to be in the loop.”

“Wake up earlier?” I furrow my brow, puzzled by her comment. “What does that have to do with anything?”

She just grins impishly, her hazel eyes dancing with delight at my confusion. Before I can press her for more information, Oakley steps closer.

“Gray,” she says softly, getting on her tiptoes and leaning in so her mouth is right next to my ear. Her warm breath sends a shiver down my spine. “Iris knows about…you know,you and me, well…sleeping togetherthe other night.”

I feel my face flush, embarrassment and surprise warring within me. How could Iris possibly know about that? From Oakley’s words, I can tell she means that Iris somehow only knows about Oakley and me, but not about Reid. And she also doesn’t seem to know about the nights the three of us have spent together since then. A million questions race through my mind, but the most pressing one escapes my lips.

“Wait, how did she find out?” I whisper.

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