Page 66 of They All Puck Me

“Fuck no,” I say firmly. “He's not anymore deserving of her that we are. But we can’t keep tearing each other apart either. Because if things don't work out with Olivia for any of us, the only thing we all three have to fall back on is hockey.”

Liam is silent for a moment, thinking it over. Finally, he nods slowly. “You’re right.

"So, my resolution is, when were on the ice, we worry about the damn ice. Then when were off it, well I don't give a shit what you worry about then."

Liam takes a swig of his beer. "Works for me."

We spend the next hour talking openly, the tension slowly easing with each passing minute. We talk about Olivia, her laugh, her determination, and the way she makes each of us feel alive. And for the first time, it almost seems like something isn't a competition between us. I feel the weight lifting off my shoulders as we laugh about old times, sharing memories of when life was simpler and our biggest worry was making the varsity team.

"Remember when Coach had us running laps for hours because you decided to moon the other team?" Liam chuckles, shaking his head.

I grin. "How could I forget? I thought he was going to bench me for life."

"You always had a knack for getting us into trouble," he says, his smile fading slightly. "And out of it."

The room grows quiet again, and I can see the wheels turning in Liam's head. He's always been the thinker, the planner. Me? I’m more of a doer.

"Liam," I start, hesitating before diving in. "There's something missing."

Liam tenses at the name, his jaw clenching. "What?"

"Ethan. He is just as much a part of this equation as we are." I say.

Liam's eyes narrow slightly. "Well shit, why didn't we think to invite him here for this therapeutic vent session."

I laugh, feeling the effect of the beers in my system.

"I needed to figure this out beforehand. He's a little intimidating."

Liam spews beer from his mouth. "You're ridiculous, he's all talk. Wait, are you scared he's going to beat your ass if you win her?

"Well hell no," I say quickly. "And she isn't a damn Stanley cup. But what if there's a way we can all win?"

Liam throws me a side eye. "Enlighten me genius."

"What if there was a way we could all have her, and all be happy and not try to kill each other."

Liam looks at me like I've grown another head. "You mean some kind of... arrangement?"

"Maybe," I say, feeling a spark of hope. "Look, it’s unconventional as hell, but we all care about her. And she cares about us too. Why not find a way to make it work?"

Liam leans back on the couch, rubbing his temples. "You realize how crazy this sounds, right?"

"Yeah," I admit with a chuckle. "But isn’t that what makes it worth trying? We’re stronger together, and so is she."

He’s silent for a long moment before finally nodding slowly. “We’d need to talk to Ethan.”

I nod in agreement. “And Olivia of course.”

Liam sighs deeply, running a hand through his hair again. “This is going to be one hell of a conversation.”

“Yeah,” I say with a grin, feeling lighter than I have in weeks. “But when have we ever shied away from a challenge?”

Liam’s lips twitch into a small smile. “Never.”

We sit in companionable silence for a moment longer before Liam stands up, clapping me on the shoulder.

“Alright,” he says decisively. “Let’s figure this out.”

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