Page 60 of They All Puck Me

Noah skates over, his boyish grin lighting up his face. “That was smooth as hell, man.”

"The drought is over!" I shout.

We form a huddle, helmets clashing in celebration. For once, there’s no tension between us—just pure exhilaration.

In the locker room, the air is thick with post-game adrenaline and the sharp tang of sweat. Damn, it's been a while since this locker room hasn't been like a graveyard, it's nice. I strip off my gear, tossing it into my bag. Liam and Noah are across the room, talking in low voices.

"I just don't know, man," Liam says, running a hand through his damp hair. "Olivia's been distant lately. Ever since... well, you know."

"Yeah," Noah replies, his tone equally frustrated. "It's like she’s pulling away from all of us."

I pause, pretending to adjust my skates. Their words hit me harder than I expected. Olivia’s been on my mind too, but I’ve kept my distance, afraid of getting too close and fucking things up like I always do.

Liam starts, "I mean what do we do? Talk to her? We can't exactly force her to be around us."

Without thinking, I stand and stride over to them. They both look up, surprised by my sudden approach.

"Hey," I start, my voice gruff but steady. "What about Olivia?"

Liam narrows his eyes as Noah crosses his arms in defiance.

"Noah here thinks he saw Olivia sitting in the stands." Liam says.

"Why would she be in the stands? And why did she not bothering coming down here to celebrate?" I ask suspiciously.

"That's what we're trying to figure out captain obvious." Noah says with an eye roll.

"Are you even sure it was her?" I question.

"Pretty damn sure," he says with a nod. "What better explanation as to why we miraculously played like professionals tonight."

Liam stands there dumbfounded. As much as I hate to admit it, there could be some truth behind Noah's words.

"If that's the case, and Olivia is some bizzare fucking good luck charm, then I think the best thing for us all to do is to be honest here," I say, feeling the weight of my words, "and make every attempt to get back in her good graces. That means all of us."

Noah's eyes widen a fraction, and Liam's jaw tightens.

"All of us?" Liam asks with a grunt.

"Easy boy, let's not get all territorial now," I say, standing my ground.

Noah shifts, scratching his head. "So what you're saying is, this hasn't been a bizzare love triangle, but a love… rectangle?"

"Jesus man, do you ever get any ass with those lines?" I say with a face palm.

"Well, I mean it worked for Olivia…" he starts meekly.

"Shut the fuck up Noah. Some things are better left unsaid." Liam grunts out.

"I’m not saying this to start shit," I add quickly. "But we have to figure something out, we just got things to mesh again and we can't afford to fuck it up."

"Yeah," Liam says.

"Agree." Noah adds.

I stand there, my decision forming like a hard lump in my throat. This is it. I need to say something.

“Look, I get it,” I start, drawing their attention. “I’m not the easiest guy to get along with. Hell, I’m probably the last person you’d expect to be in this room right now.”

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