Page 81 of The Secret Play

“Again? Do you ever charge that thing?” he asked with a dramatic sigh.

“What is going on?”

“Go get dressed. Wear something warm. The arena’s cold.”

I stared at him, my confusion deepening. “What are you talking about?”

Ignoring my question, Nico stepped inside, his gaze immediately landing on Winnie. His face lit up, and he scooped her into his arms like she was the center of his world. “Hey, kiddo! Want to come to the game tonight?”

Her squeal of delight was answer enough.

“We don’t have tickets,” I said, crossing my arms and giving him my best “mom” look. It always worked on Winnie, but I wasn’t sure it would work on my big brother.

He scoffed, waving me off. “You don’t need tickets. You have me.”

Megan raised an eyebrow, looking from him to me. “Aren’t you supposed to be, you know, playing tonight?”

“I will be,” Nico said casually like it was no big deal. “But first, all of you are coming to the game. Megan included.”

Her jaw dropped. “Me? Really?”

“Really,” Nico said, flashing one of his charming smiles. “Now hurry up. The limo’s waiting.”

“Limo?” I repeated, my voice incredulous.

“Yeah. I went a little overboard. But it’s for Winnie, so it’s worth it.”

Winnie clapped her hands in excitement, her eyes wide with delight. “A limo, Mommy! Can we go? Wait—what’s a limo?”

Nico laughed. “It’s a great big, fancy car with treats. You’ll love it.”

“Mommy, can we?”

The three of them gave me expectant eyes, the kind that said I’d be an asshole to turn them down. I sighed, glancing at Megan, who was already halfway to grabbing her coat. But I didn’t want to go anywhere tonight.

The article had been posted, and the comments got so bad that Megan had forced me to step away from my laptop. People called me everything from a selfish bitch to the Wicked Witch of the West. Casey had come out shining in the comments. Everyone poured pity and affection on him, some even saying they wanted his number. So, the article did what I wanted it to, but I certainly didn’t want to be anywhere near the arena. It was full of people who hated me.

But the longer I hesitated, the more upset Winnie looked.

“Fine,” I said, shaking my head. “Let me get dressed.”

Winnie cheered, Nico bounced her up in the air, and Megan ogled his abs when his shirt hem lifted from tossing my daughter. He caught Winnie, and Megan looked away so he wouldn’t see her checking him out. Which gave him a chance to spy down her sweater.

I didn’t know why, but it unsettled me and made me happy.

Megan had had a crush on Nico when we were kids, and until now, I didn’t know if it was mutual. But it wasn’t just a subtle cleavage glance that clued me in. I overheard the small talk he tried with Megan when I was changing in my room.

“So, Megan. How’s…things?”

“Um, good. Mostly. I guess.”

The following pause could not have been more awkward.

But then he asked, “Are you a hockey fan?”

“Well, I don’t know much about it,” she said. “But I’m always willing to learn.”

“Maybe tonight will help with that. If you want to learn, I mean.”

---