Page 19 of My Best Bet

And she was still so fucking beautiful. I couldn't believe I stared into those unique pale blue eyes of hers again after they’d haunted my dreams for a decade.

Now I couldn’t clear them from my mind.

How the hell was I supposed to focus now that I knew she was here? Now that I knew she was coaching atmy rink?

“Why would she choose here? This ismycity,” I growled from my spot on the couch. I knew it was a dick thing to say, but that’s how I felt. “I finally have things figured out.”

“Well, this isn’tyourcity,” JP said diplomatically with a mouthful of pizza.

“Shut your mouth,” Kappy snapped.

“It’s not though,” JP argued, not taking his eyes from the video game he was playing.

“I mean while you’re eating, dumbass. You’re making me queasy.” Kappy looked at him in disgust, then turned to me.“And you really think you have things figured out?” He laughed to himself.

“Yeah, I fuckin’ do, asshole.” I threw a pillow at him right as Lucy slammed another door upstairs, humbling me on the spot.

“You sure about that?” Kappy asked with a chuckle.

I slung my arm over my eyes and growled in frustration.

“Ya know… don’t kill me for saying this, but maybe this is a good thing,” JP said, pausing his video game.

I eyed him darkly.

“You and Mer… You guys never really had it out,” JP said, arching an eyebrow. “Maybe the two of you need to finally scream at each other. Then maybe you’ll get… un-stuck.”

My eyebrows slammed down. “I’m not stuck.”

JP shot me aget-reallook.

Kappy snorted. “Says the man who’s had zero relationships in the last decade.”

“That's not true. Stella,” I whispered Lucy’s mom’s name.

“Stells was your friend and fuck buddy. You two did not have aromanticrelationship,” Kappy said.

I was about to argue back, but he was right. Stella and I were great friends, but that was the extent of our relationship. I was just a rebound for her and we both knew it. The pregnancy was unexpected, but both of us were happy about it. We were two people who thought we’d never have a chance at having a family. We decided to co-parent, and we did love each other, but we were neverinlove. Maybe we would’ve gotten there if we’d had the chance.

“Youarestuck and it’s because you and Mer never resolved things,” JP said. “And besides all that stuff, weren’t you afraid of putting Lucy in figure skating because of stuff Mer went through?”

I never straight out told them that was the reason, but I guess it was fairly obvious. “What does that matter?”

“Well, then this is perfect,” JP said.

Kappy frowned, then nodded, like he had a good point. “Yeah, you wouldn’t have to be scared,” he said. “Why would Mer Bear put other girls through the same shit she went through? Actually, this really is perfect when you think about it. Lucy would be safe with her.”

“No,” I snapped. “We don’t know that. We don’t know her.”

“Yeah, we do,” Kappy said firmly, sounding serious for once in his life.

“Not anymore,” I shot back coldly.

“Okay, I hate to say this, but you’re being a pinch dramatic, bud,” Kappy said.

I scoffed. “You’re one to talk, you–”

“But why Chicago?” JP asked, cutting me off.

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